Nightwish

[MrKnickerbocker]

Imaginaerum (2011)
In which Tuomas Holopainen eclipses every dream he has ever had about the concept of Nightwish, for better and definitely for worse. It’s a cornucopia of Dead Boy fetishes on display here, as Tuommy opens up his freaky little toy chest and throws every single thing to the wall. Enter the carnival…

Taikatavli is a beautiful, moody, Finnish intro that really sets the stage perfectly. I love Marko singing folk and I love it as an opener. Storytime gives us a pretty perfect Nightwish song on paper, but as the years go by I get sick of the chorus before the bridge even hits. The bridge is great, though, even with the slightly hamfisted transition back into the 17th chorus repetition. Also, fucking kill me with the Peter Pan shit. We’re back to AFF here with some of the cheesy lyrics. Ghost River has a killer main riff, a nice verse that lets Anette breathe and attempt to sing atonally…which lends mixed results. In general, Anette is far less effective on this album than on DPP, also because she is given less to do. Marko, once again, kills this song. He’s definitely the highlight so far (spoiler: this will not change). The chorus is oddly catchy, but again, why the fuck do we have to hear it a hundred times? Why is it doubled every time? Do we really need to repeat the exact melody with the children’s choir?! I’m not even opposed to the chorus of dead boys, it definitely fits the theme of the song, but holy hell couldn’t there be a different melody?!

Slow, Love, Slow might actually be my favorite song here because it’s easily the most unique track in the catalogue. Twin Peaks-style speakeasy jazzy blues is not what I expect from Nightwish and this is well done. Even Emppu’s meandering solo is cool. I Want My Tears Back is a great song, I truly can’t hate anything about it (except the amount of chorus repetitions), but I’ve just heard it so many times live that I have nothing to really say. I’m always a sucker for upbeat folk melodies on pipes. Scaretale is super interesting, but not as effective as I think Tuomas would hope. It’s fun to hear Anette do some Halloween acting and the song is certainly a more adventurous composition than most of the album, but all I’m here for is Marko being Tom Waits. Hands down the best part of the album. I’d listen to a whole song of just that part.

Arabesque is nothing. Turn Loose the Mermaids is another pretty song with a pretty melody that we are treated to about 493 times before the song is over. My only issue with this little ballad is the way Anette sings “eyyyyyez”. Rest Calm is a cool, heavy doomy number that would be way cooler if the chorus didn’t take up literally half its runtime. The dichotomy between heavy and quiet is cool, Marko steals the show, but it’s just too repetitive. Ope, there’s that dead boy choir again!

I always forget The Crow, The Owl and The Dove exists. Again, nothing wrong with it, it just doesn’t go anywhere beyond its two melody lines. Nice quiet singing between Anette and Marko, though. Last Ride of the Day is another great, typical Nightwish rocker that I very much enjoy, but have heard it so many times I have nothing more to say.

And then, the big kahuna, the giant ego-stroking (and literal stroking) Song Of Myself arrives…an ode to Tuommy written by Tuomas about Mr. Holopainen dedicated to The Dead Boy and inspired by the Ocean Soul. The first half is nothing special and is not even 1/10th as good as Poet and The Pendulum. The second half is so immensely awful, so ridiculously melodramatic and stupid that I don’t think I can talk about it. There aren’t enough curse words.

This album is, at its core, the folkiest album they’d ever write. Every song tells a story, the whole thing tells a story, and the melodies are woven so deeply into the songs that you can’t help but memorize them after only 1-2 listens. And that’s not necessarily a good thing. Every prominent melody on this album is insanely catchy, but unfortunately they are never given the chance to breathe. Every song beats you to death with the hooks, over and over and over again until, when the end finally cums your tears are cascading due to repetition. Conceptually, this might be Tuomas’ most ambition album ever, but instrumentally and compositionally it is definitely the simplest.

I had hoped that after years without hearing this album I would come to have a different view on it. But alas, I do not. In fact, I might dislike it more. There was literally nowhere to go after this album but to reinvent the band.

C+

 

[Detective Beauregard]

@Diesel 11
Thank you for the info. I had no idea that Dead Gardens was about writer's block; I guess I'm too literal at interpreting lyrics. I also know that Nemo isn't about the fish, but Tuomas is just too easy to poke fun at sometimes.

Maybe I don't really know what a key is (my music knowledge is limited solely to hey this sounds cool I like it and hey this sucks I hate it and whatever I've picked up in the odd YouTube video)

or "Rest Calm", where the second verse is actually double the length of the first and features a key change, the impact is deeply felt.

Haha, you actually do know what a key change is. In Rest Calm, the second verse changes from Dm to Em halfway through (the first verse is entirely in Dm, as is the rest of the song). In Higher Than Hope, the first half of the song is in Cm, but it changes to Fm for the heavy interlude (and again briefly to Bbm for "Your death saved me.") After the interlude with spoken words returns to Fm, we circle back to the original key of Cm before the final chorus launches a full step higher to Dm. It is in this more metal-typical key that the song ends.

Listening to progressive music like Dream Theater and Symphony X, I've learned to pick apart these key changes (almost all of their songs have them, and they sound natural). So when other bands pull it off, I notice it immediately... and I love it!

 

[Detective Beauregard]

Tuommy

And then, the big kahuna, the giant ego-stroking (and literal stroking) Song Of Myself arrives…an ode to Tuommy written by Tuomas about Mr. Holopainen dedicated to The Dead Boy and inspired by the Ocean Soul.

when the end finally cums

C+

I have many a bone to pick with you about this album at a later date.

 

[Diesel 11]

I also know that Nemo isn't about the fish, but Tuomas is just too easy to poke fun at sometimes.

I figured, but anything that’ll allow me to talk more about whatever band I’m currently obsessed with I will use to further those ends.

 

[Diesel 11]

Also, fucking kill me with the Peter Pan shit.

If I had a nickel for every artist that I love who gets inspiration from Peter Pan, I'd have two nickels... which isn't a lot but it's crazy that there are two of them in the first place (Tuomas and Jim Steinman). I dunno, it's just fun man! Sometimes you have to have a little fun.

In general, Anette is far less effective on this album than on DPP, also because she is given less to do.

Interesting. I thought the general consensus was that Anette is even better on this album because Tuomas is actually writing for her voice. I think there's some bits she's expanded on (the darkness in "Scaretale") and otherwise has really ironed out as a Nightwish singer. Kinda sad that this was it for her.

It’s fun to hear Anette do some Halloween acting and the song is certainly a more adventurous composition than most of the album, but all I’m here for is Marko being Tom Waits. Hands down the best part of the album. I’d listen to a whole song of just that part.

I'm the opposite - Marko doing creepy carnival performer shit is fun, sure, but Anette is easily the star of the show. I don't think many people expected such a vicious performance to come out of her.

Rest Calm is a cool, heavy doomy number that would be way cooler if the chorus didn’t take up literally half its runtime. The dichotomy between heavy and quiet is cool, Marko steals the show, but it’s just too repetitive.

