Nightwish

[Kalata]

I wished ''Live To Tell The Tale'' had been added to their best album (with almost no fillers). Great song with an even better chorus.

 

[Diesel 11]

No, keep the bonus tracks separate. “White Night Fantasy” and “Live to Tell the Tale” are fine but nowhere near the level of brilliance as the rest of the album. Uncommon Kalata L.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Century Child (2002)
Now we're into the power players. This frequently rotates into my favorite slot because the good songs here are just so damn good. The raw energy of the first three albums remains, but the songwriting, performances, and production has advanced by miles. Obviously, my opinion is incredibly swayed by the inclusion of Marko, who is far and away my favorite member of Nightwish and, I think, crucial to their most popular and influential albums. Tarja, however, finally justifies the pedestal she has been put on here but altering her delivery ever so slightly to be less directly operatic and finally working out the kinks in her English pronunciation issues. There's a great deal of this album where you can actually understand the lyrics without reading along, and that is not something I could say of virtually any song off the previous three.

Bless The Child kicks things off in a moody, midtempo way and sets the stage for the rest of the album. It's not as flashy or bombastic as I generally enjoy my opening tracks, but it's a "setpiece" opener (a track not intended to blow your socks off but to guide you into the world of the album - see Senjutsu, If Eternity Should Fail, Moonchild, etc). Bless the Child opens the door and allows you a glimpse into the themes you're about to encounter so that End of All Hope can shove you down the stairs and kick your ass every step of the way. What an absolute banger. The energy is off the charts, the production is phenomenal, the riffs keep punching, and Tarja slays every second of it. Even Emppu gets a nice little power metal-y lead!

Then we come to Dead to the World, which makes my list of very, very best, easily top 10, maybe top 5 Nightwish songs ever. My Dio, what a fucking entrance for Marko! Tuomas finally has the counter-vocalist he's been longing for (dreaming as a dead boy does, dying within the dream every night that he is not raped by the snowy chill of his own desires) and holy shit does he make an entrance. I adore everything about this song: the power metal harpsichord riffing, the showtune-esque back and forth, Jukka's double bass, the bridge that ends in a single low piano note, and of course, that chorus! What a treat. Tuomas flexes his muscles (the lines on the arms of the dead boy, stretching beneath the torn blankets in a dark attic of nightmares) by following up this twisty-turny masterpiece with Ever Dream: one of the most beautifully iconic tunes in the discography. There's not much to say, it's a song that has been rewritten a thousand times by both Nightwish and by other bands but possibly never topped.

Now that you are fully enveloped in the child's world, it's time for a Big Bad Wolf to appear in the form of Slaying the Dreamer. The riffs are twisted and the song is deep and dark, all before that second half hits...which may just be the heaviest, scariest, angriest thing Tuomas has ever written. Marko is fucking terrifying and virtually screaming here, once again showing his versatility as a vocalist. The album dips for awhile after this, but Forever Yours is a gorgeous little piece for Tarja's voice like the stripped down ballads that have come before. Ocean Soul is fine, but the energy feels a bit lacking considering it's following up the quietest song on the album. The chorus is huge, though, it almost feels like an arena rock moment for Tuomas (if truly, the dead boy can even enter the arena of wishes, the ironclad oval of night surrounded by the icy waters of eternal torment wrought by his words, by his slowly dying poetry). Feel For You, as well, is fine...it just pales in comparison to what has come before. It certainly earns bonus points because it allows Marko some space to show off his normal range. The Phantom of the Opera feels like on an odd inclusion on what previously felt like a thematic concept album, but it really rocks so hard. Tarja and Marko pair pretty perfectly on it.

And then we come to Beauty of the Beast, Tuomas' (current) crowning achievement in epic songwriting. I will never understand how this song has not endured beyond this album as I truly think it is a masterpiece. Every vocal melody is interesting and catchy as hell, the production is stellar, and it's the exact right length to not overstay its welcome. Part 1 is moody and anthemic, with Tarja and Marko having an epic singalong. Part 2 is dramatic Nightwish at their best. I love the riff that comes in around the 5 minute mark and the "chorus" part of this section is so huge! It just keeps evolving. Tuomas' orch hits have never been more effective. The only flaw in this song is that it fades out.

Century Child is a glorious achievement in the Nightwish legend. It sounds like Tuomas finally realizing his goal for the band in every way.

A+

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Marko's entrance to the Nightwish world is down fairly tastefully on this first record. He's given moments to show off his range, but he is also given room to build himself up to the audience instead of diving all the way in like he would especially during the Anette era.

In revisiting this album I was also struck by how perfectly he is introduced, as well. There is certainly no moment here where his vocals could be considered overkill by Tarja purists.

I'm also struck by how much I felt his arrival via the bass. No knocks against the previous bassist, but there is a very obvious tonal shift in the bass production itself: Marko uses a slight bit of distortion on his bass almost at all times, whereas Sami had a much more round, warm tone (no doubt this is also due to picked playing vs. finger plucking). I've never really given Marko a ton of credit as a technical bass player, but the shift in tone is a very subtle, effective change for the overall sound of the band.

"Dead to the World" is a hell of an introduction, placed carefully as the third track of the album, so as to give the listener time to first hear the people we already know, and then get used to the new guy.

I had forgotten that Marko doesn't really add vocals to Bless the Child or End of All Hope on the record. It's a very smart tracklisting, indeed.

And those vocals are amazing! "HEAVEN QUEEN - COVER ME - IIIIIN ALL THAT BLUUUUE!" He has such a unique set of pipes that sound so powerful and yet there is also a theatrical sense of vulnerability to them as well. "Feel For You" is another song that showcases this, and on "Slaying the Dreamer" he unleashes hell during the second half.

Definitely Nightwish's most unique vocalist.

As simple as it is, I find Jukka's drumming on this song incredibly captivating, the way he uses different bits of the kit to keep a constant flow and provide shades to the rhythm.

I have never really noticed the drums in Nightwish, but I'm finding a greater appreciation for Jukka this time around.

And special shoutout to the final line, "I'm but a dead boy, who failed to write an ending to each of his poems," which, while cheesy, is also so good.

Simple, direct, dead.

This, a full album's continuation of the themes started in "Dead Boy's Poem", is definitely some bleeding heart depression material from Tuomas, but the layers and dynamics on display coupled with that beautiful atmosphere are what sets this band apart.

Apparently Tuomas was full on depressed when writing this record, to the point of contemplating breaking up the band. Honestly, this doesn't come through at all for me other than the lyrics. The majority of this album feels so alive and energized.

 

[Detective Beauregard]

Most of my opinions on the band’s first few albums have been echoed by others. I’ve never been able to make it through most of the debut, and I’m too old to give it another chance. Oceanborn is a solid record and my favorite of the opening trilogy, with Stargazers, Gethsemane, Sacrament, and Passion being highlights. My favorite song from the album is actually The Riddler, though, as for many years I assumed it was written to honor my favorite Batman villain.

Wishmaster was a step down in my opinion, with too much overblown pomp (I know this is Nightwish, but still). The first two tracks are killer, and Wanderlust is cool, but after that I grow bored until the end of the album. I prefer the Sabaton versions of the title track, by the way.

But let’s discuss FantasMic, an underrated gem and easily my favorite track here. Such an underrated tune with music that hits several different moods. The opening keyboards and the vocal melodies in the verse are infectious. My attitude of lyrics being the least important part of music comes into play heavily here, and it’s probably one of the reasons I’ve been able to endure Nightwish for so long. You almost have to tune them out to enjoy this song. From the bombastic chorus to Emppu’s dulcet melodies in the quiet part, the first half of this song is already a rollercoaster of emotions. The “faeries dancing in the forest” jig (you know Tuomas would spell it “faeries,” don’t lie) just after 5 minutes picks me up every time, regardless of how unbelievably lame it sounds (the same melody on guitar shortly afterwards vindicates it). Somewhere in there is a part where Tarja is singing so high that only dogs can decipher the lyrics, but then there’s riffage at 6:15 where Jukka lays down a Lars beat that turns it all around. At some point I swear I hear Tarja saying she’s a six-year-old, which is simply too Tuomas to not be the actual lyric. Still, what an underrated epic. Sadly I don’t think Tuomas and his enchanted circus of numbnuts have ever played it live. What a shame.

