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NIGHTWISH

Progressive Metal • Finland


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Nightwish biography
Founded in Kitee, Finland in 1996 - Still active as of 2019

Finland's NIGHTWISH has founded a medium where pure angelic vocal beauty combines with rugged metal guitars, and where intricate keyboard arrangements team up with driving rhythms, creating a soaring stylistic mix. 2003's symphonic metal shining star Century Child has set the band upon a stunning adventure in crafting a unique and genre-defining sound.

Humbly begun in 1997 as keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen's, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and trained operatic vocalist Tarja Turunen's ill received acoustic project, they found balance when they added drummer and percussionist Jukka Nevalainen and opted replace acoustic with electric guitars. Entranced with their new identity, NIGHTWISH was quickly signed to Finland's premier label, Spinefarm. Debut "Angels Fall First" made a huge impression upon the scene thanks to its unique hybrid of sounds and styles, with much of the focus centering on the operatic and enigmatic singing of front woman Tarja. The initial offering was soon followed by the even more progressed and adventurous "Oceanborn", which stayed in the Finnish pop charts for over 30 weeks. At this time, they had three singles in the top 10. This success led to packed shows in Finland, and soon to continental European shows and ensuing success. The overseas reactions and a growing cult-like interest in the United States encouraged Century Media to sort out a licensing agreement securing their next studio output for domestic release, as well as the two back catalogue pieces so they could be appreciated by a wider audience. In 2000 the band released their third effort, "Wishmaster", immediately going platinum at home and selling well over 20,000 units in the U.S. with very little support or notoriety from the industry and promotional outlets.

The year 2002 was one filled with many successful events for the band. NIGHTWISH acquired bassist Marco Hietala (TAROT, SINERGY), who added another dimension to NIGHTWISH's enveloping sound. Marco, in addition to his commanding bass lines, contributes powerful male vocals. The band returned to long time recording home Finnvox Studios (STRATOVARIUS, CHILDREN OF BODOM, SENTENCED) to record drum tracks. They then moved to their hometown of Kitee, Finland to record guitars, bass and keyboards. In March 2002 they returned to Finnvox to record vocals, choirs and percussions, and to mix the album. What came out of these recording sessions is shee...
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NIGHTWISH Videos (YouTube and more)


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NIGHTWISH discography


Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums

NIGHTWISH top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.47 | 160 ratings
Angels Fall First
1997
3.96 | 275 ratings
Oceanborn
1998
3.45 | 180 ratings
Wishmaster
2000
3.34 | 158 ratings
Century Child
2002
3.64 | 219 ratings
Once
2004
3.81 | 222 ratings
Dark Passion Play
2007
3.75 | 160 ratings
Imaginaerum
2011
2.91 | 25 ratings
Imaginaerum - The Score (OST)
2012
3.69 | 157 ratings
Endless Forms Most Beautiful
2015
3.81 | 107 ratings
Human. :ǁ: Nature.
2020
3.44 | 20 ratings
Yesterwynde
2024

NIGHTWISH Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.74 | 19 ratings
From Wishes to Eternity
2001
4.25 | 56 ratings
End Of An Era
2006
2.90 | 23 ratings
Made in Hong Kong (and in Various Other Places)
2009
3.98 | 27 ratings
Showtime, Storytime
2013
4.27 | 11 ratings
Vehicle of Spirit (Wembley Arena)
2017
3.96 | 9 ratings
Decades: Live In Buenos Aires
2019

NIGHTWISH Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

4.22 | 19 ratings
From Wish to Eternity - Live
2001
2.60 | 9 ratings
End of Innocence
2003
3.00 | 5 ratings
Nemo
2004
3.00 | 7 ratings
Wish I Had an Angel
2004
4.00 | 3 ratings
Once
2006
3.00 | 6 ratings
Amaranth
2007
3.97 | 30 ratings
End of An Era
2007
2.86 | 7 ratings
Bye Bye Beautiful
2008
4.33 | 15 ratings
Showtime, Storytime
2013
4.50 | 4 ratings
Vehicle of Spirit
2016

NIGHTWISH Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.80 | 5 ratings
Golden Wishes
2001
3.69 | 7 ratings
1997 - 2001
2001
3.36 | 11 ratings
Tales From The Elvenpath
2004
3.78 | 31 ratings
Highest Hopes - The Best Of Nightwish
2005
3.50 | 4 ratings
Bestwishes
2005
4.00 | 3 ratings
Ballads of the Eclipse
2006
3.20 | 5 ratings
The Sound Of Nightwish Reborn
2008
3.13 | 5 ratings
Walking in the Air - The Greatest Ballads
2011
5.00 | 3 ratings
Endless forms most beautiful TOUR EDITION
2015
4.17 | 6 ratings
Decades
2018

