NIGHTWISH

The loss of Nightwish's previous singer was sad, and I was looking forward to a new beginning with the Finnish band. When Dark Passion Play came out, I quickly got a copy. The Poet and the Pendulum opens the album with a nice vocal part by the new singer, Annete Olson, and then the musical masterpiece begins. The band, which is known for great symphonic pieces, lacks no symphonic sound here. The whole 13 minute epic is a great listen. Throughout the entire album, symphonic magnificence and musical wonder permeates. Olzon will have a great career with the band.

My favorite songs:

- The Poet and the Pendulum - Bye Bye Beautiful - Master Passion Greed - Sahara - Whoever Brings the Night - Seven Days to the Wolves

Excellent introduction to Nightwish universe

This band is one of those that have millions of fans and thousands of detractors. Fine by me, really. Musically, this band is at the top of the game. Their keyboard player and main composer, Tuomas Holopainen has great concepts of songwriting and the vocal voice of Tarja Turunen took the music to a complete new place.

This is a compilation, so, there are no epics, no rare tracks, no B sides, just a series of their most "catchy" material, so the detractors of the band won't be converted with this production, but is a great place to start the discovering, especially because is very easy to digest. The dynamics within the band are wonderful and the music if top of quality. Now, yes, some of the songs became too cliché, too "save the world while taken by the hands" but at the end, the goal of music is to enjoy it and you can be sure you will end up shaking your head along during the whole album.

As a bonus track, we get a Pink Floyd cover: High Hopes. While the song is cool, the band could achieve a better arrangement, more dynamic like their own songs. Another problem is that Tarja is not involved in the version, which is sad, because she could take the cover to a complete new level, but well. This and excellent starting point for those who don't know this great band. Now, don't expect epics or big songs, those are in the studio albums and are great. Here you have the concept, the sound and you can base your point to try it after. 4 stars is fair, especially for the Pink Floyd cover.

Nightwish at the present time became kind of self parody, but things haven't been like this all the time. Their debut (still with great operatic voice of Tarja Turunen) is good example of symphonic metal.

Don't you expect Therion-like complexity and arrangements. The music there is played and recorded in simpler way, but the combination of symphonic metal band with some Nordic folklore tunes and excellent operatic vocals for year 1997 works perfectly.

OK, if you will remove vocals, you just will have simpler than average heavy metal band with melodic and quite polished sound, very simplistic drumming, rich of synth sounds. But add there the voice - and the mix sound fresh and attractive ( at least for the time of release).

Unhappily, the band explored the formula founded till the last gram, and starting from some point every next album was just a bad copy of a previous one. And lot of clones all around didn't add much popularity to that sound, but as one of early example, this album has its value for sure (at least - historical).

This is the CD that comes with a DVD documentary about the band´s world tour promoting their Dark Passion Play album. It contains 8 live tracks and three rare studio recordings that were previously used as b-sides. All the live stuff is from Dark Passion Play. While it would be nice to have some earlier material included here, it proves how strong (and generally underrated) that CD was. Probably most fans were still mourning Ninghtwish´s losing of the former singer Tarja Tarunnen and were not yet prepared to give newcomer Anette Olzon Blyckert a fair chance. A real shame since she has proved herself to be the right choice. And the group lost none of their musical tightness, neither their knack for writing great memorable tunes that mix heavy metal guitars, dreamy keyboards, impressive, bombastic symphonic orchestrations and great melodies together. Nightwish is a league on their own.

I was curious to see how the new vocalist would sound like live and all I can say is that the band chose the right path: instead of trying to get an opera singer like Tarja they decided to get one with a different style completely and that could still sing the earlier stuff convincely. I had the chance to see a video of the new line up playing a festival in Holland and I was surprised when I saw that Anette is a charismatic singer with a strong stage perfomance and a very nice voice (no comparisons with the unique Tarja, please!). And this CD only enhances this feeling: the new materail is excellent in every point. The band is playing better than ever and Anette does a great job live. The recording sound is very good and the production is top notch.

Highlights? To me are the great progressive epics: the 14 minute The Poet And The Pendulum (fine orchestrations, many tempo changes and mood swings) and the emotional 7 Days of the Wolfe (nice blend of vocals by Anette and bassist Marco Hietala, plus a fine guitar lines by Erno ''Emppu'' Vuorinen). There are absolute no fillers and the addition of the three rare studio tracks is a nice touch since they are up to Nightwish´s high standards.

