Article by Dave
'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 to and which you could happily play next time the
in-laws come round for dinner. Ear chafing riffery combines with symphonic
bombast and orchestra hits, completed by intertwining ballads and heart
warming atmospherics, not to mention more than a few experimentations here
and there. Only a true musical philistine could fail to be impressed by
'Once' on the first listen.
Opener 'Dark Chest of Wonders' is simply stunning; this is the song you've
always wanted Nightwish to make. There's no subtle build up a la 'Bless the
Child' and the band takes no prisoners as they strike up the chords in a
similar way to 'The Kinslayer' or 'Stargazers'. It doesn't stop here either
as no sooner has the listener recovered from the orchestral blast of the
opening track, ‘Wish I had an Angel' kicks in. An obvious single, at its
heart this song follows the traditional Nightwish formula, however a new
angle has been placed on the track with the addition of a single kick synth
drum, which will almost certainly alienate some older fans. One of
Nightwish's most controversial moments, this infectious chart-bound melody
should win over the MTV crowd worldwide.
Completing the opening line up are the tracks featured on the single 'Nemo' ,
namely the title track and 'Planet Hell' . After the intensity of the
opening two tracks, Nemo's gothic leanings seem somewhat sedate and while
still a solid Nightwish track with the usual sing-along single qualities,
you can't help but feel that this is Tuomas switching on the Nightwish
autopilot. 'Planet Hell' on the other hand is a beast of a track and
rekindles the expectations no doubt conjured up by the opening duo. This
Marco/Tarja duet doesn't shy away from shameless overuse of the tried and
tested orchestra hit, but boy, it works! For any who doubted
Nightwish's credentials as a metal band, this is most certainly the song
for you!
A gripe often associated with 'Century Child' is that the opening sector of
the record is far stronger than the tracks placed further towards the
middle and end of the album. My main criticism of 'Once' is that it also
falls foul of this approach to the tracklisting. It isn't that any of the
songs are particularly weak, more that those with an immediate appeal are
all heaped together into a sonic blitzkrieg at the outset of the album. The
result is that the remaining seven tracks on 'Once' are those which either
push new experimental boundaries for the band or are simply quieter tracks
than the riotous openers. Ultimately, this gives a little less immediate
appeal to a large chunk of 'Once'.
'Creek Mary's Blood' (complete with native American influences) and 'The
Siren' (with its Eastern leanings) are both tracks which cover new ground for Nightwish. Heart warmingly emotive, this pair requires the listener's full attention in order to be enjoyed fully. While still quintessentially Nightwish both display a
new maturity in the bands sound, with a large amount of experimentation with Tarja's voice complimented by the orchestra's symphonic prowess.
Sitting perfectly together towards the end of the record are ‘Dead Gardens' and ‘Romanticide' , both fast paced, guitar orientated metal monsters. Perhaps drawing the listener back to the ‘Oceanborn' days, although with a definite ‘Nightwish 2004' edge. From here, the most talked about track on the album kicks in, ‘Ghost Love Score' . This is a song to which pictures can easily be formed in any mind, for quite simply it comes across as having been lifted straight out of one of your favourite movies. The orchestra is used to its fullest effect here, highlighting exactly what songwriter, Holopainen, is capable of. A ten minute epic, there are more twists and turns here than any box office thriller and it is more than evident that this is a song Nightwish have been working towards for many years now.
As the album reaches its climax, unfortunately things appear to slow down somewhat. ‘Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan' is perhaps unsurprisingly sung entirely in Finnish. While the idea Tarja singing in her native tongue is quite reasonable, the song is one of the weaker points of the album and thus, the language barrier only adds to the listener's disinterest. In many ways, a step on from the acoustic numbers found on ‘Angels Fall First', this is a quiet number which perhaps would have benefited from sitting mid-album. As it is though, this is all too easy to pass by to reach final number, ‘Higher than Hope' . A tribute to Marc Brueland, the meaning behind this song cannot be doubted and as a final track, it'll tug at your heartstrings for one final time. Unfortunately, by this stage the band have already played all their cards and this track seems a little overshadowed by some of the grandeur that has been before.
To sum up, this is possibly the bands best work since ‘Oceanborn'. Taking the seeds sown by Century Child and watching them grow into one of the best ‘symphonic metal' albums heard to date. There are moments towards the end where you feel the ideas may have run low, but all in all, when this record finds its way into the CD player, ‘Once' just won't be enough. This is a record that all Nighwish fans, and anyone else with taste will be able to enjoy over and over again.
The question that must be asked now is; where does the band go from here?
