Customer Reviews

Once (Spec)

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3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(46)

 

 

It was bound to happen - Nightwish's recording budget increased, and the Finnish quintet added an entire orchestra to their new album, thus forging the most epic and powerful doom album to ever be released. Like giving a child everything he has ever wanted, the band have let loose their boundless creativity. The album is very similar to their previous release, Century Child, but with strings, horns and woodwinds in absolutely every nook. Oh, yes, it is absolutely over-the-top, but in a band such as this, it is fitting and magnificent.

The opening song, "Dark Chest of Wonders" begins with a pounding metal riff unlike anything else on the album - very reminiscent of "Slaying the Dreamer" or more recent In Flames. However, it doesn't last. Soon afterwards, trademark Nightwish power-riffs kick in, infectious and energizing, bringing along with them a parading symphony that does not go unheard. The last chorus is absolutely beyond belief, with the band almost *dueling* with the symphony in a musical power struggle. "Wish I Had an Angel" is very similar to "Dead to the World", with bassist Marko Hietala taking over the vocals in the chorus of this heavy piece. "Nemo" (released as two singles) and "Planet Hell" are Nightwish staples, accessible and tremendously melodic; the latter of which showcases the symphonic textures in a very isolated, gothic atmosphere ("Carmina Burana" is not a stretched comparison).

The album has two longer pieces, both of which are exceptional tracks. "Creek Mary's Blood", an 8-minute eulogy to the destruction of native Americans during the colonial period is woeful, slow and touching, building up to becoming a horn-driven hard rocker.

But it is nothing in comparison to "Ghost Love Score", a near 10-minute concoction of tremendous melodic fireworks. The song left me speechless, and would surely have impressed Carl Orff. Everything from the chorus to the symphonic bombast to the choirs is absolutely hypnotic and energetic. The song makes any other song seem pale, ordinary and thoughtless, including the last two tracks on the album. It is that good. Sometime after the 4-minute mark, the band stops playing, and leaves the song in the hands of a passionate symphony, culminating with the band's re-entry into the song. The choirs that aid in the choral delivery are mostly female, and absolutely majestic. The song is theatrical and truly unrivaled.

To be perfectly honest (and a bit cynical), the symphony in the album takes a little too much credit. The guitar-work on the album is far from impressive and, if the orchestra were removed, many songs would sound very similar. If it weren't for Turunen's voice and the orchestral onslaught, Once would be quite ordinary. Regardless, it is the symphonic album of the year, and the best of Nightwish's career thus far. My congratulations go to keyboardist/songwriter Tuomas Holopainen and his magnum opus.

See also: Nightwish - Wishmaster, Nightwish - Century Child

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.

Nightwish has produced several exceptional albums, but this time they managed to top themselves. Once has that "it" appeal...it is bombastic, and yet still accessible. The album offers a great variety of tones, moods, and sounds that will satisfy any taste, and will thrill metal fans who search for originality.

From the opening number "Dark Chest of Wonders", you hear the great orchestral arrangement that compliments the music so well. It is basically like hearing a heavy metal movie soundtrack. There is a lot going on, but somehow, it works. And it works to damn near perfection. This track alone is worth the purchase, but it continues with the 2 songs that could help the band breakout here in the states, "Wish I Had An Angel" and "Nemo". The brilliant thing about these tracks is while each of them maintains intense musicianship, they both have big hooks that will be embraced by a more mainstream audience. And at the same time, they will satisfy even the most jaded metal fan. The assault continues with "Planet Hell", easily the albums most fierce song, and goes through a rollercoaster of changes as the album continues.

Opera and metal meet in perfect harmony. Who would have thought?

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)
Original Finnish lyrics by Tuomas Holopainen.

"A Death Makes An Artist

Only once my dreams
I got to see
Didn't feel the smallness
under the stars
Once I got bars on my cradle
As a prisoner I write a letter from there

My Creator, let me come to you
as what my child thinks I am

In you the beauty of the world
From which death made me an artist

My Creator, let me come to you
as what my child thinks I am

Created my own heaven here
Let me get away"

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.

