Nightwish – Dark Passion Play

I am not going to examine the reasons underlying Tarja’s departure from Nightwish. All I can say right away is that she left a big gap which the band was unable to fill. Poor and ordinary vocals dress up the new songs, no offence to Anette, she is great for Christmas carols but not for symphonic metal. The album starts with a huge mistake. None opens an album with a 13minute long song unless your band is called Dream Theater.

Some bands just manage to limit their abilities and Nightwish are unfortunately one of them. I am not going to analyse this album. I only feel the need to make a few general comments. Finding the successful recipe as a band is acceptable and it is an excellent quality to have. But that’s different from repeating yourself and recycling your ideas. Nightwish now belong to the latter category. I am just irritated by this money-driven strategy that dilutes the real identity of metal music. I like catchy, I like easy-listening, I like simple and groovy, but what Nightwish do is a safe attempt to secure a healthy income.

What saves this album from being a total disaster is Marco’s vocals, the song ‘Bye bye beautiful’ and the incredible sound production. Sorry guys, waiting for your next call.