There is some repetition here but over time I've come to appreciate it. "Rest Calm" stands out as the worst offender, but when I listened to it this time around I got lost in the trance that they were trying to cast over the listener.

Overall it's a fun and enrapturing affair. Kinda surprised you skipped the title track completely, I figured you'd have even worse to say about that one lol.

 

[Diesel 11]

Mustan sydämen rovio (2019)
While Tuomas et al were working on Auri, Marko was staying busy himself, writing a prog rock sort of album that showcases his skills as a songwriter outside of Nightwish, to those who may have missed out on Tarot. The lyrics were written in both Finnish and English (the latter version released as Pyre of the Black Hearts in 2020), but I'm focusing on the Finnish one because the English ones ain't such a much and I love the melody naturally present in the Finnish language. Of course it depends on how you approach it - some of these songs feel like barstool crooning - but Marko really chews into the material in his mother tongue even harder than he does in English.

You get a really nice mix of the different shades of Marko Hietala. He kind of just threw everything at the wall while writing the material and anything that sounded like it worked he incorporated into the record. Some of these songs are certified bangers - there's the album opener "Kiviä", which sounded fun in English as "Stones", but here, with its chanting of "Hoi!" it's honestly even better. "Tähti, hiekka ja varjo" has some fantastic, sweeping synth work that feels like an updated Rush vibe, or like what Tuomas would include on "Procession" on Human. :||: Nature. Then there's the railway rocker "Juoksen rautateitä" with its fun chorus and gung-ho backing vocals, and the steady stomper "Vapauden kuolinmarssi" - both of which really incorporate that classic '70s organ synth that became a hearty component in the prog scene. And that instrumental to "Juoksen..." really feels like Marko's take on Deep Purple's "Highway Star".

But there's also a softer, more emotive Marko that we see throughout the record on the more ballad-ish songs. "Isäni ääni", the second track on the album, sees Marko memorializing his father, who died of alcohol issues, something Marko himself would also struggle with. Even more capturing are "Laulu sinulle" and "Totuus vapauttaa", which head deep into extended instrumental passages that are just wonderful to ride along with.

And everything else is more scenery for Marko to demonstrate his authority. While I may not understand what he's singing all the time (some of these tracks I've looked at translations for to get the jist), he masterfully guides the listener through the music with an absolutely commanding presence. Certainly a better performance than he gave on these past couple of Nightwish albums. Singing in Finnish really opens Marko up, I think. Now that he's discussing making a second solo record I'm really, really excited to hear what he comes up with. To me, this is all the more proof that Marko Hietala is one of the greatest singers in rock history.

 

[Diesel 11]

Decades: Live in Buenos Aires (2019)
The final Nightwish live album (so far) is infinitely more fun than Vehicle of Spirit. The band had taken a year and a half off before heading off on the Decades Tour, and you can tell that they're fired up. The downside, though, is that the sound quality is probably the worst on any Nightwish record. Everything is smushed together. Strange that the band that spends a shitload on album production doesn't put the same effort into their live offerings, but it's what it is I guess. The energy makes up for it, certainly.

This is definitely a play classics set. The band has absolutely stuffed the show to the gills with some classics they can't really go a night without playing, and a majority of deep cuts that they haven't played in years. The result is the band's most interesting setlist yet, which vastly improves how the overall album flows. The pre-Century Child material has been downtuned though, which overall is a shame because they sound so good in their original form, but there are some interesting moments in the way they get transformed.

The band's time machine begins with a shortened, instrumental version of "Swanheart" that Troy leads, before the group erupts into a strong performance of "End of All Hope", followed by the classic that is "Wish I Had an Angel" which gets everyone really fucking pumped. Marko is a little softer here but it's still a good ol' bop. I'm not the biggest fan of "10th Man Down", but it's super cool to see the band drag in something like this, and the bridge sounds way stronger with Emppu's heavy guitars and Marko taking on the vocal duties. "Come Cover Me" is fairly strong downtuned, and "Gethsemane" is always a wonderful piece for Tuomas to stretch his piano skills. "Elan" steals the show, "Sacrament of Wilderness" and "Deep Silent Complete" are cool, and "Dead Boy's Poem" is a monster centerpiece for the set.

Next the band play a beefed-up Celtic instrumental cover "Elvenjig", which obviously has to segue into "Elvenpath" (although I don't like the way the first ends so suddenly). "I Want My Tears Back" is super fun, and I am smiling and bobbing my head the whole way through. "Amaranth", once again, proves that Floor is not perfect, failing to capture the chorus for the umpteenth time. "The Carpenter" sees Troy take the mic, but I'm not wowed by it, although Emppu's guitar solo and Floor's final vocals are cool. "The Kinslayer" feels completely off thanks to the downtuning, but it's worth it to hear Marko forget that first line. "Fuck me!" he says, giving up and accepting his fate. "Devil & the Deep Dark Ocean" is fucking AWESOME, easily a highlight here, allowing Marko and Floor to really go all the way in. The eternal classic that is "Nemo" is played, obviously, and this is the best performance with Floor that we've heard, finally getting that chorus (and I love how Marko doubles the first line in the second verse). Finally, "Slaying the Dreamer" is a fun way to end the main part of the show before the final two epics.

"The Greatest Show on Earth" is powerful as ever, although slightly feels out of place after all those short songs. But I still dig it, and honestly, the way "The Toolmaker" cuts off before "Ghost Love Score" hits the speakers is a cool decision. Speaking of GLS, at long last it gets its rightful due in the setlist as the closer. And boy is this a fucking way to close out a concert. The finale to TGSOE plays out afterwards, which is an odd vibe but it doesn't not work.

Nice not to hear "Storytime" or "Last Ride of the Day", by the way.

Overall - strong setlist, fun performances. You get the sense that Nightwish have become comfortable with how they're playing, which is fine but I'm losing the bite and power of Showtime, Storytime. If the band puts out more live records, I'd really like to hear some better audio and some more fire. Too much comfort makes an artist become complacent, and Nightwish have never really been complacent in the studio and certainly should never be complacent live. Their brand, their magic, their music is way too massive for that.

A Live Retrospective
So here's my ranking of Nightwish's live records:

1. End of an Era - The final performance from the Tarja era is still Nightwish's best live album. An immaculate setlist filled with now-classic songs, performed at the peak of their career just before the ugly separation splits off their first and at the time definitive singer away from them, we hear both what they've accomplished and also get a sense of what could have been had fate had other plans. The pinnacle of a career and what everything that follows has to be measured by.

2. Showtime, Storytime - On nearly the same level as End of an Era, with Floor's addition to the band hailing in a magic and awe that sees the band redefine the magic of Nightwish. Rooted by Imaginaerum and Once bangers - including a phenomenal "Ghost Love Score" - it's what most bands only dream of. An incredible start to the modern day era of Nightwish and a moment that the band has yet to recapture.

3. From Wishes to Eternity - A killer show from the band's early days, pre-Marko. Everyone here is fired up, and the performances are so strong you often wonder if they didn't record it in studio. Crazy to think that this tour nearly broke up the band, because this record is gold from beginning to end.

