Nightwish - Dark Passion Play
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Artist:
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Album:
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Track:Cadence of Her Last Breath
While musically still distinctly Nightwish the first thing that strikes you is the much clearer vocals. I have to be honest and say I prefer the new singer, Anette Olzon. Vocals are the music equivalent of fine crystal, cutting through the music like a razor. However, musically they haven't evolved as much as Within Temptation has with their latest album. While Within Temptation have moved towards a more mainstream sound Nightwish have maintained their overall sound, if anything sounding heavier than before despite their new vocalist. However this doesn't stop them experimenting with softer ballads, almost completely lacking guitars in some cases, and almost a celtic sound to some tracks. The other big change vocally is a much greater emphasis on the male vocals, with some tracks relegating the female vocals to backing vocals. Thankfully they haven't gone for the death metal style grunting often found within this genre, sticking to a much more natural power metal style vocal, more akin to thrash or speed metal.
1. Poet And The PendulumThe opening track is an epic 14 minute opus. Switching from light to heavy and back again with string orchestration mixed with heavy guitars all coming together in the album's longest track. Vocals are a mix of classical soprano, a more normal female rock lead and spoken word counterpointed by gruff male vocals. The whole track builds, crashes and builds again like a fantasy film score. Nightwish at their storytelling best.
2. Bye Bye BeautifulTrack 2 brings us into Nightwish as we know them. Heavy guitars and equal male and female vocals. This track would fit well with any of their previous albums, possibly even being the best track on any previous album if not for Nemo. Musically this fits well with tracks like "Wish I Had An Angel". This will be the third single from the album.
3. AmaranthThe second single from the album. More heavily orchestrated than Bye bye Beautiful, but still continuing with the use of heavy guitars. On continued listening possibly the most obvious choice as a single, relying on just the femal vocals of Anette Olzon.
4. Cadence Of Her Last BreathProbably my favourite track so far. While similar to the preceding 2 tracks there's much more influence from the guitars with clearly defined guitar solos. Brief male backing vocals complimented by a male choir.
5. Master Passion GreedThe heaviest track on the album? A fast paced guitar and drumbeat that would not be out of place on a Megadeth album driving on the heavier sounding male vocals. Anette gets pushed into backing vocals while the musical style switches between a Megadeth sounding speed metal and the more orchestral style that fans of Queensryche will be familiar with.
6. EvaThe first single from the album. A soft ballad with strings, piano and clear guitars. This track was released as radio and download only with all european sales going to charity.
7. SaharaBack to the heavier sound predominant in this album. And also back to the Nightwish staple of historical storytelling.
8. Whoever Brings The NightStraight in with guitars and drums before adding a male choir, with an almost eastern flavour to the lead vocals.
9. For The Heart I Once HadFor The Heart I Once Had returns Nightwish to the style of their earlier albums, albeit their softer style similar to Oceanborn. There's an undertone here that is also played out to greater effect in the latter tracks on the album with a celtic feel to parts of the song.
10. IslanderIslander fits uncomfortably after the preceding tracks. With male lead vocals (Anette is again relegated to backing vocals), acoustic guitar, violins and flutes it sounds more like Jethro Tull than Nightwish. Clearly more a folk track than rock or heavy metal.
11. Last Of The WildsAgain the celtic feel permeates this song. The overwhelming feel is of Scottish folk music and throughout the track you keep expecting bagpipes to start playing over the electric guitars and violins. To describe this track best I'd have to say it's like Gary Moore meets Capercaille. More unusually, this track is entirely instrumental.
12. 7 Days To The WolvesAnette returns to vocals, along with the heavier sound of guitars and drums. Back to the feel of tracks like Cadence and Sahara.
13. Meadows Of HeavenThe final track slows things down again to the pace of Eva with a touch of celtic folk. Stylistically the nearest comparison I can bring would probably be Blackmore's Night.
Overall this is an excellent album but the contrasting styles make it seem as if you're listening to 2 completely different albums at times. It's this, and only this, that stops Nightwish from reclaiming their crown from Within Temptation.
1. Poet And The PendulumThe opening track is an epic 14 minute opus. Switching from light to heavy and back again with string orchestration mixed with heavy guitars all coming together in the album's longest track. Vocals are a mix of classical soprano, a more normal female rock lead and spoken word counterpointed by gruff male vocals. The whole track builds, crashes and builds again like a fantasy film score. Nightwish at their storytelling best.
2. Bye Bye BeautifulTrack 2 brings us into Nightwish as we know them. Heavy guitars and equal male and female vocals. This track would fit well with any of their previous albums, possibly even being the best track on any previous album if not for Nemo. Musically this fits well with tracks like "Wish I Had An Angel". This will be the third single from the album.
3. AmaranthThe second single from the album. More heavily orchestrated than Bye bye Beautiful, but still continuing with the use of heavy guitars. On continued listening possibly the most obvious choice as a single, relying on just the femal vocals of Anette Olzon.
4. Cadence Of Her Last BreathProbably my favourite track so far. While similar to the preceding 2 tracks there's much more influence from the guitars with clearly defined guitar solos. Brief male backing vocals complimented by a male choir.
5. Master Passion GreedThe heaviest track on the album? A fast paced guitar and drumbeat that would not be out of place on a Megadeth album driving on the heavier sounding male vocals. Anette gets pushed into backing vocals while the musical style switches between a Megadeth sounding speed metal and the more orchestral style that fans of Queensryche will be familiar with.
6. EvaThe first single from the album. A soft ballad with strings, piano and clear guitars. This track was released as radio and download only with all european sales going to charity.
7. SaharaBack to the heavier sound predominant in this album. And also back to the Nightwish staple of historical storytelling.
8. Whoever Brings The NightStraight in with guitars and drums before adding a male choir, with an almost eastern flavour to the lead vocals.
9. For The Heart I Once HadFor The Heart I Once Had returns Nightwish to the style of their earlier albums, albeit their softer style similar to Oceanborn. There's an undertone here that is also played out to greater effect in the latter tracks on the album with a celtic feel to parts of the song.
10. IslanderIslander fits uncomfortably after the preceding tracks. With male lead vocals (Anette is again relegated to backing vocals), acoustic guitar, violins and flutes it sounds more like Jethro Tull than Nightwish. Clearly more a folk track than rock or heavy metal.
11. Last Of The WildsAgain the celtic feel permeates this song. The overwhelming feel is of Scottish folk music and throughout the track you keep expecting bagpipes to start playing over the electric guitars and violins. To describe this track best I'd have to say it's like Gary Moore meets Capercaille. More unusually, this track is entirely instrumental.
12. 7 Days To The WolvesAnette returns to vocals, along with the heavier sound of guitars and drums. Back to the feel of tracks like Cadence and Sahara.
13. Meadows Of HeavenThe final track slows things down again to the pace of Eva with a touch of celtic folk. Stylistically the nearest comparison I can bring would probably be Blackmore's Night.
Overall this is an excellent album but the contrasting styles make it seem as if you're listening to 2 completely different albums at times. It's this, and only this, that stops Nightwish from reclaiming their crown from Within Temptation.
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