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August 29, 2008 |
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01. Dark Chest Of Wonders
02. Wish I Had An Angel
03. Nemo
04. Planet Hell
05. Creek Mary's Blood
06. The Siren
07. Dead Gardens
08. Romanticide
09. Ghost Love Score
10. Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan
11. Higher Than Hope
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Finland's NIGHTWISH have returned with one of this year's most anticipated releases. The female-fronted symphonic power metal act have steadily progressed over the years since they made their debut back in 1997, and have since seen their popularity skyrocket. Given the recent numbers in record sales of the band's latest album, "Once", it looks as if this new-found success is about to launch them onto the international stage. The album was released in Europe just this past June and has already gone gold in Germany (selling well over 100,000 copies) and double-platinum in their native Finland (over 60,000 copies sold). Listen to this album just once, and you will see why it is unquestionably one of the best releases of 2004.
Brilliant, captivating, and mesmerizing, "Once" is a musical triumph in its own right, and is clearly the most powerful, most sophisticated piece of work NIGHTWISH have ever produced. The diversity of the songs and variations in style create a totally unique atmosphere and the band's talent shines through on each and every track. While the band have maintained their very-recognizable, distinguished sound, there is an added presence of richness surrounding the songwriting and arrangements. "Once" does carry on with much of the same operatic vocals, amazing guitar riffs/solos, thunderous double-kick pounding and almost everything else you would expect to hear from NIGHTWISH, but the band take it one giant step further with the introduction of a number of elements not heard on a NIGHTWISH album before.
For example, the band incorporated the use of chants, oration and flutes on one track and even hired an entire orchestra (under the direction of Pip Williams and conductor James Shearman), which happens to be the exact same orchestra that was utilized for the score in the "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy. The collective result of "Once" is astonishing, and must be experienced to truly grasp the extraordinary effort that was put into this epic masterpiece.
The CD kicks-off with the stunning opener, "Dark Chest Of Wonders" – a fast-paced, choir-dominated track with an ensemble of magical keyboards and crunching guitars. At approximately the 2:35 mark, the song shifts into a brief time-change, paving the way for Emppu Vuorinen to show-off some of his killer guitar-soloing talent, and then kicks back into full speed. The very heavy "Wish I Had An Angel" marks the return of Marco Hietala in the singer spot, trading-off vocal duties with Tarja Turunen just as they did on 2002's "Century Child". Hietala's unique voice blends in nicely, and gives the song that much more of an aggressive edge. This is definitely one of the most memorable songs on the disc. The album's first single, "Nemo", is a heavenly, fairytale-like track with a very nice intro by keys-maestro Tuomas Holopainen. Turunen's beautiful, entrancing vocals illuminates this song from start to finish, not to mention Vuorinen's amazing guitar leads.
"Planet Hell" is another highlight on the disc. It starts off with some nice chants and orchestral segments, then gets back up to par in the speed department. This one again sees Hietala sharing the vocals with Turunen. This is yet another classic example of why NIGHTWISH deserve all the success in the world. The same can be said about the very haunting "The Siren". Turunen's vocals are so varied in style on this one that it gives the song somewhat of a middle-eastern feel to it, and the addition of an electric violin and cello make this track that much more appealing to the ear. "Dead Garden" and "Romanticide" are two of the heavier songs on the CD. Here we see more of Vuorinen's magnificent talent as he just unleashes the riffs and solos like never before, and Hietala and drummer Jukka Nevalainen also deliver stellar performances in the rhythm section.
As epic as this entire recording is, there are a few tracks on the disc that really stand out as major contenders for inclusion in a film score. In fact, it would be a terrible tragedy for some film producer NOT to notice one (or both) of these songs and NOT include either (or both) of them as part of a movie soundtrack. The first aforementioned track, "Ghost Love Score", clocking in at just under ten minutes, is clearly the most intricate piece on the album. With the dominating presence of both the orchestra and choir blending in perfectly with Turunen's captivating vocals, the song takes the listener on a journey into a world of fantasy of sorts. The second "epic" stand-out on the CD is the eight and a half minute-long "Creek Mary's Blood". It begins with a soothing array of chants and flutes done by John Two-Hawks, a member of the Lakota Indian tribe, who also narrates a reading in native Lakota near the end of the song.
Turunen's soulful vocals again shine wonderfully here, and the melodic guitar solo is just breathtaking. Again, to reiterate, both tracks should be graced in an epic film score.
All the music on this album was written entirely by Tuomas Holopainen, with the exception of Marco Hietala taking the majority of the writing load on "Higher Than Hope" (with Holopainen) and co-writing "Romanticide" alongside Holopainen, and guitarist Emppu Vuorinen also co-wrote "The Siren" with Holopainen. Holopainen also wrote all of the lyrics and took on the role of producer for "Once" as well, along with TeeCee Kinnunen. The recording took place at Tempputupa Studios and the famous Finnvox Studios in Helsinki between November 2003 and March of 2004. Mixing was led by Mikko Karmila and the mastering of the CD was done by Mika Jussila. The entire production is absolutely flawless and the sound quality is nothing short of amazing.
In a nutshell, this album is absolutely incredible! From start to finish, "Once" is a glorious achievement encompassing everything that NIGHTWISH are capable of, and is by far their best effort to date. The dynamics of the material reflect the sheer artistic talent of the band themselves as well all those who participated in the creation of this memorable piece of work.
If you liked "Century Child", I can pretty much guarantee that this album will not disappoint you. "Once" is a must for any NIGHTWISH fan, and for any fan of good music for that matter. So spend your money wisely and go buy this CD. It's worth every single cent.
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