I’ll touch on Century Child later.

@MrKnickerbocker
You really hit the nail on the head with the dead boy thoughts! I lol’d.

 

[Diesel 11]

Obviously, my opinion is incredibly swayed by the inclusion of Marko, who is far and away my favorite member of Nightwish and, I think, crucial to their most popular and influential albums.

YES! I don't know if he's crucial per se, because Nightwish were great without him on those first three records and we'll see if they can be great again next year when the new album drops, but he is absolutely my favorite singer the band has ever had. And with three incredible female vocalists across the band's career, that's a difficult title to just give out. But goddamn is he good.

He has such a unique way of singing, so it's little wonder that back when we did that best vocalist tournament a lot of people wrote him off. Even though those people are WRONG!!!! He has that typical heavy metal vocalist timber in the line of such people as Bruce Dickinson and Ronnie James Dio, but he is both so much more powerful and so much cleaner than both of them. When he wants to be emotive, he sounds like a folk singer out in the woods. When he wants to sound angry, he summons up demons and wails like a fucking banshee. When he wants to be harsh, his vocals border on death metal growls / screams.

But what makes him so unique is the unmistakable drawl he has. Not being a native English speaker, Marko has a definite accent that he has to work around while singing in the language. As he picks apart the syllables he uses, he has this sliiide from word to word that is something I've never heard another person use. And above all else, his masterful control of his voice, going to each note he wants to hit, holding them when he wants to, it's nearly unmatched. Listening through Nightwish again I am reminded of just how much I love his voice.

Being, last I checked, a guy, I guess I gravitate towards male vocalists because I can better understand what they're doing with their voices than female vocalists who often have completely different registers (although this doesn't mean I like male singers more as a rule, just the ones that stand out blow me away more). Marko is easily among my top 5 singers as someone who doesn't just blow my socks off when he opens his mouth, but also inspires me when I sing as well. He is amazing and it sucks that he's no longer with the band, especially as I haven't even seen them live yet in person. But these records are magic whenever he is on the mic.

It's not as flashy or bombastic as I generally enjoy my opening tracks, but it's a "setpiece" opener (a track not intended to blow your socks off but to guide you into the world of the album - see Senjutsu, If Eternity Should Fail, Moonchild, etc). Bless the Child opens the door and allows you a glimpse into the themes you're about to encounter so that End of All Hope can shove you down the stairs and kick your ass every step of the way.

See, I love album openers like this. Sure, a fast opener is great, but you add to an album's dynamics when you can start confidently with something that may not necessarily bowl you over, but will certainly guide you into the world the album is painted. "Bless the Child" does this amazingly well.

Ocean Soul is fine, but the energy feels a bit lacking considering it's following up the quietest song on the album. The chorus is huge, though, it almost feels like an arena rock moment for Tuomas

Which is what attracted me to it initially, that chorus felt like one big distillation of everything Tuomas is and Nightwish are. And to be honest, if someone wanted me to give them a handful of songs to check out so that they could get Nightwish, this would likely be one of my picks. What played a factor in it going down over time for me had a lot to do with that sparkly keyboard Tuomas uses during the verses and then drops in the chorus. It feels off to drop it just during that one section. Single elements throw me off sometimes, the drumming in "Run to the Hills" is another example of that.

But yeah, at face value alone, it's a huge song. If I recall correctly, though, Tuomas has said the band will never play it live because it's basically his own personal little song, a song he wrote just for himself that he has shielded from the rest of the world aside from on this one album. Which is cool, but also a shame because I'm sure it would be incredible live. But he also says "never say never" nowadays so, who knows?

The Phantom of the Opera feels like on an odd inclusion on what previously felt like a thematic concept album

Weirdly enough, that never clicked with me before even though I definitely have picked up on the long-running theme throughout the album. It is a strange addition, but maybe Tuomas just wanted to wow people with the new singing duo he'd put together on this record.

And then we come to Beauty of the Beast, Tuomas' (current) crowning achievement in epic songwriting. I will never understand how this song has not endured beyond this album as I truly think it is a masterpiece.

Yeah, it is underrated as fuck. I'm in a big Nightwish server on Discord and some of the takes in there are weird. People who have only listened to Human. :||: Nature., people who only listen to the stuff Floor sings on, and I ran a couple of polls to determine how the community ranks the Nightwish songs. The big epics were both times taking all the top spots: "Ghost Love Score", "The Greatest Show on Earth", "The Poet and the Pendulum", and "Song of Myself". Me personally, I understand the first three, but "Song of Myself"? Really? And "Beauty of the Beast" is stuck almost outside the top 30. What the hell. Maybe they can dig this one up again with Floor and we might see a change of heart in the fandom, but also it being kept back in the Century Child era adds a little bit to its magic. Great song though and deserves more attention than it gets.

The only flaw in this song is that it fades out.

Big disagree. Fade outs can be abused but I think that both this song and GLS use it effectively. Once these two reach their peaks, they enter a groove that you just want to hold onto for as long as you can. But everything must come to an end, so a slow fade to black is a great choice. It lets you keep that feeling, that mood, but also draws things to a satisfactory close as well.

 

[Diesel 11]

I'm also struck by how much I felt his arrival via the bass. No knocks against the previous bassist, but there is a very obvious tonal shift in the bass production itself: Marko uses a slight bit of distortion on his bass almost at all times, whereas Sami had a much more round, warm tone (no doubt this is also due to picked playing vs. finger plucking). I've never really given Marko a ton of credit as a technical bass player, but the shift in tone is a very subtle, effective change for the overall sound of the band.

Yeah I'm trying to pay attention to the basswork in Nightwish on this listen. It's a bit difficult because even though the mixes don't make it unhearable, there are so many layers to these songs that it's so easy to miss. I was pretty impressed with Sami on some of those Oceanborn songs, but I think that Marko manages to get in some good bass moments more regularly in Nightwish based on how they drop in these layers.

I have never really noticed the drums in Nightwish, but I'm finding a greater appreciation for Jukka this time around.

See, the thing that I love about Jukka is his incredible consistency. The man is like a machine. Tuomas writes these massive songs that are meant to sound perfect in the studio, and Jukka just gives it his all and delivers. His drumming is exactly what the song needs - no more, no less. Sure, maybe Nightwish would blow minds even more if they had a Peart in their mix, but they don't need that kind of drummer the way Rush do. Jukka's drumming is clean, precise, and sounds so massive. Love it.

Apparently Tuomas was full on depressed when writing this record, to the point of contemplating breaking up the band. Honestly, this doesn't come through at all for me other than the lyrics. The majority of this album feels so alive and energized.

To me it's all down to that atmosphere. This is easily the band's darkest sounding album. Although I also think they're less energetic than on the two previous albums (especially Oceanborn), but also know what they wanna do with this record.

Also I think this is the album that came directly after Tuomas almost broke up the band. IIRC after the massive (at the time) Wishmastour, the band was tired and Sami was especially vocal about his disagreements over Tuomas's stylistic shifts. So Tuomas was like "fuck this whole thing", went hiking for three weeks, and then came back with a new lease on life and ready to rock. After canning Sami, of course. So yeah, the depression definitely plays a role in here.

 

[Diesel 11]

(you know Tuomas would spell it “faeries,” don’t lie)

*Færies, actually.

