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| Once | 
 enlarge | Artist: Nightwish
Label: Roadrunner Records
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $9.88
You Save: $9.10 (48%)
New (42) Used (11) from $9.39
Avg. Customer Rating:  172 reviews
Sales Rank: 2643
Format: Extra Tracks
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 618217
UPC: 016861821722
EAN: 0016861821722
ASIN: B0002ZYE1Y
Release Date: October 5, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 One of the Most Impressive Albums of All Time February 14, 2005
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Music lovers, prepare to meet your match - it is hard to find any album that boasts to be as large as this one. While this album takes back from the more metal approach of previous albums and boasts of the outstanding production value brought on by the Phoenix Orchestra (which was used by Pip Williams for the Lord of the Rings movie scores), the album still is an engrossing listen on repeat for time on end. The lushous mix of Tarja's vocals, when combined with the masterful arrangements of Tuomas and unity of the bands playing helps make this an album to remember for any music fan.
As for the songs, Dark Chest of Wonders is an example of the superb arrangement - the mix of the orchestra with choirs, gorgeous vocals by Tarja, and impressive sound overall is to die for. The album doesn't stop right there though, as most would, with the introduction of the second surprise, Wish I Had an Angel. For those who love electronica & industrial will love this song easily, as it is a genre breaker with Marco's & Tarja's duet, a steady beat characteristic of techno, great guitar riffs & use of the background orchestra, and excellent panning. Music lovers might expect more of the same variety from the first two songs, but are misled with the third song, a slower song featuring an amazing arrangement - Nemo surprises deeply with its use of primarily Tarja's vocals in a dispassionate way throughout most of the songs to set the mood, and to bring the piece to fruition through the second half in drawing that lack of passion into a yearning for more with a "fuller" voice. The fourth song, Planet Hell, is also a nice song of the metal variety. However, another bombshell is dropped with Creek Mary's Blood, and epic song that makes full use of the orchestra and Tarja's vocals. Dead Gardens is another delightful song, and Romanticide is more candy for those who like Planet Hell, except featuring Tarja's voice in her full range of skill in singing and shifting styles within the song. However, the ninth song, Ghost Love Score, is not to be dismissed - it is a full-blown song, pulling no stops in its over the top arrangement, orchestration, choirs, and band's playing ability. The album winds down with the Finnish song Kuolema Tekee Taijteilijan, a very nice and melancholy song...but then the (original release) album ends with a bang with the choral assault of Higher Than Hope, which boasts of great use of the acoustic guitar, choir, and of course, the band.
The bonus two songs, Live to Tell the Tale and White Night Fantasy are not bad in themselves, but in an album in which the orchestration helps define most of the songs, these just sound underwhelming. However, they are nice listens, and Live to Tell the Tale has a catchy melody. They are different from the previous songs though, and enjoyable on their own merits.
Overall, this is easily one of the most addicting albums of all time - my music collection boasts of around 30,000 songs, and this album gets a listen several times a week because it is that good. For those who love music in general, and don't confine their tastes/preferences to just one genre should appreciate this album greatly, because it is a musical dream that is seldom realized.
Nightwish found it January 18, 2005
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
First off, I must respond to the other reviewers... this album IS metal. Saying it isn't leads people to believe that there is NOTHING but the orchestra on here, and that's simply not true. The guitars are actually supported by the orchestra in this one... they work together better than on Century Child, despite actually being heavier.
I'll now proceed to give my two cents on each track.
Dark Chest of Wonders- 9/10 The track itself is a superb opening for the album, with hard guitars and the choir... but Tarja's spoken intro makes me cringe every time.
Wish I Had An Angel- 10/10 I admit that it's radio ready, but that's not a bad thing... Marco and Tarja's chorus duet makes this song a memory.
Nemo- 9/10- Couldn't quite give it 10, but this is a SOLID track, the first single, and the way Ocean Soul from Century Child should have sounded, in my opinion.
Planet Hell- 10/10 Welcome to the hard side, folks. This is one of Nightwish's most crushing songs, with Marco doing his metal bit, Tarja showing off her operatic voice a bit more, and some massive guitar work. If you've had a bad day... :)
Creek Mary's Blood- 10/10 Rating for completely different reasons. Native Americans deserve a great many more tributes like this. Ballad. That's all I can say... grab a tissue.