NIGHTWISH Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.66 | 7 ratings
Demo
1996
3.04 | 8 ratings
The Carpenter
1997
3.94 | 9 ratings
Sacrament of Wilderness
1998
4.00 | 6 ratings
Passion and the Opera
1998
3.11 | 9 ratings
Walking In The Air
1999
3.15 | 11 ratings
Sleeping Sun (Four Ballads Of The Eclipse)
1999
2.91 | 13 ratings
Deep Silent Complete
2000
3.67 | 6 ratings
The Kinslayer
2000
3.33 | 3 ratings
Wishmastour 2000
2001
3.02 | 32 ratings
Over The Hills And Far Away
2001
3.60 | 11 ratings
Ever Dream
2002
3.78 | 18 ratings
Bless The Child
2002
3.79 | 15 ratings
Nemo
2004
2.69 | 17 ratings
Wish I Had An Angel
2004
3.29 | 10 ratings
Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan
2005
4.31 | 18 ratings
The Siren
2005
3.80 | 11 ratings
Sleeping Sun
2005
2.12 | 7 ratings
Erämaan viimeinen
2007
1.58 | 12 ratings
Amaranth
2007
1.24 | 11 ratings
Eva
2007
3.40 | 10 ratings
The Islander
2008
4.00 | 2 ratings
Dark Passion Play Instrumental Version
2008
3.13 | 8 ratings
Bye Bye Beautiful
2008
2.40 | 5 ratings
Amaranth
2009
3.78 | 9 ratings
The Crow, The Owl And The Dove
2012
4.00 | 7 ratings
Storytime
2012
3.36 | 11 ratings
Elan
2015
2.75 | 4 ratings
Endless Forms Most Beautiful
2015
3.83 | 6 ratings
Perfume of the Timeless
2024

NIGHTWISH Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Wishmaster by NIGHTWISH album cover Studio Album, 2000
3.45 | 180 ratings

BUY
Wishmaster
Nightwish Progressive Metal

Review by martindavey87

3 stars Released in 2000, 'Wishmaster' is the third album by Finnish symphonic metal band, Nightwish. It comes two years after its predecessor, 'Oceanborn', and pretty much continues in the same vein. At this point the band was just beginning to break into the mainstream, and it's easy to see that the strength and quality of their writing was garnering them a bigger and better reputation with metal fans.

The musicianship on this album is fantastic, with particular praise going to keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and guitarist Emppu Vuorinen. The chemistry between these two is exceptional, with plenty of intense guitar riffs and a flurry of complex keyboard melodies blending together with ease. And amidst it all, singer Tarja Turenen's operatic vocals suit the style of music perfectly.

'The Kinslayer', 'She is My Sin' and the title track, 'Wishmaster', are all absolutely fantastic songs, and could easily rate as some of my Nightwish favourites, and the rest of the album is filled out nicely with the likes of 'Crownless', 'Fantasmic' and 'Wanderlust'. Other than one or two fillers, the album flows effortlessly.

Overall, this is a strong follow-up to 'Oceanborn', and a step in the right direction for the band, and although it may not be Nightwish's best album, there's some very strong tracks that make this an album worth owning.

 Century Child by NIGHTWISH album cover Studio Album, 2002
3.34 | 158 ratings

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Century Child
Nightwish Progressive Metal

Review by kenethlevine
Special Collaborator Prog-Folk Team

3 stars Following is a list of concrete improvements over the previous "Wishmaster": addition of a superior vocalist Marco Hietala as new bassist, who stayed 15 years and helped take NIGHTWISH to the next level. Unfortunately not yet. Patience.

So, yeah, even Hietala doesn't add much this time around, other some growls in the abysmal "Slaying the Dreamer". "Century Child" presages the future lean into prog only in the length of the uneven closer Beauty and the Beast", but it's no "Creek Mary's Blood" I'll tell you. This is almost worse than "Wishmaster" in the sense that the bombast is barely modulated for long stretches, but is saved by the nearly AOR "Dead to the World" even though my first reaction was to gaze overseas towards ASIA with judgemental dread, "Ever Dream" with a blueprint for the future vocalists' ballads, and the ridiculous yet fantastical "Phantom of the Opera", which I'd say does elevate this child to a higher level, if still squarely in the 3 star camp in which NIGHTWISH ended one millenium and began another. Luckily even more pronounced improvements were in the works, thanks Marco!

