Article by Kirsten
"Century Child", Nightwish's 4 th album, was released in 2002, and in many ways represented a turning point for the band, moving away from the earlier power-metal sound to something more filmscore-esque.
While not a concept album, some common themes - that of lost innocence, and of sadness and depression - link all the songs on the album (excepting the cover song, a surprisingly effective heavy-metal cover of Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera"). This somewhat sobering subject matter is hardly surprising, given that songwriter/keyboard player Tuomas Holopainen was, by his own admission, very depressed at the time when he penned this album. This is reflected in the lyrics, which are often very dark and desolate. Musically, however, this is no endlessly depressing dirge. This album truly shows the breadth of the bands musical ability - and of Holopainen's song writing. It veers between the soft, heartfelt ballad "Everdream" and the brutal sonic assault of "Slaying the Dreamer" with barely a moment's pause.
This album has it's fair share of "must-hear" tracks, the first of which is "End of All Hope", which, despite it's title, delivers the kind of up-tempo, bombastic fun that makes you want to mosh wildly, while attempting to imitate Tarja Turunen's (as usual) stunning operatic vocals. Or is it just me?
Then there's the aforementioned "Slaying the Dreamer", featuring enough bulldozering guitar riffs, vicious lyrics and judicious use of bass drums to convert even the most hardened headbanger to the way of the 'Wish. It's the aural equivalent of being repeatedly hit over the head with a heavy object, but far more enjoyable.
"Feel For You" is, in my opinion, a hugely underrated song. While it's subject matter of young love and lust isn't exactly challenging, it's well written enough. But musically, this song stands out as one of the best on the album. Starting somewhat unusually with a solo bass guitar, it manages to cram duelling guitars and keyboards, tasty orchestration, and some of Turunen's best vocals into something that's barely longer that your average pop song.
But the real standout track has got to be "Beauty of the Beast", an epic in every sense of the word. Divided into three parts, and clocking in at over ten minutes, it makes for a stunning conclusion to the album, distilling the essence of Nightwish into a single song. Something of a concept song, heavily based on a famous poem - "Christabel", by S.J Coleridge - it encapsulates a variety of styles, from a soft, slightly melancholy opening, to a sad, desolate (but in a good way) spoken-word outro, via a delightful medley of guitar solos and darkly beautiful lyrics. Yet, perhaps because of it's length, the song never sounds disjointed, moving seamlessly from one style to the next, until, far too quickly in my opinion, it fades out, leaving the listener pondering what they've heard, and reaching for the "play" button again.
While I've hardly scratched the surface of what this album has to offer, going through every track in minute detail would not only be about as interesting (for both reader and reviewer) as counting the number of vowels in this review, it would also be equally pointless. To appreciate the full brilliance of this album, and the sonic delights it has to offer, you really need to hear it. "Century Child" is an exquisite album, 50 minutes of (almost always) top-notch musicianship, encompassing a bewildering variety of emotions and musical styles. An essential purchase.
