I'm very curious about this release, but also fear a huge headache. I think my curiosity will win someday, as there are of course medicines against headaches.

Written by Lucas on 20.03.2008 at 18:19

I'm very curious about this release, but also fear a huge headache. I think my curiosity will win someday, as there are of course medicines against headaches.

I doubt you'll get a headache....I suggest you give her album a try...

This was the most boring album of last year for me. Her voice is ok but not that good and the music is just very dull. There is absolutely nothing worth any kind of interest on this release. And there is certainly not any kind of 'atmosphere'. This is just a cold, lifeless, commercial album made for the avid Nightwish fans. IMO, of course.

I think I rated it a 3, and that's exactly what it is worth.

pretty much. i gave it a 5 simply because her voice is wonderful. the songs themselves are plastic, boring, dull, color-by-numbers.

if not for the strength of her voice, i'd probably match Collin's 3.



(edit: after her soulless cover of Poison finally made it's way to my randomizer, i'm dropping it to a 4. )

I waited for this release anxiously like most Tarja era Nightwish fans did. But it came off my CD player after only a few listens, as it gets progressively boring after each and every song, with very few good moments. The mix is wrong, the symphonic metal side is weak, as stated in the review, and the Alice Cooper cover is just plain dull. The only good use I can find for this album is as background music for a romantic evening with the volume way low. There's not a single noteworthy guitar solo on the thing, the drumming is below average, and the only striking feature is her voice, which sounds weird in the mix at times. I love Tarja, but this is disappointing.

Actually I just got this album
well, Its not the best album of the year, but its a nice try from Tarja since she doesnt write music
The Review is very fair i must say, and I like the release cause it has a beatiful calm atmosphere, and the songs are not plastic or dull like BitterCOld & alexxhighlander & Collin said
You dont have to expect a regular nightwish album like Oceanborn or Once
and for you alexxhighlander, there is no noteworthy guitar solo in this album, cause Symphonic Metal doesnt contain solos in the songs
and if u dont believe me, u can check Epica & WT
the review rate is fair, but i must rate it 8.

7 for songwrieing? nooo, that's too much!

Well, that was a very boring album, so I agree with many previous comments.

Very bad album full of fillers... only 2-3 songs are ok... 2.5/10 from me

This is NOT metal. Maybe Symphonic Rock, but half the album is chamber music, really. Now I know why Nightwish stated Tarja wanted to head in a different artistic path, it has nothing to do with the epic and powerful performance she offered with her former bandmates. These songs are slow, pale and cold... My Winter Storm? Right for the "Winter" part but don't expect any storm coming out your earphones... Even Tarja's voice, which is about the only audible thing by the way, is not the same as it was. The only song that could be called metal on this album is Ciaran's Well, but it has nothing remarkable and Tarja'S voice is plainly annoying on it, especially at the end, when she shrieks like a rabid parrot... 5/10

"Ciaran's Well" didn't suit the album very well, to be honest.....nope, I wouldn't even say that was decent metal...this was just some guitar cacophony with Tarja howling a bit...nothing special.....
And does everything need to be fast/slap-in-the-face/bombastic with bunch of electric guitars, amplifiers, fast drumming and stuff? Even if Tarja isn't doing symphonic power metal any longer, she does have a background and she does have the abilities.....
The Gathering ain't making doom death metal nowadays either nor is Anneke Van Giersbergen up to it...but is the music good? Yes, it is.
And well...even if Tarja's "My Winter Storm" is indeed an album with fillers and other flaws, I still say it's better than some "rrraaape evvvry whooore" however bombastic and fast and brutal.....

Written by Ernis on 16.12.2008 at 13:47


The Gathering ain't making doom death metal nowadays either nor is Anneke Van Giersbergen up to it...but is the music good? Yes, it is.

Anneke never played doom death with them
The first album she sang on is of course Mandylion and that isn't doom death by the furthest stretch of the imagination.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 16.12.2008 at 13:52

Written by Ernis on 16.12.2008 at 13:47


The Gathering ain't making doom death metal nowadays either nor is Anneke Van Giersbergen up to it...but is the music good? Yes, it is.

Anneke never played doom death with them
The first album she sang on is of course Mandylion and that isn't doom death by the furthest stretch of the imagination.

I know perfectly that Anneke didn't sing doom death with them....I just pointed out that the band did that style of music.....

Written by Ernis on 16.12.2008 at 14:05


I know perfectly that Anneke didn't sing doom death with them....I just pointed out that the band did that style of music.....

Wasn't 100% clear to me from what you posted, sorry. But I disagree about their music being good nowadays. Of course that is just my opinion. After Always The Gathering turned into a band that started to play music to fall asleep to within a minute But of course that is all totally off-topic.

There's some songs of this album that are amazing but the album is not outstandig..but still love Tarja's voice

In my opinion this album is quite boring, but the voice of Tarja continues being sensational. I hope that their next works they are focused in a heavy direction

Written by MétalNoir on 16.12.2008 at 02:55

This is NOT metal. Maybe Symphonic Rock, but half the album is chamber music, really. Now I know why Nightwish stated Tarja wanted to head in a different artistic path, it has nothing to do with the epic and powerful performance she offered with her former bandmates. These songs are slow, pale and cold... My Winter Storm? Right for the "Winter" part but don't expect any storm coming out your earphones... Even Tarja's voice, which is about the only audible thing by the way, is not the same as it was. The only song that could be called metal on this album is Ciaran's Well, but it has nothing remarkable and Tarja'S voice is plainly annoying on it, especially at the end, when she shrieks like a rabid parrot... 5/10

I agree with you fully. I was sh sh sh SHOCKED to find this boring trash in the metal section at my local music store.

Written by MétalNoir on 16.12.2008 at 02:55

This is NOT metal.

what about this version?

Written by Ellrohir on 23.08.2009 at 22:52

Written by MétalNoir on 16.12.2008 at 02:55

This is NOT metal.

what about this version?

lolll I don't know that band but I must admit I was expecting BM, from the cover art. This is quite ridiculous, but at least it sounds metal!

Damn, this would be really really gay black metal with such a cover

Jørn is "progressive heavy hard rock"

I love this album! "I Walk Alone" is probably my favorite track. I saw Tarja live in late April, and she was amazing!

Written by Enissa on 28.08.2008 at 01:14

Actually I just got this album
well, Its not the best album of the year, but its a nice try from Tarja since she doesnt write music
The Review is very fair i must say, and I like the release cause it has a beatiful calm atmosphere, and the songs are not plastic or dull like BitterCOld & alexxhighlander & Collin said
You dont have to expect a regular nightwish album like Oceanborn or Once
and for you alexxhighlander, there is no noteworthy guitar solo in this album, cause Symphonic Metal doesnt contain solos in the songs
and if u dont believe me, u can check Epica & WT
the review rate is fair, but i must rate it 8.

I agree. It's not that bad.