NIGHTWISH: A True Desire for the Night

by Ilaria Falcetti

Tuomas Holopainen is the mastermind, keyboardist, and composer of Nightwish, a band founded back in 1996 in Kitee, Finland. The band started as a folk group before developing various sounds, eventually evolving into their current symphonic metal style.

At the beginning of their career, they recorded and released an acoustic music demo that led them to sign a contract with Spinefarm Records, a Finnish record label based in Helsinki. Tuomas's idea was to express his love for his homeland through music and "lead" listeners into the fairytale environments of the Scandinavian countries. It is no coincidence that the name chosen is Nightwish, which translates to the desire of the night. In the beginning, the band consisted of Tuomas and two of his friends: Erno Vuorinen and Tarja Turunen, specifically a guitarist and an operatic singer.

In 1996, they released another demo titled Nightwish, which contains the tracks Nightwish, The Forever Moments, and Etiäinen. Nightwish is a track that opens with the sound of keyboards, joined by guitars; this continuity of melody brings to mind the freezing atmospheres of Finland, subsequently complemented by Tarja's passionate voice. The Forever Moments continues in the wake of the previous track, giving prominence to the singer. This piece reflects the desire to combine classical, folk, and metal music. The keyboard solo is very beautiful and interesting. Etiäinen, the last piece on the demo, begins with a male voice that would also make an appearance on Angels Fall First. The very clean-sounding guitars deserve particular attention.

A year later, in 1997, the album Angels Fall First was released, the year drummer Jukka Nevalainen joined the band and "Emppu's" acoustic guitars gave way to the electric one. This record was also released under the Spinefarm Records label, with which the band signed a contract for the release of three records. It is a power metal album featuring gothic, folk, and classical music elements, released in a limited edition of only 500 copies containing seven tracks.

The Elvenpath is the album's first track; it follows the group's classic melodies while recalling some sonic styles of bands like Stratovarius. One of the group's finest compositions is Beauty Of The Beast, which is based on sounds with a gothic flavor: the sung dialogue between the beauty, played by Tarja, and the beast, played by keyboardist Tuomas, stands out. Unfortunately, the comparison between the two voices is inevitable; the singer's power and precision overshadow the male voice, which is instead lighter and more delicate. It continues with The Carpenter, a song featuring a bass and a guitar riff that give a sense of decadence and sadness to the piece, though the lyrics are wonderful. Astral Romance is a song where the keyboard and a powerful guitar riff give life to a melodic foundation guided by Tarja's splendid voice. The subsequent track, Angels Fall First, catapults us into a fairy-tale world where, alongside the soprano's flawless voice, the musical base orchestrated mostly by Emppu's guitar stands out, accompanied by instruments such as the flute. Tutankhamen is perhaps the piece least suited to this band, who fortunately recover with the following track, Nymphomaniac Fantasia, a piece introduced by a long intro linked to the keyboards—a typical Nightwish sound. Know Why The Nightingale Sings? is not a very original track, while the final track Lappi (Lapland) turns out to be a beautiful "story" divided into four episodes ranging from symphonic parts to more electronic sections.

The Oceanborn Era and the Rise to Success

In 1998, bassist Sami Vänskä joined the group; together they released their second album, Oceanborn, which reached fifth position in Finland. Here, their folk sound was shelved to make room for power and symphonic metal. The album opens powerfully with Stargazers, characterized by a drum, guitar, and keyboard intro that anticipates Tarja's entrance. In Gethsemane, the keyboards take center stage while the singer's magnificent voice accompanies listeners in the spotlight. Here too, the instruments support Tarja's voice brilliantly, allowing her to carry the entire band. In the third track, Devil And The Dark Deep Ocean, there is a dialogue between Tarja, who plays the Ocean, and band guitarist Emppu, who plays the Devil. It is a track with much stronger guitar and drums than the previous songs.