Jukka lays down a Lars beat

Even if you're not the biggest Jukka fan, he's still miles better than Lars.

At some point I swear I hear Tarja saying she’s a six-year-old, which is simply too Tuomas to not be the actual lyric.

"The sailor, an idol for the six-year-old in me." A reference to Donald Duck. See, I don't mind these lyrics at all because it's just a nice celebration of those classic Disney films / stories and I like digging through the references. It's cheesy, but in a fun way.

Sadly I don’t think Tuomas and his enchanted circus of numbnuts have ever played it live. What a shame.

They've played it 81 times, actually, in 2000-1, although as can be heard on From Wishes to Eternity, they built Part III into a coda to "Elvenpath". I'm not sure if they've ever played the full song live and I don't feel like trawling through setlist.fm. But yeah, at least part of it has indeed been played, and it's a great performance on that record.

 

[Diesel 11]

End of an Era (2006)
For such a spectacular album like Once, it stands to reason that it requires a spectacular tour to coincide with its release. And for such a spectacular tour, it stands to reason that it requires a spectacular live album to record the magic that happens onstage. Well, how shall I describe the ensuing live album that Nightwish put out to cover the Once Upon a Tour, which saw them expand their fandom across the world? Simply: spectacular.

From Wishes to Eternity was a terrific live album in its own right, but I really do like this one more for a few different reasons. Tarja's voice is a little more wobbly on this one, and the production isn't as polished, but this really feels like a live band playing together. The setlist is impeccable; even though it mostly picks from the Century Child and Once albums with a few exceptions, you don't feel as though you're missing anything here. That's how well they have this setlist balanced. Additionally, there are only two songs that overlap on both albums: "The Kinslayer" and "Wishmaster". This means that we get to hear a lot more songs performed live across both albums which is cool. I've seen the video before too, and that stage looks fucking awesome.

The concert kicks off with an ass-kicking rendition of "Dark Chest of Wonders", a terrific concert opener just as it was a terrific album opener. The performances are great. Tarja's accent is way thicker than in the studio version, but once you get over that you just fucking rock out to it. Following it up with "Planet Hell" is such a sucker-punch, especially the way Marko unleashes his fury. After we get these two bangers out of the way, the glorious "Ever Dream" reminds us of the shades to this band's work, with an extended intro from Tuomas which sounds wonderful.

"The Kinslayer" of course is wicked, although I'm a little disappointed that Marko doesn't get to do the male lines (this is eventually off-set by how much he gets to do elsewhere during the show though). Then Tarja and Marko get to fully shine in the phenomenal duet that is this album's rendition of "The Phantom of the Opera", which is heads and tails above the original studio version. I love the calm way it starts off, building into that heaviness with force. Marko is fucking incredible on this one, fully embracing the role of the phantom. And in the outro both he and Tarja far exceed the glory of their original recording. This is killer, every step of the way. (Bonus points for Marko's "ALLLL RIIIGHT!" just before the outro, the man is such a mood.)

"The Siren" picks things up and boy is this a scorching performance. Tuomas's organ-type solo is an interesting take on the instrumental section. Then we get a lovely quieter moment in the form of "Sleeping Sun", which allows the band to shift the mood down a bit just before Tarja departs the stage and we get to chill with the boys for a bit. Is "High Hopes" the best cover in the band's discography? That's such a tough call but it just might be. I love the way they expand upon the original in the Nightwish style, especially with those keys that Tuomas uses for the piano riff. Chilling. Marko gets to really shine on this one, with the quiet verses showcasing his emotive singing, building up to the chorus where he pushes himself more and more until the end when he is transcendent. "Forever and eveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer-WHOA!" Such a truly amazing performance, it's kind of crazy they didn't record a full studio version. But then, if they can pull it off this well live, why go back and try to recapture the magic again?

Tarja returns to lead a powerful run of "Bless the Child" and the immortal "Wishmaster", and then all fucking hell breaks loose as Marko announces "Slaying the Dreamer". The highlight here is the way the man actually goes even higher and angrier than in the original. Speechless. We come back down for the beautiful "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan" and a monster performance of "Nemo", before we arrive at the show's peak: "Ghost Love Score". It sounds amazing live just as it was amazing on Once. Is this the best live version of the song the band has released? Probably not, but it's so nice to hear the original singer get to pull it off too. By the song's triumphant close, you can tell if you weren't already sure of it that this night is truly magical.

Of course after a song like GLS you're gonna need a bit of a palette cleanser to settle down, and that's where John Two-Hawks steps in for a four minute minimalist song of his called "Stone People" that takes you right out to the misty North American wild. .....Again, there is a lot of controversy surrounding whether or not John is a cultural appropriator, but I try to hear the song with the same innocence it was recorded in. Because the rendition of "Creek Mary's Blood" that follows is incredibly stirring. Goddamn. And then after the Lakotan poem concludes, the audience gets hooked into a powerful performance of "Over the Hills and Far Away". The energy is immense at this point, and this carries over into the set closer "Wish I Had an Angel". I'd probably have moved this up earlier into the set, but it seems like Tuomas like capping off concerts with one of the new songs. Regardless, it's a triumphant finale all the same.

This concert is just incredible from start to finish. The setlist is perfectly balanced between the heavy and the mellow, the bangers and the ballads, with three incredible cover songs and terrific performances of their original material. And the twist is that this would be the band's final performance with Tarja, who was ousted in an open letter the very next day. This information is just completely fucking insane given how tight, how energized, how enthralled and enthralling everybody sounds on here. One would expect that after an album and a tour like this, your lineup would roll right back into the writer's room off the back of that adrenaline. But I guess fate has other plans.

This, to me, is the finale to Nightwish's first era, their last moment of innocence before the firing of Tarja shifted the band in tone forever. Going forward, the albums are going to get bigger and more complex, with Tuomas never holding himself back again from fully diving into whatever he wants to do again. And Nightwish will still remain a great band, an amazing band even, but Tarja's exit was the moment that ultimately shifted them from the magical Finnish rock band they started as into a larger-than-life outfit of musicians known the world over. Tarja was in a way the glue that kept the original magic, and with her gone the band (read: Tuomas) became more self-indulgent and more massive than anyone could have expected. It's not even necessarily that Tarja herself was the key to this, but her departure coincided with this shift so it's easy to see it this way.

But anyway, regardless of the behind-the-scenes drama, this is the climax to the first era of Nightwish's career, and a mind-blowing one at that. I think this may also be Marko's best performance so far, if not even ever. He's easily the highlight across the record. But everyone is giving it their all, making it a triumphant curtain call to one of the greatest frontwomen metal has ever heard. Farewell, Tarja, and may the angels that fell first guide you forward into Neverland. If this has to the be the end of an era, then I will say it again as I have already said: it was spectacular.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

My favorite song from the album is actually The Riddler, though, as for many years I assumed it was written to honor my favorite Batman villain.

I mean, the dude writes songs about Donald Duck. A song about a Batman villain would be a step up, from G to PG.

At some point I swear I hear Tarja saying she’s a six-year-old, which is simply too Tuomas to not be the actual lyric.

Oh, oh no, that is definitely something that Tuomas would write. And that's in the upper echelon of his lyric quality on the first few records.

I’ll touch on Century Child later.

So will the Dead Boy. He will touch its moistest deepness and smell the passion scent of the virginal air of sweet nothings.

He has such a unique way of singing, so it's little wonder that back when we did that best vocalist tournament a lot of people wrote him off. Even though those people are WRONG!!!! He has that typical heavy metal vocalist timber in the line of such people as Bruce Dickinson and Ronnie James Dio, but he is both so much more powerful and so much cleaner than both of them. When he wants to be emotive, he sounds like a folk singer out in the woods. When he wants to sound angry, he summons up demons and wails like a fucking banshee. When he wants to be harsh, his vocals border on death metal growls / screams.

