Nightwish: a band that needs no introduction (yet gets one anyway). Uniqueness incarnate, and one of the best bands to ever come out of Finland...hell, the whole world, Nightwish were kings (and queen) of the metal scene for a long time. Their style involved a blend of metal (power and symphonic) and opera vocals. Releasing 5 spectacular albums, among other things, the group sadly broke ties with their lead singer after disputes in the end of 2005. They are currently looking for a new singer.
Nightwish - Once
Released - October 5, 2004, on Roadrunner Records
Members:
Tarja Turunen - Lead Vocals
Tuomas Holopainen - Pianos/Keyboards/Synthesizers
Emppu Vuorinen - Guitars
Marco Hietala - Bass/Male Vocals
Jukka Nevalainen - Drums/Percussion
Yes, there is a review for Once already, I’m well aware of that. This is one of those lifechanging albums, though, so I thought I should share my view of it.
One day, in my quest for new bands, I came across an interesting band: Nightwish. Their style intrigued me; power metal with opera vocals? I had never heard of such a thing, so I went out as soon as I could and bought an album, Century Child. I listened to it for a while, liked it, and forgot about it soon after.
A few months later, around Christmastime, I saw their new album, Once, in a store. Even though Century Child didn’t strike me as particularly excellent, I decided to give the band another try. I bought the cd, took it home, put it in my cd player, and began listening.
My musical experiences changed forever.
Never had I heard a thing like it. Everything about the album was absolutely stunning on all fronts, simply put. 13 tracks and 68 minutes later, I took off my headphones, and was never the same. Long story short, I became one of the most diehard Nightwish fans ever, rabidly devouring everything I could find that the band released. The group opened me up to a whole new world of music, music fronted by females.
I remember having this album in my cd player for well over a month. I could not stop listening to it.
Once is one of those albums that, for me, defines near musical perfection, a belief I share with a select few albums. I could go on and on about how each of the members brings something new and unique to the table, but that wouldn’t be very interesting, would it? If you still don’t know why the members of Nightwish are good, go read some of the other reviews (a bunch also by me) or visit the Nightwish thread on MX. Both will supply you with the information you need.
Nightwish drastically changed their style on Once from their style on previous albums. Their earlier albums possessed a faster, powermetalish style, coupled with some neoclassical moments. Once, on the other hand, is like a more extreme version of Century Child. Whereas Century Child possessed quite a bit of symphonic elements, Once completely throws the notion of “quite a bit” out the window. This is their most symphonic release to date, featuring, in addition to the regular band, all 74 pieces (give or take) of the Session Orchestra of London. One may say, pssssh, what good are they?
Simple; the orchestra performed the whole soundtrack to The Lord Of The Rings. Surely they must be good, no?
Anyways, if you’re still too brain dead to figure out that the orchestra kicks epic a
ss, they do. The orchestra is present in nearly every song, and just propels the music to exceptional heights. Never has an orchestra been used in such a way; the only thing that may come close to this is Blind Guardian’s A Night At The Opera, or possibly Rhapsody’s Symphony Of Enchanted Lands, in terms of stunning metal orchestral arrangements. As proved with 3 earlier albums, Nightwish doesn’t need the orchestra as a crutch for subpar music (unlike others); it’s just another form of musical evolution.
Did their change of style to a more symphonic (and let’s face it, a bit simpler, traditional band instrument wise) style pay off? I would say yes. Yes, this album was Nightwish’s most successful, which I’ve learned doesn’t mean crap. Yes, the band has a bunch of new fans because of this, for better or for worse. However, I think the main reason this album shines is simple:
Nightwish was a huge influence on a ridiculous amount of bands. Basically the whole goth metal scene. Of course, bands will evolve over time, adding new elements. Many added orchestras, whether to expand their sound or cover up the weakness of it. Bands that may have been a huge influence on a genre may have been good at the start, but may not get as much respect for later albums. Take the case of Helloween, for example. Great, great band, huge influence on the power metal genre, first albums considered milestones. The band never bothered to change, playing the same style over and over. It got goddamn boring, while other bands were eclipsing them in writing style and uniqueness. Same could go for Stratovarius.
However, back to Nightwish: no matter how many bands may copy their style, no matter how many may expand on it, this one fact remains: with this album, Nightwish PROVES they are gods of symphonic metal. Even with a good 4+ releases under their collective belts, they can still release an album that beats the living crap out of their competitors.
How’s that for greatness, eh?