Swanheart is the most intense track on the record, in my opinion, with Tarja's voice initially left unaccompanied by other instruments, free to express all its delicacy—truly chilling. It is a sweet song with a very slow tempo. Moondance is an instrumental piece reminiscent of a Russian dance, with a very unique progression. The Riddler is a typical Nightwish-style track featuring orchestral scores performed by the keyboards. In Pharao Sails To Orion, the duet from the third track is repeated. It becomes clear how the contrast between Tarja's voice and a lower voice is a strong point for the band.

The following year, the band recorded the single Sleeping Sun on the occasion of the solar eclipse in Germany, and their album Oceanborn received a gold record. In 2000, they participated in the qualifications for the Eurovision Song Contest in Finland with the track Wishmaster, which saw them triumph in the popular vote but not with the jury, suddenly landing them in third place. The new work was inspired by the fantasy book series Dragonlance Chronicles and gathers eleven tracks. Album opening duties are entrusted to She Is My Sin, before moving on to The Kinslayer, a fast and evocative song. Come Cover Me is a breath of fresh air before the power metal ride of Wanderlust and the ballad Two For Tragedy. Things pick back up with the album's signature track, powerful and endowed with epic vocals. Bare Grace Misery stands out for its passionate and sensual lyrics, with Tarja seducing with her voice.

Subsequent tracks Crownless and Deep Silent Complete once again feature Tarja as the absolute protagonist, allowed to sing over a drum base. Intense and moving is the track Dead Boy’s Poem, which strikes the listener with the sweetness and despair it emanates. Fantasmic incorporates quotes from many Disney movies in its lyrics and brings the album to a splendid close. In 2001, Nightwish recorded a cover of Gary Moore's song Over the Hills and Far Away; that same year, Sami was replaced by Marco Hietala, a member of Tarot.

Century Child and the Tarja Era Finale

The album Century Child and the singles Ever Dream and Bless the Child were released in 2002. This work led the band to sell over 80,000 copies in Finland alone, becoming double platinum. This record features overbearing guitars with increasingly noisy riffs, and Tarja abandons operatic delivery in the tracks. Bless The Child is a song oriented toward Gothic Metal, and the feelings it transmits are distressing. The second track, End Of All Hope, is heavy, deafening, and its lyrics are certainly not the happiest. Dead To The World is a very catchy piece, and Marco Hietala's voice appears for the first time. Ever Dream is one of the most beautiful songs on the entire album, accompanied by the orchestra and a melodious piano, with Tarja interpreting the song's lyrics with hope. Slaying The Dreamer, unlike the previous track, is the most aggressive song on the record, where Tarja's voice is harsh but of great effect. Forever Yours is a very sad ballad whose melody, in my opinion, recalls James Cameron's highly acclaimed film Titanic. Ocean Soul explains all the love Tuomas feels for music, while Feel For You and The Phantom Of The Opera are the weak points of the album—not for the music, but for the lyrics, which are disconnected from the context. The former is a duet between the two singers with a fairly good result; the latter is a metal remake of A.L. Webber's work.

We arrive at Beauty Of The Beast, over ten minutes long, articulated into three different moments, all very evocative. A new album was released in June 2004 titled Once, alongside the new single Nemo. The record is the last one with the marvelous Tarja, who would continue her solo career and be replaced by Anette Olzon. The new work consists of eleven tracks featuring songs like Dark Chest Of Wonders, characterized by a pounding riff, choirs, and orchestrations that add solemnity and, of course, the singer's stunning voice that fascinates and takes the listener's breath away; and Planet Hell, played on the bounce between Marco Hietala's voice and Tarja's in a heavy metal atmosphere. Decidedly tense and mysterious is The Siren, where guitars blend with the oriental sounds of the sitar to create a unique atmosphere. A moment of calm arrives with the poignant ballad Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan and with the song concluding the album, Higher Than Hope, the group's last well-executed work. In Ghost Love Score there is everything, from a powerful intro to apparent calm atmospheres, guitar and bass solos, up to the power of power metal. Creek Mary's Blood is a sad tribute to Native Americans, with Tarja leading the listener to the peak of emotions, concluding with the words of an Indian poem.

