CENTURY CHILD

Nightwish

Progressive Metal

3.35 | 152 ratings

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Easy Livin
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

A night at the opera

"Century's child" is Nightwish's fourth studio album, excluding compilations and "interim" releases. It has a slightly harder edge than their previous works. The orchestration is generally less up front, replaced in part at least by some excellent guitar.

There's still the usual mix of symphonic prog metal and softer ballads. Tarja Turanen's sensational operatic vocals are still here of course, and there still plenty of orchestrated pomposity. In many ways, the album is constantly building towards its wonderful climactic conclusion. That conclusion starts with the penultimate track, a magical reworking of Lloyd-Webber/Rice's "Phantom of the opera" (no really!). Those who know the music of Nightwish will appreciate just how appropriate this track is for the band, and will be able to create a mental vision of the track even before hearing it. It is slightly speeded up from the stage show version, but otherwise faithful, including a fine male/female vocal duet.

The final track, "Beauty of the beast" is where it all comes together. The song is a 10 minute masterpiece in three parts. Those three parts fit together seamlessly to form a complete piece. The extra space offered by the track allows Emppu Vuorinen to slip in some fine guitar work. There still plenty of orchestration, and dramatic vocalisations, which cumulate in the fading refrain.

As ever with Nightwish, the sleeve design is imaginative and beautiful, I would probably have been lured into buying the album whether or not the music was worthy! As it happens, the music is more than worthy, completing a highly recommended package.

Easy Livin | 4/5 | 2004-12-17

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