Nightwish - Wishmaster

Bands that are ”onto something” - bands signed on big an powerful labels providing them with huge studio budgets and great tour possibilities, bands that get great reviews in all the biggest magazines, bands that get coverage on national TV, bands that appear on my top 10 of the year-lists - they all tend to suffer from a kind of the same syndrome - they all tend to commercialise. Not every band to the same extent, of course, (cheers to Dimmu Borgir…) but I can just list bands like Yngwie (“Odyssey”), Dream Theater (everything after “Images…”), Stratovarius (everything after “Visions”), Rhapsody (“Dawn of Victory”) and a hole bunch of others. I’m not talking about going total Bon Jovi, of course, but once they’ve found a style or “sound” to/with which they’re satisfied and sell a lot of records, they stick to that sound, as it satisfies the fans, themselves, and the label boss. Of course, this is not necessarily wrong; all the aforementioned bands are among my favourites, although the latest Rhapsody disc was a huge disappointment;, and some bands manage to be both traditional and inventive at the same time - Blind Guardian is a band that easily springs to mind. I guess, though, that this is something many bands tend to do at once they begin to see a certain amount of money streaming in. But why do I begin discussing financial-musical matters here, instead of just reviewing that album - Nightwish’ third opus “Wishmaster”?

Well, I guess the reason is quite obvious. With that album (“Wishmaster”), that band (Nightwish) did just what I mentioned above. Their success began to become obvious, Nuclear Blast’s pressure from behind became more intense, and their name at once was not something that was only known in the deepest abysses of the Metal underground. The fivesome of Metalhead school-pals that some years ago founded what was to be Nightwishä, had suddenly become - well maybe not Rock-stars - but at least quite famous, and as some demi-star from some movie (may be Wayne’s World or something with Jim Carrey, I’m not sure) would say - they’d become huge.

I’m not saying that this is wrong either. Nightwish is a highly talented band, which have released three good - at times marvellous - albums, and they are magnificent on stage presenting a show perfectly balanced between operatic drama (Tarja) and raw Heavy Metal thunder (Tuomas’ madman head-banging during the lead guitar parts and Emppu’s Yngwie-like mouth gymnastics during the keyboard breaks (this last one’s a bit hard to explain, check out some pictures or just go to see them play. I love Europe…)). At this point I’m tempted to ask Alanna to put up on the site a “Is it time for Torgeir to cut the crap”-poll or something like that, just because I’ve emptied myself for ideas on how to make smooth transitions between the introduction and the presentation of the songs in my reviews… But I won’t.

1. She is my Sin - In my review of “Oceanborn”, I pointed at the fact that some of the guitar riffing was a bit tame and dull, and that the emphasis maybe to a too big extent was put on the keyboards. In this track this problem (if this was a problem) is solved in the greatest possible way, and Mr. Vuorinen riffs with the best of them. Although the riffs are very “Finnish” (think Stratos, Children of Bodom etc. etc.) they are as crunchy as a newly opened package of Maryland cookies, and rocks this track to definite Metal heaven. And if those riffs weren’t enough you may add what’s maybe Tarja’s best performance to date (check out the calm pre-chorus after the solo section - GODLY) and some terrific melodies and keyboard work that is so totally Tuomas and you’ve got one hell of an opener.

2. The Kinslayer - A song about the tragic (tragic? Hey, aren’t we bad-ass Heavy Metal maniacs who just adooore such bloodbaths? Well, kinda) slaughter of fifteen school children in the US in 1999, this tune is one of the more experimental or theatrical tunes on the album. After a powerful and crunchy intro, the track consists merely of one main part - a quite bombastic and symphonic, still very rhythmic piece with an almost “cursing” quality to it - that’s repeated several times throughout. This never becomes boring, though, because as the clever composer he is, Tuomas knows not to overdo things (Italy, can you hear me?). Therefore, we also get several pompous synth-parts, theatrical male vocals, almost orgasmic vocals by Tarja, cool riffing and everything else a proper Nightwish number would need, but all the time returning to the mentioned main part. The lyrics are very well-written, putting the tragic accident into a new and more “mystical” perspective. “Even the dead cry/ -Their only comfort/Kill your friends, I don’t care/Orchid kids, blinded stare”.

3. Come Cover Me - And now we’re back in the super-catchy, but still melancholic Metal which have made Nightwish famous. Personally I think it’s just as much these type of songs - think “Elvenpath” from “Angels Fall First”, “Sacrament of Wilderness” of “Oceanborn”, and this one - that earns these Finns their well-deserved cash. Of course, the ballads - which very often are the singles of the albums - also do their pile of work, but these tunes are so obscurely addictive, so deliberately mind-controlling that it’s impossible even for the most A4, nine to five-working Jones or Smith not to stamp his feet. The track’s quite basically structured, its verse-, bridge-, and chorus-sections are clearly defined, but when they all are so damn good, it doesn’t bother me. Killer track.

4. Wanderlust - …is a bit more of an uneven track. The intro, which reminds me quite a lot of the such to “Gethsemane” from “Oceanborn” is nothing special, once again a classical-influenced scale sequence that’s lacking the flair to make such parts entertaining. The rest of the tune, on the other hand, is absolutely brilliant, from the German-sounding verses, to the pompous bridge to the purely magnificent piece of music that is the chorus. The melodies, the harmonies, the pure symphonic power that this track consists (maybe except from the intro) is in any possible way top-notch, and Nightwish at their best. To make things even better we get some of the more kicking riffs at the disc too, check out the part at about 2:50, for example. The tapping rhythm guitar at 3:10 is also a highlight. “I want to love by the Blue Lagoon/Kiss under waning moon/Straying, claiming my place in this mortal coil.”

