Advantages: Superb cameraship, stunning sound quality
Disadvantages: You wish it could go on forever

...Truly well named. This was the last concert for Nightwish with their original singer, Tarja Turunen. And boy, does it show! A stunning concert in Helsinki, its the very best of the (then) new and old tracks, with their trademark musicianship, playing of the crowd, and over the top performance. All the way from the first notes to the final bow, the band give it their all - and do their level best to make sure Tarja looks good - Marco even going so far as to tone his unmistakeable voice down a notch, rarely challenging Tarjas power, though during some tracks he does push her for the high notes - notably during phantom of the opera. For nightwish fans such as myself, this represents a huge part of the band leaving, and is a superb example of how we knew them. Technically, this DVD is superb, giving a reasonable amount of time to each... Read review

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Advantages: Good sound, unique female vocal and great music idea
Disadvantages: Bad male vocal

...Many metal music lovers have already well-know about Nightwish. And many of them were shocking when Tarja, the operatic female Nightwish singer decided to left the band in 2006. As everybody knows, her soprano/operatic vocal combined with heavymetal has made Nightwish become unique power-folk-metal band. This Finnish metal band is the miracle. In the beginning of its career, Nightwish might be was a folk band and later did some experiments. They have combined heavy-powermetal and folk music, soprano/operatic female singer and romantics-ballads-folktale lyrics. It became sweet and glorious metal music. From 1997 'till 2006 they had released 5 albums (Angel Fall First, Oceanborn, Wishmaster, Century Child, Once), 1 EP (Over The Hills and Far Away), 1 best album, 2 concert DVDs and some singles. ANGELS FALL FIRST, released by Finnish... Read review

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Advantages: Fresh and original, huge sound, heavy yet melodic
Disadvantages: Track order doesn't quite work, too many 'special editions'

...'Once' is the album that will make or break Nightwish in the UK , it really is as simple as that. Over the past year they have risen from quirky underground band to almost an all guns blazing chart bound rock act, and this is the best chance yet for the symphonic metal colossus to tap into a market almost untouched by their unique, riff orientated film score flirtings. With previous opus 'Century Child', it seemed that for every new fan the band gained through its atmospheric simplicity, a more established fan was cursing that the band had lost its edge. Certainly the album caused a divide amongst fans, even more so perhaps than 'Wishmaster'. However, with 'Once' no one can be disappointed. This is an album to which even the most hardened metal fan won't be embarrassed to listen, to which Westlife fans can happily sing along... Read review

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Advantages: mixture of studio and live tracks, some great new songs
Disadvantages:

...One of the best things about "Over the Hills and Far Away" for me is the mixture of live stuff and studio. The cover version of "Over the Hills" is now a firm favourite with fans at the band's live shows, and rightly so - it is an absolutely stomping rendition of Gary Moore's original. It is perfectly fitting for this band, who have an interesting and original style - thrashing metal guitars and drums, symphonic orchestra, pure operatic vocal... I may be baised, but I feel that there are no other band who can produce the same quality of music as Nightwish do. Even bands of similar style - Epica, Within Temptation - cannot reach the same heights as Nightwish. They are popular and talented within their own right, don't get me wrong - I just feel that Nightwish have that certain 'something' that puts them above the rest. I think... Read review

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Advantages: Fantastic debut, original,
Disadvantages: bad male vocals, 1 or 2 cheesy lyrics

...Nightwish are from Finland, and formed in 1996, Angels Fall First was their first album. Members: Tarja Turunen - Vocals Tuomas Holopainen - Keyboards Jukka Nevaleinen - Drums Emmpu Vuroinen - Guitar Sami Vanska - Bass 1) Elvenpath Elvenpath is an excelent opening song to the album, it starts of with a small spoken passage from Tarja, and then the songs gets heavy with Emmpu's riffs, its a very fast and energetic song, and sounds kind of power metally, the song ends with a nice solo by Emmpu. 2) Beauty and The Beast In this song Tuomas decides to sing and the result is awful, i'm quite used to his vocals and don't mind them, but newcomers to the band will hate it along Tarja's skilled operatic vocals. Back to the beginning of the song, it starts out with keyboards and rhythem riffs, before opening into the verse where Tuomas... Read review

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Advantages: Strong symphonic metal album
Disadvantages: New singer as good?

