Nightwish - Dark Passion Play review
| Band: | Nightwish |
| Album: | Dark Passion Play |
| Style: | Symphonic power metal |
| Release date: | September 26, 2007 |
| A review by: | Baz Anderson |
Disc I
01. The Poet And The Pendulum
02. Bye Bye Beautiful
03. Amaranth
04. Cadence Of Her Last Breath
05. Master Passion Greed
06. Eva
07. Sahara
08. Whoever Brings The Night
09. For The Heart I Once Had
10. The Islander
11. Last Of The Wilds
12. 7 Days To The Wolves
13. Meadows Of Heaven
14. Reach [Amaranth demo] [bonus]
Disc II [limited edition]
01. The Poet And The Pendulum [Instrumental]
02. Bye Bye Beautiful [Instrumental]
03. Amaranth [Instrumental]
04. Cadence Of Her Last Breath [Instrumental]
05. Master Passion Greed [Instrumental]
06. Eva [Instrumental]
07. Sahara [Instrumental]
08. Whoever Brings The Night [Instrumental]
09. For The Heart I Once Had [Instrumental]
10. The Islander [Instrumental]
11. Last Of The Wilds [Instrumental]
12. 7 Days To The Wolves [Instrumental]
13. Meadows Of Heaven [Instrumental]
Disc III [Limited 3CD Box Edition]
01. Escapist
02. Meadows Of Heaven [orchestral version]
03. The Poet And The Pendulum [demo]
All eyes have been on Nightwish over the last three years following the huge commercial success of previous album "Once" and of course also the dramatic letting go of previous vocal powerhouse Tarja. Now more than ever Tuomas and company have immense pressure placed upon them to deliver the goods with the sixth full length edition to the Nightwish catalogue.
As bombastic and grand as they have ever sounded, the fourteen minute monster of an opening track "The Poet And The Pendulum" is not just a statement to anyone who may have questioned the future of the band, but is also if you will, the title track with the pendulum on the front cover of the album and is also the epitome of the whole album to come. The band sound as heavy as they have ever been before - full of sound, many layers, the backbone of the music is still the same but of course the slightly different line-up brings with it some slight changes. One of the unique selling points of Nightwish was Tarja and her strong, classical, operatic voice booming over the metallic symphonies, but Anette has more of a rock type of singing that just does not project as Tarja's did, it isn't as powerful and has nothing really unique about it at all, but this still doesn't mean she doesn't have a sweet voice.
"Dark Passion Play" although still very much a Nightwish album is one of the most adventurous outings of the band's history. The album is more diverse than anything we have heard before and must be the bravest as well opening with a near quarter of an hour epic. "Amaranth" sounds very commercial and appealing to the wider audience, "Master Passion Greed" must be the heaviest thing this band have ever put onto CD with furious guitaring, double bass drumming and Marco taking to the lead vocal position, and to another far out tangent of the musical spectrum of the album we even have strong folk elements with "The Islander" and "Last Of The Wilds" that seem to work surprisingly well. The band clearly show with this album that they are not just a typical, simple one-track female fronted symphonic metal band that many people may pass them off for these days.
This is a long album running in at just over seventy-five minutes and so almost inevitably we have some forgetful and morbidly bland tracks, "Eva" being the worst culprit here, I am sure this track must have some deep value in it somewhere but you just can't hear it. It is the slow track of the album that is neither stirring or emotional, nothing special here at all. "Sahara" and "7 Days To The Wolves" also slip way below the radar as well as a couple of other average tracks on the album that unfortunately fail to capture your imagination.
It is difficult to say the least to simultaneously arouse the attention of the two worlds of popular commercial success and the more underground true heavy metal listeners, but this album is one that will please both camps. This still has that Nightwish charm about it, but if you purchase this album hoping it will be just like the others you may be a little let down - not because this is of a lesser quality, but has just adopted a slightly different style which may in fact introduce new fans to the band. "Dark Passion Play" will understandably split the listening audience as most things would after such a change, but this is probably the best album the band could have made given their circumstances and the pressure, and they certainly deserve a thumbs up for the brave effort.
Comments page 3 / 4
Comments: 102
Visited by: 463 users
| Rusher Posts: 69  |
I liked this album a lot but "Last of the Wilds" makes this worth buying, what an amazing instrumental. 
