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 enlarge | Artist: Nightwish
Label: Roadrunner Records
Category: Music
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $12.88
You Save: $6.10 (32%)
New (42) Used (9) from $10.50
Rating:  173 reviews
Sales Rank: 1525
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 5 x 0.4
MPN: 179842
UPC: 016861798420
EAN: 0016861798420
ASIN: B000URDEB0
Release Date: October 2, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new Item. CD, DVD, Book, VHS more than 400 000 titles to choose from. ALL days Low Price !
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Showing reviews 6-10 of 173
 Missed opportunity November 2, 2007
Justin Gaines (Atlanta, GA)
18 out of 22 found this review helpful
I want to start by saying that I'm not a huge Tarja fan. She's talented enough, but for my money there are plenty of other female vocalists out there who are as good if not better than the ousted diva. It's a shame Nightwish couldn't have picked one of them to be their new vocalist after their much publicized split with Tarja. When you have what is arguably the biggest female fronted metal band in the world, you should have your pick of great singers. I'm stunned that Annette Olzon is the best they could come up with. I'm sure she's a perfectly lovely person, and I could care less that she doesn't do the whole operatic thing (which can get on my nerves after a while), but the sad fact is she's just not suited for this type of music and is way out of her league here. If Lullacry needs a new singer, I'm sure she'd be a great replacement, but this is Nightwish, people!
What makes this even more of a shame is that musically Dark Passion Play is probably the absolute best album the band has written. I was impressed with Once, but the songwriting and symphonic arrangements on this album are simply awe-inspiring. This is epic metal on par with Therion. With any other vocalist - Tarja, Floor from After Forever, Simone from Epica - this would have been Nightwish's greatest achievement. Even a male singer would have worked (seriously, imagine this album with Evergrey's Tom Englund at the mic). Instead, it just seems like a missed opportunity.
Musically, Dark Passion Play rates 5 stars easily. The vocals deserve 2 stars. I tried to give Annette a fair try, but her voice is just not right here. I think I'm going to have to trade this one in for the "collector's edition" that comes with a bonus disc featuring an instrumental version of the album. That should be a lot easier to tolerate.
One last thing, the songs aimed at Tarja and her husband are just plain petty. I know the split wasn't amicable, but there are umpteen press releases and interviews that make that plain. Your dirty laundry has no business on the album though.
BIGGER is not always better October 8, 2007
Drmr Boy (So.CA USA)
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
If you have seen the DVD "End of Innocence" Toumas talks about how the concept and sound of the Band changed once they first heard Tarja Sing the songs they had started to write in the Beginning. He stated he voice was "Too Bombastic" for the softer celtic/folk direction they had planned, so they had to beef everything up and and alot more dynamics to the Songs to compliment her Voice. Well this CD "Dark Passion Play" is just that, very Dark and Passonate -but also VERY Heavy & Powerful! But the the problem is Annette has a very tradional sounding Voice,which sound beautiful in the softer sections of the Songs with just Key's and Orchestrations, but once the Guitars, Bass, and Drums kick in to high gear, the poor Lady gets buried alot of the times. I know alot of this could have been corrected in the mix and mastering done on the CD, but to me the bottom line is I think the band and songs on this CD are just to heavy to compliment her Voice. She doesn't have the natual projection and range that an Opera Singer has to project over just about anything, so they should have come down to her level, or chose a Vocalist that had the power to rise to that level. I'm not knocking Annette's ability, I just don't think she was a good choice if Tuomas wanted to continue with the dynamic classical/metal direction of the band and not go more mainstream with the Music to better suit her Voice.
 Definitely a keeper November 9, 2007
KAJ (Southwest USA)
17 out of 23 found this review helpful
Okay... I don't write many reviews but for this particular purchase, I felt I had to make an exception. Along with most other fans, I was worried about the future of Nightwish after all of the (somewhat) recent hullabaloo over the band's change of lead singer. Those worries, I am pleased to say, were completely unnecessary. Right up front I will say that this is one of the best albums I've had the pleasure of listening to. The opening song "Poet and the Pendulum" grabs you by the throat and holds you enthralled for its entire 14 minute duration. It is classic Nightwish - powerful and bombastic, soft and melancholy - full of musical twists and turns and amazing lyrics; epic in every sense of the word. Wow. And that is only the beginning.
