Nightwish Album: “Wishmaster”

Having been profoundly impressed by my first exposure to Nightwish, via "Oceanborn", the next step was to immediately procure their next three releases; obviously, right!? I was really curious to hear "Wishmaster", since there seems to be some difference of opinion about it; it seems to inspire ambivalence or lack of enthusiasm in some and sometimes seems to grade out lower than other Nightwish CDs.

I had no such reaction; I absolutely loved it from the start and it will probably end up being an all time favorite (like top 10) for me. My impressions - well everything I could want in music - power, beauty, passion, memorable melody, rhythmic drive, vibrant/positive/life-affirming attitude - its all there. To me, "Wishmaster" comes off more as classic melodic metal. Its somewhat reminiscent of vintage Iron Maiden, as opposed to the Dream Theatre type progressive vibe of "Oceanborn" or the heavier more modern flavor of "Century Child" and "Once". Not to suggest Nightwish is derivative - without a doubt they have a strong character all of their own - those comparisons are just a rough frame of reference.

"Wishmaster" is more guitar driven than "Oceanborn", a bit less grandiose, and not quite as bold or dramatic. Its also noticeably more polished; there aren't really any clunky elements in the music and sound quality is much better. "Wishmaster" doesn't have the harsh high-frequency issues "Oceanborn" did; this really helps the listening experience. It has a very balanced sound; no one element dominates, you get a strong impression of cohesion and synergy - everyone pulling together. I'd say the vocals benefit most from this. I've noticed that the vocals can sometimes get a little lost in the mix on other Nightwish CDs - not the case here.

And that's a really good thing because if there is any vocal performance that should be highlighted its Tarja Turunen's performance on "Wishmaster". The only word I can use is sublime. I'm probably guilty of overusing this adjective when it comes to Nightwish, but that's the only way I can really sum it up. I guess gorgeous and stunning work pretty well too, but I'm sticking with sublime. The vocals are firmly in the classical operatic style; really similar to those on "Oceanborn". Though I like classical music, I never liked classical vocals; I`ve always thought of them as stuffy and self-indulgent. I don't have that feeling at all with Tarja; in contrast, I just can't get enough. Somewhat sadly, Nightwish went to a more conventional vocal style following "Wishmaster". Though I think Tarja is still the best heavy music singer out there, even in a more conventional style, the unique flavor of her performances in "Wishmaster" and "Oceanborn" are unforgettable.

All this raving about the vocal performance shouldn't overshadow the other performances in "Wishmaster". As usual, Nightwish is really disciplined in songwriting and arrangement - there's no self indulgence here. The songs are all memorable, there's terrific use of melody and harmony, and the playing is top notch. Also, as usual, I find it impossible to pick favorites; my favorite track is whichever one I'm listening to at the moment. I love it when a CD is so consistent - listen all the way through - take a quick break - repeat - repeat again.....

In some ways, "Wishmaster" isn't super original, its more of a unique take on the classic metal formula. You could argue that the guitar leads have all been heard before, operatic vocals are common on PBS, you've heard those chord changes before, and so on. I think that's true of the vast majority of music out there; you could make similar arguments for just about any LP/CD. Truly ground breaking efforts aren't that common; "Wishmaster" is not in that category. If you're interested in that vibe "Oceanborn" or "Century Child" might be better choices. If you're really into the heavy modern grindy sound or a bit more of a darker vibe, "Once" would be a better Nightwish choice.

I think "Wishmaster" will appeal most to people who value melody, harmony, and balance in their music as opposed to those who favor heaviness or sheer guitar drive or are finicky about their metal. I think that "Wishmaster" is so strong in these areas that I would probably pick this as the CD that I would use to expose non-metal fans to the music - I think it transcends the genre or as one of my bros likes to say - its world class.

Hybridized metal drawing from power metal, atmospheric, classical music,gothic and a touch of doom metal, "Wishmaster" should have more than enough of all these elements - performed masterfully - to satisfy fans of everyone from The Gathering to Blind Guardian to Angra. Led by the vocals of Tarja Turunnen, who's famous for being one of the first metal vocalists to sing the operatic style, but she also uses a number of other styles, some of them more traditional to metal and some not so. The music runs the range of whatever's required for the particular track: blazing speed metal guitars, progressive metal keyboards, slower, grand guitars & bass, varied percussion....