The Siren- 10/10 I haven't figured out what key/mode this thing is in, but for weird tonalities, you can't beat this thing. Electric violin solo WILL give you chills, promise.
Dead Gardens- 8/10 A bit generic, although pleasant sounding. This one might have done better on Century Child, or even Wishmaster. For the record, I consider Century Child a stepping stone from Wishmaster to Once... it's the beginning of a new sound, and a great start, but not quite there YET.
Romanticide- 9/10 Excellent, but not as original as the others... really heavy guitars, and the customary reference to the Dead Boy.
Ghost Love Score- 10/10 HE CAN WRITE FOR CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTS! Let doubters repent, for this is the perfect song for a movie... where mediocrity won't be accepted.
Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan- 9/10 Just Tarja and Tuomas here, no guitar. Their first song in Finnish, wonderfully done, except not enough variation. Think "Forever Yours" with a bit more chords and about the same amount of melodic figures.
Higher Than Hope- 10/10 The second the chorus hits you, you are going to melt. Very hard chorus, very soft verses, and for the first listen, do not be driving. Wow.
White Night Fantasy- 6/10 Sorry, but this song shouldn't have been put on here. Tarja sings on pitch, but really cheesy melody and such. Not a fan, but since it's a bonus track, I leave the rating at 5 stars.
Live To Tell the Tale- 8/10 Sounds a bit like Dead Gardens to me, but more major key work, an awesome keyboard opening, and better singing than the previous track. Heavy guitars for the closer, a good choice for last bonus song.
The video, btw, is a performance style video, and worth a watch. I know this was long, but I didn't see any reviews giving a good run down on the tracks. Enjoy!
Just what the Industry needs February 5, 2005
9 out of 13 found this review helpful
Forty seconds into the first track, Dark Chest of Wonders, I knew this was going to be one of those bands I'd get hooked on now and forever more.
Tuomas Holapainen's music and lyrics are simply beautiful, not to mention their performance by Tarja Turnunen. She has to have one of the most talented voices I've ever heard. The orchestra they incorperated in all of their songs on this album fits well.
"Dark Chest of Wonders" - 4/5. It took me a while to realize that it was Tarja's voice speaking the first few words at the beginning. But after that, the guitar riffage kicks your ass to the ground, and seconds later, orchestrated sounds come in. I have to admit I haven't memorized this song yet... the downside is the lyrics. I find them quite corny.
"I Wish I Had An Angel" - 3/5. Seemed like it was one of those songs that was just meant to be a single.
"Nemo" - 4/5. Yet again another single. Yet the keyboard riff flos wonderfully with the rest of the chords and melody of the song. Beautiful lyrics.
"Planet Hell" - 4.5/5. Wonderful lyrics portraying the planet Earth, and a great drive. Still felt incomplete.
"Creek Mary's Blood" - 5/5. This song deserves 5 out of 5, especially for the great including of Native American Culture. The lyrics of Tuomas seem almost unreal. And then the orchestra kicks in, and it turns to a masterpiece.
"The Siren" - 4/5. Once again, one of the incomplete feelings. If not for Tarja's beautiful vocalization and the wonderful sounds of an electric violen, it would have gotten only but a 3.
"Dead Gardens" - 2/5. Felt a tad boring, even repetitive, I'm sad to say.
"Romanticide" - 5/5. The hard-driving guitars, emotional lyrics, and Tarja's operatic voice. As you climb towards the end, it goes into Marco's spoken word, and Tarja's breathy singing. Right after you hear Marco's growling "... and try to survive your stupidity..." Guitars knock you down again, and you hear an ear-piercing classic Metal howl.
"Ghost Love Score" - 6/5. AMAZING. I NEARLY DIED. In one word-- breathtaking. The chorus intergrated and mixing with Tarja's vocals, the sitar, and lyrics of longing. An orchestra could take up this song by itself and it would still be as amazing. As the song trails off, into a standing 10 minutes, the chorus repeats over and over alongside instrumental sounds.
"Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan" - 4/5. A song in their native language of Finnish. A little slow and trailing.
