IMAGINAERUM

Every once in a great while a prog metal album earns my attention and eventually affection if not outright obsession. If I was to sketch out a template for an exemplary specimen in this sub genre, it would exclude growls but include male and female vox; be melodramatic and highly visual; juxtapose crunchy riffs with light catchy melodies; and of course include some concession to the folk idiom. It would sound a lot like "Imaginaerum" by NIGHTWISH. Of all these characteristics, it's their ability to transition over the top, even operatic vocals, heavy guitars and symphonic orchestration to tunes reminiscent of childhood nursery rhymes that completely wins me over. This deliberate lapse into nostalgia marks the fulfilment of the concept, and is just plain entertaining as well. It begins with the breathless "Storytime" and is eclipsed by the Celtified "I want my tears back", resuming on the schizophrenic "Rest Calm" and capped on the frenetic "Last Ride of the Day". Along the way are several more even tempered pieces like the languid jazzy "Slow Love Slow", the gorgeous "Turn Loose the Mermaids" and the even more sensitive "The Crow, The Owl and the Dove". At times the feverishness threatens to dampen the forehead, as in "Ghost River" and "Scaretale", but this remains a compelling work of the imagination that has also found a significant following in the prog world and beyond.