Nightwish was formed in Kitee, Finland in 1996. The band was formed after Tuomas Holopainen played in several bands. The band’s name came from the song “The Forever Moments” , the first song they recorded together. He invited Tarja Turunen (who shared the same piano teacher with him, Plamen Dimov) and his friend Emo “Empuu” Vuorinen. Jukka Nevalainen joined them after they recorded their demo.
Members:
Tarja Turunen: vocals
Tuomas Holopainen: keyboards, piano, vocals
Empuu Vuorinen: guitars, bass
Jukka Nevalainen: drums, percussion
The Tracks:
- “Elvenpath”: A beautifully sweeping opener that makes references to Finnish mythology, David Eddings, and The Hobbit.
- “Beauty and the Beast” : A retelling of the classic fairytale.
- “The Carpenter “: This was the band’s first single, and uses Christian themes. The titular carpenter is Jesus. It’s one of my favorite songs on the album. It’s the only single to feature both Tarja and Tuomas.
- ” Astral Romance”: I love the orchestration on this one.
- “Angels Fall First “: The title track is excellent.
- ” Tutankhamen”: A great song about the titular pharoah.
- “Nymphomaniac Fantasia”: The guitars and keyboards are great here.
- ” Know Why the Nightingale Sings”: Some pretty good chemistry in the instruments.
- “Lappi”: This four-part suite is the only song that has both Finnish and English lyrics, with two instrumental sections.
Final Verdict: This is a great start and shows some promise with some strong favorites.
Grade: B-
Aspie Catholic 