
However after the release of Silence in 2001, Härkin left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by Klingenberg (who also plays keytar). The release of the demo FullMoon led to the release of the band's first full-length album, Ecliptica (1999).Ģ000 saw various line-up changes: Kivilahti left the band and was replaced on bass by a returning Paasikoski, and Kakko was replaced on keyboards by Mikko Härkin to focus on the singing. After the departures of Paasikoski and Peura, the band decided to continue with only one guitarist and replaced Peura with Janne Kivilahti, before changing their name to Sonata Arctica in 1999 and turning into a metal band. After changing their name to Tricky Means the following year, they released three unsuccessful hard rock demos. The line-up was completed in early 1996 with the addition of Kakko on vocals and keyboards and Pentti Peura on bass. Sonata Arctica originally created as a hard rock band, known as Tricky Beans in late 1995 by Portimo and guitarists Jani Liimatainen and Marko Paasikoski. All the musicians of the band's history except Portimo (and possibly new bassist Kauppinen) also acted as backing vocalists.

The line-up consists of singer, keyboardist and songwriter Tony Kakko, guitarist Elias Viljanen, bass guitarist Pasi Kauppinen, keyboardist and keytarist Henrik Klingenberg, and drummer Tommy Portimo since August 2022.

They often include symphonic metal elements, and their later releases contain several elements typical of progressive metal. Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland.