Conclusion: another fine work done by this great band. If you´re a fan (and have overcome Tarja´s loss), go for it! If you do not know the band yet, this is a good starting point. An excellent addition to any prog music collection. Rating: four strong stars, no less! Highly recommended!

Live album with new vocalist Anette Olzon Blyckert . Whenever this band always was a controversial addition to progressive metal, after Tarja Turunen left, things became even less attractive.

This album is excellent illustration what is melodic Scandinavian pop-metal. Simple structure pop-metal songs with female vocals, chorus and some pseudo-symphonic arrangements.

It doesn't means, that this album is too different from previous. Just all this heavy-metal circus is much better notable during live shows. So, there you can hear some songs (for which a few different melodies and song structures are used), few musical tricks to make show going and ... it is it.

I remember in my teens I was disappointed by Kiss live recording, whenever even my inexperienced ears easily noticed all this mistakes in music played and singing. So many years gone, so modern rock-circus could be a bit more polished. Welcome to Nightwish show - rock circus for middle class teens.

— First review of this album —

The main feature of this DVD is a long documentary called End Of The Innocence, directed by Timo Halo. It contains mostly interviews with songwriter, leader and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and drummer Jukka Nevalainen talking about the band´s story and philosofy, plus many backstage shots (with lots of inside jokes), studio snippets, tour images on and off stage from several countries and so on. Quite interesting for the ones that are fond of Nightwish, but I thought at the time it awas a bit to soon for a group that young (around the time of their Century Child CD).

However, the extras were the best part: They include the band performing six songs in the Summer Breeze Festival in Germany, 2002. The images are excellent and the soundtrack is quite good too. There is also another live perfomance, this time at the Rockfeller, Oslo, Norway, 4th pf July, 2003. Nightwish plays five tuness and it features the then new bassist Marco Hietala taking the vocal spot during a good cover of W.A.S.P.´s Wild Child. The sound and image´s quality here is inferior but still acceptable.

There are also two videos, the excellent Over The Hills And Far Away and the bad End Of All Hope. The former shows how their budget had swiollen to make a video since the very simple The Carpenter just three years before. A short MTV Brazil interview (without Tarja) is also included.

A good documentary, with some fine extras to boost it. Good for the fans of the band, but hardly essential. If you want to see Nightwish just playing at their peak I strongly recommend you to get their brilliant From Wishes To Eternity. Rating for this one: 3 stars.

First single of Dark Passion Play album. Just one song, 4+ minutes! And same version, as on album, no bonuses, no B-side at all.

The song is usual for that time melodic pop-song with light touch of Nordic folk. No relation with metal, symphonic prog, or any progressive sound at all. Nice commercial product, far from very fresh of trendy.

Happily, I received all collection of Nightwish newest singles as present ( don't even mind to spent on them even dice!).

Melodic symphonic pop-metal with female/male vocals. You for sure heard some of these songs on radio.

I have both singles (with slightly different track lists). Both are pre-releases for "Dark Passion Play" album. Main release song is "Amaranth" - melodic polished composition with some injection of controlled heavy metal energy (somewhere deep under the skin), straight forward rock structure and very simple arrangements.

After Tarja Turunen left the band, they missed their last attraction. Now you can hear only stereotype heavy metal imitation with (not very) operatic female vocals. Unmasked product for re-sale. Still someone is buying?

Possibly could be interesting release for die-hard band fans (because of few bonuses). For all other possible listeners- almost useless.

This is the album where Nightwish found their sound.

After the raw sounding Angels Fall First, Oceanborn was the first real breath of air for Nightwish, taking their musical abillity and scepticism to the next level, where cathcy songs could be made with technique and power. This also seemed to be the album which was their most prog like.

Tuomas' lyrics also seem to be at their best, with the use of vague expressions and real poetic majesty, the thing which really atracted me to Nightwish.

1. Stargazers - Probably one of my favourite Nightwish songs. With amazing neo classical technique which would leave Yngwie Malmsteen blushing, an amazing chorus and one of Tuomas' greatest lyrical moments. Amazing.

2. Gethsemane - This, along with Wanderlust, is probabbly one of the most technical things they have ever done. An amazing vocal performance from Tarja and a great chorus. The song itself is about Jesus' death, but with a poetic take on the drudgining story.

3. Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean - Kickass riffs and amazing dramaticism. What more could you want.