No matter what I think there are always people who view him as a backup singer instead of a co-lead vocalist. Although this may be true of the Tarja years, he very quickly established himself as a driving force of the band musically, vocally, and definitely onstage.

But what makes him so unique is the unmistakable drawl he has. Not being a native English speaker, Marko has a definite accent that he has to work around while singing in the language. As he picks apart the syllables he uses, he has this sliiide from word to word that is something I've never heard another person use. And above all else, his masterful control of his voice, going to each note he wants to hit, holding them when he wants to, it's nearly unmatched. Listening through Nightwish again I am reminded of just how much I love his voice.

Yes, his ability to slide into notes in pitch while changing his tone is mindblowing. And there is definitely a drawl to his voice that sounds like he his a native English speaker. It's part of why I love his approach.

See, I love album openers like this. Sure, a fast opener is great, but you add to an album's dynamics when you can start confidently with something that may not necessarily bowl you over, but will certainly guide you into the world the album is painted. "Bless the Child" does this amazingly well.

Yeah, I think they can work well as long as the songs are great. Bless the Child is pretty great, same goes for my examples of Moonchild and IESF (though Senjutsu is weak sauce).

Which is what attracted me to it initially, that chorus felt like one big distillation of everything Tuomas is and Nightwish are. And to be honest, if someone wanted me to give them a handful of songs to check out so that they could get Nightwish, this would likely be one of my picks. What played a factor in it going down over time for me had a lot to do with that sparkly keyboard Tuomas uses during the verses and then drops in the chorus. It feels off to drop it just during that one section. Single elements throw me off sometimes, the drumming in "Run to the Hills" is another example of that.

It does feel like Nightwish in a bottle, I can agree with that, but only the more subdued, melodic side of the band. It lacks the drama, the heaviness, and the complexity of much of their music.

Also, just curious, what are you talking about re: drumming in RTTH?!

Yeah, it is underrated as fuck. I'm in a big Nightwish server on Discord and some of the takes in there are weird. People who have only listened to Human. :||: Nature., people who only listen to the stuff Floor sings on, and I ran a couple of polls to determine how the community ranks the Nightwish songs. The big epics were both times taking all the top spots: "Ghost Love Score", "The Greatest Show on Earth", "The Poet and the Pendulum", and "Song of Myself". Me personally, I understand the first three, but "Song of Myself"? Really? And "Beauty of the Beast" is stuck almost outside the top 30. What the hell. Maybe they can dig this one up again with Floor and we might see a change of heart in the fandom, but also it being kept back in the Century Child era adds a little bit to its magic. Great song though and deserves more attention than it gets.

Yeah, I love Floor and she is more impressive than any other vocalist in Nightwish, but the online worship of her is (to quote the lingo of those twenty years my junior) mad cringe. Honestly, the gushing love for Greatest Show on Earth blows my mind. And yeah, Song of Myself has some of my least favorite NW moments ever. We'll get there soon enough...

Yeah I'm trying to pay attention to the basswork in Nightwish on this listen. It's a bit difficult because even though the mixes don't make it unhearable, there are so many layers to these songs that it's so easy to miss. I was pretty impressed with Sami on some of those Oceanborn songs, but I think that Marko manages to get in some good bass moments more regularly in Nightwish based on how they drop in these layers.

Now that I'm listening for the bass it's pretty audible once Marko joins the band. It's not always astounding, but he's a good player and his amazing vocals make him even better as a utility player. There's a really cool bass part in the intro of Dark Chest of Wonders.

See, the thing that I love about Jukka is his incredible consistency. The man is like a machine. Tuomas writes these massive songs that are meant to sound perfect in the studio, and Jukka just gives it his all and delivers. His drumming is exactly what the song needs - no more, no less. Sure, maybe Nightwish would blow minds even more if they had a Peart in their mix, but they don't need that kind of drummer the way Rush do. Jukka's drumming is clean, precise, and sounds so massive. Love it.

Yeah, absolutely, his consistency is impressive. He's great on the live albums.

Also I think this is the album that came directly after Tuomas almost broke up the band. IIRC after the massive (at the time) Wishmastour, the band was tired and Sami was especially vocal about his disagreements over Tuomas's stylistic shifts. So Tuomas was like "fuck this whole thing", went hiking for three weeks, and then came back with a new lease on life and ready to rock. After canning Sami, of course. So yeah, the depression definitely plays a role in here.

Ahhhh that makes way more sense, as it seems like Tuommy is definitely having fun playing with his new toys (Marko, orchestras) on Century Child.

*Færies, actually.

Accurate.

 

[Detective Beauregard]

*Færies, actually.

Even if you're not the biggest Jukka fan, he's still miles better than Lars.

It wasn't a dig at Jukka; when he starts with that beat I legitimately hear Hetfield playing that riff. Very cool section. However, even as a bass player, I barely notice the rhythm section in Nightwish. It's almost as if there's too much melody and orchestral stuff overpowering their performances.

"The sailor, an idol for the six-year-old in me." A reference to Donald Duck. See, I don't mind these lyrics at all because it's just a nice celebration of those classic Disney films / stories and I like digging through the references. It's cheesy, but in a fun way.

That makes more sense. Speaking of Disney, now I want Tuomas to do an album about The Little Mermaid, where Floor can be Ariel and guest musicians can be brought in, featuring Tommy Karevik as the prince dude, Bruce Dickinson as Ariel's dad, Russell Allen as the crab, and Marko and Mikael Akerfeldt as those eels.

They've played it 81 times, actually, in 2000-1, although as can be heard on From Wishes to Eternity, they built Part III into a coda to "Elvenpath". I'm not sure if they've ever played the full song live and I don't feel like trawling through setlist.fm. But yeah, at least part of it has indeed been played, and it's a great performance on that record.

That's good to know, thanks. It's a killer song and I hope they bring it back.

I mean, the dude writes songs about Donald Duck. A song about a Batman villain would be a step up, from G to PG.

Oh, oh no, that is definitely something that Tuomas would write. And that's in the upper echelon of his lyric quality on the first few records.

So will the Dead Boy. He will touch its moistest deepness and smell the passion scent of the virginal air of sweet nothings.

Now that I'm listening for the bass it's pretty audible once Marko joins the band. It's not always astounding, but he's a good player and his amazing vocals make him even better as a utility player. There's a really cool bass part in the intro of Dark Chest of Wonders.

Once is next in my listening party, so I'll pay more attention to the bass this time around. Outside of the cool bass intro in Dark Chest, I seem to recall a few neat fills on the album (maybe in Ghost Love Score?) But in general their rhythm section is highly underutilized.

 

[Detective Beauregard]

Finally got around to listening to Century Child. A few notes:

- Bless the Child is a solid tune, and a definite tonal shift for the band. Mid-tempo and heavy, it's immediately less silly-sounding than most of the tracks from previous albums. The cheesy talking that bookends the piece really drags it down, though.
- End of all Hope kicks ass. Just a powerful tune with a barrage of operatic vocals and very interesting verses, with Tarja's signature move of constantly harmonizing herself with clone Tarjas. Sweet bridge, too.
- Dead to the World introduces Marko as a vocalist, and it's spectacular. I don't care much for the verses, but I do love that they build back to the epic chorus gradually instead of after the first verse. Definitely one of the four best tracks here.
- Ever Dream is a classic, and there's not much I can say about it other than it being pure emotion (Marko wailing "dream of me" in the background is so subtle yet powerful). I feel like this style of song has been duplicated on every Nightwish album since, although usually not to the same magnificent degree. Fantastic quick little solo by Emppu, as well, and that last chorus gives me goosebumps. A top four on the album.
- Slaying the Dreamer is another top four, and a side of Nightwish that isn't seen as often as I'd like it to be. The first half of the song is cool, but it picks up at 2:35 when the riffage gets even heavier and Psycho Marko comes to play. Cool tune overall.

