Article by Kirsten
Unlike it's predecessor ("Oceanborn") or it's successor ("Century Child"), "Wishmaster" did not herald a dramatic change in Nightwish's sound. It simply built on the foundations laid down by the previous album - the songs are bigger, more ambitious, and, overall, of higher quality - without really pushing any boundaries. While the band's sound has progressed and evolved with every album, this one marks a baby step, rather than a giant leap. Yet to dismiss "Wishmaster" as "Oceanborn" with diffrent song titles" would be a mistake. This is an excellent album - varied, ambitious, deep. Some songs - notably opener "She is My Sin" and the title track - are catchy, while others, such as the moving and heartfelt "Dead Boy's Poem" - only reveal their delights after a number of listens. But all these songs are able to stand up to repeated listens - the number of people still listening to this album, in the fifth year since it's release, is testament to that.
An album's opening track is important: it must be able to grab the listener's attention, to entice them to hear more. "She is My Sin" does so with aplomb. A fast, catchy song with a sing-along chorus, it's subject-matter (lust and desire) is somewhat fomulaeic, but the well-written lyrics and music mean that this is entirely forgiveable.
Things take on an altogether darker hue with the next track. "The Kinslayer" deals with the Columbine Hight School massacre, in which two students brutally murdered several of their schoolmates, before killing themselves. So, not exactly a barrel of laughs then. But the subject is handled in a sensitive way, and, even when Tarja Turunen and guest vocalist Ike Vil are singing the words reputedly uttered by the killers and their victims, it never seems tasteless, or a cruel attempt to profit from the suffering of others. The disjointed, almost chant-like vocals of this song do take a bit of getting used to, but suits the song.
As the album's title track, you would expect "Wishmaster" to be an excellent song, and it is. While, perhapse inevitably for a song about classic, swords-and-sorcery fantasy, it's a bit cheesy, it revels in this. By the third chorus, most people will be hollering along to the anthemic chorus ("Master! Apprentice! Heartborne, 7th Seeker. Warrior! Disciple! In me the Wishmaster"), punching the air in synch to the words. Every bandmember is performing at his or her best on this song, and seem to enjoy themselves as much as the listener. The multiple guitar solos, the exquisite vocals, the keyboard riffs deployed as strategically as the armies in the books which inspired the catchy lyrics. The throbbing bass riffs, the (running out of adjectives now...) perfectly suited drumming. Few songs provide the listener with such uncomplicated, contageous fun.
Those of you who have seen the "End of Innocence" DVD will know that Tuomas Holopainen cites "Dead Boy's Poem" as possibly the most personal song he has ever written. As a result, the song is a deeply emotional one. The music is well-written, with some simple, haunting piano parts that perfectly interweave with the rather discreet guitar riffs, which lurk in the background, occasionally fading in at choice moments. Large parts of the (sad, yet beautiful) lyrics aren't sung by Turunen - they are spoken aloud by a young boy. Surprisingly, unlike most spoken-word parts, they don't interrupt the flow of th music, or (worse) make you want to skip to a track that's less concerned with being all "arty". Instead, they fit in beautifully, complimenting rather than fighting the music. Not only is this one of the best tracks on the album, it's also one of the best Nightwish songs, and, although I wouldn't go so far as to say the album is worth buying for this song alone, it does help to make this an "essential purchase".
Fighting with "Dead Boy's Poem" to be the stand-out track on this album is "FantasMic", which, for a song drawing inspiration from Disney films, rocks pretty hard. Whether "Uncle Walt" spins wildly in his grave every time people headbang to a song about his films is open to debate, but the lyrics really don't matter when a song is of this sort of standard. Clocking in at over eight minutes, it's difficult to take it all in on the first listen, but, after a couple of plays, the song reveals itself to be a masterpiece of almost the same calibre as the films on which it is based. Split into three parts, each diffrent in style, yet never disjointed-sounding, "FantasMic" is epic, bombastic melodic metal as only Nightwish can do it.
If you've actually read the rest of this review, rather than skipping to the last paragraph to avoid my ramblings and grim attempts at "humour", then it'll be fairly obvious that this album is a vital addition to any CD collection. Yes, it doesn't break much new ground, but with songs like "Dead Boy's Poem" and "FantasMic", who cares?! An album which will stand up to many repeated listens, and still enchant, still move the listener, is a rare thing, but with "Wishmaster" it seems that Nightwish may have just about managed it.
(C) 2005 K. Conacher