"Higher Than Hope" - 5/5. A powerfully amazing way of ending the (official) album. The acoustic guitar playing is in sync, and the spoken word by some other indivdual towards the end truly reveals the meaning of the song. After hearing, "...your Death saved me..." continue listening, and prepare for a key change into the conclusion of this record.
Bonus tracks...
"White Night Fantasy" - 2/5. The theme was interesting to follow and dream about, but just as the title suggests, it is a fantasy. Tarja's vocalizing in the beginning made me kind of tilt my head a bit.
"Live to Tell the Tale" - 4/5. A very fitting track to go onto the "Nemo" single. An upbeat song with a great indroductory keyboard part.
If you like Metal... If you like classical... either one... pick up this album. It does not deserve to be ignored.
 Another Beautiful Nightwish Masterpiece August 23, 2005
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
(Please be warned that this is a very long review. I evaluate each song, but after that are the flaws and a quick list of what's nice if you just want to hear about that)
I've been a fan of Nightwish for only one year, yet I've managed to pick up all of their "main" albums but Angels Fall First. I've listened to Oceanborn, Wishmaster, Century Child, Over the Hills and Far Away, and now Once. I was a bit nervous to try out Once, because when I first heard it, it was on a site with close to no quality in their audio (oops on my part). However, after hearing Nemo and Wish I Had an Angel over and over again, I gave it a try.
Two days later, I feel I have listened to the songs over and over again to evaluate it enough. While on my first listen I was blown away, I have cooled down and can meet the flaws of the album. Mind you, it IS beautiful, and will probably shortly replace Century Child in my CD Player, but it is not perfect.
I think I will review each song separately, then summarize my feelings at the end.
Dark Chest of Wonders - 5/5 - Just... Wow. I was blown away when I first heard it. It's hard and heavy. It's just gorgeous. The orchestra sounds lovely. This is also one of the few songs on the album that makes good use of the choir; they are not used for most of the song, but a rather interesting beginning to each verse. Tarja actually sings the chorus, which is nice. Everything just blends beautifully in this beginning song. It's one of my favorites.
Wish I Had an Angel - 3/5 - While this was the song that made me buy the album, it is not the best. In fact, it is very mediocre compared to the others. I like the guitars and general melody, but Tarja doesn't sound as great as she normally does, and Marco's voice does not sound nice. It is catchy, and it is nice and heavy, but it's not Nightwish's best. And watch out for the video. You get a bunch of head banging and Tarja doing "Victoria Secret" poses as Ceido pointed out earlier. It's good enough to make me listen to it once in a while, but not so great that I can listen to it over and over anymore.
Nemo - 4/5 - A pretty song with a nice mix of the band and a pretty piano. Tarja sounds nice in the chorus, as always. It's not as heavy as the first two songs, which is a nice break (though I like things nice and heavy). However, it is not my favorite; unfortunately, I can't quite say what it is. It is in general a very pretty song, but not the best in the album, and just something about it doesn't seem quite right. Perhaps I just listened to it too many times.
Planet Hell - 4.5/5 - The male choir is a really cool beginning, but somehow the full choir coming in loses its feeling. However, the song makes up for it. Marko actually sounds RIGHT in this song! He really helps the song instead of worsening it, and actually sounds nice against Tarja's vocals (which sound best in the chorus. Uh, again). The choir really wasn't necessary during the chorus, but it doesn't detract too much.
Creek Mary's Blood - 5/5 - I really like this song. While some may not like the intermingling of Native American themes with metal, I really think it gives it a very nice touch. The chanting is very pretty, as is the flute (I think it's a flute?). Of course, Tarja sounds great, and surprisingly she sounds great in both the chorus and normal verses! This is one of those rare songs that I liked most when it was quiet and not too heavy, though the heavy chorus was still pretty. Generally a very sad song, but beautiful nonetheless.
The Siren - 3/5 - I don't like this song all that much. The beginning is cool, but once everyone starts singing... Eh. It goes downhill. Tarja doesn't sound as nice as she normally does, and really, the best singing comes from the "Oh, Oh, Oh, Oooooh" after Tarja sings a bit, and near the middle. Marko doesn't sound wonderful once again. Honestly, the song has a gorgeous melody and may have been best as an instrumental; the singing is poor.