I can't help but feel that the next few songs are kinda filler, though. Forever Yours is the definition of boring, as a ballad that never actually goes anywhere. I don't mind pieces like this when part of a big epic track, but here it's so skippable. Ocean Soul is better, with the hypnotizing keyboard and lyrics about being a fish or something. I feel that this song could have been so much more, though, with a couple extra minutes of oceanic-sized riffage and a killer solo. But what we get feels painfully unfinished. Phantom of the Opera is a song I've never cared for, and it feels out of place here for some reason that I can't put my finger on. They could have written an original track here, and even if it was weak I would have taken that over a cover. I don't care for covers unless the entire album is dedicated to them.

- Feel For You is a cool little track, though, which completely destroys my previous post's claim that the bass doesn't stand out in Nightwish. I just like the vibe of this track, from the subdued but mysterious-sounding verses (I love Emppu's pick squeals in there) to the creepy chorus. The outro is powerful as hell, too, and that's the whole song! Much like Ocean Soul, this feels like it should have been much more grand. But I still like it quite a bit.

- Beauty of the Beast, much like FantasMic, is a true underrated epic. The first part of the song, Long Lost Love, recounts Tuomas telling the story of how he is a hideous beast who will never find love, as vocalized by his angel spirit Tarja, which isn't weird at all. The next movement, One More Night to Live, builds up a bit more with Tuomas lamenting that he only has a brief time to live after being struck by a poison dart from a sniper while sitting on his grandiose balcony in the Castle of Enchanted Wondrousness. After that we, wait, yep, he's talking about rape again. No good Nightwish epic would be complete without it. Anyway, Tuomas is able to escape to the castle's infirmary, where he believes he can create an antidote. However, he contemplates just dying, because he'll never find true love. The final section documents sweet Christabel, the black-clad assassin who fired the dart in the Oscar-nominated One More Night to Live, but she's not interested in sharing her poems. After infiltrating the castle, she unlocks the keep gate and assassinates Tuomas with a variety of daggers and sais. As he dies, Christabel stands over all of the dead boy's unfinished possibly could-be masterpieces. The song fades as Christabel's sexy ninja clones take over the castle, with the story continuing in the next highly-anticipated chapter, Dark Chest of Wonders.

 

[Randalf]

Speaking of Tuomas & some of his extremely cheesy #deadboy lyrics... I have to admit that I have a huge soft spot for his Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge album. I very much share his love for Don Rosa's (+Barks!) duck stories and that album has some nice things in it, even if it's a bit generic at times.

 

[Diesel 11]

I mean, the dude writes songs about Donald Duck.

*Uncle Scrooge, actually.

No matter what I think there are always people who view him as a backup singer instead of a co-lead vocalist. Although this may be true of the Tarja years, he very quickly established himself as a driving force of the band musically, vocally, and definitely onstage.

Which is why I've always considered him their secondary vocalist. But one who steals the spotlight for sure. And you're definitely right about how he started guiding the music, there's quite a few instances of him writing all or most of the music to a song and Tuomas focusing instead on just the lyrics. Even "The Toolmaker" from "The Greatest Show on Earth" is mostly Marko, which is interesting cuz you'd think Tuomas would have had the whole thing mapped out already without anyone else. I guess he had the idea for it and liked pieces Marko was playing and decided to stitch them together.

Yes, his ability to slide into notes in pitch while changing his tone is mindblowing. And there is definitely a drawl to his voice that sounds like he his a native English speaker. It's part of why I love his approach.

To me his accent is almost always shining through, but it's paired alongside his mastery of the language he's singing in. It balances out.

(though Senjutsu is weak sauce)

It's a tangent but I actually think "Senjutsu" is pretty great, both as a song and as an opener. The middle section runs a little long but I can still get into it. I actually appreciate the song more now that I've seen it live, with its opening drum hits before the pummeling rhythm and riff takes over everything. It went over far better than I expected and even the crowd seemed (mostly) enthralled, if not as energized as they were once we'd moved onto the two singles and then the classic material.

Also, just curious, what are you talking about re: drumming in RTTH?!

Once the song enters its main framework, the drumming mostly stays in that same shuffle kind of rhythm. It's definitely not bad and it gives off the vibe of galloping along the plains, but something about that one-dimensional approach began sticking out to me and my brain has not yet been able to work around it yet. Still think it's a great song, but it went from being my favorite track when I got into the band, to sitting closer to Top 50.

Yeah, I love Floor and she is more impressive than any other vocalist in Nightwish, but the online worship of her is (to quote the lingo of those twenty years my junior) mad cringe. Honestly, the gushing love for Greatest Show on Earth blows my mind. And yeah, Song of Myself has some of my least favorite NW moments ever. We'll get there soon enough...

I think we'll disagree on TGSOE. It's been a while, so I don't know if my opinion will still be intact when we get to Endless Forms, but in the past I've thought it was nothing short of extraordinary. But that's a topic for another time. As for Floor, you're right that she's more impressive than any other Nightwish singer ("Ghost Love Score" speaks for itself), but I'm not as into her voice itself like I am Tarja or Marko. It's a similar thing with Freddie Mercury, who almost everyone considers the GOAT when it comes to male vocalists. It's like I understand why people love them, and I respect their talent, but I just don't like their voices as much as other singers. This does come with the caveat that I still do like and enjoy Floor, and I think she's a great frontwoman for Nightwish, whereas I could genuinely go the rest of my life without hearing another Queen song and feel like I've missed out on nothing.

That makes more sense. Speaking of Disney, now I want Tuomas to do an album about The Little Mermaid, where Floor can be Ariel and guest musicians can be brought in, featuring Tommy Karevik as the prince dude, Bruce Dickinson as Ariel's dad, Russell Allen as the crab, and Marko and Mikael Akerfeldt as those eels.

Bruce Dickinson as Triton is what broke me. I can't tell if it would be funnier to actually hear such an album or just imagine what it would sound like. Regardless, it would be glorious.

That's good to know, thanks. It's a killer song and I hope they bring it back.

I suppose it depends on whether or not GLS/TGSOE are going to be permanent fixtures in the live shows from now on. I'm not opposed to this because I love both songs, but it does mean the amount of songs you can play will go down if you're throwing in more epics into the mix. I think Tuomas would likely choose "The Poet and the Pendulum" over "FantasMic" or "Beauty of the Beast", which is valid because I like it even more but also it means those two epics will be undeservedly relegated to the past. But if they actually wanted to play it they'd find a way to make it work. Floor has a large role in crafting the setlists, getting shit like "Romanticide" during the Imaginaerum Tour, and "Our Decades in the Sun" and "The Phantom of the Opera" on the current tour, played. So if she wants to sing those songs, I'm sure she could convince Tuomas.

The cheesy talking that bookends the piece really drags it down, though.

Hhhhhh... I can see that even when you and Knick and my opinions all line up on album / song qualities, I still like Nightwish for different reasons than you guys do. I love the spoken word bits, and the second one is interesting because it starts off with that British kid who plays the dead boy, Sam Hardwick, and then transforms into what I am guessing is Marko's voice. And the way this segues directly into "End of All Hope" is a big part of what makes the latter sound so much more intense. I guess I'm just a lot more invested into Tuomas's ideas as a whole, lol.

Ever Dream is a classic, and there's not much I can say about it other than it being pure emotion (Marko wailing "dream of me" in the background is so subtle yet powerful). I feel like this style of song has been duplicated on every Nightwish album since, although usually not to the same magnificent degree. Fantastic quick little solo by Emppu, as well, and that last chorus gives me goosebumps. A top four on the album.

I really love "Ever Dream" but not quite to the extent as much of the fanbase does. I think it's a killer song but they've done better heavy ballads ("Nemo" on the very next album, for instance). Marko's backing line is my favorite moment on the whole song, though. It adds such a nice dimension to the ballad.

