Wishmaster

It's fitting. My 100th review on amazon.com on the very album that got me started on metal 10 years ago this very month. And reviewing it on the very place I purchased it November 7, 2001. This is a sort of homecoming for me.As you might imagine, I've given this a few spins.After all this time, I still love the album as much as I always did. What's changed over the years is my perspective on it. This was Nightwish's latest album when I first got it. My most current - as in, a working progress that only came to me hours ago - perspective on the album is that this is the "best of both worlds" album.Let's look into that "best of both worlds" description.When I saw Nightwish perform live in August 2008, Come Cover Me (track 3 here) was the single oldest song they played. When I saw them in August 2004, Sleeping Sun from the previous album was, and a few songs from Wishmaster were played. Come Cover Me could be on Dark Passion Play (except 1, the song has no orchestra, and 2, Marco's lead male vocals wouldn't be used). On the other hand, we have the full-on melodic/power metal songs in Crownless and Fantasmic. Argue all you want, but even Dead to the World from the following album, Century Child, is more removed from this melodic/power metal sound. What's great about Nightwish is that the bombastic quality still has never gone anywhere; it's merely evolved (take the chorus of Poet and the Pendulum for example - not the same type of bombastic that the Wishmaster [chorus] title track is, but it is still bombastic). Crownless and Fantasmic are like the Stargazers, Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean, Pharaoh Sails to Orion, and Elvenpath from the first two albums.Nightwish does a masterful job of creating well-rounded albums. The only possible exception to this would be the first album, Angels Fall First, which tended towards a folkier sound (but this is to be expected as the band's mostly-unheard of demo consists solely of 3 acoustic songs). Would Tutankhamen fit well on Oceanborn or Century Child? I don't think so. Wishmaster might just be the MOST diverse album Nightwish has put out. Like so many Finnish bands do seamlessly, songs vary in speed as you progress through every track. Two bombastic songs open the album before Come Cover Me settles in as a mid-paced song, then Wanderlust picks up the pace only to have it slowed down the most yet for Two For Tragedy, then the super-bombastic title track. All this is before both the quietest (Dead Boy's Poem) and the fastest (Crownless) are heard.Last week, I was substituting in a middle school and attended a 7th grade assembly with the students called Rachel's Story... at least I think the second word was "Story". Rachel was one of twelve students who lost their lives on April 20th, 1999. A teacher's life was also lost that day, as were the two male students who killed the other 13. 12 + 1 + 2 = 15, and these are the "15 candles" referred to in The Kinslayer. Those two boys slain their kin in Columbine High School that day.Nightwish, along with numerous metal bands I appreciate, take the time out of their day to write songs on subjects like these. Whether it's Symphony X covering literacy (the 24-minute The Odyssey), Sabaton covering history, Ancient telling the story of Cain, or Dream Theater's Sacrificed Sons (9/11), these bands do great things for us when they write these songs. They unite all listeners under a common cause: remembering.The album is worth owning for anyone who appreciates: European-style metal, female-fronted rock/metal, opera, or just a good listen for the open-minded. Highly recommended. So many great things have already been said about this album. I'll refer you to those reviews for the track-by-track analysis or whatever it may be you came here looking to read. I'll certainly spare my readers of the firing Tarja decision, because it simply doesn't apply back on their 3rd album. Heck, Sami was still in the band (the bassist Marco replaced).Just please do what I did (still do) when I listen to music that's new to me - be open-minded. Great things await those who can do that.

I have to start out by saying that I am pretty damn stunned by the some of the IMMATURE low ratings this cd got. First off, it's amazing how once can say they are an opera expert and say Tarja's voice is mediocre. I have plenty of family members who grew up listening to opera and I cannot name one that EVER said her voice to be bad or mediocre. Second, I was stunned when I read the one review of this kid saying Nirvana and Disturbed are better than Nightwish. What the hell? They aren't even technically in the same genre. So that being said below are my actual thoughts.She Is My Sin- 10/10 One of my favorite songs on here. It is really catchy and can get stuck in your head for days.The Kinslayer- 9/10 This is a really good song, but not something that you will remember being the most memorable.Come Cover Me- 8/10 It is a nice songs, but once again nothing too memorable.Wanderlust- 9/10 This one is a more fast paced song which I really like about it.Two for tragedy- 9/10 This song is slow and beautiful.Wishmaster- 10/10 One of the best songs on here. Faster paced and you will definitely remember it.Bare Grace Misery- 8/10 This song was okay, not my favorite because I actually don't like the chorus part.Crownless- 8/10 Another okay song/Deep Silent Complete- 10/10 This is one of the best tracks in my opinion. It is absolutely one of the most beautiful pieces on here. It is one of their slower songs, but still done in a way it doesn't put you to sleep.Dead Boy's POem- 10/10 This actually sounds long when you listen to it, but it isn't. The chorus is memorable and the whole song is just really pretty.Fantasmic- 9/10 Okay song, but doesn't stand out very much.So there are my thoughts. I'm rating the songs as I feel they are. I don't really want to rant on and on about how great they are, because well they are and that's why it got a 5 from me. I am pretty darn picky when it comes to buying cds.