The Anette Olzon Years

In 2005, the single Sleeping Sun and the DVD End of an Era were released, marking the end of Tarja's journey with Nightwish. In May 2007, the single Eva was released, and in August of the same year, with new frontwoman Anette Olzon, the single Amaranth came out, while the new album Dark Passion Play had to wait until September. The new singer's debut album is composed of thirteen tracks, among which 7 Days To The Wolves stands out—an anthem to destruction and wolves with a Power Metal sound featuring Symphonic Metal influences—alongside the beautiful Meadows Of Heaven, a sweet song tied to Finnish childhood. This piece features spectacular final choirs, perfect for closing the album. Nightwish also claimed victory at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards in the Best Finnish Act category, alongside a nomination for Europe’s Favourite Act.

After a three-year hiatus, the band returned with a crazy album titled Imaganaerum, which opens to the notes of a narrated story with a folk flavor in the Finnish language, before leading the listener into the notes of Ghost River and Slow, Love, Slow, a slow track that is absolutely forbidden to classify as a ballad. An interesting song is I Want My Tears Back, through which fans rediscover the true essence of Nightwish. With Scaretale, the band returns to operatic atmospheres reminiscent of Dark Chest Of Wonders. The instrumental interval is entrusted to Arabesque, with its Arabic tones, before arriving at Turn Lose the Mermaids, a very simple ballad, and kicking right back off with Rest Calm and The Crow, The Owl And The Dove, where listeners experience the overbearing presence of Celtic and Irish atmospheres brought by Troy Donockley and his uilleann pipes. Finally, Imaginaerum closes the album as an orchestral panorama of the entire record.

Floor Jansen and the Contemporary Era

In October 2012, the Finnish group announced their split with Anette Olzon and simultaneously welcomed Floor Jansen, former singer of After Forever. The new acquisition led the band to record a new work, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, which was released in March 2015 under the Nuclear Blast label.

The record begins with Shudder Before The Beautiful, an energetic and engaging start leading into Weak Fantasy, one of the album's most aggressive songs featuring an alternation of harsher and quieter parts. This is followed by Élan and Yours Is An Empty Hope, which incorporates Floor's growls. Slowing the record's energy is the slow piece Our Decades In The Sun, a ballad with delicate and introspective tones. We continue with My Walden, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, and Edema Ruh. Edema Ruh references fantastic figures born from the mind of Patrick Rothfuss, author of The Name of the Wind, representing a sort of bard moving from town to town. The piece Alpenglow starts as a typical Nightwish song where Emppu's solo becomes dominant once again, followed by The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula, a song telling the story of children in war, recounted with calm and serenity. The Greatest Show On Earth needs to be listened to multiple times; it is divided into five acts and musically deals with the birth of the earth and human evolution.

In April 2020, Human. :II: Nature. was released via Nuclear Blast, the debut album for drummer Kai Hahto, composed of ten tracks. In this work, Nightwish tackles themes tied precisely to humanity and nature. Human. speaks of stories narrating humanity, our most intimate nature, and our emotions, expressed through the human voice, while Nature. is an instrumental escape into what we can call Gaia or Mother Earth. On the Human. CD, space is given to guitarist Erno “Emppu” Vuorinen and new drummer Kai Hahto to express their skills. Marco Hietala and Troy Donockley are not far behind, gifting us with the folk anthem Harvest. The true protagonist of Human. is the voice, thanks to a skillful use of vocal intertwining among the three "singers" (Floor, Marko, and Troy), and above all, leaving valkyrie Floor Jansen free to express herself in all her countless expressions, extensions, and sensations. Nature. is divided into eight chapters, almost entirely instrumental, conceived by Tuomas Holopainen, focusing once again on an emotional musical narrative.