4. Decades: Live in Buenos Aires - Production needs work, but the performances are fun, with the band trawling through their deep cuts alongside some of their modern classics. The old songs get downtuned, which works sometimes and doesn't other times. The group feels comfortable playing their music and it's an energy you can't help but to share.

5. Made in Hong Kong - Basically an alternate tracklist of Dark Passion Play, where some performances don't really stick but others sound super strong. "The Islander" is an incredible highlight with one of Marko's best performances. The three bonus tracks are also worthy of hearing. Fun package, but in only focusing on the DPP material you limit the effect of the overall record.

6. Vehicle of Spirit - Production issues destroy the magic of the material, and listening to the record you get the sense that it was recorded on an off night. A disappointing two hour affair that promised more than was actually received.

As a whole, I think that Nightwish are a strong live act, especially when you consider that they've got a ton of shit being played from tapes to give that orchestral feel. But the individual band performances really shine through on each of these albums, proving that at the end of the day, they are still a band and a killer one at that. Over time the sound quality of each live record gets worse, but I think that to hear them live is a completely different experience than on these recordings. It's been nice to listen through, but I don't think I'll be returning much to at least the bottom three. End of an Era and Showtime, Storytime, though... now that is how it's done. Two phenomenal live albums from start to finish that define the greatness of Nightwish as a band.

 

[Randalf]

Mustan sydämen rovio (2019)
While Tuomas et al were working on Auri, Marko was staying busy himself, writing a prog rock sort of album that showcases his skills as a songwriter outside of Nightwish, to those who may have missed out on Tarot. The lyrics were written in both Finnish and English (the latter version released as Pyre of the Black Hearts in 2020), but I'm focusing on the Finnish one because the English ones ain't such a much and I love the melody naturally present in the Finnish language. Of course it depends on how you approach it - some of these songs feel like barstool crooning - but Marko really chews into the material in his mother tongue even harder than he does in English.
--
Singing in Finnish really opens Marko up, I think. Now that he's discussing making a second solo record I'm really, really excited to hear what he comes up with. To me, this is all the more proof that Marko Hietala is one of the greatest singers in rock history.

Ahh.

I wasn't super excited when this one came out; the first single, Isäni ääni was alright, but I didn't find it too exciting at first - worked so much better on the album context. Anyway, the album has been one of my most played albums from the past couple of years! As far as Finnish rock lyrics go, I might actually consider this one of my favourites on that field; Marko has some quirks and whatnot, but they're not "cringey" but rather intriguing, actually. Even the more grotesque wordings really add up to the edge of the song and don't make you go "ehh..?"

Now, I'm not saying the album is lyrically or musically outstanding in general. But looking at it subjectively, on a very personal level, I absolutely love it. It's one of those albums that I have a very personal and close connection with that I'm quite unable to properly explain, haha.

Some of the songs work very well in English too - some better than others. Overall, I very much enjoy both versions of all of the songs. Most of the more "rocking" stuff tends to work rather well in English too, where as the album closer Totuus vapauttaa / Truth Shall Set You Free clicks, at least for me, distinctively better in it's Finnish form.

I'm very fond of the way Marko delivers the lines in the second verse:
Tiet kaikki vie meteliin ja helvettiin ja
Sieltä pois, jos suunnan käntää vain vois

which roughly translates:
All the roads take you to noise and hell
And out, if you only could change the course

I'm going to (at least) one of his shows in April.

 

[Diesel 11]

As far as Finnish rock lyrics go, I might actually consider this one of my favourites on that field; Marko has some quirks and whatnot, but they're not "cringey" but rather intriguing, actually. Even the more grotesque wordings really add up to the edge of the song and don't make you go "ehh..?"

When I read the English lyrics I can definitely see that he was writing them alongside the Finnish ones because some of them are more ham-fisted than others. It kind of depends on how you view them at times; there’s a line in “Stones” — “Am I the butt of their [the stones’] constant crack?” — that sounds awkward but is kinda interesting when you pick apart the layers.

Stones have cracks in them.
Butts have a crack in them.
You can be the butt of a joke.
You ‘crack’ jokes.

So basically: am I a joke to these stones?

But in spite of the layers it still sounds fairly silly, and that might just be down to the fact that he’s Finnish and I’m American. It’s a fun line but not one that I would hold up as a pinnacle of layered speech, if that makes sense lol.

But yeah, as a whole it’s a great album and I like the way he offers up two versions to choose from. Despite not speaking Finnish, though, I can very much enjoy the original album just on the face of the music and the vocals. Maybe one day I’ll pick up more about the language and it’ll transform what I feel about the material, but that’s a topic for another day!

 

[Diesel 11]

Human. :||: Nature. (2020)
To date the only Nightwish album I was able to ride release wave with. Crazy to think it's nearly three years ago now. COVID had hit the world, and yet I had way more time to explore nature as I went on daily bike rides through the back streets of my peninsula. So this album came at a perfect time for that. Unlike a lot of Nightwish's records, which fit right into the thralls of winter, this is a beautiful accompaniment to spring. As the cold fades away, the sun comes out more, with light breezes guiding your path, wander out into the woods and bask in the beauty of nature and music - that's the way to listen to this record.

In all honesty, I was expecting to see this one end up in the bottom half of the discography, as over time the luster of those first few months of hearing the album had worn off and I was given more appreciation for EFMB. But as soon as I started listening to it again, I fell back in love with the magic of the material. I can certainly understand people having this at the bottom of their rankings just because the rest of the records are so strong, but I don't really get why a surprising amount of listeners flat out dislike it, especially since a lot of people, on this forum especially, were really into Endless Forms Most Beautiful. To me it's a natural progression. This is Tuomas diving deeper into the worlds that brought forth EFMB, using a magnifying glass to excavate more material and really explore what this new Nightwish lineup can do.

To that end, you could argue that this is the band's most calculated record. It feels like Tuomas went in knowing the full scope of what he wanted to do, and then sat down and wrote the material that would get him to that point. Every song on the first disc examines a variety of aspects of humanity, and the instrumental suite on the second highlights various wonders of the natural world. Throughout it all, the running theme is of mankind's extraordinary place within the vastness of the universe, and how lucky we are to be living on this magnificent planet. It would be easy, then, to write off this record - with its band-focused, mostly single-word titled songs, featuring three part harmonies on every track, separated from the deep dive into orchestral music that closes out the album - as the band's most clinical release.

But I don't feel like that's entirely accurate, because it misses the fact that the songs on here are all astonishing compositions, in terms of their range, their depths, and their layers. In scaling back the orchestra to merely string arrangements, the rest of the band get to play off of each other with a sense that they really know what they're doing now. Take those three-part harmonies delivered by Floor, Marko, and Troy. The way their voices complement each other is incredible. Although I do have to say that hearing the album after Marko's departure from the group, there's almost a sense of hope and sadness being carried within his parts. It feels like he's saying, "This is the end of the line for me, but I can help guide the two newer people into the future that they'll be carrying forward with the band." To that end, it's a bit of a high note for Marko to exit on, as much as I hate that he's gone because he's still the best Nightwish member and probably always will be.