They could have written an original track here, and even if it was weak I would have taken that over a cover. I don't care for covers unless the entire album is dedicated to them.

Nightwish did have a couple extra tracks that ended up on the singles, "The Wayfarer", with a driving, power metal sound, and "Lagoon", which feels emblematic of the album cover to Century Child and is a good showcase for Tarja. But I think "Phantom" fits the vibe of the album better; these two seem more like b-sides to me. I agree that it's not the perfect placement but it doesn't bother me that it's there and I like the cover. As I've said though, the performance on End of an Era is far superior.

I mostly agree that covers don't usually fit in well with albums of otherwise all original material, but I think that Nightwish are a rare exception. I truly love them closing Oceanborn with "Walking in the Air" and I enjoy Century Child's contribution with "The Phantom of the Opera". The band has a genius way of transforming the original songs into Nightwish songs. But I am also glad that they stopped doing this in the studio after this album.

Speaking of Tuomas & some of his extremely cheesy #deadboy lyrics... I have to admit that I have a huge soft spot for his Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge album. I very much share his love for Don Rosa's (+Barks!) duck stories and that album has some nice things in it, even if it's a bit generic at times.

I'm debating if I want to listen to this album plus the Auri records on this run-through. I've heard it once and I think it's nice in the strain that usually what Tuomas writes is at least nice. Some great layers there. But Tuomas seems to focus on the glory of Scrooge McDuck rather than the character that Don Rosa detailed in The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. I too grew up reading Barks's "duck-tales", checking them out from the library and enjoying them with my siblings. And upon reading The Life and Times..., I came to love Scrooge even more than as the rich, comedic character Barks wrote. In hindsight, Rosa's story isn't one about a hero, but as an antihero, a good person whose circumstances at birth are far less than ideal, who tries to make something of himself in the world but is shat on at every step of the way. This leads him to become ruthless, losing touch of who he was in the first place, and in the final chapter he has now lost everyone he once held dear because he became consumed by greed. It's only when Donald and the nephews step into his life that he gets the old spark back and realizes that it was the adventure that brought meaning to his life, and not the money he gained from it. And this time he's not going to lose the people dearest to him like he did before. The money has no value anymore except what he can ascribe to it, and that's how we see him use it as nothing more than a goddamn swimming pool.

That's right, The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck is one of the greatest anti-capitalist works ever written.

But like I said, Tuomas decided to focus on the adventures themselves instead of the big picture of what the story is about at heart. And that's not a bad thing by any means, but there's a glorification of Scrooge that the original comic doesn't carry. Anyway, all this is to say that once we get there I may give it a spin again too, just depends on my mood.

 

[Diesel 11]

Drove about forty five minutes to Taco Bell so I could 1) eat Taco Bell and 2) listen to Dark Passion Play. As I was driving it hit me like an epiphany. This journey was connected in more ways than me just being bored on my day off and needing to get out of the house. No, it's so much deeper than that. You see, Nightwish is to heavy metal and orchestral music what Taco Bell is to Mexican cuisine. No wonder my white ass loves both so much. It all makes sense now.

Dark Passion Play (2007)
This album marks a big change in the way I view Nightwish. Of course Tuomas's visions have gotten bigger and grander over time, but this is the first album where 'Nightwish' seems to encapsulate more than the band itself, but also the full orchestra itself (it's the first album where the booklet includes a separate page detailing everyone and everything that added to the album's mix in full detail). But also, this album was written and arranged without the band having an actual lead singer at the helm. Tarja's departure really changed the vibe this band gives off. This album is what happens when The Boys are left alone to their own (de)vices.

So how do they kick off the reintroduction of Nightwish to the world? With the biggest, most epic song the band have written to date. Honestly, "The Poet and the Pendulum" might still be the most bombastic thing Tuomas has ever written. With five distinct sections and a runtime of nearly 14 minutes, this song answers emphatically the question of if Nightwish will still be good without Tarja. The answer is, of course, YES! Sure, you have to indulge in Tuomas's pity party - as he has stated, he kills himself off in this song so that he didn't have to in real life - but it's easily looked over because of just how fucking awesome this song is. Seriously, everything about this composition is genius. Starting with "the end" in a cool, wintery, atmospheric intro before exploding on the speakers with a glorious combination of Emppu's shredded guitars and the full force of Pip Williams's orchestra; featuring a killer chorus and a lovely little waterfall section before building back into a heavy chase scene through an empty music hall; climaxing in Marko's sucker-punch of a vocal performance; and then drifting off into the sweet pastures of death and rebirth as "the beginning" ends out the song - my god is this a fantastic composition. One of Nightwish's best songs for sure.

So now that that song is out of the way, how do we continue? Well, I see "The Poet and the Pendulum" as a bit of a reset. From here on out we get to really hear the reborn Nightwish play a full album as a unit, and boy is it a good one. Of course, this is a bit of a bitter one as well, as the band uses a handful of the 12 remaining tracks to address the split with Tarja. Directly following "Poet", we get a much shorter song, "Bye Bye Beautiful", addressed straight to Tarja. To be frank, I don't like the way that Nightwish fired both Tarja and Anette, and their viciousness on this record is a bit off-putting. But once again, there's balance, because the songs they wrote about the situation are straight up fire. I love everything about this single, from the swift but gradual intro to that glorious riff, awesome verses and Marko killer chorus. This is up there with my favorite songs the band have ever written. It's also nice to see that even after a big orchestral number like "Poet", the band is still here, with this song featuring a good bit of Tuomas's synths on it.

Maybe it's because it's Anette's first record with the group, but I think this album stands out for having the worst amount of lyrics to vocal line ratio on any Nightwish album. And I say this with all the love in my heart because I love it in spite of this, but I still think it needs to be pointed out. Both the verses in "Bye Bye Beautiful" and the chorus to "Amaranth" have this issue. Maybe it's just that Anette was thrust into a situation of "all these songs weren't written for my voice" or maybe without someone like Tarja to reel him back, Tuomas went off-the-wall. Regardless, the songs are still awesome.

"Amaranth" is a killer single and a song I don't think Floor has come close to hitting as well as Anette does. "Cadence of Her Last Breath" is the complete short rocker package, with some killer playing from Emppu, with savage curtains coming down and pendulums swinging overhead as Anette tries to run to safety with the devilish voice of Marko playing on her fears. Then we come to "Master Passion Greed". This is probably the least orchestral and most metal song on the whole album, and it's pretty easily the heaviest thing Nightwish has ever released. Emppu's guitars are the heart and soul of this track, and Marko gets his only full song on a Nightwish album. Once again a visceral attack, this time on Tarja's husband, I also just can't help but dig the fuck out of this one. Every single moment has me headbanging. (Also the only time Tuomas has included a full swear on a song, although Christ, bastards, and cums come close).

"Eva" switches the tone with a luscious ballad that grows to epic heights about a metaphorical girl whose spirit is crushed by an evil world. I've underrated this one in the past; it's a great song. Then comes the dark journey through the oceans of sand in "Sahara", one of the album's most epic tracks. Love the eastern vibes as we follow a path through beauty and danger with ancient mariners, philosophers, and cheating queens. So cool. Emppu gets a turn to shine with a song written all on his own musically, "Whoever Brings the Night". It's not all that flashing on the guitar, which is interesting since it's written by the guitarist, but has some cool moments throughout. Tuomas of course writes the lyrics, and frankly I think the man needs to have sex because he is once again insatiably horny.