This album is not without its flaws though, I will admit that. Although they are minimal, there are a few moments where the album stops you in shock (not good shock) for a brief period. They occur in the forms of two tracks, Creek Mary’s Blood and Wish I Had An Angel.
Creek Mary’s Blood is one of the “epic” tracks on the album, the other going to Ghost Love Score (which we will discuss later). Many consider this a standout track; I do not. I find that it drags on for a while, and doesn’t have enough to keep the listener satisfied. The Native American voiceovers, while an interesting touch, get EXTREMELY irritating after the third or fourth time you hear them (and yes, there is a large amount of them in the track).
Wish I Had An Angel suffers from a simpler problem; its radiofriendliness. While Nemo showed that a single could still be excellent, Wish I Had An Angel would almost turn off any member of the band. Jukka doesn’t even sound like he is playing; it sounds suspiciously like drums you could get out of a $200 drum machine with a techno setting. The riffing is extremely uninspired, repeating the same patterns over and over again. The orchestra is nowhere to be found, and Tuomas basically echoes the guitar with his chords. Yes, the vocals are good (Marco’s especially), yet Tarja’s seem a bit more “poppy” than usual (although not at the hideous level of their remake of Sleeping Sun).
However, overlooking these flaws, those who don’t listen to this album would be doing themselves a crime. This album is worth it in every single way.
Recommended Tracks:
Dark Chest Of Wonders - One of the best openers I’ve ever heard. Opens with a voiceover, and blasts straight into what the album is all about
: heavy riffing with an orchestra. The chorus is one of the best that I’ve ever heard Nightwish do, and the key change at the very end is one of the best moments on the album.
Nemo - The single that made the album famous in Europe, it has a catchy (yet haunting) piano melody that will get stuck in your head for days at a time. Orchestra does quite well in this tune.
Planet Hell - Hats off to Marco in this tune. In what is surely his best performance on the album, he turns in some absolutely crushing vocals, a great complement to Tarja’s airy soulfulness. Where Tarja is the Beauty, Marco is the Beast (those who catch the reference, props to you). Yet he has an oddly soulful quality to his voice, underneath all the power.
Dead Gardens - Jukka’s time to shine. The whole tune is your standard Nightwish tune, pretty much. However, the end has things changing up a bit; the rest of the band plays in a standard four time, while Jukka plays in 6/8. For those of you who don’t know theory, just take my word for it that it’s awesome. It sounds like he has 7 arms at certain parts during it; it may be one of his best drum performances ever. And yes, it IS supposed to end abruptly.
Romanticide - The heaviest tune on the album, some great riffing, and a brilliant Emppu solo. He can hang with the heavyweight guitarists, which I’ve mentioned many times before; this just confirms it even more. An interesting “breakdown” at the end, though it isn’t really a breakdown even; the song speeds up instead of slows down.
Ghost Love Score - Remember how I said we would get to this later? It is time. There are only three words that can describe this song: Oh. My. and God. This IS the best song you will ever hear. Hands down. All in. King me. Whatever. An absolutely perfect 10 minutes of the ultimate pinnacle of heavy metal and orchestra, THIS is where Nightwish lays claim to gods of symphonic metal. The orchestra is absolutely astounding in this track; you can hear EVERY SINGLE INSTRUMENT in the orchestra. Coupled with a choir, Tarja, and the brilliant writing skills of Mr. Tuomas (who composed all of this track; truly one of the best composers in metal), along with the rest of the band, this is their crowning achievement. All their success, all their struggle, all their hard work, it all pays off here. Just go listen to it. You will change forever.
Higher Than Hope - Opens with some nice acoustic work, showcasing some of Nightwish’s earlier folk elements. This song is quite deceptive though; after the nice acoustic verses, everything comes on, and the chorus blasts you back into your chair. Great vocal work, and this song has an epic feel to it as well, proving you don’t need to write a 3 act opera to convey epicness.
Live To Tell The Tale - A special treat for those who bought the US edition of Once (this track, along with the other bonus, White Night Fantasy, aren’t listed on the album), this shows the band’s earlier, more powermetalish style. Great riffs, great vocals, all together just a great track.
Overall - This album proves three things:
1. Change is good.
2. Bands who pioneered a genre can still crush the living crap out of their opposers and fellow bands in the genre.
3. Orchestras, when used correctly, add tremendously to music.
Any fan of symphonic/goth metal should pick this up. Or those looking for something new. OR those looking for something astounding. This album fits all three criteria excellently.
Final - 9/10. It still doesn’t match up to the majesty of their earlier albums, but it’s the best thing the group has released since they started their style change.
