Nightwish after a show in Australia.
Bird’s Eye View of the Band
Nightwish is from Finland. You could argue that their symphonic metal paved the way for Evanescence – for better or worse – by pioneering the “big guitar plus clear-voiced female singer” sound. They use a lot of orchestration, with tons of changes in volume and a few meter and tempo switches. The moods also shift quite a bit from song to song.
Singer Situation
Current singer Anette Olzon isn’t the original Nightwish singer. She succeeds Tarja Turunen, who had a classical singing style and a really powerful set of lungs. Turunen is pretty much a symphonic metal archetype. Her ouster from the band in 2005 caused a lot of angst for gothy types, especially when band leader/keyboardist/composer Tuomas Holopainen gave Olzon the gig. Turunen is a physical force that Olzon can’t match – but Olzon is more versatile and emotive. She also appeals to a wider audience (yet another reason some longtime fans are deepening their frown lines). Imaginaerum is the first Nightwish album that Holopainen wrote specifically for Olzon’s range and style.
Surprise, Surprise
Imaginaerum peaked at 27 on the U.S. Billboard chart, eliciting a huge “how the hell did that happen?” from me. I love this band in both incarnations … but symphonic metal is not exactly a sound popular in America. Holopainen calls the album “Hollywood landscape metal.” Some might call it cheesy because of its crazy orchestration and poetic lyrics. To me, though, “cheesy” is often code for “I couldn’t play or compose anything like this in a million years, and I’m jealous.”
How ‘bout Them Guitars?
Nightwish isn’t a riff-oriented band. One of the main criticisms I’ve heard about the album centers on guitarist Emppu Vuorinen … I hear stuff like “generic modern metal riffs.” Here’s the thing: The guitars on Imaginaerum (and indeed on the two albums before it, Once and Dark Passion Play) are more for texture and percussion rather than for main melodies. This is true of many symphonic metal bands. And listen to the extraordinarily tight interplay between Vuorinen and drummer Jukka Nevalainan: There is no room for error, and these guys don’t make any errors. Tight, tight, tight. Yngwie Malmsteen-style scrambling isn’t what Nightwish needs.
In and Out of Genres
Imaginaerum is not just a metal album. Sure, “Ghost River” rocks as hard as a lot of stuff out there. But “Slow, Love, Slow” is a slow, jazzy number that will make longtime Nightwish scratch their heads in consternation … at first. They’ll come to love the awesome melody and note choice – and listening to Jukka gently stroke a snare with jazz brushes. “Turn Loose the Mermaids” sound like something Blackmore’s Night would write, with a Druidic vibe that’ll make you feel like visiting Stonehenge. Oh, and it has a section that sounds like a spaghetti Western. Somehow, it all works. Then there’s “Scaretale”, which sounds like a carnival ride gone wrong. It’s probably also the wildest, most enthusiastic, most intense performance OIzon’s ever concocted. The versatility and changes are unusual, even from a symphonic metal originator.
So, what about you? Any observations I missed? Questions about the band? Let’s hear it!
