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| Dark Passion Play | 
 enlarge | Artist: Nightwish
Label: Roadrunner Records
Category: Music
List Price: $21.98
Buy New: $12.03
You Save: $9.95 (45%)
New (34) Used (11) from $10.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  58 reviews
Sales Rank: 3628
Format: Special Edition, Extra Tracks
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 179702
UPC: 168617970274
EAN: 0016861797027
ASIN: B000URDEBA
Release Date: October 2, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new Item. CD, DVD, Book, VHS more than 400 000 titles to choose from. ALL days Low Price !
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| Customer Reviews:
 An Epic, Revolutionary Masterpiece October 3, 2007
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
This may be one of the most anticipated albums of the year. Nightwish has a reputation for perpetually increasing excellence, so they had a lot to live up to. Especially considering the departure of front-woman Tarja Turunen in 2005. As fans will testify, Tarja's amazing voice has been immortalized on all of Nightwish's incredible albums thus far, and her part in the band's history will always be loved and remembered. Even so, change is the natural evolution for anything progressive, giving us something different and fresh even if we feel that we want the same thing that we've always had. Enter Anette Olzon, the Swedish singer loaded with potential. Though she will never be universally accepted, I have very high hopes for her and the talent that she can bring to Nightwish.
Back to Dark Passion Play--composer Tuomas Holopainen is a musical genius, once again proving here that he is capable of anything. This album can be considered a revolution in music, due to the impeccable writing, production quality, and spectacular orchestral arrangements. Better yet, this special edition includes the show-stopping instrumentals used for each song. Here's a breakdown of each track:
1. The Poet and the Pendulum (25,000/10) This is the greatest piece of music ever written. It's a 14-minute long masterpiece of haunting orchestral perfection, combined with beautiful vocals and the most insane fiddle you will ever hear. My jaw drops every time I hear this epic tour de force, and I don't think I've ever rocked out so hard in my life. Nightwish had the right idea making this the opening track; it will probably become part of music legend, and I don't think it will ever be outdone.
2. Bye Bye Beautiful (9/10) The powerful farewell song to Tarja. It's a passionate, savage catharsis, sung in the style of "Wish I Had an Angel" (with Marco singing the chorus and Anette on the other verses).
3. Amaranth (10/10) The catchiest darn thing ever, and an excellent choice for the first single. Anette truly makes this energetic song her own, and it stands out as one of the album's highlights.
4. Cadence of Her Last Breath (9.5/10) A darkly beautiful song with an amazing chorus. This is another example of a song that seems to have been created for the sole purpose of having Anette sing it.
5. Master Passion Greed (9.5/10) This song is hardcore--there's no other word for it. It's just Marco singing, and the intensity is almost overwhelming. There is some profanity, but it really shouldn't bother you, because it's such an awesome song. And there's an insanely forceful outro of just the orchestra, with the angriest sounding strings you'll ever hear.
6. Eva (6/10) This is one of the only lackluster songs on the album. It's remarkably pretty, and Anette's voice is showcased very nicely, but nothing about it stands out as riveting or memorable.
7. Sahara (8.5/10) A very exotic, otherworldly song. Unusual instrumentation, a male choir, and catchy lyrics make it a decent listen, and Anette's vocalizing is pretty awesome.
8. Whoever Brings the Night (9/10) Even though I hated this one at first because of its oddities, I've grown to love it. (I think) it's a vampire-courtesan song, which is pretty cool. The opening guitar-work by Emppu is stunning and thrashing. The instumentation is exotic, sinister, and atmospheric, and Anette uses her voice in a startlingly evil way that exemplifies her versitility.
9. For the Heart I Once Had (7/10) A poppy song, easily conceivable to be on the radio. There's nothing wrong with this song; there's just nothing special about it either.
10. The Islander (10/10) In my opinion, the biggest surprise on the album. Heavily influenced by Celtic music, this song features Marco singing in the best, most Irish accent that a Finnish person could ever hope to pull off. Anette sings backup against a collection of ancient flutes and bagpipes, and the resulting effect is stunningly gorgeous. I love Celtic music, and while this song may be out of place on a symphonic metal album, I can't get enough off it.
11. Last of the Wilds (10/10) Another Celtic-styled piece, this time a beautiful instrumental flowing seamlessly from the previous track. It is rare for a voiceless song to keep my interest, but this music has me transfixed. Tuomas is truly the most versatile musician in the industry, because I see this instrumental as nothing short of miraculous.