Dead Gardens - 2/5 - The Siren at least had a good melody. Dead Gardens doesn't even manage that one. It is very repetitive, in melody and singing. Tarja shouldn't have repeated/dragged out (I can't tell which one she's doing; maybe both) the words of some songs; it makes her sound very silly. The whispering near the middle isn't bad, but unnecessary, and the chorus is probably the best part (even that isn't too great).
Romanticide - 3/5 - "Aie! Dead Gardens repeated?!" was my first thought. The beginning sounds nearly identical to Dead Gardens, and the "Oh!"'ing is silly in this song. Tarja sounds better than she did before, but I am not overly fond of the melody... Until the chorus comes (yeah, yet again). After the first chorus comes (around 2min 32s), though, things improve considerably. The melody picks up, Tarja sounds better, and the drumming becomes really nice. The whispering and screaming near the end really ruin it, however; it sounds like Nightwish decided to try being truly metal, and it didn't work.
Ghost Love Score - 5/5 - I love it. I can't describe it. People may say it's overrated, but damn it's GORGEOUS. The choir is actually used properly again. The orchestra is beautiful. Tarja sounds wonderful. Marko is out of the picture (poor guy; I may sound unkind, but I just don't like his voice). The band sounds great. Nightwish chose to grab everything (but Marko's voice) and pack it together, and it worked! Definitely one of Nightwish's best, and the chorus actually sounds beautiful having the choir sing it. I could (and do!) listen to this song many times in a row without pause. While most may not like the repeating of the chorus at the end, I really like it. The song may be long, but I personally love the long songs. Just beautiful...
Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan - 4/5 - At first, I didn't like this song, probably because Ghost Love Score was before it. I've listened to the native Finnish language in songs before, and thus hearing Tarja sing it wasn't strange for me. It was just so slow, and I'm not one for the slower songs. However, after a few more listens, the sad melody and Tarja complement each other well. It is rather pretty, as long as you don't mind how soft it is (I like the heavy songs. Can't help it; it can drown out my silly family well!). It's one of the Nightwish songs that need more than one listen to be really appreciated.
Higher than Hope - 4/5 - The beginning lacks a bit -- the strings just doesn't sound too great until 1min. Then the chorus comes in; while it isn't the best part (gasp!), it does help bring the song up a notch and get rid of the poor beginning. The strings blend together with the rest nicely, and while the song sounds VERY familiar to previous ones, it at least is not as bad as they are! At 3min 12s, what sounds like a radio newscast or something comes in; it sounds like it was added to the song, and while I can't quite tell what he's saying, it probably deals with the song's lyrics (or maybe it's the other way around). Another song that will most likely need more than one listen.
White Night Fantasy (Bonus Track) - 2/5 - I don't like this song. The beginning is rather pretty, but once Tarja comes in, it, surprisingly, goes downhill. I agree with many others; Tarja sounds silly here. Her voice is practically squeaky, and she sounds untrained. She sounds lovely during the chorus, but the melody seems generally cliched and it just isn't a good song.
Live to Tell the Tale - 4/5 - It starts off reminding me of Christmas music; thankfully, it goes away from that and becomes Nightwish. You can still hear the Christmas music in the background, but it's drowned out. It is a very pretty song, with Tarja sounding lovely in more than just the chorus. It's basically the same story as Higher than Hope - Sounds very similar to other songs, but does a better job.
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In general, seven of the eleven original songs are a good listen, which seems to be what I generally get from a good Nightwish track. Of the two bonus tracks, one is a good listen; again, Nightwish quality. Here are its flaws:
Chorus the best part: Notice how almost every time, the chorus was the best part? This isn't normal. Previous Nightwish albums had beautiful choruses, yes, but they weren't always the best part. Over the Hills and Far Away had a great chorus, but the normal verses were great too; Astral Romance didn't even NEED a chorus to be great. Here, you practically wait for the chorus for the song to get really good. If Nightwish makes another album, they should try to make the entire song memorable, not just the chorus.
Choir Overused: The choir was only truly awesome in two songs: Dark Chest of Wonders and Ghost Love Score. They appeared in plenty more, but it was overused and didn't sound right. Furthermore, they sounded best when actually SAYING something. After a few songs, I got tired of just hearing the choir sing "Oh". If that's all the room you have for them, leave them out; the song will be better.
