Sonata Arctica to Play Mexicali Live Sept. 3

This weekend marks the official end of summer and a cold front is blowing in from Finland in the form of melodic power metallers Sonata Arctica. The band, supporting its new album, “Pariah’s Child,” kicks off its North American tour on Wednesday, Sept. 3 at Mexicali Live. Sonata Arctica, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary, also plays on Sept. 4 at Stage 48 in New York City.

“Pariah’s Child” features a plethora of melodic guitars and keyboards and fluid bass lines. The band’s superb musicianship shines through on standout tracks “Running Lights,” Cloud Factory” and the 10-minute epic, “Larger Than Life.”

Keyboardist Henrik “Henkka” Klingenberg said he’s looking forward to playing for the band’s American fans and that concertgoers can expect a great show.

“It’s been 15 years since Sonata released the first album, so we’ll bring out some older stuff that hasn’t been played in a while along with the best tracks from our latest album, ‘Pariah’s Child,’” Klingenberg said. “Join our celebration or stay at home and listen to your friends brag about it later. Either way, we’re going to have an amazing time at these shows.”

Sonata Arctica released its debut album, “Ecliptica,” in 1999. The band has released eight albums overall. “Pariah’s Child” and its predecessor, “Stones Grow Her Name” (2012), both hit No. 1 on the Finnish album charts. The band recently announced that in honor of its 15th anniversary, it has re-recorded “Ecliptica.” It will be available come Oct. 31 exclusively on the Nuclear Blast USA Webshop, http://shop.nuclearblast.com/en/shop.

“When it first was suggested to us that we re-record “Ecliptica, it felt a bit weird, but somehow the idea grew on us,” Klingenberg said. “Being that only Tony [Kakko, vocalist] and Tommy [Portimo, drummer] played on the original one, we thought that it would be a fun thing to do, to give these great songs another run.

“We’re definitely not trying to re-write history,” Klingenberg said. “This new version is more of a tribute and an update on how these songs sound when played by our current line-up. We certainly had a good time digging into these songs and laying down the tracks and we hope people enjoy it.”

IF YOU GO: Sonata Arctica with opening bands Delain, Xandria and Midnight Eternal. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3. $25. Mexicali Live, 1409 Queen Anne Road. 201-833-0011 or www.mexicalilive.com.

ALSO PERFORMING: 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4. Stage 48, 605 W. 48th St., Manhattan. $30 advance, $35 day of show. 212-957-1800 or www.stage48.com.