4. Sacrament Of Wilderness - This song sounds like HIM (HIM are amazing though). Yea, everyone praises this song, but I don't really see the big deal about it...it's one of Nightwish' weakest.

5. Passion & The Opera - About sex...God Tuomas really is a nymphomaniac. Great song though.

6. Swanheart - One of their most beautiful compositions. Very nice and relaxing.

7. Moondance - How could you not love this song? It's memorable, intresting and reminds me of Irish music...thats not that good, but still, it is Nightwish :).

8.The Riddler - Love the use of synths and a great chorus.

9. The Pharaoh Sails To Orion - One of Nightwish' best in my opinion. Amazing dramatic like scenes, amazing chorus, a great vocal performance from Tarja, and Emppu really displays some amazing guitar work.

CONCLUSION: This is the second time I had to do this. So it may be a bit vague. But definetly a must for Nightwish fans. It doesn't top Wishmaster, but it comes very close.

After Nightwish kicked Tarja on to a dark and cold street, for no reason, basically because Tuomas is a bit whiny, (but like Morrissey, he does make some great music.) they started to make this album, while looking for a lead singer, who they found in a bin probabbly (Anette Olzon, they probabbly didn't find her in a bin, it was proabbly Tk Max or something).

To be honest, I think they knew that criticism would attack them from every corner. But how do you combat the criticism...with a great album of course. And did they succeed...obviously.

This album was actually suprisingly amazing. There was some meh meh moments, but the music did make up for it. Unlike the last album, the heaviness was toned down and the orchestra was turned up (still not Within Temptation...has anybody thought of giving Within Temptation this album in order to show them how to produce an album the right way).

The new singer isn't as good as Tarja, but to be honest, not many people are. She is a great singer and she is very good looking (well if she was a boot, I don't think anyone would like them anymore).

1. The Poet & The Pendulum - Well can you match Ghost Love Score, ICS Vortex you can. This song is beyond epic. It makes other symphonic metal bands cry. The soprano vocals, performed by Aled Jones (not really). The orchestra is amazing and it even reminds me of a film soundtrack. It's also very dramtatic. It's so dramatic that it made Peter Gabriel shed his skin, or scales, or whatever he is made of now. Yea, I'm being too funny. The lyrics are also very good, but I don't think the word rape should be used in a song, unless it's that song from Hamlet 2, "Raped In The Face".

2. Bye Bye Beuaitful -Tuomas, please, get over it. This song is amazing, but still, Tuomas is still cranking over Tarja, she's gone, get over it. The video also made no sense, why did you replace the guys with girls, it's so cheesey, Whitesnake did a parody of it. All in all, it's a still very catchy.

3. Amaranth - Annete's vocals are really shown off in this song. When I first heard this song, I didn't think it was that catchy, but it is incredibly infectious. Amazing song, incredibly remerable.

4. Cadence Of Her Last Breathe - This song is about Tuomas wishing that Tarja was dead. GET OVER IT... It's very catchy and the artwork which shows Tarja holding a butterfly was just stupid. If you are trying to hide the meaning of the song...do it better.

5. Master Passion Greed - This song is about how Tuomas hates Tarja's husband. I'm just not gonna say anything.

6. Eva - Finally, the Tarja bashing is over. Back to songs about... homless... children. How depressing can you be? It is incredibly beautiful and the arrangement is great.

7. Sahara - Very epic and catchy. As long as it's not about Tarja.

8. Whoever Brings The Night - A song about prositutes. Why is there always a song about sex, Tuomas really needs to get lobotomised. Still a great song.

9. For The Heart I Once Had - A nice ballady song with a great chorus and an amazing vocal performance from Annette. :)

10. The Islander - A song about Tarja being on Lost, not really but I wouldn't be suprised if it wasn't. Very catchy and very nice. Great vocals from Marco, and I like the Uilean Pipes.

11. Last Of The Wilds - I have played this song, so many times, on nearlly every instrument known to man. I actually skipped this song, cause it already is playing in my head, even now.

12. 7 Days To The Wolves - Very epic and great riff. The chorus is also very catchy and memorable.

13. Meadows Of Heaven - A nice ballady song to end the album. And every band, at some stage, will end up using a gospel choir, It's called the Simon Cowell disease.

CONCLUSION - This album is great and really made critics stand up and applaude, but really awkwardly, like in a teen movie. Although, like every lyricist, Tuomas lyrics are getting worse, e.g. John Petrucci, Steve Harris, Mike Portnoy. Buy it, it's an amazing album.