12. 7 Days to the Wolves (9.5/10) A fun, rabidly dark song that is both spooky and energetic. Anette and Marco sure have fun singing it together, with the choir providing a haunting backdrop. Midway, look out for the amazing fiddle part.
13. Meadows of Heaven (10/10) The lyrics might be overly sweet and sentimental, but this song is exquisitely beautiful. Some slight Celtic influences are heard throughout, and the choir joins Anette in the middle for a larger-than-life climax. Near the end, the song features solos from individual choir members, so passionate and heartfelt that you will get chills. This is the perfect closer to the album.
Any diehard Nightwish fan needs this album, but it is also a good CD for getting accustomed to the band and its genre. Just keep an open mind, and appreciate it for what it is--a masterpiece.
Nightwish: Modern Mozart October 16, 2007
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
For the last two years, controversy has broiled over the dismissal of Tarja Turunen from the Finnish "Epic Metal" band, Nightwish. With their latest release, "Dark Passion Play", Nightwish reminds us that this band is a collection of talented musicians playing the masterfully written pieces penned by keyboardist Tuomos Holopainen. If Wolfgang Mozart or Ludwig Von Beethoven were alive today, they would be writing Symphonic Power Metal in the vein of Nightwish.
Nightwish began in 1996, originally as a musical project by Holopainen as an attempt to introduce traditional folk music influences into heavy metal music. Their first album, "Angels Fall First," demonstrates how unsuited Turunen's voice was for this task. Holopainen altered his original concept to incorporate more influences from opera and classical symphony to give the classically trained opera singer Turunen a better back drop. For the next nine years, this decision to forgoe the artist's original vision helped shape Nightwish into a band of truely epic proportions. Nevertheless, the artist was still forced to forgoe his original vision, which is perhaps the greatest shame of all.
With tracks like "The Islander," "Last of the Wilds," and "Meadows of Heaven," we see the artist returning to this vision, with stunning results. These are perhaps the most surprising pieces on "Dark Passion Play." Their place in the album is unquestionable -- they fit perfectly -- yet the discrepency between these tracks and much heavier fair such as "Master Passion Greed" and "7 Days to the Wolves" is staggering. Taken in full, the album is a brilliant display of song-writing; it is nearly unimaginable that such a broad range of musical styling could come from mostly one writer.
The epic masterpiece of the album is the opening track, "The Poet and the Pendulum" (from the lyrics of which we gain the title of the album). At nearly 14 minutes long, not only is it Nightwishes' longest track (over 3 minutes longer than 2002's "Beauty of the Beast"), it is their most ambitious piece to date, a veritable rock opera in a single track. It never falters, never lingers, running at 100% power to its sweet-yet-sad ending. This track sets the tone of the entire album, an excellent introduction to Nightwish's vast breadth. It resembles traditional Nightwish fair, while also expanding into new territories.
This is perhaps the most awe inspiring part of this album: that it spans the full range of Nightwish's entire history, while still experimenting with new ideas. With 13 tracks, Holopanien, et. al., not only create tracks that should please even the oldest of Nightwish fans, but also draw in new fans. Other bands would take two albums over the course of years to perform such a wide swing of styles. The only one that comes to mind in recent time is the double-disc set "In Your Honor" from the Foo Fighters. However, this was more of a pairing of polar opposites than a single, comprehensive collection of styles perfectly meshed together.
What this album also displays is that Holopainen is not the only talent in the band. Nightwish is ultimately a compendium of extremely talented artists, each capable of great things in their own right. Tarja Turenen fans will focus on her absence, but the truth is that only three members remain from Nightwish's original lineup: the mastermind Holopainen, guitarist Empuu Vuorinen, and drummer Jukka Nevalainen. Bassist Marco Hietala replaced the original bassist Sami Vaenskae in 2002. Additionally, Nightwish has recorded their studio albums with a full orchestral accompanyment since 2003. The sharing of writing credits and the greater participation of Hietala with lead vocals speaks clearly, "Nightwish is more than just one person". It was Turunen's violation of their Muskateer-like devotion to the band, and by extension the fans, that led to her dismissal.
One cannot deny that Turunen possesses a powerful voice. However, for too long that voice represented a niche shtick for Nightwish. As opera singers are concerned, Turunen was average at best, and recent performances show her to be slipping in her training. Annette Olzen brings a much more versatile voice to the group, one that is capable of schooling Turunen with her own songs ("Ever Dream," the demo with which Olzen gained acceptance into the band), matching her with new songs ("For the Heart I Once Had," "Whoever Brings the Night"), and sailing further than Turunen ever could ("Meadows of Heaven," "Eva"). Do not underestimate Olzen, she has power to spare, with the control that Turunen lacked.
