Nightwish Album: “Once [Limited Edition]”

First Part:

Nightwish, the most succesful Finnish band are back with their 5th album, Once. Just like the import version, this will probably get many confusing reviews so I'll try to help.

First, about Nightwish.

In the mid 90s, Nightwish appeared as a Power Metal with Symphonic elements that had Tarja Tarunen A professional Mezzo Soprano as frontwoman. Their first album, "Album fall first", is actually a good album but doesn't have a good production. Their next album, "Oceanborn" is an excellent release with a better production. Tarja's performance is awesome.

Their next release "The Wishmaster" is considered by many their best album. Is certainly the most "Power Metalish" but it doesn't lose the atmosphere. After "The Wishmaster", Nightwish comes out with "Century Child" which was a big change. The guitar work almost dissapeared, the Operatic vocals almost go away showing another style from Tarja and the band becomes more quiet plus they added a second vocalist (Marko Hietala who is also the bassist). Now to me, "Once" is pretty much "Century Child" mixed with "The Wishmaster" which is great. Tarja adapts her voice to the new style better than in "Century Child" basically because Toumas Hollopien (Keybordist and songwritter of most of the material) wrote the music in a way that they can fit with Tarja's voice.

Songs like "Dark Chest of wonders" or "Nemo" are actually Power Metal songs but that have the atmosphere of the new Nighwish. Epics like "Ghost Love Score" show the orchestra that worked with Nightwish for this album more than the other tracks and "I wish I had an Angel" show the alternative ideas being a track with heavy riffs and a "Techno Beat" that sounds like an Industrial Metal band.

"Once" is a good album for old and new fans of Nightwish. I recommend it.

Second Part: Well, "Once" is a very successful album. It got first places in European radios and it has sold a lot of copies. The most successful album by Nightwish to date. However, Nightwish has some detractors. The main detractors of Nightwish are some Metal music fans that don't like Nightwish because they are not heavy or fast enough. In terms of speed and virtuosity, Nightwish can't match other Finnish acts like the Power-Melodic Metal bands "Stratovarius" and "Sonata Arctica" (Both very good bands) or the Power-Black Metal band "Children of Bodom"(Another awesome band) however, remember that virtuosity doesn't always mean the best music. I'm not saying that Nightwish doesn't have technical quality. Certainly, all their members are stronger than the members of Evanescence and also Nightwish is more technical than the incompetent Nu Metal bands that you can find in the American Radios. However, compared with other Metal acts, they are a kind of weak but they still play awesome music.

The idea of putting Metal and classical music together began way before Nightwish, however Nightwish is still original. Just like the Import version, here, there will be some reviews that will mention "Symphony X"(Another awesome band indeed) as a better alternative. Symphony X is not even the same music. Sure, the members of that band are extremely talented and they are monsters with the instruments. The guitarist there, Michael Romeo, is one of the 5 best guitar players in the world today and all the other members play more complicated material than Nightwish but as I said, Nightwish is different and can play good music without so much technical quality. There is a possibility that Nightwish will become popular here in the United States (They are already very important in Europe) however, the American music industry doesn't want foreign bands to get popular here. Even the British bands don't receive publicity. I personally think that keeping the American people unaware of the good music is disgusting. American Mainstream music is in its worst moment. There is nothing but crap and Nightwish is an excellent alternative. Unfourtunatly, some rich forces try to keep this album away from the American people. How? They don't play the songs in the radios (Most of them owed by the same two companies) and well, this is just too good for MTV.

Buy this album and spread the word. There is awesome music out there that is way better than the lame Nu Metal. Nightwish is an excellent band and this is one of their best works to date.

I'll start by saying that Nightwish gets better by every album they release, they develope the albums, not staying the same, but still being Nightwish. Tuomas has again done a great job composing with a little help from Emppu and Marco.

This one (Once) is more soundtrack'ish than the previous ones (they're accoimpaned by a full orchestra on most songs), still not forgetting the fast heavy-metal songs which in this album are for example Dark Chest Of Wonders, Wish I Had An Angel (great duet with Tarja and Marco), both have really heavy, even murderous guitar riffs By Emppu.

