OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY

This is really two EPs in one: the first is more of a single with three new songs (the cover of Gary Moore's Over The Hills And Far Away and Tuomas Holopainen's two new compositios, the gothic 10th Man Down and the ballad Away) and the remake of Astral Romance (recorded originally for their debut CD Angels Fall First). The other EP is a six song live recording from a show that was originally included on their first DVD, From Wishes To Eternity. So in the end you have a 50 minute EP that equalls in length many full CDs.

What about the quality of the songs? The celtic Over The Hills And Far Away was a very unlike choice for a heavy metal band, but it turned out so well it remained on Nightwish's live set for years. Very good. 10th Man Down and Away are good tracks but not very outstanding. Worth the inclusion, though. the remake of Astral Romance (with Sonata Artica's Tony Kakko sharing vocals with Tarja) is quite an improvement over the original version and is very welcomed. The live tracks are the most interesting, since this energetic perfomance is very well captured. Although I rather see them on the DVD, there's is no way to dany their powerful delivering of those tracks, really awesome. One of the Highlights is the beautiful and progressive Beauty And the Beast (again with Kakko remaking the male vocals), quite better than the studio version.

The production is good. The ironic note here is the fact that bassist Sami Vänskä designed the cover art (at least the brazilian edition of the CD, which is different from the one shown on PA). It was his last work with the band for he would soon be fired.

Conclusion: a very good idea to bring those two EPs together. It is a must have for any Nightwish fan. Hiwever I dont think it is the best starting point for a newbie. So I guess it is not enough for a four star rating, but deserves more than just 3. 3,5 stars.