Nightwish are back with their best album to date, if you can believe such a thing is possible after the amazing Masterpieces they have already put out. I think it is different than their previous albums, but not extremely so that you would need to be told it is Nightwish (as has happened with other bands, such as Amorphis and Anathema which have gone from extreme doom/death to goth/rock from one album to the next). Tarja's voice is faultless, though she is again most of the time NOT using the pure operatic voice she used on their first 3 albums. She only goes there on a couple of verses on the whole album. She still sings impeccably, though, and still manages to send chills down my spine. If you are a Nightwish fan, this album should definitely be on your wish list, as no true fan of their music will be dissappointed. That said, it is no mere copy of any of their previous work, like I said before - they have progressed, they have matured, and it shows. There is MUCH MORE emphasis on the symphonic/choral elements than ever before, and boy, is that a good thing! In past albums, they have occasionally incorporated a very small number of classical stringed instruments to add color, but mostly, it's been Tuomas' synthesizer that has provided the "string section" sound. They have also employed (at least according to the "Wishmaster" CD credits) several singers for a pseudo-choral effect. But on this latest, they are heavily employing virtually a full symphonic orchestra and a choir of about 18 singers. Now they can really be called a Symphonic Metal Band, and a great one at that. I was absolutely enthralled and amazed that they, being already a top-notch, incredible band, could significantly up the ante, and deliver an awesome musical journey, fully utilizing and integrating Classical music into their trademark heavy stylings. An incredible step forward for one of heavy music's most talented institutions. The question is: Can they top this? Maybe not. But, as it stands, they have already secured a very honorable place in the history of Metal.
It is really funny to read the "hate" reviews which sound like 5 year olds: "This album sucks, the singer sucks, they are not original, they are amateurs..." bla ,bla bla. They never really provide the reader with a) BETTER musical options, such as really better bands and singers; or b) Valid REASONS backing up their mindless rants. As it stands, none of them really amount to anything worth paying attention to. The fact remains that Nightwish, for those who know music (read my "About You" area) stand head and shoulders above almost ANY Metal band, EVER. Those who call them amateurs, are below amateur listening experience themselves, and sorely points out their complete lack of musical knowledge. Another funny thing about the haters - most of them have only written 1-2 reviews...hmm...Could it be only one or two people just creating names and writing bad reviews over and over? Could be. I am using the word "review" just so that you know of what I'm talking about, but really, these little childish rants do not deserve to be called reviews.
Nightwish's entire discography is an amazing body of work: Every succesive album is different and better. Once is their best. It is one of the best Metal albums of the last 10 years. Easily. Facts are facts.

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.

I would like to answer the reviewer who suggested that efforts by Alas:Absolute Purity, Lacuna Coil, After Forever, and several others where "100x better" than this album.

I try to be open minded about these things - I went and checked out every one of the suggested acts to test this claim in my own set of filters.

Several were OK, although the first mentioned was abysmal. In my opinion, not one of the other mentioned acts was better than Nightwish, let alone "100x better".

Who came closest? - Lacuna Coil - pretty cool and I'll be looking into them some more. As good as but not better than Nightwish, and they are quite different. As for the rest ...

So, having delivered my rebuttal, here is the appreciation ...

Here are my responses to each of the songs on Once:

Dark chest of wonders - the best track on the album, and one of the best pieces of musical structure I have heard in any rock based genre. Great drumming from Jukka. Brilliant! 10/10

Wish I had an angel - great rocking stomp - Marco steals the show on this one - very nice short instrumental bridge within. 9.5/10

Nemo - umm, nice. Not my cup of tea, but good. Good lead break from Emppu. 8/10

Planet Hell - excellent song, again very well constructed. The lyrics are perhaps less hard hitting than the music - occasionally, Tuomas tends to talk down to his audience from an Olympian height rather than to them - in this case the message is a little obscure as a result. Fantastic vocals from Marco and Tarja. 9.5/10

Creek Mary's Blood - a long and rather uninvolving piece - I, like many people, can relate to the story told intellectually but not necessarily emotionally. Musically not as impeccably constructed as DCoW, but nonetheless a very captivating and interesting piece of music. Really nice Tarja vocal. 9/10

The Sirens - excellent - I love this. I love the faint overtones of the east, mixed with a really convincing suggestion of the siren as experienced by Jason. Marco and Tarja a great team in this one. 9.5/10

Dead Gardens - also very good, but a little dull in construction. Musically a bit close to The Sirens. Carried by the fine melody and singing. The final grinding finish is really quite violent for Nightwish. I love it! 9/10

Romanticide - This and the preceding two have a sameness which makes me agree with others that a better song order could have been chosen. Otherwise, a fine song, though not one of the best. Great lead break from Emppu gives it a lift. 8/10

Ghost Love Story - what can I say. Grand, massive, other worldly and remote. The goddess speaks from high with "heavenly choir and orchestras abounding", or something like that. It IS a little too long, and the parts I would drop are a) the total orphan in the middle - the rather lumpy guitar melody/solo, and b) half of the choral fade out. I love the 6/6/5/6 (orchestra and drums/percussion) and 4/4/3/4 (band and orchestra) variations on the initial theme at the beginning. THIS SONG SHOULD HAVE CLOSED THE ALBUM! 9/10

Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan - very nice - not my cup of tea. This borders too much on the classico-pop domain for my taste, but nevertheless a fine piece of lieder - would be better on a Tarja solo album. It needed to happen quite a lot earlier in this album, as it brings the pace down too much for Higher than Hope to pull back. Being in Suomi is a plus for me - I love Finnish people, and I have friends who live there. Moomintrolls forever! 8/10

Higher Than Hope - mushy, extravagent and quite uplifting. The spoken bit I find irritating. Not quite enough to rescue the end of the album from a touch of droop. 7.5/10

In my opinion, Nightwish is the class act in this genre. The vocals in particular have become truly first rate - I still can't listen to anything before Century Child without cringing at the endless operatic strain (in both senses) displayed. Tarja's voice just gets better, and is now much more flexible. Marco's growling howls and gruff singing are a great counterpoint. Marco and Tarja are now a great team.

Emppu's guitar has come to the fore, and he pulls off a couple of really good leads (and one clanker!). I love the precise deth-metal rhythm contrasting with the airy keyboards and orchestration. Jukka and Marco are now working very well together, and Jukka has pulled in the double-kick, although it is still present in both positive and negative ways.

One ask, guys - next album, lay back on the a) orchestration, b) choirs c) hits. The best bits of the album were those that said "we are a band". I am a little tired of the Pip Williams arrangements now, but I still love the essential Nightwish sound so clearly presented in this album. It keeps me listening on ...

What I am saying is - "film score" worked *really* well for Once - now leave it alone and move on.

And finally - contrary to those who state otherwise, I don't think Once is the be-all and end-all album for Nightwish - there's a lot more to come. This album displays many ongoing changes in progress, and some of the earlier motifs fading out, so look for more great music from Nightwish. Nightwish never rest on their laurels, so I think we can be sure of that.

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.

First off, I must respond to the other reviewers... this album IS metal. Saying it isn't leads people to believe that there is NOTHING but the orchestra on here, and that's simply not true. The guitars are actually supported by the orchestra in this one... they work together better than on Century Child, despite actually being heavier.

I'll now proceed to give my two cents on each track.

Dark Chest of Wonders- 9/10 The track itself is a superb opening for the album, with hard guitars and the choir... but Tarja's spoken intro makes me cringe every time.

Wish I Had An Angel- 10/10 I admit that it's radio ready, but that's not a bad thing... Marco and Tarja's chorus duet makes this song a memory.

Nemo- 9/10- Couldn't quite give it 10, but this is a SOLID track, the first single, and the way Ocean Soul from Century Child should have sounded, in my opinion.

Planet Hell- 10/10 Welcome to the hard side, folks. This is one of Nightwish's most crushing songs, with Marco doing his metal bit, Tarja showing off her operatic voice a bit more, and some massive guitar work. If you've had a bad day... :)

Creek Mary's Blood- 10/10 Rating for completely different reasons. Native Americans deserve a great many more tributes like this. Ballad. That's all I can say... grab a tissue.

The Siren- 10/10 I haven't figured out what key/mode this thing is in, but for weird tonalities, you can't beat this thing. Electric violin solo WILL give you chills, promise.

Dead Gardens- 8/10 A bit generic, although pleasant sounding. This one might have done better on Century Child, or even Wishmaster. For the record, I consider Century Child a stepping stone from Wishmaster to Once... it's the beginning of a new sound, and a great start, but not quite there YET.

Romanticide- 9/10 Excellent, but not as original as the others... really heavy guitars, and the customary reference to the Dead Boy.

Ghost Love Score- 10/10 HE CAN WRITE FOR CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTS! Let doubters repent, for this is the perfect song for a movie... where mediocrity won't be accepted.

Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan- 9/10 Just Tarja and Tuomas here, no guitar. Their first song in Finnish, wonderfully done, except not enough variation. Think "Forever Yours" with a bit more chords and about the same amount of melodic figures.

Higher Than Hope- 10/10 The second the chorus hits you, you are going to melt. Very hard chorus, very soft verses, and for the first listen, do not be driving. Wow.

White Night Fantasy- 6/10 Sorry, but this song shouldn't have been put on here. Tarja sings on pitch, but really cheesy melody and such. Not a fan, but since it's a bonus track, I leave the rating at 5 stars.

Live To Tell the Tale- 8/10 Sounds a bit like Dead Gardens to me, but more major key work, an awesome keyboard opening, and better singing than the previous track. Heavy guitars for the closer, a good choice for last bonus song.

The video, btw, is a performance style video, and worth a watch. I know this was long, but I didn't see any reviews giving a good run down on the tracks. Enjoy!

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.