"For the Heart I Once Had" is a pop ballad masquerading as a metal song. It's my least favorite song here, not that interesting but serves its purpose. I'm not as in love with "The Islander" as a lot of people are, but I do love the tonal cleanse it gives us and it's nice to hear the softer side of the band with Marko at the helm (who also wrote the music here). "Last of the Wilds" introduces us to future band member Troy Donockley and his Uilleann pipes (an instrument many may associate with the Titanic soundtrack). When I first got into this band I had to rework my brain to get the instrument, but now that I've gotten over my why can't I just hear that rockin' guitar! phase I really have come to love the instrument. It is beautiful and almost like a feminine version to the more well-known Scottish bagpipes (Uilleann pipes being Irish). Anyway, this is a great instrumental, a more beefed-up version of "Moondance", although they've also released a version with lyrics in Finnish as a single. I prefer this one.

Then we have the fantastical "7 Days to the Wolves" which is a heavy epic that kicks things off with a classic "When the Levee Breaks" style drum intro before building up cliffs of monstrosity. There's a terrific instrumental run that sounds like being chased by wolves through a dark forest and I honestly wish it was longer. The finale is "Meadows of Heaven", a tapespheric (definition: atmospheric tapestry, you're welcome it's a word now) piece that lets Tuomas really put the external players to work. By the end we even have a fucking gospel choir singing along. A great way to end the album in a similarly grand scale as it began.

Overall, DPP isn't quite as good as Once, but I think it's still a fantastic record from front to back. It's just a different experience than any of the previous albums. This is large-scale, over-the-top Nightwish that sets its sights beyond just what the band itself can do. Tuomas is no longer crafting music, he is crafting experiences. And for all that bombast I think he really pulls it off quite well. Anette is a great singer, love that Marko gets more time on the mic, and overall it still feels like a band project. Also one of their darkest and heaviest works to date. Great record, one of their best, end of story. Or the beginning.....

 

[Jer]

Nightwish is to heavy metal and orchestral music what Taco Bell is to Mexican cuisine.

A cheap knockoff that tastes good at first, but is ultimately unsatisfying…?

 

[Diesel 11]

A cheap knockoff that tastes good at first, but is ultimately unsatisfying…?

Nah, it leaves you very satisfied in spite of its lack of authenticity to its inspirations, because it’s all a matter of what you’re in the mood for in the moment.

Also those last few Nightwish records were insanely expensive album productions so I dunno about cheap lol.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Once (2004)
All of the great aspects from Century Child are elevated here, if not always in quality then definitely in terms of bombast and production. Dark Chest of Wonders opens things up with relentless energy, heavy and crunching riffs, and some absolutely stellar keyboard-driven melodic lines. I think the transition from the second verse to the first chorus is one of Tuomas' best compositional moments, it just flows so well. This song also establishes Tarja as the frontwoman again, with Marko sitting back happily on the bass. Wish I Had An Angel continues to tread this heavy, catchy path while also experimenting a bit with electronic drum sections. Marko and Tarja give it their all and once again cement this as a perfect, short Nightwish rocker. I also never knew what Tarja was singing in the pre-chorus and assumed it was something like "Hold, nice day my heart" or something, but the actual lines are pretty poetic (and concise!) for Tuomas:

Old loves, they die hard
Old lies, they die harder

Nemo follows the same pattern as Ever Dream, but manages to possibly be a better song. It's a beautiful, rocking piece with one of Tarja's most anthemic, powerful choruses ever. Jukka's halftime drums in the second half of the chorus is a wonderful stylistic choice. The bridge is also majestic as all, especially following an uncharacteristically soulful guitar solo from Emppu. Planet Hell is the "angry" song here and it's also pure quality. The intro is iconic, Marko once again steals the show with his demonic voice, and that chorus is just awesome. It's also nice to hear Tuomas do a little harpsichord solo (plus the riff after it is rad).

And then we come to Creek Mary's Blood...which, though not a bad song, is certainly a confounding one. Tarja's vocals are actually particularly beautiful as they swirl in harmony around the dramatic, orchestra-driven composition. I guess the whole thing just feels odd. For a group of Finnish forest elves to be writing this sweeping epic using (what later turned out to be completely gibberish and fake) Native American chants simply seems misguided. It's tough to hear considering John Two-Hawks has been called out as a phony of the indigenous community and his words here literally have no meaning. It's a weird misstep on the album for me.

Things get back on track with The Siren, which opens with a really cool, killer Emppu-driven section punctuated by a nice set of strings. It's a cool, but a weirdly empty song. Dead Gardens is our second "angry" song here, with its simple chromatic riff being the most memorable part. It's got a driving beat and some nice vocals, but once again falls short of the rest of the album. I also really hate the ending, as I find the riff pretty pedestrian prior to it being beaten into our skulls. Bonus, I guess, we get to hear Tarja pronounce "Elven Path" again. Romanticide, like the previous tracks, is also a step down from the highs of the opening salvos. It's probably the best of the bunch, though, with a nice double bass section, some nasty sounding riffs, and a really cool break into the chorus. The syncopated chugging part after the first chorus is great and pretty atypical for Nightwish. I also love Jukka's playing really elevates the progression of this section. Emppu gets a real lead, too! And then the song switches paths entirely by Marko taking us down into a twisty, badass riffing cavern. Alright, I guess this song is pretty cool. Definitely the best on the latter half of this record, except for...

...And then, for some reason, we come to Ghost Love Score and it's not even the end of the album! I don't think I have too much to say here. It's the best Nightwish song. It's the peak of Tuomas' compositional abilities. It's absolutely incredible from start to finish. It's prog as all hell. And yet, as it stands on this record, the song is only at 95%. The final 5% would be filled in by Floor when she joined the band.

After the juggernaut that is Ghost Love Score, truly, nothing else matters. Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan is fine, and pretty, and nice to hear Tarja singing in her native language, but ultimately it does nothing for me. Higher Than Hope is also a song I never really rated highly, but it's pretty fantastic. It's a nice coda to the entire Tarja era of Nightwish as it opens with a simple acoustic (around a campfire) section and ends with the utmost of dark, dramatic bombast. It's another killer, absolutely gargantuan chorus that just hammers away at your skull. It definitely loses some points for me due to a full minute of spoken word killing the momentum, but such is the Dead Boy's way.

Overall, the highs on this record are the highest of their early career, but it's nowhere near as consistent as Century Child and I don't think I even enjoy the whole thing as much as Oceanborn. It really drags in the middle and ending with anything other than Ghost Love Score is just silly.

Still, an A

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Once (2004)
The use of a high-level orchestra here is truly where Nightwish stepped up into the big leagues in terms of sound (even if that may take away from the members' own contributions).

Honestly, the member it seems to take away the most from here is Tuomas. Emppu and Marko (and Jukka) still stand out pretty prominently in the mix. I find myself having to ask "is that all orchestra or a keyboard" frequently here?

On this album, no one person is the star. The songs themselves are the stars. The first four are just mad hype. "Dark Chest of Wonders" is Nightwish's "Aces High", their ultimate album and concert opener. "Wish I Had an Angel" is a blend of heaviness and pop that allows Marko his first chance to shine (his performances on this album are a lot more visceral and god is he good!). "Nemo" is the big hit from the record, one of the band's most famous songs and indeed the first I ever heard from them, a beautifully heavy ballad that provides a key moment for Tarja to show off. And "Planet Hell" is vicious, with its pummeling orchestral bits reminiscent of "Phantom of the Opera" and a heavy metal base that slaughters like the sounds of war.

It really is a perfect 4 song run. This band really knows how to open an album.

Then comes the orchestral rocker "The Siren", in which Tarja makes use of her incredible pipes and Marko plays the role of a smitten sailor. Easily one of my faves on an album full of faves, the layers in this track especially are incredible and I love that violin solo.

I guess this one needs to sit with me longer. It feels empty, very musically (and certainly lyrically) spacious.

And "Romanticide", another filler track stitched together by bits Tuomas had left over, starts off strong and ends even better.

If that's him stitching he should stitch more often!