I won't go into a track by track analysis because so many others have done a better job with that then I ever could (and these things are so subjective anyway). Let it suffice to say that unlike any other Nightwish album (and I own and love them all), there is not one single track on this album that I have any urge to skip over. Not one. Even after many repeated spins. There is so much variety in the musical styles presented here that the sound never becomes boring or repetitive. Yet it all the while maintains that distinctive flavor that is uniquely Nightwish; with the power to evoke a visceral response in the listener (me). That, to me, is quite an accomplishment.
Now, I don't really want to bring up any singer comparisons here because it has already been hashed to death (and not always in the most respectful fashion, which is a shame), but I will say, while not the soprano we're used to, Anette Olzon is a powerful vocalist in her own right. And as the new lead singer for Nightwish, she services the music very well. Exceptionally well, in fact. This is made all the more impressive considering the album was not tailored to her particular strengths. The songs were written and the music recorded before she was even brought on board. That being the case, I can't wait to see what the "new" Nightwish has in store for future albums where her input will have more consideration. But she does a very, very fine job here. Her voice is warm and accessible but can pack considerable punch. And her vocals blend with Marco's beautifully ("The Islander" made my jaw drop). I can't wait to hear more harmonizing from them in the future. Consider me a fan.
I know that certain aspects of this album are going to be nitpicked to death because of the controversy surrounding the band's lineup. But music is so subjective and everyone's tastes are so different. So I guess what I really would like to say is, regardless of any of the reviews you've read (mine included), if you are a fan of Nightwish or are someone just looking for some new music to try, you owe it to yourself to give this album a listen without bias (or at least with an open mind). Hopefully, you'll decide it's worth picking up. I did. And I couldn't be more pleased.
New era for Nightwish November 11, 2007
J. Scheppler (Plano, TX USA)
17 out of 26 found this review helpful
Tuomas Holopainen is probably a musical genius. For certain, he's a gifted songwriter. It's refreshing that on "Dark Passion Play," the first album with new singer Anette Olzon, elements of the "old" Nightwish are in evidence, as well as songs that take Nightwish in a different direction. It might be tempting for some to write off "The Islander" and "Last of the Wilds" as not Nightwish, but the truth is that Nightwish is whatever Holopainen and the rest of the band want it to be. It should be remembered that Led Zeppelin effortlessly moved between heavy and light in their hey-day. No reason Nightwish can't do the same, especially with Olzon bringing a welcome rock sensibility to her vocals. She is simply brilliant on "Amaranth" and "Eva," and her duets with Marco Hietala on "Bye Bye Beautiful" and "The Islander" are effective because she never sounds like she's competing against Marco's voice. Perhaps the only misstep on DPP is "Master Passion Greed" with its overdosing guitars, but I'm sure even it brings headbanging joy to many fans. DPP emerges as the herald of a new era for Nightwish, one I am anxious to see evolve. Can't help but wonder where Tuomas Holopainen's imagination will lead him -- and Nightwish's fans -- next.
 What I had Once is Gone October 4, 2007
hsylves (USA)
15 out of 30 found this review helpful
A long time ago I went searching for magical music and I found Nightwish. The specific combination of voice, music and most important - spirit hit me like a ton of bricks.
Ah - but all perfect beauty comes to an end and life moves on. So I wanted to give this work every chance that I could. I have within my limitations and here are my thoughts:
Just because you can hit a high note doesn't necessarily mean you should -especially repeatedly.
Yelling over metal music is different than singing with power within metal music.
It takes a certain charisma to make inane lyrics seem like they mean something.
An "epic" happens, you can't force it.
An over-reliance on orchestration and arrangement is a crutch.
I appreciate what Nightwish had and I hope they have success going forward but, for me, this sounds like Britney Spears ran into Yanni and they thought they could play some "old" Metallica together with a little but of Transiberian Orchestra thrown in.
I think what is most evident is the spirit. It hasn't morphed and it hasn't changed - it is truly missing.
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