 Wishmaster by NIGHTWISH album cover Studio Album, 2000
3.45 | 180 ratings

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Wishmaster
Nightwish Progressive Metal

Review by kenethlevine
Special Collaborator Prog-Folk Team

3 stars The good news re "Wishmaster" is that it's proof that NIGHTWISH, up to now, is utterly incapable of making a mediocre album; the bad news is that "Wishmaster" might be as low as they can go.

While this still isn't prog in any capital P sense, they seem to be trying to shoehorn short tracks into this genre, which is the haberdasher's equivalent of custom fitting you for 2 distinct suits in one, rather than actually 2 suits for the price of one. The best and worst example of this is "Wanderlust", a NIGHTWISH classic in the making that flames itself out in pure metal purgatory at the halfway point. Many of the rest don't quite hit enough of the peaks of prior and future releases while still being perfectly listenable, the only exception being the dreary "Kinslayer". Even the performers (including...gasp...Tarja) seem ambivalent, though that's maybe just an invasion of my own bias.

Only "Crownless" and "Dead Boy's Poem" are worthy of the type of approval commonly accorded to a half dozen tracks on the likes of "Oceanborn" or "Endless Forms Most Beautiful". A good album, yes, but not up to the masters' standards. It's all there but it's just a bit flattened and dehusked.

 Oceanborn by NIGHTWISH album cover Studio Album, 1998
3.96 | 275 ratings

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Oceanborn
Nightwish Progressive Metal

Review by kenethlevine
Special Collaborator Prog-Folk Team

4 stars Apart from the lack of flagrant prog here (that would come later), "Oceanborn" imprints the NIGHTWISH sound in a way that their debut did not. This is far more bombastic than "Angels Fall First"; it's their first romp, the first where they are clearly having fun and want to pound that fun into us. It even kicks off the tendency to start slow. After all one doesn't lead off with the crescendo else where would one go from there? The opener is fine but compared to the sequence that begins with Tarja's vocalise in "Passion and the Opera" and ends with "Sleeping Sun" via the Cossack thriller "Moondance" and the spine tingling "Walking in the Air" , it's nothing but a warmup act. Yes at times the assault is a challenge to these delicate wizened ears but well worth it in this NIGHTWISH rebirth.
 Angels Fall First by NIGHTWISH album cover Studio Album, 1997
3.47 | 160 ratings

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Angels Fall First
Nightwish Progressive Metal

Review by kenethlevine
Special Collaborator Prog-Folk Team

3 stars When the early acoustic demo went nowhere commercially, the core of NIGHTWISH dusted themselves off and decided to try one more time, adding drummer Jukka Nevalainen and allowing Emppu Vuorinen to get an electric guitar, which they hopefully paid for. The result is the embryonic NIGHTWISH album, a glance back to the originally conceived folk route and a tentative push towards the overwrought symphonic metal that would propel them to worldwide stardom. As a result, it's not entirely satisfying, with a multitude of decent ideas that coalesce into only a few superb tracks and a gaggle of "nice enough" numbers that don't quite gel. For instance, while "The Carpenter" and the title track are exhilarating, "Tutenkhamen" and "Beauty and the Beast" would have been more searing and seething in the hands of a more mature group. Even the at times gorgeous suite "Lappi" never quite matches its first couple of parts in the later stages, apart from about a half minute of virtuosic acoustic guitar. This is still a keystone in the band's development but it's just not devilishly fun enough for me.
 Demo  by NIGHTWISH album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 1996
3.66 | 7 ratings

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Demo
Nightwish Progressive Metal

Review by kenethlevine
Special Collaborator Prog-Folk Team

4 stars Given the ever present if sometimes suppressed folk interests of Tuomas Holopainen, it shouldn't be a total surprise that he originally conceived NIGHTWISH as an acoustic formation. This demo is their only recording conceived completely in that mode before drums, bass and electric guitars were added within the year.

From the start, Tarja's crystalline operatic voice infuses a sophistication to these gentle pieces played mostly on acoustic guitar and piano, with guest flute. Nonetheless, it's unmistakably ethereal folk in the vein of, say, LOREENA MCKENNITT, later CORDE OBLIQUE, and just as hypnotic, progressing through the subsequent two tracks. The last was reprised as part of the "Lappi" epic on "Angels Fall First", the first album proper.

A demonstration of an immense and budding talent, this offers a glimpse into an alternative future, though I'd guess if you are reading this review that you are more than satisfied with the timeline that unfolded, thank you.

