Nightwish is a strange conundrum. The band rose to popularity on the shoulders of its leading lady, the opera trained siren
Tarja. They were originally often described as
Stratovarius with a female vocalist, but as time wore on, and their albums progressed, that title was dropped and they forged their own identity. After a smattering of successful releases and a keen shove into the public eye, this Finnish metal outfit managed to sweep the US and gain quite a fan following. Then
Tarja "announced" her leave and it seemed like the entire world for the band came to a crashing halt. No one expected much after the diva darling's departure. A new singer was picked out and put into place, writing had already been underway and they popped out
"Dark Passion Play".
Right away, the biggest change is the one that was foreseen far before the album was conceived. No matter how much you may like the voice of Annette, she cannot and does not even try to attempt the kind of vocal theatrics that her predecessor was celebrated for. Her voice is more in the "rock range" along the lines of
Candice Night and company. Sweet and innocent, she is unassuming and commands nothing. She often seems like a defenseless fuzzy kitten lost in the fury of an ice storm. Her voice beaten to pieces by the crushing northern ice shards that stab down like daggers. For a band that prides themselves on their sleek epic thunder, their main vocalist simply can't keep pace. Annette Olzon is at her best when crooning the more tender pieces. Her voice is the warm central glow amongst the gently falling snowflakes. Or else when she is offered as the virgin voice sacrifice to the metal god that is Marco. Tarot's lead singer, and
Nightwish band member, manages to break free of being just a supporting role and really takes charge on
"Passion". Tarja could match his power blow by blow, but Annette has no false hope of such things here. Luckily Marco has the quintessential pipes for metal and steals the show for a couple of tracks that feature his breath rattling style. Furious and raw, the magnificent power he wields is staggering and comes into focus on tracks such as
"Bye Bye Beautiful" and
"7 Days to the Wolves". Both of these sport excellent harmonies, choruses that pop right out and grab you, and the play between light and dark. It's the perfect way to package this new version of
Nightwish. A
Nightwish that is heavier and more diverse than ever before.
Speaking of heavy, nothing in their catalogue has come close to the concussion causing
"Master Passion Greed' that beats at the listener with a torrent of metallic mayhem. Double drums pound headaches into your mind, guitars make your ears bleed, the fierceness of it all is both annoying and compelling.
"Amarath" is a softer slice of poppy heaven, featuring Annette swaying her voice tender on the warm, spring-like breezes of this melodious track.
"Meadows of Heaven" is also light, fluffy and soft like a winter marshmellow melting slowly in a cup of soul soothing cocoa. Sweet, lush and not in the least bit memorable.
"Cadence of Her Last Breath" is drowned in a sea of gothic influences and seems like the perfect midtempo backdrop for the band.
"The Poet and the Pendulum" has received alot of buzz as well, being a 14 minute epic that puts the singer through her paces alongside a score that is cinematic and oozing with an epic, progressive feel throughout. It's a well thought out track that melds the best of many worlds into one meaty metal track.
The long running album sees some fillers but overall is a decent enough experience to warrant looking into, even the most skeptical are likely to find a track or two to please their pickiness. The releasing of the ho-hum and very average
"Eva" as a first taste single for the reborn
Nightwish was a disaster that has likely kept quite a few listeners at bay. Fortunately, it is one of the lesser songs on the album, and others are better showcases for what this Finnish powerhouse still has to offer. Other comatose titles include
"For the Heart I Once Had" (snore) and the instrumental, which, while not terrible per se, could have used a little sprucing up. It's more of an example of musical wankery than being an actual "song". For the future, more grabbing material that meshes Marco with Annette such as
"Bye Bye Beautiful" could see the next album with this lineup become something truly special. Until then,
"Dark Passion Play" is a much better album than anyone guessed it would be. And somehow, for now, that is enough.
And hooray for Marco, because he really saves this ship from sinking into the oblivion of being "just another" symphonic-female-fronted-band-with-slight-gothic-tendancies-and-other-such-theatrics. Some may hate him, but he's really grown as a vocalist since those dawning days in Tarot, and pulls some fantastic stops here to keep this train rolling on an entertaining ride that could have so easily derailed and left its passengers for dead...well you get the picture.
Written by
Alanna Wednesday, January 2, 2008
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