NIGHTWISH [FI] - Symphonic Metal
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Nightwish @ Oktoberhallen, Wieze (BE) - February 21, 2005 - Pictures by Serge De Rous
Recommended albums
#1 Oceanborn
1998 |
#2 Once
2004 |
#3 Endless Forms Most Beautiful
2015 |
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DiscographyTarja Turunen
01|1997|Angels Fall First FI #31 (Platinum) | 690 (#8) 02|1998|Oceanborn US #5 (2x Platinum) | 765 (#1) 03|2000|Wishmaster FI #1 (2x Platinum) | 701 (#7) 04|2002|Century Child FI #1 (3x Platinum) | 721 (#4) 05|2004|Once FI #1 (3x Platinum) | 750 (#2) Anette Olzon 06|2007|Dark Passion Play FI #1 (4x Platinum) | 718 (#5) 07|2011|Imaginaerum FI #1 (3x Platinum) | 715 (#6) Floor Jansen 08|2015|Endless Forms Most Beautiful FI #1 | 731 (#3) 
Nightwish line-up 2014
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Rock Report's choice
OnceNuclear Blast, 2004
Produced by Tuomas Holopainen & TeeCee Kinnunen Charts & Certifications: FI #1 (3x Platinum) Ratings: PA: 3.65 (172) | RYM: 3.85 (2486) Total rating: 750 Updated: 150506 Line-upTarja Turunen (v)
Emppu Vuorinen (g) Tuomas Holopainen (k, pi) Marco Hietala (b, v) Jukka Nevalainen (d) + Bass: Chris Laurence, Mary Scully, Patrick Lannigan, David Ayre, Leon Bosch, Linda Houghton Bass Trombones: David Vines, Dave Stewart Bassoon: Julie Andrews Celli: Anthony Pleeth, Caroline Dale, Ben Chappell, Martin Loveday, Jonathan Williams, Dave Daniels, Robin Firman, John Heley Choirmaster: Jenny O’Grady Clarinet/Bass Clarinet: Nick Bucknall Electric violin on tr. 6: Sonia Slaney Flute: Andy Findon Flute/Piccolo: Nina Robertson French Horns: Nigel Black, Mike Thompson, Philip Eastop, Richard Berry, Paul Gardham Harp: Skaila Kanga The Metro Voices: Helen Parker, Karen Woodhouse, Michael Dore, Cherith Millburn-Fryer, Helen Brooks, Sarah McGill, Tom Pearce, Susan Flannery, Michael Clarke, Helen Templeton, Tessa Bonner, Donald Greig, Gerard O’Beirne, Rosalind Waters, Heather Cairncross, Rachel Weston, Andrew Busher, Samantha Shaw Oboe/Cor Anglais: Chris Hooker Orchestra and choir arranged, orchestrated and directed by Pip Williams. Conducted by James Shearman. Orchestra leader: Gavyn Wright Percussion: Chris Baron Percussion on tr. 5: Paul Clarvis Percussion (tuned): Frank Ricotti Solo cello on tr. 6: Martin Loveday Solo cello on tr. 10: Anthony Pleeth Timps: Stephen Henderson Trombones: Roger Harvey, Mark Nightingale, Richard Edwards, Simon Gunton Trumpets: Andy Crowley, Derek Watkins, John Barclay Tuba: Owen Slade Violas: Peter Lale, Bruce White, Gustav Clarkson, Kate Musker, Edward Vanderspar, Tim Grant, Rachel Bolt, Zoe Lake, Don McVay Violins: Gavyn Wright, Jackie Shave, Perry Montague-Mason, Chris Tombling, Dave Woodcock, Rita Manning, Warren Zielinski, Liz Edwards, Patrick Kiernan, Julian Leaper, Boguslaw Kostecki, Kathy Shave, Mark Berrow, Cathy Thompson, Everton Nelson, Simon Fischer, Dermot Crehan, Eddie Roberts |
Track listing01|Dark Chest Of Wonders (TH)
02|Wish I Had An Angel (TH) FI #1 03|Nemo (TH) FI #1 04|Planet Hell (TH) 05|Creek Mary’s Blood (TH) 06|The Siren (TH/EV) FI #3 07|Dead Gardens (TH) 08|Romanticide (TH/MH) 09|Ghost Love Score (TH) 10|Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan (TH) FI #1 11|Higher Than Hope (MH/TH) SongwritersEV = Emppu Vuorinen
MH = Marco Hietala TH = Tuomas Holopainen 
Floor Jansen (picture by Franky Bruyneel)
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Rock Report review
Since I got to know the band back at the time of their second album "Oceanborn" (1998), I always found the anticipation of a new Nightwish album one of the most exciting periods of the year. The Finnish metal superstars have the talent to each time create something slightly different around their ever so bombastic sound and never disappoint. They have however never sounded like they do on their new album. "Once" may not be Nightwish's first attempt to integrate real classical instruments into their music, but it is the first to feature a full blown orchestra and choir on all of its songs.