This album is a collection of songs written by Nightwish spreading their wings after throwing off their preconceptions. It is a test drive for a new lead signer. It is the first reallization of an artist's great vision. It is a premonition of the future and shows that Nightwish will become one of the classic bands that music theorist must study.
Welcome to the new Nightwish... October 4, 2007
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
In a recent interview, Tuomas said this was the darkest and heaviest album they had recorded (musically and lyrically), and I must certainly agree. Their new singer Annette, sings with a power and versatility that's far different from Tarja's style, but has added a new dimension to the band, one that I hope fellow longtime fans can appreciate. Some may say she sounds too 'rocker' or even 'pop', but I think her voice fits perfectly with the overall aggressive feel on this album. We will, however,have to wait and see how she handles singing the old songs...
The album starts off with Poet and the Pendulum, a powerful 14 minute rock aria similar to Once's 'Ghost Love Score'. This is usually the kind of song that should be last, but if you really listen to the lyrics, it's definitely a good 'intro' to the album's tone. They continue to rock in the usual Nightwish style, equip with orchestra and choirs, but also throws in a few musical surprises. 'Cadence of Her Last Breath' has an 'Evanescence-like' influence to it; 'Master Passion Greed' and 'Sahara' are by far the hardest Nightwish songs. 'Master Passion Greed' sounds like a mix of 'old skool Metallica' & 'Judas Priest', and even throws in some 'Tool-like' drums; and 'The Islander', 'Last of the Wilds', '7 Days to the Wolves', and 'Meadows of Heaven' all have beautiful Celtic influences (something not heard on previous discs). Overall, I found it hard to choose a favorite on this cd with so much musical variety to listen to. This is a ground-breaking new direction for the band, both musically and vocally, and I can't wait for more. There is also a bonus disc of this cd with instrumental versions of all the songs; so even if you disagree on the new singer, you can still appreciate the beauty of Nightwishs' music.
And for us die hard fans of Tarja, she is soon to release an album titled 'My Winter Storm', and has already released her first single and video entitled 'I Walk Alone'.
a response to: stagecrewlizzy "nomisofsiman" October 11, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Everyone has an opinion, and I respect stagecrewlizzy's; nonetheless, for the sake of others considering purchasing this album, I wanted to express a few points of disagreement.
SCL wrote: Yes, it's no lie it would be better if Tarja would be here but that's not going to happen.
RWF: In my opinion, that's a good thing. While Tarja was great, Anette is also great, and I truly enjoy her voice more than Tarja's - for me Anette's a better match for Nightwish's music. I'd love to hear them go back and remake all their previous albums with Anette's voice replacing Tarja's. Don't be afraid that Anette is either incompetent or unsuitable for their music - I'd say she's perfect for them.
SCL wrote: Basically the way to compare it is if Amy Lee of Evanescence joined the band. More of a pop voice than operatic but it works. So honestly, Annette isn't why I have an issue with the album.
RWF: I'm going to have to disagree with this as a bad comparison. Amy Lee's voice has a very blues/jazz flavor to it. Anette's has a very stage-musical, Disney-musical flavor to it; she reminds me a bit of the singers of Abba, and she reminds me a LOT of the singer for the Gathering (Anneke Van Giersbergen). Trust me, aside from both being talented female Metal singers, Anette and Amy Lee have altogether different voices.
SCL: Despite me saying how great a song writer Tuomas is, he has one major dud. "Master Passion Greed" is atrocious ... this song just seems angry and loud with no real artistic integrity behind it. This song should've been omitted but it wasn't which is too bad because had it not been for this awful song, I would've given this a 5.
RWF: I have to say I was impressed with "Master Passion Greed". Being a longtime listener of Metal (since 1980), this song made me say "All right! Nightwish doing a classic-Metal song!" It hearkens unto the styles of Mercyful Fate and Judas Priest, with the quasi-classical atmosphere of King Diamond and Rising Force; it also reminds me of some of Kamelot's faster tunes. Definitely a worthy number, and I for one would enjoy hearing more classic-metal from this band!
By the way, I simply can't stop listening to track 4, "Cadence of Her Last Breath". I've had it on repeat for up to an hour at a time!
 SELL OUT! October 26, 2007
4 out of 12 found this review helpful
The band is selling out. If you compare their latest album to their older albums, you would find that the music style changes. This album sounds way too generic. Nightwish had it right the first time. What happened to the metal-opera style that I loved!? They never should have fired Tarja Turunen. This has become a big disappointment.
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