I'll review some of my favourites on the album:

3. Nemo - Released as a single, usual Nightwish style music, more popular-sounding than the others, still really good, great chorus *****

5. Creek Mary's Blood - A long, epic song. I especially love the Native-American Indian chanting and Tarja's singing is supreme *****

9. Ghost Love Score - Also a long, epic song, AMAZING chorus which sends chills in my spine. Great slower parts in the middle of the song. *****

10. Kuolema tekee taiteilijan - A song with only orchestra, piano and solo cello with Tarja singing in Finnish. The lyrics are sad, almost prayer-like, but really beautiful. I'll translate the lyrics for you into English, so you can understand the meaning (there may be errors, sorry for that)

"A Death Makes An Artist

Only once my dreams

My Creator, let me come to you

In you the beauty of the world

My Creator, let me come to you

Created my own heaven here

The meaning of the word suffered a little in the translation. Hope you get at least the idea.

All in all a really great album. I really recommend you should buy it, you won't be disappointed.

Music lovers, prepare to meet your match - it is hard to find any album that boasts to be as large as this one. While this album takes back from the more metal approach of previous albums and boasts of the outstanding production value brought on by the Phoenix Orchestra (which was used by Pip Williams for the Lord of the Rings movie scores), the album still is an engrossing listen on repeat for time on end. The lushous mix of Tarja's vocals, when combined with the masterful arrangements of Tuomas and unity of the bands playing helps make this an album to remember for any music fan.

As for the songs, Dark Chest of Wonders is an example of the superb arrangement - the mix of the orchestra with choirs, gorgeous vocals by Tarja, and impressive sound overall is to die for. The album doesn't stop right there though, as most would, with the introduction of the second surprise, Wish I Had an Angel. For those who love electronica & industrial will love this song easily, as it is a genre breaker with Marco's & Tarja's duet, a steady beat characteristic of techno, great guitar riffs & use of the background orchestra, and excellent panning. Music lovers might expect more of the same variety from the first two songs, but are misled with the third song, a slower song featuring an amazing arrangement - Nemo surprises deeply with its use of primarily Tarja's vocals in a dispassionate way throughout most of the songs to set the mood, and to bring the piece to fruition through the second half in drawing that lack of passion into a yearning for more with a "fuller" voice. The fourth song, Planet Hell, is also a nice song of the metal variety. However, another bombshell is dropped with Creek Mary's Blood, and epic song that makes full use of the orchestra and Tarja's vocals. Dead Gardens is another delightful song, and Romanticide is more candy for those who like Planet Hell, except featuring Tarja's voice in her full range of skill in singing and shifting styles within the song. However, the ninth song, Ghost Love Score, is not to be dismissed - it is a full-blown song, pulling no stops in its over the top arrangement, orchestration, choirs, and band's playing ability. The album winds down with the Finnish song Kuolema Tekee Taijteilijan, a very nice and melancholy song...but then the (original release) album ends with a bang with the choral assault of Higher Than Hope, which boasts of great use of the acoustic guitar, choir, and of course, the band.

The bonus two songs, Live to Tell the Tale and White Night Fantasy are not bad in themselves, but in an album in which the orchestration helps define most of the songs, these just sound underwhelming. However, they are nice listens, and Live to Tell the Tale has a catchy melody. They are different from the previous songs though, and enjoyable on their own merits.

Overall, this is easily one of the most addicting albums of all time - my music collection boasts of around 30,000 songs, and this album gets a listen several times a week because it is that good. For those who love music in general, and don't confine their tastes/preferences to just one genre should appreciate this album greatly, because it is a musical dream that is seldom realized.

Simply put, this is the greatest album I have ever heard, and will probably ever hear. Once was my first Nightwish album and is in my opinion definately the best, with the previous album, Century Child, coming in at a close 2nd. Many Nightwish fans argue that Wishmaster is better than Once, but I must disagree. As for Angels Fall First and Oceanborn, I have not yet heard them so I cannot compare.