...Nightwish for me are a band who always deliver quality albums, this offering is no different. Despite the change of lead female vocal the album still has the very definite nightwish sound. "Dark Passion Play" has all the symphonic sounds of previous albums and still delivers those crunching guitars you come to expect. Now the big question is Annettes voice comparable to Tarja's. My answer no. But not necessarily a bad thing. I think Annette has a great voice and it is similar to Tarja's but not quite as strong or as operatic. I saw the video from the first single off this album "Amaranth" and I must say she looked a little more like a pop singer than a metal singer though still undeniably a Nightwish song. As for the album itself I think it carries on where "Once" left off. The male vocal is also used alot on this album.... Read review

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Advantages: Very technical, uplifting songs, amazing vocals
Disadvantages: male vocals

...and then gets better when the male vocals go away, the middle of the song is packed with great keyboard and guitar riffs, the build up towards the end of the song is great, and Tarja's gives another great vocal performance. 10) Walking In The Air Many will know the original of this song, if you have watched the animated film The Snowman. Nightwish do this song just right, not to heavy but still somehow making it rock, the song has a nice slow guitar solo in the middle, and the song ends on a very epic note. 11) Sleeping Sun Another ballad type song, i prefer it more over Swanheart, there is'nt much distortion until the chorus, and the guitar solo while slow does'nt overshadow the great vocals and keyboards in the song. A fantastic follow up to Angels Fall First, totally recommended.... Read review

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Advantages: Nightwish's best album yet
Disadvantages: None, absolutely none!

...will run screaming away from their stereos, but where the metalheads rejoice. This is by far the heaviest track on the album, with not an orchestra in sight. Just when you think the song is over, it comes rolling back, heavier than ever. 9 - 'Ghost love score.' - A damned good song. It's a long song, but it's just epic. The introduction sees guitars and violins chasing eachother around, eventually giving in to the verse. Tarja's voice soars over the chorus, creating an absolutely magical sound. After the second chorus, it kind of strays away from the melody, but the chorus makes a triumphant return at the end. 10 - 'Kuolema tekee taiteitijan.' It's nice to hear Nightwish in Suomeksi every now and then. If you get a translation of the lyrics, they are absolutely beautiful. Other than that, 'Kuolema...' is a soft song, with a distinct lack... Read review

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Advantages: The songs, Tarja's voice, beautiful artwork, originality, fantastic lyrics
Disadvantages: None

...). Their discography: Angels Fall First (1997) Oceanborn (1998) Wishmaster (2000) Over the Hills and Far Away (2001) Century Child (2002) Once (2004) Once was to be the last album for Tarja, when she was 'dismissed' from the band by means of a public open letter in 2005. Nightwish have carried on since then, and although I like the new female singer she doesn't have that operatic edge that made Tarja (and therefore Nightwish) so unique. Swedish vocalist Anette Olzon then joined the band and since then they have released the following album: Dark Passion Play (2007) Oceanborn The CD was released on October 7th 1998 for SpineFarm records. It was to be their second album, after Angels Fall First, and the first album that new member Sami worked on. Oceanborn was a success for the band; the album placing 5th in Finland's music chart... Read review

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Advantages: typical Nightwish, style; altogether, the CD is an ear feast & surely one the lovely song of Tarja in connection with the Drums, guitars and co. ., the best of the band;
Disadvantages: two titles meet my approval in comparison with the others of some

...known and this because Nightwish celebrate a music quite of their own which is simply only magnificent. But before I get into swarming still further here, we prefer to devote ourselves to the album "Oceanborn" anyway ... Who are Nightwish? Nightwish was founded 1996 of Tuomas Holopainen, Tarja Turunen and Erno of "Emppu" Vuorinen in a July night. The three wanted to produce akkustische songs purely at that time. The first 3 songs arose between October and December 1996. Came Jukka Nevalainen into the band as Drummer shortly after this and Emppu changed over to an electrical guitar. Nightwish left the akkustische Richlinie therefore and changed over to Heavy Metal. The first album "hinge case roof ridge" was published at the beginning of November 1997; the first concert followed in Kitee on December 31st, 1997. After that a rest... Read review

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