There is definitely life after Tarja Turunen!
When Nightwish fired their lead singer, the statuesque Tarja Turunen, back in 2005 many thought it the end of Nightwish, certainly it was the end of an era for the band and their music and it was hard to imagine the band without Tarja's distinctive voice especially at a time when their million selling album 'Once' had catapulted them forward into mainstream focus and huge success worldwide. The question left in many peoples minds after the news was made public was this: could there really be life after Tarja and would fans, although evidently knowledgeable that the band was never solely about the vocals, take to the new vocalist that would fill her place? Would she be able to upkeep the powerful operatic style that Nightwish are so well known and loved for?
The answer to this is yes and yes again and the stunning new release 'Dark Passion Play' proves this tenfold straight away within the first five minutes of the epic and theatrical opening track 'The Poet and the Pendulum'. For anyone who thought that 'Ghost Love Score' from 2004's 'Once' was the most grandiose and soundtrack like of Nightwish's pieces will simply be blown away by the sheer immensity of 'The Poet and the Pendulum'. Clocking in at an amazing fourteen minutes long, this track is an epic explosion of everything that makes up Nightwish, stunning orchestration, dark and broody metal structures, pure poetic lyrics and a haunting and simply beautiful female operatic voice that cuts through and over the bombastic sonic walls and layers built up by the seventy strong orchestra featured on this masterpiece. The track opens up with a haunting and eerie choir that builds an atmosphere over a moody and intense backdrop built up by an enchanting piano and tense woodwind and string section. It quickly fires onto the sonic and desperate opening metal riffs, call and response builds up between brass and strings with never ending motion that fluidly swings back and forth like the tracks namesake. Then enters the poet, the outstanding and touching lyrics of songwriter, keyboardist and mastermind behind Nightwish Tuomas Halopainen, expressed in the sharp and emotive voice of Anette Olzon, the new songstress for the band. The track is the perfect debut for her voice, a voice more alike in tonality to Sharon Den Adel of Within Temptation but lacking none of the power or grace that Tarja's voice once bestowed upon the music. Anette holds her own wonderfully and sings the haunting and melancholy melody of the piece with unrivalled devotion and feeling, fully expressing the moods and the utter longing and desperation of the track.
The sheer beauty of Tuomas's poetry can also be heard with greater clarity as Anette's diction is still refined and clear despite having an incredible operatic voice which further adds to the epic quality of this track, and certainly her voice is put to its best in the pure power of the chorus, supported by a fine choir and strong broody metal riffs delivered by Marco Hietala and Emppu Vourinen. The 'Poet and the Pendulum' is the perfect preview to what will be quickly recognised as the most diverse and intelligent Nightwish release ever, an album flexible in its styles, ranging from ballad to gospel, to heavy and crunching metal to the haunting tones of Celtic folk.
Equally as epic is the brooding 'Seven Days to the Wolves', an apocalyptic blend of choirs, strings and dancing heavy metal fully expressing the power and majesty of the wolves it speaks of, and the fall in the destiny of man. Starting with powerful opening riffs and atmospheric choral backdrop that builds a dark and sinister storm of music, the power is immense and breathtaking, grandiose and majestic in its undertaking. Anette and Marco deliver a simply mind blowing chorus that is nothing short of powerful and brooding, like the lamb before the fangs of a wolf you feel powerless before it, humbled and completely spellbound in a musical painting that spells out the end of the world.
Displaying the sheer talent and genius of the song writing and poetry Tuomas Halopainen possesses, is the haunting and beautiful 'The Islander', an atmospheric Celtic ballad, tribute to the sea and an incredible daydream all delicately and lovingly expressed in a five minute score. Acoustic guitars caress a brooding and stunning Celtic whistle that dances and supports the shanty melody dominated by the Viking like and distinctive voice Marco. Anette later joins in the second verse and chorus and the result is a tear jerking, stunning, misty sound. The instrumental break later sees bagpipes and violins working together with a bod'hran, a type of Irish drum. A nostalgic track that will certainly touch the hearts of the British and Scandinavians especially, it is simply beautiful and a track that displays perfectly the imagination and flexible approach and love of music that Tuomas has in his song writing.
Single 'Amaranth' is a gentle and rolling ballad with all the appeal that 'Nemo' had for 'Once'. It perfectly displays the warm tonality and strong range of Anette's voice and the chorus that gives it a real edge against the orchestration, making it the perfect first single to be released from the album.
Nightwish have achieved so much in their career and now marks the biggest and proudest of all their achievements. They have recovered from losing a band member where many bands would be stunted or give up altogether and have delivered a true masterpiece of work that is to become their best yet. It is evident throughout the album that Tuomas is happier as a songwriter and with his music and the band and that the whole band are happier as a whole, and any expectations of what their sound might be like now have been far surpassed by a beautiful seventy five minute long suite of perfect musical heaven. Like any true fan should know, as long as Tuomas Halopainen is still the drive behind the band and making his music, the spirit and essence will always be very much alive.