Nightwish - Oceanborn

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Free Music Notes for Oceanborn

Free Music Review: Perhaps heavy metal's most beautiful album ever conceived
Hit: 5 Stars

Over the last year or so, I've come across and listened to many power metal bands which are popular overseas. Some like to show off virtuoso musicianship by packing in the guitar/keyboard solos and pounding double-kick bass drums. Others are just 3rd-rate clones of better bands. After a while though, I begun to realize that while it's good to hear bands go for the old-school heavy metal sound, a lot of power metal bands lack in the songwriting department and offer nothing unique to add to the old-school sound. In other words, a lot of it doesn't really stand out and there is little variety between certain bands. Helloween, Gamma Ray, and Stratovarius are just a couple of examples.

The good news is that there are many diamonds in the rough, some incredibly talented bands that stand out leagues above the others. Symphony X, Kamelot, Sonata Artica, Blind Guardian, and Iced Earth are among the elite bands of the genre. But we're here to talk about another exceptional power metal act: Nightwish. Comprised of female vocalist Tarja Turunen, keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, drummer Jukka Nevalainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and bassist Sami Vanska, Nightwish opts to create a very melodic, epic, and romantic atmosphere with their music. Usually 'beautiful' is not the word that comes to mind when one thinks of heavy metal music, but with Tarja's soaring operatic vocals and Tuomas's grand orchestral keyboard textures accompanying the rest of the band, Nighwish proves to be VERY convincing in that regard. I'm not a fan of opera, but Tarja sings in a very tasteful opera style, and in time she can grow on all people who give her a chance. The keyboards are just amazing: they can go from synth texture to balladic piano to an orchestral texture, and this gives Nightwish a powerful 'fantasy' overtone. The rest of the band plays in a good power metal style, though they don't stand out as much. Many have also labeled Nightwish a goth/metal band due to the lyrics and the mood their albums evoke, and I can understand that. Whether you think that they're power metal or goth metal, it's up to you to decide.

Oceanborn was the first Nightwish album I've listened to, and so far, I find this to be my favorite one as well. Many fans say that Wishmaster(2001) is the better of the two, but I have a tough time deciding between them. Wishmaster is more dynamic and the songs have more variety, but Oceanborn has a greater epic quality to it, in my opinion. I'll let you decide for yourself. Here are the songs:

1) Stargazers- This track kickstarts the album with a roaring BANG! Lots of sweeping melodies and very memorable. *****

2) Gethsemane- Like the previous track, but the main emphasis this time is on Tarja's vocals and the piano melodies. Also very good. *****

3) Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean- Many people don't like this song due to the annoying guest death metal vocalist (I don't like most death metal vocals either), but other than that, D&TDDO is utterly perfect. Perhaps the heaviest track on here. *****

4) Sacrament Of Wilderness- This rocker offers good guitaring but the main emphasis is on the keyboards. A good track overall. ****

5) Passion And The Opera- A very melodic mid-paced track. This one focuses on Tarja again. ****

6) Swanheart- A piano-lined power ballad. I didn't care for it at first, but it serves as a nice break from the rest of the album, and the bandmembers all play decently. ****

7) Moondance- Sort of an instrumental heavy metal "Russian Dance". It's okay, but this is probably the album's weak spot. ***

8) The Riddler- An enchanting rocker similar to track #4. Quite good, I don't see why so many people underrate this song. It's one of my favorites. *****

9) The Pharaoh Sails To Orion- The fastest track on the album, this is another one with the death metal vocals (ugh), but the rest of the song is pretty good. ****

10) Walking in the Air- While the first ballad was alright, these two tacked on the end of the album are quite excellent. Very moody and melodic, and a perfect way to end the original album *****

11) Sleeping Sun- Much like the previous track, but slower and even more melodic. I personally don't see why this was originally a b-side because this ballad is brilliantly done! Glad they added this on eventually. *****

Oceanborn is a masterpiece of melodic and symphonic metal and certainly one of the high points of power metal. I gladly give this the full 5 stars and recommend it to anyone who wants to hear a metal band that cares for more than just insanely fast solos and double-kick drumming. IF YOU SEE IT, BUY IT.

Other albums which carry similarities to Oceanborn:

(POWER METAL)
-'Wishmaster' by Nightwish
-'Odyssy' by Symphony X
-'V' by Symphony X
-'The Fourth Legacy' by Kamelot
-'Horror Show' by Iced Earth

(GOTH METAL WITH FEMALE VOCALISTS)
-'Comelies' by Lacuna Coil

-'Mandylion' by Gathering

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