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| brclmu Posts: 7 |
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| Luros Posts: 4 |
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PowerMetal
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I bought this album not sure what I was hoping for, but I have to be honost, I really like it. Anette's voice, while obviously completely different from Tarja sounded very good, Marco was still in on a ton of songs and the music was damn good. I was happily, very impressed and think this is the bands best album since Wishmaster. I hope they can continue to produce music of his high a quality. 
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| abysss Posts: 106  |
I must say I was very disappointed when I first heard Eva as a single, but after a while I begun to like the tunes... Then I heard Amaranth, I thought, omg, this song is pure pop crap. Then I heard the whole album, and after listening to it about 10 times I can really say that Amaranth is the worst song on the album. Eva is not bad at all. 7 Days To The Wolves is great and The islander and The Last Of The Wilds along with Sahara are simply superb, The Poet And The Pendulum is amazing, Master Passion Greed and Bye Bye Beautiful are so angry, direct and good, the second is a little in the vain of WIHAA while the first is way better IMO... Cadence Of Her Last Breath and For The Heart I Once Had are also very enjoyable. Meadows of heaven is a good ballad... what else? Oh the japanese bonus track is also interesting. I miss Tarja a little bit, cause this album is much like Once, It could be easily called Once pt. II  But can you imagine Tarja singing Bye By Beautiful in the end I must say that over all I'm pleasantly surprised about what the band came out with. I was expecting a lot worse album...
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| Grey_Dandelion Posts: 132  |
As more i m listening to it as more i like it-beyond my expectations...finally i can say its a really great music work
---- Don't turn away just take my hand and when you make your final stand i ll be right there i ll never leave all i ask of you is believe...
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| enumaelis Posts: 266  |
Now that I remember, I did a review long long time ago of the Nightwish album, if you want check it. It's just at the end of the post. http://enumaelis.blogspot.com/2007/08/review-of-nightwish-dark-passion-play.html
---- http://enumaelis.blogspot.com/
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| 4look4rd The Sasquatch Posts: 840  |
I really like this album with the exception of some crappy filler songs, like eva and amaranth (although I do like the chorus)
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955  |
Wow.. whats with that song The Poet and the Pendulum??? Its simply an epic of gorgeous proportions, the best nightwish song ive ever heard.
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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| ANGEL REAPER Posts: 3687  |
THEY ARE NOT THE SAME WITHOUT TARJA,TARJA IS NOT THE SAME WITHOUT NIGHTWISH!!! God I hope that they gona finaly change the singer,couse this one sucks! by the way music was not bad as I expected in first place,
---- "Cross is only an iron,hope is just an illusion,freedom is nothing but a name..." "Build your walls of the dead stone...Build your roofs of a dead wood..Build your dreams of a dead thoughts" 
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| Shadowcross The Summoner Posts: 481  |
Okay sorry guys I disagree with most of you! Sahara is the best track on this album!! To me I don't even notice Tarja is gone. It is still the same sound.. And I think Tarja didn't suit Once as well as this vocalist could have. Olzon is better for the 'new' Nightwish style IMO. What I do notice is it is missing the same flair and pomposity that was on the previous album. It is darker. This is one of my favourite bands but i'd give the album an 8/8.5 ... some of the tracks namely For The Heart I Once Had, Whoever Brings The Night just seem like filler to me.
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| juanopereira Posts: 268  |
I don't understand how this album has a 7.9. I gave it a 5. It's not good at all. This is not the new Nightwish, this is a different band with the same name. I don't lke the voice of Anette and onn the stage she sings awful. They are comming to my country but I'm not interested at all.
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| 4look4rd The Sasquatch Posts: 840 |
Written by Shadowcross on 20.04.2008 at 05:12 That is exactly how I feel, Annatte is a good vocalist, and IMO way better for the post-Century Child Nightwish that I hate... Once was pretty decent, and the samething applies to this album. It gets boring after the first listen, and I just hate how they overuse an orchestral.... I dont agree with the "much darker" part, perhaps this is darker than Once, but early Nightwish albums had way more gothic touches on both the music and the lyrics. Darkpassion Play is really dull lyric wise (hmmm our lead singer left us, lets title our song "Bye Bye Beautiful" and claim its just a coincidence!) but musically its awesome, but boring.