The Opening track "Dark Chest of Wonders" gets things off to a rocking start, followed by the awesome singles "Wish I Had an Angel" and "Nemo". WIHaA is a very "different" song for Nightwish, almost touching on a techno-type beat, but still managing to come off sounding like an A-class metal song. "Nemo" is one of my favourite tracks of all time. The guitars cut out during the first few verses leaving Tarja singing with only drums and ominous bass guitar. Of course when the chorusses come around some of the heaviest melodic guitar you will ever hear punches in, and during the outro the orchestra even makes an appearance to give the song that extra power. Again, the extensive use of a full orchestra and choir on this album is something many traditional Nightwish fans feel was too much of a departure from the band's earlier sound, but in my opinion any time a metal band can mix in such exquisite orchestral arrangements it only helps to make songs infinitely more powerful and interesting.

"Planet Hell" and "Romanticide" are among the fastest tracks on the album and will bring out the headbanger in anyone's grandmother, while slower ballads such as the finnish "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan", which features a beautiful cello interlude, serve to rouse the emotions and make the listener feel the music. Another slower song is "Creek Mary's Blood", which features a native american theme, even bringing in a flute solo not unlike that on "Forever Yours" (from the Century Chold album). This track also has beautiful oration and chanting performed by John Two-Hawks. The album's crowning acheivement and in fact, the best song of all time by any band, has to be the massive ballad "Ghost Love Score". This song is really long, but thanks to numerous shifts in pace is not tedious for even one second. The orchestra and choirs take center stage here and what results is the strongest piece of musical magic ever recorded. This is definately one to play loud and with your eyes closed. How Tuomas manages to write songs of this magnitude time and time again just amazes me. Greatest songwriter of our time anyone?

Included on this edition are bonus tracks "White Night Fantasy" and "Live to Tell the Tale". Both songs kick ass and fit in perfectly with the sound of the album. The CD also includes the video to "wish I had an Angel". It's a good video but personally I would've preferred the Nemo video to be on here. That is a brilliant video, and is in fact the one Nightwish song that I had ever heard prior to buying this album. Needless to say I've never looked back and progressive, operatic, symphonic or "whatever you want to call it" metal is now all I can listen to. I used to live in the dark thinking bands like Metallica (classic), Coal Chamber(nu) or Dimmu Borgir(black) were all metal had to offer, but this album is so good it has ruined all other kinds of music for me. I also recommend other prog-metal bands like Kamelot, Sonata Arctica, Lacuna Coil etc. I also can't wait to hear Epica and Leave's Eyes. Reviews on Amazon make them sound really interesting and i will order them as soon as i can afford to.

This album also marks an important landmark since we now know that it will have been singer Tarja's last studio album with the band. While this news is distressing, I can't wait to see who the new singer is and what the impact on the band's sound will be.

Once is clearly the most crucial release in the history of this finnish band, as they paid 200 000 €uros from their own pockets to finance this album. I must say that it has really paid off since this is simply one of the finest albums ever by any Finnish band and the beast album I have heard in a while. Nuclear Blast staff must have difficulties keeping their pants clean as this has become the biggest success story in the history of the band, going number one in various European countries.

Once sees the band moving away from the double-bass-guitar-solo operatic power metal towards more symphonic and heavier sound. The London Symphony Orchestra and the choirs are well worth the cost as tracks like "Ghost Love Score" and "Nemo" can demonstrate. Naturally some of the older fans might be dissappointed by the change but nevertheless this is the album I feel songwriter Tuomas Holopainen has been dreaming of making, and as it is finally here, I can say that the man is a true artist. Some fans have also been critisized about Tarja's vocals as she uses a lot less opera vocals as in the early albums. But in my opinion, she is singing better than ever, as her vocals really support the melodies while with the earlier material it wass sometimes in contrast to the music. Her range seems much wider. My God, she is eveng doing oriental vocals there! This is just another example that Nightwish has found their true musical identity as Tarja's vocals now completely serve the music instead of being a curiosity it seemed to be.

Of course, this is not a perfect album and some moments even seem to include a bit of unpurpous hilarity (like the beginning of "Wish I Had An Angel"), but there are no really weak tracks and there are plenty of moments and songs that are simply the most stunning music made in a while - by anyone. Only the chorus of "Ghost Love Score" is worth the effort. "Nemo" on the other hand is a perfect single, catchy, breathtakingly beautiful and majestetic. No wonder it's a hit. A true musical journey, not just for fans of metal. Highly recommended.