A penny or two were invested in this realisation. Pip Williams, renowned for his work with Uriah Heep and Status Quo a.o., was hired to arrange, orchestrate and direct the London Session Orchestra and Metro Voices, both of British origin and renowned for their work on movie soundtracks of a.o. The Lord Of The Rings. Main songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen worked hard on composing and arranging double-layered songs that would enable the classical instruments to break through the metal layer and lift the material to a level no Nightwish song has ever been.
What they have come up with is immense and overwhelming. The album starts off with "Dark Chest Of Wonders", an ideal opener with heavy and low guitar riffs, which also reveals how important the orchestra and choir will be on this disc. Mark the impressive piece in the midst of this song: a true orgy of strings and voices. Following are two songs that have been or will be issued as singles: the catchy "Wish I Had An Angel" with its haunting chorus and powerful male vocals of bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala and power ballad "Nemo", a true hair raiser thanks to the magnificent guitar work of the small Emppu Vuorinen in the fabulous mid piece. For your information, "Wish I Had Angel" will be used for the soundtrack of "Alone In The Dark", a horror movie based on the eponymous computer game featuring Christian Slater and Tara Reid. But first it's on to "Planet Hell". Pay special attention to the beautiful lyrics on this song, which - besides the superb chorus - make this one of the best songs on the album in my view. Then it's time for a different atmosphere with "Creek Mary's Blood", which features traditional American Indian musician John Two-Hawks. Trumps of this song are its great structure, its beautiful melody and another great guitar solo. From Indian to Eastern culture is a small step, especially on a Nightwish album. Tarja's voice has never sounded as it does on "The Siren", an intriguing Eastern influenced song on which Hietala is at his best as well. We now arrive to the heaviest part of the album with the powerful "Dead Gardens" and especially "Romanticide", which is in that way somewhat similar to "Slaying The Dreamer" off the "Century Child" album, albeit much more melodic and less sleazy. Following next is the 10-minute epic "Ghost Love Score", the most movie soundtrack influenced song on the album, reminding of The Lord Of The Rings and especially Gladiator movies. Again the structure is impressive and is one of the reasons why this may become one of Nightwish's best songs ever. "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan", meaning 'death makes an artist' in English, is the calmest song on the disc, fully sung in Finnish and leading to "Higher Than Hope", a more than worthy album closer with a "Dead Boy's Poem" feel at the end.
It is difficult to say if "Once" is Nightwish's best album to date as they have never delivered an album below the 80% line in my opinion. But it definitely rivals with the quality and originality of "Oceanborn" and the sound of "Wishmaster" and is by far their most varied album to date. But what"s more: the band strengthens it position at the top of best metal bands ever?
Stijn Lambert, June 2004
A penny or two were invested in this realisation. Pip Williams, renowned for his work with Uriah Heep and Status Quo a.o., was hired to arrange, orchestrate and direct the London Session Orchestra and Metro Voices, both of British origin and renowned for their work on movie soundtracks of a.o. The Lord Of The Rings. Main songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen worked hard on composing and arranging double-layered songs that would enable the classical instruments to break through the metal layer and lift the material to a level no Nightwish song has ever been.
What they have come up with is immense and overwhelming. The album starts off with "Dark Chest Of Wonders", an ideal opener with heavy and low guitar riffs, which also reveals how important the orchestra and choir will be on this disc. Mark the impressive piece in the midst of this song: a true orgy of strings and voices. Following are two songs that have been or will be issued as singles: the catchy "Wish I Had An Angel" with its haunting chorus and powerful male vocals of bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala and power ballad "Nemo", a true hair raiser thanks to the magnificent guitar work of the small Emppu Vuorinen in the fabulous mid piece. For your information, "Wish I Had Angel" will be used for the soundtrack of "Alone In The Dark", a horror movie based on the eponymous computer game featuring Christian Slater and Tara Reid. But first it's on to "Planet Hell". Pay special attention to the beautiful lyrics on this song, which - besides the superb chorus - make this one of the best songs on the album in my view. Then it's time for a different atmosphere with "Creek Mary's Blood", which features traditional American Indian musician John Two-Hawks. Trumps of this song are its great structure, its beautiful melody and another great guitar solo. From Indian to Eastern culture is a small step, especially on a Nightwish album. Tarja's voice has never sounded as it does on "The Siren", an intriguing Eastern influenced song on which Hietala is at his best as well. We now arrive to the heaviest part of the album with the powerful "Dead Gardens" and especially "Romanticide", which is in that way somewhat similar to "Slaying The Dreamer" off the "Century Child" album, albeit much more melodic and less sleazy. Following next is the 10-minute epic "Ghost Love Score", the most movie soundtrack influenced song on the album, reminding of The Lord Of The Rings and especially Gladiator movies. Again the structure is impressive and is one of the reasons why this may become one of Nightwish's best songs ever. "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan", meaning 'death makes an artist' in English, is the calmest song on the disc, fully sung in Finnish and leading to "Higher Than Hope", a more than worthy album closer with a "Dead Boy's Poem" feel at the end.
It is difficult to say if "Once" is Nightwish's best album to date as they have never delivered an album below the 80% line in my opinion. But it definitely rivals with the quality and originality of "Oceanborn" and the sound of "Wishmaster" and is by far their most varied album to date. But what"s more: the band strengthens it position at the top of best metal bands ever?
Stijn Lambert, June 2004
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