Variety: Variety lacked. Dead Gardens, Romanticide, Higher than Hope, and Live to Tell the Tale sounded far too similar. If it weren't for their own unique additions, Dark Chest of Wonders, The Siren, and Planet Hell would probably sound similar to them as well. That's seven out of thirteen songs. Previous Nightwish albums have had good variety, with each song being unique; even Wishmaster, one of my least favorites, had some variety. Once lacks that variety; the songs are beautiful, but variety would make them unique and make them so easier to remember.
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There are other minor things, but I won't mention them. Now, what's good about this album? Well, the orchestra is beautiful in nearly every song, Tarja sounds great, Marco doesn't sound silly all the time, the songs that are epic ARE exceptional, and the band sounds good when they actually try a bit of variety.
Ultimately, it's Nightwish material. It has its flaws, but it is beautiful regardless. While I would not recommend you start off with it if you're new to Nightwish, if you're a Nightwish fan like me, I think you can appreciate it.
Have fun, and happy listening!
Greatest album of all time March 3, 2006
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Simply put, this is the greatest album I have ever heard, and will probably ever hear. Once was my first Nightwish album and is in my opinion definately the best, with the previous album, Century Child, coming in at a close 2nd. Many Nightwish fans argue that Wishmaster is better than Once, but I must disagree. As for Angels Fall First and Oceanborn, I have not yet heard them so I cannot compare.
The Opening track "Dark Chest of Wonders" gets things off to a rocking start, followed by the awesome singles "Wish I Had an Angel" and "Nemo". WIHaA is a very "different" song for Nightwish, almost touching on a techno-type beat, but still managing to come off sounding like an A-class metal song. "Nemo" is one of my favourite tracks of all time. The guitars cut out during the first few verses leaving Tarja singing with only drums and ominous bass guitar. Of course when the chorusses come around some of the heaviest melodic guitar you will ever hear punches in, and during the outro the orchestra even makes an appearance to give the song that extra power. Again, the extensive use of a full orchestra and choir on this album is something many traditional Nightwish fans feel was too much of a departure from the band's earlier sound, but in my opinion any time a metal band can mix in such exquisite orchestral arrangements it only helps to make songs infinitely more powerful and interesting.
"Planet Hell" and "Romanticide" are among the fastest tracks on the album and will bring out the headbanger in anyone's grandmother, while slower ballads such as the finnish "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan", which features a beautiful cello interlude, serve to rouse the emotions and make the listener feel the music. Another slower song is "Creek Mary's Blood", which features a native american theme, even bringing in a flute solo not unlike that on "Forever Yours" (from the Century Chold album). This track also has beautiful oration and chanting performed by John Two-Hawks. The album's crowning acheivement and in fact, the best song of all time by any band, has to be the massive ballad "Ghost Love Score". This song is really long, but thanks to numerous shifts in pace is not tedious for even one second. The orchestra and choirs take center stage here and what results is the strongest piece of musical magic ever recorded. This is definately one to play loud and with your eyes closed. How Tuomas manages to write songs of this magnitude time and time again just amazes me. Greatest songwriter of our time anyone?
Included on this edition are bonus tracks "White Night Fantasy" and "Live to Tell the Tale". Both songs kick ass and fit in perfectly with the sound of the album. The CD also includes the video to "wish I had an Angel". It's a good video but personally I would've preferred the Nemo video to be on here. That is a brilliant video, and is in fact the one Nightwish song that I had ever heard prior to buying this album. Needless to say I've never looked back and progressive, operatic, symphonic or "whatever you want to call it" metal is now all I can listen to. I used to live in the dark thinking bands like Metallica (classic), Coal Chamber(nu) or Dimmu Borgir(black) were all metal had to offer, but this album is so good it has ruined all other kinds of music for me. I also recommend other prog-metal bands like Kamelot, Sonata Arctica, Lacuna Coil etc. I also can't wait to hear Epica and Leave's Eyes. Reviews on Amazon make them sound really interesting and i will order them as soon as i can afford to.
This album also marks an important landmark since we now know that it will have been singer Tarja's last studio album with the band. While this news is distressing, I can't wait to see who the new singer is and what the impact on the band's sound will be.
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