Band:	Nightwish
Album:	Century Child
Style:	Symphonic power metal
Release date:	May 25, 2002
Guest review by:	ChainOfSorrow

01. Bless The Child
02. End Of All Hope
03. Dead To The World
04. Ever Dream
05. Slaying The Dreamer
06. Forever Yours
07. Ocean Soul
08. Feel For You
09. Phantom Of The Opera
10. Beauty Of The Beast
    1 - Long Lost Love
    2 - One More Night To Live
    3 - Christabel
11. The Wayfarer [bonus]
12. Lagoon [bonus]
13. Bless The Child [edit] [2007 Spinefarm re-release bonus]
14. End Of All Hope [live] [2007 Spinefarm re-release bonus]
15. Dead To The World [live] [2007 Spinefarm re-release bonus]

It's really difficult, if not impossible for my not so great musical maturity, to choose a best Nightwish album, and it's also thankless to do so in my opinion. But... if the world depended on a straightforward answer to the question "Which is your favourite Nightwish album?" I would probably have to say Century Child is that album. Century Child is definitely a departure from Nightwish's original power metal roots. (Despite what people say about the "new era" that Anette brought with her to the sound of Nightwish, that new era was born in Century Child; Dark Passion Play doesn't differ that much in sound from Once for example; only the change of vocalist obviously makes the difference, but the vocal lines written for the album are not that distant from what the band had been doing since 2002 when the band gradually started distancing itself from that operatic vocal register that became a sort of stamp the band had almost become forced to live with.)

Century Child is different from its predecessors both in vocal and instrumental characteristics, not to mention the lyrical themes, that until this record were much more based on fantasy stories (evident sources of inspiration for Tuomas) and a fairytale-like atmosphere. This album's lyrical themes are mainly centered on the "self" and its existential crisis in a decadent world where that self was merged into, suffering its consequences. I would go as far as to say this album is like an elegy to Innocence - A "Dead Boy's Elegy". Regarding the sound itself, Century Child tilts to a much more symphonic register that the band maintained until now, never losing their power metal foundations though. This album is a really overwhelming and pleasant surprise in a descendant phase of Nightwish's career, when all pointed to a possible departure of the band, when Tuomas and all the others were so tired, worn and aghast by this business which can be degrading if you lose control of it. Century Child is, in my modest opinion, a really artistic album with a hugely pessimistic and outrageous tone to it caused by the depressing feeling we all get when sensing an apparent "end of the line" which brings a sorrowful nostalgia with it.

The first four songs of the album would be enough to make it memorable - catchy choruses, great orchestrations, vocals once again majestically performed by Tarja and, of course, the great voice of Marco Hietala! Then the heaviest song of the album pops up: "Slaying the Dreamer" one of the heaviest songs Tuomas has ever written. After three more songs that make it sure not to fall into oblivion, comes the fantastic cover of "Phantom of the Opera", whose vocals are sublimely performed by Tarja and Marco. And to conclude in magnificence, the 10-minute epic "Beauty of the Beast".

Highlights: "End Of All Hope", "Dead to the World", "Slaying the Dreamer" and "Beauty of the Beast"