Elsewhere, Tuomas gets more room for his keys, Troy gets more room for his etc, and Kai gets a lot more room for some intricate drumming parts. Emppu, unfortunately, does less on this album than he ever has (maybe about the same as Imaginaerum, although there's no great riff like "Ghost River" on here), but despite that, this album is no less metal as ones that have come before. His guitar is once again being used for dramatic effect, punching up these pieces with a flair that only Nightwish can execute perfectly. Lots of moments where I was banging along to. The guitars aren't the guides, but they are the bodyguards of this music.

And finally, this album doesn't feel nearly as long as the previous albums, in spite being the first double disc affair they've released. This is all down to the way they've split it in half. It's like you get a 50 minute Nightwish album and then 30 minutes of Tuomas indulging his composer fantasies. And it really works. I think the album is best when you listen to it as a whole, but splitting off the second disc does allow some people to gain greater appreciation of the first. Kind of a genius move.

So that's the record in a snapshot. Now let's take a look at the songs individually...

• • • — — • • •​

The album begins with a minimalistic intro, opening with a sort of ticking sound that feels like a clock swinging into place. The sounds of the wild give to the dawning of humans, whose creativity leads them to create their own sounds, in what becomes our first song, "Music". This track is all about build-up and payoff, investing extended time into bringing things to their peak instead of jumping right into bombast from the very beginning. The slow, quiet first verses and chorus lead us forward into higher and higher ground before we dive right into the waterwall of sonic rivers with a fucking amazing chorus. It kind of reminds me of earlier Nightwish songs like "She Is My Sin", especially with the way the choruses change shape over the song's runtime. The instrumental and bridge sections are more terrain for the song to dig in its heels, with both Emppu's only solo on the album and a tremendous string and choir piece that really takes us over the top. In seven minutes, Nightwish recontextualize the love of music into something both grandiose and fragilely beautiful.

Then things really kick into gear with "Noise", a heavier and more typical Nightwish song that makes sense as the first single from the album. The theme now is of screen addiction, which feels like an "OK boomer" moment, but I like the poetic way Tuomas arranges the lyrics. The music video deepens the idea - it's not that screens are bad per se, but they can be used for evil or a replacement of reality. Maybe a topic that has run its course a bit, but it's a monster song, with its fair share of breakdowns and a banger chorus. I especially love Marko and Floor's emphatic finale overtop the choir that foreshadows disc two.

The sprinkling sounds of stars introduce us to "Shoemaker", before we take off into the heavens in fantastic style. I really love the way this verse is arranged. Emppu's guitar is the force that propels our rocket ship, with the keyboards and choir outlining the outer space we are traveling to. Floor is both the human representation of us, and some greater narrator of the cosmos, guiding us into the astral seas. The way the drumming switches back and forth between different grooves also makes me think that we're in between a couple different time signatures, although I'm not good at counting and therefore could be completely wrong. Still, fantastic choice. Troy leads the chorus, which is very much toned-down, and is among the best harmonic moments of the Nightwish trio.

After soaring through space a little more, the song quiets down and transforms, almost as if we are landing on the moon as the choir memorializes this moment forever. Johanna Kurkela makes an appearance, reciting a line of Shakespeare's that reminds us that the track is both a celebration of space exploration and a memorial to one of the men who contributed to our knowledge of space, Eugene Shoemaker. Shoemaker was hoping to travel into space as part of the Apollo missions, but was disqualified due to his diagnosis of Addison's disease, forcing him to conduct research only on the ground. In 1997 he was killed in a car crash, and two years later his remains where delivered to the moon, allowing the man to rest for eternity in the place he was unable to visit in life. It's a beautiful story and it's no wonder that Tuomas decided to utilize it for the album. Floor's operatic outro feels like a 1950s radio broadcast, and I love the cinematic way it builds up until Emppu returns with the guitar and the camera finally pulls back. Truly a masterclass in song crafting.

After something that powerful, it's little surprise that the band drop things down a bit for the next song. "Harvest" is the folkiest track yet released by Nightwish, with some tribal-sounding drumming that works well in conjunction with the soft strummings the first act of the song gives us. I'm a little surprised that this isn't one of the album's most loved songs. To me the exploration into the band's softer side works phenomenally well (love that chorus). The theme here seems to be in line with Dawkins's piece from Part IV of "The Greatest Show on Earth" - we are all going to die one day, but with the time we are given we can celebrate the fact that we've been given the chance to breathe, even for a moment. Troy leads this song, and I really do like the way his voice adds to the layers of the Nightwish sound. And don't forget the instrumental section, which is like a slightly toned down version of the jig in "I Want My Tears Back". It's nice to hear the band having fun.

"Pan" is the heaviest track yet, with an almost serpentine structure in the way it unfolds, beginning mostly quietly before building into blazing guitar that absolutely destroys the listener from all angles. Gotta love that flurry of "a feast of beautifultragedywonderfulfantasy". "How's the Heart?" is probably the weakest track on the first disc, but it fits in really well, a call not to turn your back on those in need of help. It's very different from the Tuomas of old, who would be the one suffering from depression, but it feels like he's finally content and now wants to help others out of holes he was once stuck in. It's a nice little song.

Things take more time with "Procession", which recounts the story of life and how humans came to rise up in it. It's a bit of a funereal sort of procession, as we see species rise and fall as the song goes on. There's no chorus here, but none is needing - the verses do the job of guiding us through from the narrative of a species that can view us in the rear view mirror. Beautiful and underrated. Then comes the shortest song here, "Tribal", which retreads the theme of "Weak Fantasy" - religion - while the musical narrative has been updated into skullduggery guitars and tribal percussion. I love the way this one plays out, from the "ooh-aah" bit lead by Marko, to Kai's drum solo, to Floor's ear-splitting finale.

And finally we come to the end of the first disc with a song called "Endlessness". Musically, this is the closest that the band has ever come to writing a doom metal song; thematically, this is about how time continues to move whether we like it or not. Time guides our lives and how we live them. And who better to play Father Time than the twin-bearded northerner Marko Hietala, who delivers a masterful performance as the record draws to a close. He's not throwing his full weight into this material like in earlier albums, but that's not what the song calls for. Instead, we have a mature Marko capping off his journey with the band. I really can't think of a track more worthy of being the send-off to the bassist. Again, as much as I hate to see him leave, it feels like a worthy goodbye. Easily one of the best songs on the album and a terrific finale to the first disc.

• • • — — • • •​

We move beyond humanity now to soak up the breadth of "All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World", which Tuomas considers a song, full stop, but I think feels more like an interconnected suite. There are moments here that are repurposed through a few different sections, but it doesn't quite act the way I envision a song would typically act. Regardless of what it is, I think it works quite well. There are moments that could've been cut down but as a whole I enjoy it quite a bit. It's a satisfying way to complete the album's journey for me.