 Yesterwynde by NIGHTWISH album cover Studio Album, 2024
3.44 | 20 ratings

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Yesterwynde
Nightwish Progressive Metal

Review by kenethlevine
Special Collaborator Prog-Folk Team

3 stars The title of the latest NIGHTWISH effort is a neologism, a combined concoction of Tuomas Holopainen and Troy Donockley, representing the main theme of looking at the past for one's present identity. While easily identifiable, It's noticeably more intense than usual even for NIGHTWISH, whose albums usually come off like off Broadway symphonic metal singalong scores, and I do mean that affectionately. Even when the subject matter is solemn, as say in "Endless Forms most Beautiful", it is generally offset by a carefree romp or three. I miss the old NIGHTWISH already, though that might have more to do with the absence of long time lead vocalist Marco Hietala, for whom the aforementioned Donockley tries valiantly to substitute. Luckily Floor is around to support the bulk of the singing, and she and Troy do harmonize well.

After the brief stage setting of the title track, the next couple of tunes suffer from wild mood swings from heavy metal to kilt-clad, which serves neither well, though "the Antikythera Mechanism" recovers enough to set the stage for the core of the album. "The Day of...", the single "Perfume of the Timeless", the tender ballad "Sway", and the Tongan inspired "The Children of 'Ata" (including the participation of a Tongan choir) form a formidable foursome. Unfortunately, after this only Donockley's "Hiraeth" can aspire to those levels.

MInor gripes notwithstanding, their legions of fans will find much to enjoy here, even if I wouldn't recommend "Yesterwynde" as an entry point. In fact, I'd say it's their weakest since "Dark Passion Play", but not by that much.

 Yesterwynde by NIGHTWISH album cover Studio Album, 2024
3.44 | 20 ratings

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Yesterwynde
Nightwish Progressive Metal

Review by alainPP

4 stars 1. Yesterwynde for the ideal solemn intro, intense, sovereign; orchestral surrounded by choirs on a used lyrical crescendo 2. An Ocean of Strange Islands which continues with the machine gun after the short intro; symphonic metal, keyboards galore, a warlike rhythm, it twirls everywhere, it's good ... and it's agreed with the voices, the string instruments sampled by Tuomas, the guitar riff; the aerial break with Floor who tries delicacy for a while; it's good but it sounds a lot like EPICA, WITHIN TEMPTATION which themselves sound like NIGHTWISH; the hard riff before Troy's folk-type flute for the progressive outro, soundtrack of an Irish elf film 3. The Antikythera Mechanism follows, more pompous, grandiloquent with a phrased song, Floor in voluptuous jerks; the volleys of violins as a highlight; EPICA again when they were just the little thumbs, a symphonic air with the break battle and the heavy riffs that cut, the violins that tear the air for the grandiloquent final rise, yes it will often be the case 4. The Day of... with the folkloric electro pop rock title with the choir of the little children of wood or another 5. Perfume of the Timeless for the tribal pads on a forest of violins or the cinematic haunting intro, and choirs that rain down from everywhere; the song starts and you will have to be reminded of it on an encore repetita phonetically interesting but cruelly consensual, mantranic. Floor seems alone since Marco left and it is not the burning heavy symphonic moments otherwise perfect that will move because of the repetition for this title, excellent but! 6. Sway for the bucolic folk nursery rhyme ballad with a vocal duet Floor and Troy on an acoustic, to be taken as an interlude

7. The Children of 'Ata with the choir coming from Tonga there; Floor speaks more than she sings on this true story, the sound, the prog blood is in place with the cries and tribal flights 8. Something Whispered Follow Me with a heavy tempo, a piece that stands out with latent synth, Floor reminds me of AMBEON then WITHIN TEMPTATION; it's beautiful like this contemplative break, taking before hearing Floor fly away; pleasant piece that doesn't do the easy, my favorite 9. Spider Silk piano and western slide guitar as an intro launching Floor for the redundant title, getting closer to Annette's titles, much more pop rock. The crystalline piano outro 10. Hiraeth, missing in Welsh for the singing in the local language, more glacial and solemn nursery rhyme; rise halfway through with the return of Troy's keyboards and uilleann pipes bringing the folk procession 11. The Weave returns to the destructive wave of the group printing choirs, fat riff and grandiloquent rise for a debauchery of overly predictable sounds; the choirs very forward, EPICA did that on its first album; shivering outro 12. Lanternlight concludes this chapter which had started 2 albums ago; a triptych with a syrupy melody with proven spleen, piano and flutes in the distance. Origine on Planète prog.(3.5)

 Yesterwynde by NIGHTWISH album cover Studio Album, 2024
3.44 | 20 ratings

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Yesterwynde
Nightwish Progressive Metal

Review by bardberic

3 stars The album starts of amazingly, with some of Nightwish's best work to date; then Troy is put on vocals and I'm just like "ugh." Come on, Tuomas, he's a terrible vocalist.

