Good music carries on a tradition or genre's conventions without faltering or dishonoring the original tenets it wishes to follow and express. Great music takes those same conventions and expands them in terms of competence and originality. Finally, the classic redefines our understanding of not only that particular genre, but also music in general. "Dark Passion Play" will be a classic, not only in the NIGHTWISH library and the Metal world, but perhaps even in the music world in general.

For some, these will be fighting words. Those who loved former vocalist Tarja Turunen's soprano will argue that Anette Olzon's vocals, which fall somewhere below Sharon den Adel's power and above Liv Kristine's prettiness, cannot do justice to the way Turunen would soar over the band. This is true. But in choosing Olzon's sweetness and versatility, NIGHTWISH has a singer who must sing from within the music rather than beyond it, thus enhancing this album's highly melodic and emotional tracks. In fact, Turunen's absence has given us two great vocalists, for here Marco Hietala's power and character finally prove he is truly an unrecognized talent in the Metal world.

Still, others will say that much of this disc is not Metal or even Rock but show tunes mixed with melodramatic movie music and hymns. They will be right, and they will be wrong. NIGHTWISH and orchestral leader Pip Williams have set a new benchmark here in terms of composition, arrangement, and the musical integration of classical instrumentation and Metal. Nothing by METALLICA or THERION or anyone else has come close to such a seamless and varied vision and some of the truly beautiful music resulting - and it's versatile. The CHEIFTAINS would have no problem covering the folksong "The Islander", and the instrumental "Last Of The Wilds" lands squarely in fellow Finns' KORPIKLAANI's backyard. The disc could have sounded cheesy: it is anything but.

However, there are failings. "Master Passion Greed" could have been a mind-blowing thrasher - instead we get a chorus that should have been a bridge and a lot of lost potential. And the filler "Sahara" demonstrates that even main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen has bad days at the keyboard and the writing desk. In fact, quite a few songs are very conventional musically. What saves them are superb musicianship, excellent poetic lyrics, and, well, passion.

Holopainen and crew obviously had something to prove, perhaps to Turunen, perhaps to their fans. Whatever the case, the world is the beneficiary.