ABSOLUTLEY,BRILLIANT!. THIS ALBUM,IS DISNEYLAND,HISTORY,CLASSICAL,HORROR,LOVE,& ADVENTURE! THIS IS WHAT,NIGHTWISH IS.FOR THIS ALBUM OF COURSE,BUT WHEN YOU SEE TARJA FOR WHAT SHE IS,THIS BAND SHE MADE IT COME TO LIFE WITH HER VOICE... HER OPERA CHORDS,HER BEAUTY,THAT MADE THE BEAST BECOME HUMAN INSIDE.EVERYTHING THAT FANTASMIC IS IN THE SONG WAS IN ALL THE BAND MEMBERS TO BRING THIS SONG TO LIFE.WE KNOW IT FROM THE SHOW THAT IS AT DISNEYLAND WE SEE IT IN EVERY CHARACTHER THAT IS WALT DISNEY VISION... I HAVE WATCHED SLEEPING BEAUTY,PINOCCHIO,FANTASIA,SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS,ALL OF WALT DISNEY CLASSICS.& IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH THIS ALBUM HAS OPENED UP MY HEART TO IDEAS THAT I THOUGHT DIDN'T TRULLY LIVE INSIDE.BUT THAT IS THE IMAGINATION OF METAL,IT CREATES WHAT LIES WITH IN US,THE GIFT OF BEYOND.SOME MAY NOT SEE IT,OR TAKE THE OPPERTUNITY TO USE THAT GIFT OF A DREAM.TO DO THEE IMPOSSIABLE ,BUT I FOR ONE SEE SO MUCH WITH THIS ALBUM THAT IT HAS PUT ME,IN THAT SECOND STAR TO THE RIGHT & STRAIGHT ON TILL MORNING... FOR THOES TO READ THIS LISTEN CARFULLY,TAKE MY WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN HERE ON THIS REVIEW.SEE THE MAGIC IN EVERY SONG,WATCH THE WALT DISNEY CLASSICS,RIGHT DOWN NOTES FOR YOU'RE IDEAS TO COME TO LIFE.DON'T HOLD BACK YOU'RE FEARS OF TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING INTO YOUR SELF.GIVE LIFE & YOU'RE HAPPYNESS IN YOU'RE HEART THE FREEDOM OF METAL & FILM.FOR THAT YOU WILL NEVER GO WRONG.THERE IS NO FATE BUT WHAT WE MAKE FOR OUR FUTURE,WE HAVE THE DREAM TO MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE,"POSSIABLE" AS FOR NIGHTWISH &TARJA PLEASE COME BACK NIGHTWISH HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME WITHOUT YOU TARJA,YOU ARE NIGHTWISHES MOTHER NIGHT THAT IS CRYING TO FOR YOU ARE THE MISTRESS OF DARKNESS....

Estuve esperando mucho a que estuviera a un precio razonable, y la espera valió la pena, excelente disco y llegó en impecables condiciones

Album qui m'a permis de faire decouvrir le groupe à ma mère . Elle en est devenu fan ,et surtout de la chanteuse

I am gradually getting all Nightwish.

Muy buena edición sencilla en CD, de este mítico disco de Nightwish. Además del trabajo original incluye temas inéditos, en directo y demos, a un precio ajustadísimo. Y sobre la calidad musical del disco que puedo decir, pues que es una auténtica delicia. Si no lo tenéis compraros estas versiones "Reloaded" de sus primeros discos.

Another solid release by Nightwish. My only grouse with this release is the presence of live versions of songs that are already part of this album. It's like listening to the same song twice. Always preferred it when bands have live versions of songs from another album. If you like catchy and melodic sing along metal songs, this album won't disappoint.I have to commend Amazon for their delivery as well. As always, as per schedule. Keep the good work going.