You may not know Nightwish yet, but the Finnish
goth-orchestral-metal band is a phenomenon throughout the rest of
the world. The group's fifth album, the platinum-certified Once,
hit #1 over the summer on the Pan-European charts, and stayed
there for three weeks. Behind them? The Beastie Boys, Avril
Lavigne, Norah Jones and Usher, among others. So who or what is
this band? On first listen, Nightwish seems to fall into the same
genre as Evanescence, Lacuna Coil and the
Gathering--female-fronted metal band with symphonic and gothic
overtones. But any similarities end there. First of all, singer
Tarja Turunen may be the only trained opera singer in metal, and
her vocal prowess and range prove it. Then there's the rest of
the group, led by keyboardist and primary songwriter Tuomas
Holopainen. Listen closely, and you'll hear a group that's
equally influenced by opera, classical music, Euro-metal, early
th and even Kate Bush.
Nightwish formed as, of all things, an acoustic-based band in
Kitee, Finland in 1997, though they quickly switched to a hard
rock sound. Within a year the group had released its debut album,
Angels Fall Fast, which featured the first hit single, "The
Carpenter." Their second release, Oceanborn, landed in the Top
Five in Finland, and featured three hit singles. By the time
Wishmaster came out in 2000, Nightwish was a top concert draw and
one of the most critically accled metal bands in all of
Europe. Thanks to the on-going buzz, the group was also able to
land U.S. distribution for the first time. Nightwish's 4th studio
effort came in the form of Century Child, which was the product
of one of the most tumultuous periods in the band's career. It
marked the grand entrance of Marco Hietala, a metal icon in his
own right in his homeland. With Hietala's dual contribution to
the band (bass and backing vocals), they were able to put forth
some of their darkest, most aggressive material ever.
But Once is Nightwish's breakthrough, both in its epic and
brilliant songwriting. Disgruntled Metallica fans may find a new
axe-god in Emppu Vuorinen, who has quickly become one of the most
brutal (and tech-savvy) guitarists in metal. Behind him is a
seamless blend of top-notch musicianship and orchestral
bombardment (much of which is provided by The Academy of St.
Martins in the Field, who scored the Lord of the Rings trilogy).
The chart-topping single "Nemo" is a monster, building slowly
from a simple piano line and molten guitar riff into an
over-the-top, orchestral breakdown. Thanks to Turunen's vocals,
the song also possesses a haunted quality that modern-day metal
often fails to achieve.
Forget formula--the band doesn't have one. Subtle electronic
beats color "Wish I Had an Angel," while tribal drums shape the
eight-plus minute "Creek Mary's Blood." There's the aptly titled
"Ghost Love Score," which sounds like a great, lost Danny Elfman
soundtrack. Then, on the other side, is the rough-and-tumble
"Romanticide," a violent kiss-off that ends with bassist /
back-up singer Hietala scowling "Spit on me, let go, get rid of
me / And try to survive your stupidity" over one of the most
headbanging riffs of the last five years.
So, are you ready for Nightwish?