Geraldine James kicks things off with an Alfred, Lord Tennyson quote that showcases what the song is about - "I love not man the less, but nature more." "Vista" is a strong way to introduce the pieces, incorporating themes that we'll hear in greater depth later on. You get the sense that you're standing upon mountains, viewing the Earth as a whole, before taking the dive into all the little details starting with "The Blue", with its guiding cello bringing to mind a ship's voyage before the sounds of the sea and the swirling sirens of nature drag you down to embrace the colorful contents within the ocean. This part in particular astounds me in how well Tuomas captures the sounds of the water by using only music.

We fade into the woods and the pastures of the world for "The Green", a lovely piece that has a simplistic feel to it and builds up with a shimmering climax. Tuomas's piano works so well in this piece. As we continue our walk through this part of the world we land in the "Moors", where the rolling hills bring us Troy's bagpipes as he herds sheep or some shit. I like the reprise of the theme we've heard in "The Blue" being recontextualized into the sound of storm clouds that pass as soon as they've come. And the ending to the piece foreshadows the climax of the song itself - earmark that for later.

Next we are carried off by the wind to the dark nights of the north, as the sky paints pictures of dancing lords and ladies in the "Aurorae". Wha- At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within my Nightwish album???? Yes! The vibe of "Moondance" and "Last of the Wilds" swirls around us, maybe less successfully than on those songs but it's still fun nonetheless. As the night disappears, the morning downs with a landscape covered in white. "Quiet as the Snow" begins, as the name suggests, quietly, with repetitions of the title in a few different languages (I'm guessing Dutch, Finnish, and English based on their nationalities), before strings carry us down winter paths buried in beauty. We also repeat a bit of the "Vista" motifs but it's taken in new directions.

"Anthropocene" brings to mind the wreckage of modern human society burning out and becoming absorbed once more by nature, before scaling back to the times of the past before we came to dominate the globe. Somewhere in here the world's oldest written song, "Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal", is included. Finally, the suite ends with Geraldine James reciting a Sagan quote that culminates in "That here, that's home, that's us." The camera pulls back, ascending "Ad Astra" as Floor's majestic voice shows us the scope of the planet and how tiny it is and we are in the scope of the vastness of Everything Else. It's a wonderful and triumphant finale to the work and the album as a whole.

As much as I do enjoy most of what happens here, I think you could've easily cut down some of these pieces without losing the sense of the whole. And if Tuomas wanted this to be one big song, there are a few transitions that could've been done better. But overall, I still think it's a great piece that works well in the scope of Human. :||: Nature. as an album. They'll probably never do it, but it might be fun to see some of these pieces get retranslated into a more metal scope live if the band wants to add some guitar in. It's not the most bombastic thing you'd expect from a thirty minute Tuomas track, but to me it's nice to get lost in it. And the way each section is arranged you really can hear everything that Tuomas is trying to get you to hear. So that, I think, makes it successful.

• • • — — • • •​

Ultimately, I recognize that Human. :||: Nature. just won't be an album that everyone will like, but I've found deeper appreciation for it in some regards that I never had at first. Tuomas really expands on the layers of the past few Nightwish albums to bring us something that's been scaled back in some ways and more grandiose in others. The scope here is massive, but that's coupled with the reminder that these are just a few people playing music together. I like what they did here and I'm okay with seeing them continue down this path. It doesn't feel like their being complacent; rather, it feels like they know what they want to do and nothing will get in the way of them executing it going forward. The sheer consistency of Nightwish is what I love about them above all else, and this record is, from start to finish, consistently great.

 

[Diesel 11]

Nightwish: A Retrospective
It's been a light of fun going back through Nightwish's discography and reevaluating them. I still think this band is amazing, their consistency is nigh unparalleled and they're probably second to Maiden when it comes to artists. I really enjoy Tuomas's songwriting and the cast of characters that have accompanied him throughout the band's journey. So here is my current ranking of the nine studio albums that they've released so far:

1. Once - The final Tarja album is also the tightest record the band would ever record. It's hard to call this a pinnacle because Tuomas constantly leads the group towards higher and higher heights, but it's certainly my favorite of their albums. There's a frosty feel here that's unmatched, and every single song is perfectly written and recorded. Numerous classics and a few hidden gems, plus the greatest song the band would ever release, "Ghost Love Score". Add to that their best production job and a crew that really give the performance of their lives, and the first use of top dollar orchestra, and you really have the definitive Nightwish album, being birthed from the (mostly) original lineup but pointing in the direction of the bombast to come.

2. Dark Passion Play - Not as consistent as Once, but with highs that almost rival it. This is the band transformed into a tour-de-force symphonic metal act, with high value orchestrations and production boosting a selection of songs that see the group dive deep into darkness and bombast while also stringing along some of their catchiest works. "The Poet and the Pendulum" is the band's most explosive track, and it sets the stage for the album that follows - complex, multi-textured, an incredibly weighty affair that still makes you tremble in its scope. Whether you're singing along to the pop metal of "Amaranth" or moving to the folky "The Islander", there's something in here for just about everyone.

3. Oceanborn - There are better songs on most of the following Nightwish albums, but no other album captures quite the same energy and excitement as Oceanborn. Having been unleashed into the studio for the first time, the fledging youngsters go for broke in assembling perhaps the greatest power metal record of them all. Furious keys match up against flaming guitars, and Tarja Turunen's voice soars above it all, guiding us through the dreams of the Finnish wilderness. It's a magical affair and remains one of the defining statements in the Nightwish canon.

4. Human. :||: Nature. - Almost 25 years after they first banded together, Nightwish is still releasing incredible music. Tuomas's visions have assembled an incredibly layered record, split into two discs to keep the band elements distinct from his orchestral fantasies. From the wondrous opening track "Music", to the operatic space exploration on "Shoemaker", to the tribal rhythms of "Harvest" and "Tribal", we get to see the band explore aspects of their music in greater detail. Additionally, the half hour instrumental "All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World" gives us a full showcase of Tuomas's compositional skills, and Marko is given a transcendent swansong in the form of "Endlessness". It's an exploration of our species in the scope of nature that also explores the capabilities of Nightwish to their fullest.

5. Endless Forms Most Beautiful - The first Floor album sees the band offer up a titanic slab of symphonic metal, that brings them towards folkier territory while also keeping their brand of grandeur fully in scope. We get a storybook look at the world of nature as we drift through a sea of songs that all lead up to "The Greatest Show on Earth", a 24 minute tale of evolution and the history of the world. Built from the ground up with a countless number of layers that bring these tracks life, Nightwish were redefining themselves as a band and needed to make a statement with this record - one which they most certainly achieved.

6. Century Child - With the exception of maybe Dark Passion Play, this is the darkest Nightwish album to date. Coming back from the brink of breakup and featuring Tuomas's most depressive songwriting, we also sail towards less operatic waters and bring on board one Marko Hietala, who adds a new spark to the band's sound that will remain with the group right up until recent times. The record isn't completely consistent, with some lesser tracks in the second half - but the first five songs are an incredibly tight run, and "Beauty of the Beast" remains their most underrated and overlooked epic. This is the band stepping beyond their youth and beginning the journey towards the would be complete on the next album.

