Article by Claire Dickenson
Once is the sixth album from the Finnish Goth metallers Nightwish. Being Nightwish's sixth album, and as the Century Child, Once has high standards to live up to.
The first track of the album is called ‘Dark Chest of Wonders', is possibly one of the best songs on the album, combining heavy guitar and bass lines with the likes of violins and horns from the London session orchestra, while Tarja is accompanied on the vocals by a Lord of the Rings style choir.
‘Wish I Had An Angel', which introduces the male vocals of bassist Marco Hietala proves to be just as heavy as the first track, demonstrates the band's skills in instrumental passages throughout the song.
Chart topping throughout Europe , ‘Nemo' is one of Tuomas' best pieces lyric wise and musically on Once. Guitarist Emppu provides some dramatic solo's which contrast well with the Orchestra.
‘Planet Hell' is a particularly dark and angry piece, with a lord of the rings style choir, adding to the theme are heavy drums and Bass from Jukka and Marco. Tarja and Marco's contrasting vocals, which fits suprisingly well with Tuomas' keyboard solos. The song's lyrics, such as ‘a million children fighting' add to the bitter feeling of the song.
‘Creek Mary's Blood' is a total contrast to the rest of the album, the lyrics are from the point of view of a native American Indian, and refer to European settlers. Guest featuring on the song is John ‘Two-Hawks', a native American Indian, plays the American Indian wooden flute and he also reads a poem in Lakotan. An interesting change from the norm, and one of the longer tracks on the album, topping 8mins.
The next track on the album is called ‘The Siren', and is about mythical Sirens, who supposedly lured sailors to their death with their beauty and singing. Marco takes the point of view of a sailor with lyrics such as “Who tied my hands to the wheel?”, the track is made suprisingly authentic by sitars, violins, and cello's, and some strange siren style wailing from Tarja.
‘Dead Gardens'- the seventh track on the album, is not one of my favourite tracks, with too much repetitiveness from the band, which get particularly annoying at the end.
‘Romanticide', which has a similarly heavy feel to it as in some of the earlier tracks. The lyrics are bitter and angry: “leave me be, and cease to tell me how to feel and grieve / spit on me, let go, get rid of me and try to survive your stupidity”. One of my personal favourites.
The most spectacular track on once is definitely ‘Ghost Love Score'. It makes full use of the orchestra, choir, band, and takes Tarja's voice to it's limits, Tuomas' lyrics fit well, and are sung with more beauty and grace than any of the other tracks by Tarja. Nothing is quite as haunting as the chorus, with the main lyrics being sung by the choir with Tarja's voice drifting above it all almost angelically. Tarja exerts a huge amount of power and authority later in the piece without sounding forced. Ghost Love Score is also the longest track on Once, clocking in at around the 10-minute mark. Debatably one of the best tracks on the CD.
‘Kuolema Tekee Taiteitijan' is very simple, with only piano and strings accompanying Tarja in this ballad. Translated into English, it's called ‘Death makes an artist'. Although the song is short it's meaningful, and sad in a beautiful way. Nightwish's first song in their native language may be a big step away from the usual, but certainly lives up to Tuomas' artistic talents.
The final track on Once is called ‘Higher Than Hope'. Bassist and vocalist Marco largely composed the music, though as usual the lyrics were written by Tuomas. The song is about cancer victim and Nightwish fan Marc Brueland, who sadly passed away late in 2003. Marc can be heard talking about the cancer in the background in this song “Being in the dark about something…I cant tell you how scary it is, you don't know what's inside, you don't know what's gonna happen to you…” the song itself is probably the most emotion packed song on Once, and this is reflected in everything, from Tuomas' lyrics to Tarja's singing. The piece is very inspirational and a great closing piece for one of Nightwish's best album to date.