"Wishmaster"'s lyrics usually cover dark and sometimes terrible ground but do so without being depressing and hopeless, veering well away from the excessively nihilistic or satanic. And there's hope and brightness in the package too. The last 2 tracks - "Dead Boy's Poem" and "FantasMic", the latter a three part suite - form the apex of the album. Actually I think of it as a 4-part suite instead of a song and a three-part suite, all being linked together so seamlessly in theme and music. "Dead Boy's Poem/FantasMic" has both some of the saddest lyrics and tones of the album - the stuff on the album that's most likely to be the bringers of tears (fans of My Dying Bride and the other fine purveyors of doom metal's most tragically inclined corners, take note) but also some of the most sparkling and bone-shakingly inspirational and 'dawning brightness' material. The lyrics are wide open for interpretation and to go into all the images and concepts this cycle conjures up for me would take too much wordage. In brief, I feel the tragedy established in the suite's early going being brushed away like a house of cards before a bright apocalypse and a new world opening up - or perhaps transposing itself over this one. Other listeners will no doubt get their own interpretations, some darker than mine, some based on different notions, but all valid for the individual interpreter. "Dead Boy's Poem/FantasMic", along with using elements from the rest of the album, mixes in new elements - spoken word, poetic passages read by a child; some of the best (by far) flute work I've ever heard; and mindblowingly effective use of a couple of tolls of an Oriental-sounding gong, placed perfectly into the overall flow of the music. Not to slight the other great songs, but it's these last tracks that raise the whole album from an enthusiastic four to 4.5 stars to a full five stars.

This was the second album that I ever heard by Nightwish. My first was Oceanborn. I loved that one. So I ordered this one and popped it into my stereo when I received it. My first impression was actually. Meh...Oceanborn is better. Then I gave it another listen and absolutely have been loving it since then.

This album has a slightly harder edge than Oceanborn. But still retains a few of their wonderful balads (ala: Come Cover Me, Deep Silent Complete, and Dead Boy's Poem). There is even a track about the Columbine shootings (The Kinslayer), after finding out what this song means...it actually made more sense and the line: "Kill your friend, I don't care." is very chilling. And this comming from a Finish band is remarkable how a tragedy can travel so far.

There songs range from tributes to fantasy (FantasMic, Wishmaster) to love (She is my Sin, Come Cover Me), to depression (Dead Boy's Poem, which is really sad).

Plus the female operatic vocals done by the wonderful Tarja Turunen are up to par and perfection. This neo-classical Opera metal band should be a guide for all prog and neo-classical bands out there.

You have astounded us with another divine album. Thank you Nightwish.

I didn't think I would find another metal band that could blow my mind away like Lacuna Coil did. I could not have been any more wrong. Nightwish totally took my breath away with the gorgeous vocals by lead singer Tarja. Her operatic vocals made each song emotionally moving which you really don't get with a lot of heavy metal bands nowadays. One would think that opera and heavy metal wouldn't make for a good combination but Nightwish did the impossible and made opera and heavy metal very compatible. I knew I was hooked on Nightwish when I heard the intro to "She is My Sin". I love how acoustic guitar is incorporated into several of the songs on this cd. If only metal today would sound as good as bands like Lacuna Coil and Nightwish.

Amazing band. Some of the best song writing in metal that I have ever heard (20 years metal experience). If this band continues with the same kind of effort and style, they are going to be giants (in the metal world) for years to come. Tarja is a phenomenal singer. Classically-trained, passionate, and flawless. Musically, this band would be in the Progressive metal category.. not overly heavy and very melodic. This is a very special band here. What's striking about them is the individual songs. Each song has it's own voice and can stand it's ground. Unlike most bands who's songs sound similar as far as style and feel... to get a taste of Nightwish, you must listen to an entire album. This review, by the way, is for both Wishmaster and, their previous album, Oceanborn. Both are must-have albums and are equally good. Their first album, Angels Fall First, isn't as good, as you can tell they were still trying to develop their style, but it is very good too. Amazing band with a great future ahead. Buy all 3 albums and enjoy!