7. Imaginaerum - In which the band make their most over-the-top, bombastic statement to date. A conceptual record, this one has an added flow with segues and some of the most atypical tracks in the discography, with folky vibes ("Turn Loose the Mermaids", "The Crow, the Owl and the Dove"), poetic aspersions ("Song of Myself"), Tim Burton inspired carnival romps ("Scaretale", "Ghost River"), and even fucking jazz just because ("Slow, Love, Slow"). But in between it all, Nightwish remind us just who the kings (and queen) of symphonic metal really are, and what it may lack in consistency, it more than makes up for in sheer awe-some-ness.

8. Wishmaster - Coming off the heels of Oceanborn, Nightwish incorporate some of that power metal into their third record, but also open the door to moodier and more elaborate works to come. One moment you're singing about masters, apprentices, heartborns, and seventh seekers; the next, you're swaying back and forth with a lighter in your hand, listening to some dead kid ramble about what a sad poet he is. It's a great album, but not quite as well balanced as their other work. But the band is evolving, and building into something far greater than even they expect.

9. Angels Fall First - Everyone starts somewhere, and yeah, I think most of us can agree that this is Nightwish's worst record. And yet, there's a lot to enjoy here in spite of its flaws. There's an innocence the band would never again recapture, try as they might, and all of these stabs in the dark paved the way for the monsters of orchestral metals that still lay asleep in the dark. Nobody knew it at the time, but the world of metal would never be the same again. So listening back to this albums, with all its stumbling about blindly, you can't help but to admire what they'd already achieved in a year together. It's just a fun little debut that, while it doesn't stack up against the rest of their work, still has a charm all its own.



So that's that. Going through the band again, I came to appreciate a few different things here and there that I hadn't really thought of before. I've really come to love the layers that Tuomas has assembled on those last two albums, it shows a level of craftsmanship that the band never really had before. Oceanborn jumped way up in my ratings. This has a lot to do with the fact that I've come to like consistency over peaks. Oceanborn is incredibly consistently great even if it doesn't have some of the peaks that the other albums do. Human. :||: Nature. balanced itself out in my rankings; on release I was sure it was in the Top 2, before it slipped down in favor of the other albums, now to land in fourth because it really is just a strong record from beginning to end, but maybe not the most brilliant thing ever released.

It's also super hard to rank these records. Each of them has their own unique vibe, create their own unique world, and I legitimately love each of them for different reasons. To that end they're my favorite band in terms of straight material they've produced (because I emphatically do NOT love Killers, fuck you). But they're not an everyday kind of band for me; whereas Iron Maiden I can get into practically at any time, there's a specific mood I need to really get into Nightwish. But then once I'm deep in that mood, oh my god. Fucking incredible.

And one final thing I do have to say. I'm tired of the posturing. I love this band, I love every album they've ever made and nearly every song. I think they're fantastic players and I think that Tuomas is a genius songwriter. But I have to say that I am tired of the way the fanbase puts them on a pedestal and adores them as if they're the second coming of Christ. As much as I adore their work, they are not infallible musicians, nor are they infallible people. And Troy, I love what you add to the band, but for God's sake please stow it with the "beautiful, beautiful" bullshit. I'd love to see them perform live one day, but I think they could do with a little less seriousness about what they do. I can't think of another band that makes their concerts feel more like worship sessions.

So! That's that. My one complaint in a sea of heaps of praise. Because I do really love this band and I am incredibly hyped for next year's album. Where will they go without Marko? Time will tell, but I think the future bodes well for the band. I've finally gotten around to checking out live bits from the current tour, and sure, there's something missing without Marko, but they've adapted pretty well and the shows still look like a bunch of fun. I still have the other Auri album to dive into, probably tomorrow, and maybe afterwards I'll finally tackle Tarot to get some more of that Marko high. But Nightwish themselves are done for now, and it's been a blast to revisit them. Also fueled my own creative mind, but that's another story lol.

 

[Diesel 11]

Auri II - Those We Don't Speak Of (2021)
Tuomas, Troy, and Johanna return to the shores of folk art for a second Auri album. This is a bit of a deeper dive into their sound, although the majority of the songs on the record are quieter, more spacious, with less of that oomph that their first release balanced in. Instrumentally they've still got a nicely woven tapestry, but with a little less of the awe that they held last time. I also keep hearing things that remind me of ABBA, if you stripped their production way back but kept the melodies.

There are definitely good songs here. "Pearl Diving" is easily the best track on the album, and the first song that reminds you of how good Auri can be when they really go for it. It moves forward with vivid pictures and keeps you guessing at where they're going to go next. Midway through I was worried that they had lost the spark that began the song, but then it kept building up into a rapturous sunlight-filled outro that nailed the whole thing back down. "Light and Flood" is a cool instrumental that moves through several sections highlighting aspects of the band's sound, from straight folk to ambience to classical. "It Takes Me Places" is one of the ones that brought to mind ABBA, particularly Visitors-era ABBA, with a sort of melancholy feeling to the hopefulness in the lyrics. And "Fireside Bard" is a strong closer that brings you back to the early Nightwish days, but with a lot more control and style that has matured with age.

The title track is quite solid, going for a quieter start than the last album, although a lot of the songs here follow much of the same path and dampen its effect. "The Long Walk" wasn't terribly interesting when it began, but it built to something epic, with some surprisingly heavy weight to the sound. The rest of the tracks are all lush and well recorded but just not that gripping. "Scattered to the Four Winds", in particular, had some interesting compositional ideas but I'm not too fond of that viola lead. And then songs like "The Valley" and "Kiss the Mountain" seem almost empty in material.

It's certainly not a bad album, and indeed it increases my interest in where this outfit with go next. But with a few exceptions, it doesn't meet the heights of the band's first outing together. It feels like they like the vibe of "Underthing Solstice" and decided to mull in it for a little too long. But then a track like "Pearl Diving" comes along and reminds you that when the sparks are there, there is beauty to be found in Auri. Hopefully next time it'll be on a magnified display.

 

[Night Prowler]

If you're gonna review Tuomas' side projects and Marco's solo album, you should review Floor's solo album and Tarot, Marco's original band

 

[Diesel 11]

If you're gonna review Tuomas' side projects and Marco's solo album, you should review Floor's solo album and Tarot, Marco's original band

Tarot is starting tomorrow!

Not that interested in Floor’s solo album tbh but maybe I’ll give it a shot.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Imaginaerum (2011)
Ladies and gentlemen, it has finally happened. Tuomas Holopainen and his ensemble cast of performers have jumped the fucking shark. On Nightwish's seventh album, Tuomas goes so fucking over-the-top that he forgets that he's a bandleader and not a ringmaster in a circus. Imaginaerum - originally intended to be titled Imaginarium (hence the line in "Storytime") but that was already taken - is the record where the entire sink isn't just ripped out of the studio kitchen, but also rebuilt into several smaller kitchen sinks that are arranged in the formation of a kitchen sink that eclipses the size of the mermaid moons, crow's ghost river nest, and the fucking ego of the man that said, "Hey, let's write a movie, but like, instead of a movie, it's an album," oh but also they released a fucking movie alongside the album anyway.