Every single song here is perfect, the whole album is perfect, this is Nightwish at their very best. It's insane that they released something this good and then sacked Tarja, but then again the fifth album is often the album where a band's early career climaxes after a lot of toying around and experimenting, to deliver a perfect encapsulation of everything that makes an artist great. After the resulting tour, it's back to the drawing board and the artists starts to craft a new sound to lead forward the next path in the band's career. It's the same as Iron Maiden peaking with Powerslave, and it's the same here with Once. As great as Nightwish are, no other record will have the performances, songs, consistency, and perfect blend of layers as this one does. Not just their best, but easily one of my all-time favorite albums.

I definitely don't share your perfect enthusiasm for this record, but I will agree it was the climax of their career. I truly don't think there was anywhere else they could have gone with Tarja after this. I'm not trying to justify her firing, but I certainly think this was the end of the line for this lineup no matter what.

Comparing this to Powerslave is pretty fair, though, as there's an equal amount of filler on both.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Ocean Soul is better, with the hypnotizing keyboard and lyrics about being a fish or something.

Is it weird that I'd like it more if it actually were about being a fish?

- Beauty of the Beast, much like FantasMic, is a true underrated epic. The first part of the song, Long Lost Love, recounts Tuomas telling the story of how he is a hideous beast who will never find love, as vocalized by his angel spirit Tarja, which isn't weird at all.

Tuomas: "Move along, nothing to see here..."

The next movement, One More Night to Live, builds up a bit more with Tuomas lamenting that he only has a brief time to live after being struck by a poison dart from a sniper while sitting on his grandiose balcony in the Castle of Enchanted Wondrousness. After that we, wait, yep, he's talking about rape again. No good Nightwish epic would be complete without it. Anyway, Tuomas is able to escape to the castle's infirmary, where he believes he can create an antidote. However, he contemplates just dying, because he'll never find true love. The final section documents sweet Christabel, the black-clad assassin who fired the dart in the Oscar-nominated One More Night to Live, but she's not interested in sharing her poems. After infiltrating the castle, she unlocks the keep gate and assassinates Tuomas with a variety of daggers and sais. As he dies, Christabel stands over all of the dead boy's unfinished possibly could-be masterpieces. The song fades as Christabel's sexy ninja clones take over the castle, with the story continuing in the next highly-anticipated chapter, Dark Chest of Wonders.

Now this is the kind of hot take and radical Nightwish interpretation I'm here for.

Once the song enters its main framework, the drumming mostly stays in that same shuffle kind of rhythm. It's definitely not bad and it gives off the vibe of galloping along the plains, but something about that one-dimensional approach began sticking out to me and my brain has not yet been able to work around it yet. Still think it's a great song, but it went from being my favorite track when I got into the band, to sitting closer to Top 50.

I guess it is repetitive, but I've always found the drumming on RTTH to be one of the best parts of the song.

I suppose it depends on whether or not GLS/TGSOE are going to be permanent fixtures in the live shows from now on. I'm not opposed to this because I love both songs, but it does mean the amount of songs you can play will go down if you're throwing in more epics into the mix. I think Tuomas would likely choose "The Poet and the Pendulum" over "FantasMic" or "Beauty of the Beast", which is valid because I like it even more but also it means those two epics will be undeservedly relegated to the past. But if they actually wanted to play it they'd find a way to make it work. Floor has a large role in crafting the setlists, getting shit like "Romanticide" during the Imaginaerum Tour, and "Our Decades in the Sun" and "The Phantom of the Opera" on the current tour, played. So if she wants to sing those songs, I'm sure she could convince Tuomas.

It's really nice to see Floor have such a creative role in the setlists and changing vocal parts. Honestly I would have thought Tuomas too smug to allow it previously. All I want is a current Nightwish show where they don't waste 15 minutes playing TGSOE.

Hhhhhh... I can see that even when you and Knick and my opinions all line up on album / song qualities, I still like Nightwish for different reasons than you guys do. I love the spoken word bits, and the second one is interesting because it starts off with that British kid who plays the dead boy, Sam Hardwick, and then transforms into what I am guessing is Marko's voice. And the way this segues directly into "End of All Hope" is a big part of what makes the latter sound so much more intense. I guess I'm just a lot more invested into Tuomas's ideas as a whole, lol.

I like the spoken word bit in Bless the Child, even if I mock it. It's his over-reliance on spoken word bits that I dislike. Especially when they involve being raped in an attic.

Nightwish did have a couple extra tracks that ended up on the singles, "The Wayfarer", with a driving, power metal sound, and "Lagoon", which feels emblematic of the album cover to Century Child and is a good showcase for Tarja. But I think "Phantom" fits the vibe of the album better; these two seem more like b-sides to me. I agree that it's not the perfect placement but it doesn't bother me that it's there and I like the cover. As I've said though, the performance on End of an Era is far superior.

Yeah, Wayfarer is an okay song but probably would've ended up being another filler track if put on the record. Lagoon is just...a hard nope. I hesitate to even call it Nightwish.

I'm debating if I want to listen to this album plus the Auri records on this run-through.

I'm going to, but I'm certainly not going to give them write-ups.

End of an Era (2006)
The setlist is impeccable; even though it mostly picks from the Century Child and Once albums with a few exceptions, you don't feel as though you're missing anything here. That's how well they have this setlist balanced.

I couldn't disagree more. The set starts to lose me entirely after Sleeping Sun, and the inclusion of Creek Mary's Blood (plus five fucking minutes of chanting as a separate track), and the choice of Wish I Had An Angel as a closer is baffling. Up through Sleeping Sun, it's a phenomenally sequenced live album.

(Bonus points for Marko's "ALLLL RIIIGHT!" just before the outro, the man is such a mood.)

A mood I'm always happy to be in.

Wait, no, that doesn't sound right.

Oh shit, the Dead Boy is getting to me...

Is "High Hopes" the best cover in the band's discography? That's such a tough call but it just might be. I love the way they expand upon the original in the Nightwish style, especially with those keys that Tuomas uses for the piano riff. Chilling. Marko gets to really shine on this one, with the quiet verses showcasing his emotive singing, building up to the chorus where he pushes himself more and more until the end when he is transcendent. "Forever and eveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer-WHOA!" Such a truly amazing performance, it's kind of crazy they didn't record a full studio version. But then, if they can pull it off this well live, why go back and try to recapture the magic again?

Now granted, I am only slightly familiar with the original version, but this song feels so random and awkward on this record. I love that we get a Marko solo tune, but why this? It's fine, but as with most covers I don't think it should be included on official releases.

Tarja returns to lead a powerful run of "Bless the Child" and the immortal "Wishmaster", and then all fucking hell breaks loose as Marko announces "Slaying the Dreamer". The highlight here is the way the man actually goes even higher and angrier than in the original. Speechless. We come back down for the beautiful "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan" and a monster performance of "Nemo", before we arrive at the show's peak: "Ghost Love Score". It sounds amazing live just as it was amazing on Once. Is this the best live version of the song the band has released? Probably not, but it's so nice to hear the original singer get to pull it off too. By the song's triumphant close, you can tell if you weren't already sure of it that this night is truly magical.

I stand by my opinion that eliminating High Hopes and Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan from this album would make it far superior.

Of course after a song like GLS you're gonna need a bit of a palette cleanser to settle down, and that's where John Two-Hawks steps in...

Or, or, hear me out...you just close the main set with Ghost Love Score? The inclusion of Creek Mary's Blood, and turning it into a full 13 MINUTES of this live experience once again makes me question Tuomas' state of mind.

But anyway, regardless of the behind-the-scenes drama, this is the climax to the first era of Nightwish's career, and a mind-blowing one at that. I think this may also be Marko's best performance so far, if not even ever. He's easily the highlight across the record.

He's the highlight of every live show going forward, honestly, until Floor really takes over post EFMB.