Mastering is a little overdone, but is forgivable, and mixing feels off, as well. I'll give 'em props for the progressive/experimental nature of the album; probably their most progressive album to date. Will require more listens to garner more appreciation here, and if not for the less than satisfactory engineering work, it'd probably be a grower. Not a fan of the synthy/80s poppish moments ("The Day of..." was a, erm, failed experiment imo).

Also what's with the repetition of "we are" in some of the songs' lyrics... lol it sounds like a Penn State advertisement.

Overall a considerable improvement over Human:||:Nature as it is much more consistent (and has more DR, I think), and in some ways better than Endless Forms Most Beautiful, as it is more ambitious (and bombastic, like their earlier work), but lacks the concise refinement that made EFMB masterful imo. Goes a little too far into left field for me, but at least it doesn't have the "kumbaya" moments of their previous album...

"An Ocean of Strange Islands" is kind of by a long shot the best song on the album and probably of Jansen-era thus far. It's not even close, how much better than the rest of the album it is. "Something Whispered Follow Me" is probably Nightwish's first dive into proper prog metal, too, and it's quite good (kind of has some Opethian vibes imo).

Upon second listen, ig my other major complaint would be that the symphonics here really sound bad, like MIDI. It doesn't feel organic like on the previous 2 albums...

 Human. :ǁ: Nature. by NIGHTWISH album cover Studio Album, 2020
3.81 | 107 ratings

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Human. :ǁ: Nature.
Nightwish Progressive Metal

Review by Ligeia9@

4 stars The Dutch singer Floor Jansen debuts with the popular Finnish symphonic metal formation Nightwish through the CD "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" in 2015. Followed by a period of extensive touring resulting in the DVD package "Vehicle Of Spirit". Until then, it is largely lovers of progressive rock and metal who appreciate her qualities. Until the fall of 2019 when she has a nationwide break through thanks to the TV program Beste Zangers where she brilliantly shines weekly. Then, spring 2020, a new Nightwish album is released, "Human :II: Nature", and then the world lies mercilessly at her feet.

Let's set things straight: the popularity Floor Jansen has generated with the TV show has had no influence on the integrity of the album. No can do. The music of the album was already written before Beste Zangers 2019 was filmed. By the way, we are talking about a double CD, discs of respectively 50 and 30 minutes. On the first CD, called "Human", it is Nightwish's turn to bring out the best in itself together with a choir and an orchestra in nine songs. On the second CD, "Nature", we hear an ode to the beauty of the earth performed by orchestra and choir with some vocalizations by La Jansen. This piece of work, which bears the name All The Works Of Nature Which Adorn The World, is presented in eight tracks.

Onto the album. First of all, "Human" and immediately you are sucked into the intro of Music by orchestra and choir. This sumptuous opening track swings you back and forth between beautiful moments and catchy metal choruses constantly. The song shows an enormous synergy between the three components (band, orchestra and choir) in which Floor Jansen does unprecedentedly cool things. In the ensuing Noise, Nightwish sounds exactly as they intended, contagious and loud. This is undeniably the most intense song of the Finns, especially the thunderous piece towards the end will make many heads bang.

Despite the fact that the distorted guitar chord is nowhere far away on this disc, there is a healthy variation. For example, Shoemaker contains beautiful moments where the band slows down. Together with the more common pieces and the intriguing ending, where Floor Jansen and the choir are heavenly, it forms a remarkable song. The folky approach of songs such as Harvest and How's The Heart is also remarkable, all the more so because Troy Donockley's interpretations on uillean pipes with its lush sound are not common. This Irish bagpipe gives a surprising twist to the album. Donockley plays some guitar and does the lead vocals in Harvest also.

Nightwish varies in dynamics as well. Pan is a fearless Within Temptation-like song with a great atmosphere created by the orchestra, while Procession has a light-footed ambiance with crystal clear vocals. Tribal, on the other hand, is a thunderous exercise with a delicious piece of drums in the ranks and in Endlessness, the last song of this first CD, sung by bassist Marco Hietala, we are presented with melodic, bombastic and monumental delicacies.

Although "Human" is an excellent disc, the second CD of this album is extremely welcome. What a genius find. The 30 minutes of instrumental music that the Pale Blue Orchestra plays together with the Metro Voices and other voices here is so indescribable that any attempt to do so detracts from it, unless your name is Tijl Beckand. Nightwish has delivered a great album with "Human II Nature" that shows a bold mix of metal and classical, a product overflowing from bliss.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com

Thanks to M@X for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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