See, this is such a perfect summation of why this album doesn't work as a coherent release that your following enthusiasm is baffling to me.

And then Emppu reminds everyone why he's here, with "Ghost River", bookended by possibly the best riff in the band's entire catalogue (and the one in the middle rips too!).

Now this we can definitely agree on. It's a proper riff! And a great one.

And the instrumental jig section is fantastic and fantastical - I feel like it's something Steve and Janick might write if they believed in leprechauns.

That's because it's pretty identical to Dance of Death.

But the problem is that Tuomas arranged in seven minutes what should've been left to breathe for ten. Again, the build-up is excellent, but the payoff is weird. Anette's verses feel cut short, as if there's a missing riff that they forgot to plug in, and Marko's circus nightmare performance feels half-baked as well. It's so short that it genuinely feels pointless.

I agree with all of this, except that I love Marko's part so much that it doesn't matter. It definitely should have been longer, though. This should have been a 10-minute song serving as the central arc of the entire album (especially since we waste so much time on voiceovers about jerking off later).

Beautifully layered, wonderful duet between Marko and Anette showcasing just how good they sound singing together, and Troy even sings himself for the first time in the bridge! Super good.

This definitely feels like the moment where Tuomas realized what direction he wanted to take the band.

The voices chosen are great, the music in the backround (featuring the whole band minus Anette) is quite nice, and the man does have a way with words. I just also wish he didn't have to include the old man cumming in a doll. ;-; Finally, we close out the movi- sorry, album, with a credits scene. The title track is just a reprise of several tracks that came before in a splendid little (read: six minute) orchestral piece. Decent way to close out the record.

And here we disagree wholeheartedly on how to close out a record. 6 minutes of instrumental music with dumb voiceovers followed by another six minutes of instrumental music (that only references certain songs) is just absurd. It's a massive plop ending. Literally nothing happens. We have the staccato, heavy-hitting choir section in the middle of Song of Myself and then we're just lightly guided to the end of the album with no urgency. I love a good prelude, a well-done overture, but I truly hate ending an album with a credits sequence (unfortunately something that lots of bands like Nightwish and Kamelot have started doing on every single album).

The Bad.
The inconsistency from song to song works, but it doesn't help much. It's like Tuomas assembled thirteen amusement park attractions and tried to market something for everyone, from the goths to the metalheads to the pop fans to the classical snobs and to the weirdos who listen to theme park soundtracks on shuffle. A lot of this record is great, but the choices he's made throughout are questionable even when he pulls them off. And then there's "Scaretale", probably the most experimental song here, but he doesn't take it all the way. It's like he's going over the top but then stops as soon as he sees the other side, instead of running down and entering it. Just commit, bro!

"Market" is a great word for the goal here and accentuates my point on repetition: it seems like Tuomas was trying to make this a memorable record for everyone despite it being the most ridiculously divisive "concept" he's ever cooked up. Like he tried to write 13 radio-ready songs for 13 different genres, none of which are played on the radio.

Also, farewell to Anette who did not deserve to go out so soon because she is just phenomenal all throughout this record. Goddamn, what a shame. Love her voice. She's certainly more pop oriented, but that girl can belt like a motherfucker! At least Tarja got five albums before he was axed, Anette got two. TWO! Tragic.

It really is sad that we only got two Anette records, especially after how promising Dark Passion Play ended up. I think her voice matched the style of Tuomas' writing at the time perfectly, but unfortunately like her longevity in the group, that writing style was short-lived.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

I'm the opposite - Marko doing creepy carnival performer shit is fun, sure, but Anette is easily the star of the show. I don't think many people expected such a vicious performance to come out of her.

It's definitely interesting to hear her range and character-driven material, but I still get the vibe that she's acting a little too hard.

There is some repetition here but over time I've come to appreciate it. "Rest Calm" stands out as the worst offender, but when I listened to it this time around I got lost in the trance that they were trying to cast over the listener.

That's a lot of trance for one album, IMO.

Overall it's a fun and enrapturing affair. Kinda surprised you skipped the title track completely, I figured you'd have even worse to say about that one lol.

I have no issues with the track as it exists musically, it's a fine little piece that collects themes we've heard before, but it would have been far superior as an overture (or bonus track). Ending an album with a nice little bowtie of melodies doesn't do it for me.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Showtime, Storytime (2013)
Well Anette is gone, and in her place is the wonder of the Netherlands Floor Jansen, of After Forever and ReVamp fame. Despite being on the Imaginaerum Tour, the setlist that introduces the wide world of to the new face of Nightwish is basically a Once + Imaginaerum set with a few other classics added for balance.

It certainly sounds like the band was excited to be able to perform some of the Once songs that Anette could never pull off.

And you know what? This is kind of a masterclass in how to introduce your new singer. "Dark Chest of Wonders" and "Wish I Had an Angel" kick things off with a strong boost of energy, before the band dips their toes into their early sound for a downtuned but delightful "She Is My Sin". Floor kills it on those goddamn high notes! By the time we reach the classic "Ever Dream" it's frankly stunning to hear the new life she has injected into songs that were already awesome from the start.

It's just one sucker-punch after the other with the start of this record.

Floor knocks the Tarja songs out of the park completely, but I'm not as wowed by her singing some of Anette's tracks. She seems to take a more laid-back approach on them, and the result is a bit lukewarm.

It's a complete tonal shift, for sure. What you're hearing as "laid-back" means that these songs exist in a very natural, comfortable part of Floor's vocal range, possibly pretty close to her speaking tone. Singing in that place is not only difficult when trying to convey heaviness and urgency, but also ends up being a naturally a little softer.

"Ghost River" is cool, but the chorus to "Storytime", which should be smooth sailing, is almost too smooth, and her voice is a bit uninteresting in "I Want My Tears Back" (although Marko brings the fire as always!). She always can't pull off "Amaranth" half as well as Anette did. That song kind of loses its spark.

Storytime and Amaranth are the only songs here I think that outmatch Floor. They just aren't suited for her voice. She is a consummate professional and does a better job than 99% of singers, especially on her first year with the material, but these will always be Anette songs. When Anette sang these songs she was close to (or at) the top of her range, giving them a sense of power and angst that Floor simply cannot give them because she has a much larger range. Also, Amaranth's chorus is an absolute beast for anyone and I think just a perfect case of that melody being 100% aligned with Anette's natural delivery.

But then you have the beautiful "Bless the Child", and the rousing rendition of the first half of "Song of Myself", which actually works super well live as a stand-alone piece. And the whole band is playing to their strengths.

Song of Myself is actually totally fine here. If you eliminate the outro it's a solid 7-8/10 song. I particularly like how Floor and Marko start adding to the choir parts and then close out the song.