5. Two for Tragedy - There’s no doubt that Nightwish knows how to create good ballads. Therefore it’s with a heavy heart I hereby announce that “Two for Tragedy” is not among the best they’ve done. Tarja’s vocals at 0:20 are (of course) purely brilliant, but the following flute melody is actually nothing but a rip-off of the main-theme of “Stargazers” of “Oceanborn” (of’s aplenty, here). This trend continues throughout the entire track - Tarja’s vocals are excellent, but the song itself is not that special. On the average Italian Power-Metal album this would have been a highlight, but on an effort by Nightwish, it becomes one of the more mediocre tracks on the album.

6. Wishmaster - Did I hear the word poor? Anyway, this is as far from the truth as it’s possible to come when dealing with a song like this one. This is Metal a´la 2000 at it’s best. Bombastic, powerful, melodic, crunchy and every other positive term you may think of - they all fit when talking about such a beauty. Enough said, this is the definite highlight of the album, and definitely one of the band’s best songs ever. “Master! Apprentice! Heartborne, 7th Seeker/Warrior! Disciple! In me the Wishmaster”.

7. Bare Grace Misery.,, - …is a track that falls into the same category as for example “Come Cover Me” (see above). It’s quite simple in it’s structure, but really great nonetheless. The verses are quite mellow, without guitars and a relaxed mid-tempo bass, drums and pling-plong keyboards. The track then builds through the bridge into a very catchy chorus and some extraordinary haunting guitar riffs at 1:50. This section is one of the highlights of the entire disc, and a headbanger’s true delight. If I were just a bit more of a hardcore underground Metal guy, I would certainly turn total Darkthrone and slag my head off in an attempt to make my surroundings see how commercial and poppy this tune would be. And it sure is, though, and there is no way that this could make a radio hit somewhere. But, as I said, it’s fucking good nonetheless. “Sweet boy, come in/I am the dark side of you/Die for my sins/Like the One once did.”

8. Crownless - This is Nightwish’ attempt on trying to sound like Stratovarius (maybe inspired by the latter’s sales numbers?), but unfortunately the attempt is rather bad. Both the verse and the chorus-parts are quite nice, in general are all the parts where Tarja’s present quite good, but the instrumental sections are not all honey and milk (personally I prefer honey and whisky, though…). The intro is quite weird - the notes chosen are from the pentatonic scale but the rhythm and structure are true second-class Power Metal. The same goes for the solo; Emppu does a OK one - no highlight but very much better than the awful attempt on a Jens Johansson style lead that Tuomas goes for. I’ve got pretty much respect for this guy as composer and lyricist, but he’s no shred keyboard player. Period. “Crownless again, will I fall?”, says the chorus. “Yes, you just did,” I respond.

9. Deep Silent Complete… - …is in my opinion quite a dull title. And as the majority of the record-buyers seem to agree that the song title has to reflect the musical contents of the song (and a band like Nightwish, which is beginning to grow, can of course not ignore the opinions of the common mind), and thus Nightwish also had to make this song quite dull, just to satisfy to Jones’s expectations concerning the title/content matter. And so they did. Although the opening choir-like vocals are quite beautiful, and that there are some nice, mellow keyboard moments in there, the overall impression that this tune gives me is one of dullness, of mediocrity, of un-Nightwishness. ‘Nuff said.

10. Dead Boy’s Poem - Now this is something else. Once again a ballad - “Wishmaster” is overall a much more relaxed and atmospheric effort than its predecessors (and then especially “Oceanborn”, “Angels Fall First” has a more Gothic/Melancholic feeling to it) - and once again a very good one. It starts very calmly, with Tarja singing completely alone. Those of you who’ve read my comments about Tarja’s vocals before (and by the way, “those of you” is no reaching almost 100 a day, a mighty, Italian hail to that) would know that this is the kinda music that makes the most icy of shivers find its way down my back. And these shivers don’t let go as the track builds either, making this a definite highlight among ballads. The theatrical aspect - a boy actually speaks his poem - only strengthens the song, making this a clear top 10 candidate for my current ballad-listing (a list which by the way is topped by the magnificent but unfortunately still unreleased track “Dance to the Stars” by the relatively unknown band Throne of Thor).

11. FantasMic - After 10 more or less nice tunes it would we boring with a bad one to end the album off, right? And, by the Gods and Up the Irons, this is once again a terrific song (in any case I would never have said that the song sucked, I would never bring forth such statements before the conclusions to the survey “Do metal songs have an own sexuality or not” have been published , and finally (I’ve waited for this some time), a quite lengthy one. Of course, for a fan of Opeth (whose albums seldom consists of more than one of two songs clocking in a under ten minutes) 8,17 minutes is nothing special, but for a mainstream pop-band like Nightwish (see above) this is quite special. The song begins with a nice and choppy keyboard/synth intro and a pompous pre-verse section, before moving to what is the main theme of the tune (very much like the structure of “The Kinslayer”). This is a very nice melody, quite catchy and very “fairytale”-like, and the repetition of these part throughout gives the song a feeling of being one unit, not a zillion parts put together without any thoughts about it. Then we get some marvellous Tarja-isms again (Tuomas knows when to apply his trumps) and a nice guitar part where Emppu’s playing the same theme that Tarja just sung, once again making it feel like a whole. We then get an excellent bombastic effort by Tuomas on flute-sounding synths, and to the Thörsens and Turillis of this world - this is how to construct folk-like Metal music. This is followed by several nice riffs by Emppu spiced up with yet more beautiful Tarja-isms, before the main theme returns to round the track off. “Wish upon a star*/Believe in Will/The realm of the king of fantasy/The master of the tale-like lore/The way to the kingdom I adore/Where the warrior’s heart is pure/Where the stories will come true”.