"Romanticide" is a highlight among the highlights - hearing Floor and Marko raise their voices in unison, and then hearing Floor outclass fucking Marko, my god, that's amazing!

It was the first of times, it would not be the last of times...

And I would be remiss to not mention the album's grand slam, "Ghost Love Score". Now here is how you teach me to fall in love all over again with a song I never stopped loving in the first place! The original was perfect, and this performance is perfect too. In the original, the highlight is on Tuomas's song construction, climaxing with the brilliant chorus that gets its due time in the sun. In this updated live performance, the highlight is Floor's mastery of her craft, climaxing with one of the most unbelievable vocals I have ever heard in my friggin' life. Once again, this song never fails to give me chills.

I cannot hear this version of the song without getting goosebumps. That ending is perhaps the most perfect moment in the history of music. I know I'm being ridiculous, but...it's so fitting and so perfectly performed that it feels predestined. No fault to Tarja, who originally introduced this song, but it simply will never be the same after this performance. This was a career and musical defining moment.

Also, Floor now recreates it every night on tour. Because she's that fucking good.

Throw in some hilariously awkward crowd banter from Marko, and close everything out with sea of voices screaming out in exhilaration to the tune of "Imaginaerum", and you have a live record that, while maybe not eclipsing End of an Era, comes really fucking close.

Since I don't often listen to full Nightwish live records, I always forget how awkward they are on stage! I know part of it is a language barrier, but holy hell, Floor's attempts at crowd work are cringeworthy and WTF is Marko ever talking about?!

 

[Night Prowler]

Floor's attempts at crowd work are cringeworthy and WTF is Marko ever talking about?!

Agreed.

 

[Diesel 11]

See, this is such a perfect summation of why this album doesn't work as a coherent release that your following enthusiasm is baffling to me.

Because to me the kitchen sink approach works. I'm glad that Tuomas hasn't repeated this tactic since, but I do think that Imaginaerum as a one off is executed well. Lots of styles and vibes with every song, but it still fits in as part of the whole. If I have a complaint about stuff fitting together, it's "Song of Myself" following "Last Ride of the Day", due to their similarly grandiose intros.

Basically - I can see how nuts the whole thing is, and enjoy how nuts it is lol.

And here we disagree wholeheartedly on how to close out a record. 6 minutes of instrumental music with dumb voiceovers followed by another six minutes of instrumental music (that only references certain songs) is just absurd. It's a massive plop ending. Literally nothing happens. We have the staccato, heavy-hitting choir section in the middle of Song of Myself and then we're just lightly guided to the end of the album with no urgency. I love a good prelude, a well-done overture, but I truly hate ending an album with a credits sequence (unfortunately something that lots of bands like Nightwish and Kamelot have started doing on every single album).

This also follows with the "one-off" thing - I don't mind it because it's unique to this record. I agree that things may get moody for too long, but I understand why it leads down that path. Maybe if "Last Ride of the Day" was sequenced after "Song of Myself" things would go smoother?

Storytime and Amaranth are the only songs here I think that outmatch Floor. They just aren't suited for her voice. She is a consummate professional and does a better job than 99% of singers, especially on her first year with the material, but these will always be Anette songs. When Anette sang these songs she was close to (or at) the top of her range, giving them a sense of power and angst that Floor simply cannot give them because she has a much larger range. Also, Amaranth's chorus is an absolute beast for anyone and I think just a perfect case of that melody being 100% aligned with Anette's natural delivery.

I wonder too why she doesn't stray from the chorus proper to do Anette's flourishes at the end of the song. Feels like that bit would be way more suited for Floor's voice.

I cannot hear this version of the song without getting goosebumps. That ending is perhaps the most perfect moment in the history of music. I know I'm being ridiculous, but...it's so fitting and so perfectly performed that it feels predestined. No fault to Tarja, who originally introduced this song, but it simply will never be the same after this performance. This was a career and musical defining moment.

Also, Floor now recreates it every night on tour. Because she's that fucking good.

Her approach is different now though. Back on that first live record she was full on belting - ever since Endless Forms, which saw her embark on smoother, cleaner, and less belty singing, she's dialed back the vocals a bit to try to hit these songs more with finesse than fireworks. I'm not a big fan of that, personally. The sparks on this record are monstrous and to me the best thing I've ever heard her on.

But yeah. That song was perfect in the studio and has become even more perfect with Floor taking over the reins. The studio version places more emphasis on the choir's chorus, which is what really first made me fall in love with the song in the first place. The live version takes us to a brand new dimension for a song that was already utterly brilliant. Which makes me so happy that we have both versions - they underscore different things, and live you getting absolute chills for different reasons. The whole song is incredible from start to finish and yeah, by far one of my favorite pieces in the history of music. I think that with the band's growing popularity it will come to be a heavier player among discussions of 'best metal songs' overall.

 

[Diesel 11]

Tarot

The Spell of Iron (1986)
The only Tarot album I'd heard before and it really is holding up quite well. It's hard to like Marko and classic heavy metal and not dig this album. It's a very different vibe if you're coming to Tarot as a Nightwish fan. The material here is a pretty strong blend of power metal, glam metal, and trad metal, with a wintery flair that adds to the band's sound. Zachary Hietala and Mako H. hold down some great riffs and Zachary's leads are pretty sick. Pecu Cinnari is a kickass drummer as well.

To me this is just a fun heavy metal album. Obviously you've got their most famous song, "Wings of Darkness", which absolutely slaps and puts a smile on my face with its catchy chorus. But there's so much more, from the darkened bop that is "Dancing on the Wire", "Back in the Fire" with a devilish chorus that tricks you into thinking we're still building but it actually roots the song instead. "Love's Not Made for My Kind" sees that glam inspiration seep through with an earworm of a hook, and "Things That Crawl at Night" is a dark closer and a killer ballad.

The only song that doesn't really drive things home for me is the short "Never Forever", but otherwise this is banger after banger. This is feel good heavy metal for when you don't want to think to much and instead want to fly towards the stars so bright, straight into the heart of night! The lyrics are a bit amateurish but even that adds to the way this record plays out. Super strong, super fun, hella good.

Follow Me Into Madness (1988)
The second album continues what the first started but not quite as successfully. Maybe it's a first listen thing but I'm not wowed here. Some of the straightforward rock 'n' roll kind of metal songs are solid - "Blood Runs Cold", "No Return", "I Spit Venom" (although that's an ugly fade-out) - and "Shadow in My Heart" is a cool heavy ballad closer, but a lot of these other songs plod or run together. The glam influence is a tad stronger; "Rose on the Grave" is practically a Dokken song with a better singer; "Lady Deceiver" also follows these lines with some weirder lyrics; and "I Don't Care Anymore" has an attempted big chorus that doesn't quite come together the way they think it does.

It's not a bad album by any means, the guitar leads are even better here, but it feels like in trying to repeat what made the previous album great they fell into a bit of a rut with writing this. Hopefully the next one returns things to the highs of the debut - it's almost a full CD's worth of music with lots of song length variation so I'm curious as to how that'll be pulled off.