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| Enissa Posts: 816  |
Well, I have to say that this review is fair, and the reviewer did a fine job (Unlike as the first review on Once!!) But I disagree with u on somethings: 1. Sahara one of the greatest songs in the album, it gives an Egyptian Atmosphere (Very Nice) 2. 7 Days to the the Wolves also a nice song 3. I dont know why People Dislike Amaranth, Its a Very Good song with its Orchestrations & Sweet LYrics 4. U didnt Mention For The Heart I once Had, very meaningful song in my opininon with its melody! But i must say that i agree with u in a lot of things: Like TPATP is an Epic Piece, BBB a very Meaning song, and Master PAssion Greed too is a Progressive Piece, But Eva is not that bad!!! but that is just an opinion, Everyone has one thats for sure My Rate is 9, one of the Finest albums of the year
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| MétalNoir Fils du Lys Posts: 847  |
At first, Annette's voice disappointed me, then I grew used to it as I listened to "Bye Bye Beautiful". Then I bought the entire album... And I was disppointed by Annette's voice. The Poet and the Pendulum is good enough, but atrociously long for its lack of depth... Those who think it is great symphony don't know symphonic metal. It is very average. Bye Bye Beautiful... the title scared me at first, it's so poppy. And the song is poppy. But it's really catchy and Annette doesn't sing much on it. Marco's voice is as wonderful as ever (for Marco's fans, try Tarot, Annette isn't trying to sing on it...). Amaranth is a good Nightwish-esque song, though the chorus is horribly mainstrem, it sounds like The Cranberries or something... I was really missing Tarja, here. The next four songs, well... You'd better skip that part of the album, in my opinion, except for Master Passion Greed. Cadence of Her Last Breath is ridiculous, Eva is boring and Sahara is... I just hate it, ok? I can understand Annette is a rock singer, then why is she trying to "sing" arabic "ayayah's"? Painful. Master Passion Greed is killer and you could put deathgrunt on it and it would fit. I love that song, you don't hear Annette a single time  Whoever Brings the Night is good in that it features a shy-sounding Annette who doesn't struggle to be Tarja, while For the Heart I Once Had is one of the worst of the album, the ultimate filler. The Islander and Last of the Wild are great folkish songs, I like them both. I expected Seven Days to the Wolves to be good, since the title appeals to me, but I was let down, really, it is pale and boring. Meadows of Heaven is bearable until the last part. Damn, I really was traumatized by that ending, with the blues-like gospell. Pathetic ending to an average album. On the whole, a pale album with highs here and there, but in the end Nightwish's worst album. The music is good at times, but Annette is bad all the way, in my opinion. I can't possibly understand why the band chose her. I guess Tuomas really was scared of opera singers after what happened with Tarja... One last point: I can't stand the "Tarja was so mean with us, please take our side  " attitude the band (and especially songwriter Tuomas) exploit all along the album. I pity the new Nightwish, not for Tarja's behavior, but for the bad choices they are making. I hope next release will be better than this.I give a generous 5,5 to Dark Passion Play, major let down of 2007.
---- Notre destinée n'est pas encore tracée....
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| face_your_demons Posts: 47  |
I like the album. Really different from what i was used to but really not bad! Love the songs; The Poet And The Pendulum, Sahara and The Islander
---- 
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| Ragana Rawrcat Posts: 4919  |
Written by Feng on 06.11.2008 at 11:05 ...I thought all of them are poppy. Meh, I'm not a big fan of Nightwish anyway. Yeah, I've listened to this album few times, found "Bye, Bye Beutiful" and "Whoever Brings The Night" very catchy and that's all. Now they're like Epica, Sirenia, Lacuna Coil, Delain, Delight and other gothic (?) metal (?) bands which simply sound cheap and - oh, yeah - very poppy.
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| tuerda Posts: 203 |
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| Hrothdane Posts: 489  |
If it weren't for the few forgettable filler songs this album would have been perfect for me. I love that Marco finally has more singing to do, and his vocal style meshes with Anette's much better than it ever did with Tarja.
---- Despair is death, and I'm not interested in dying. Member of the True Crusade against True Crusades
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| Lord_Regnier Posts: 1469  |
I think Anette makes this band sound pop-ish. She sounds like a bad version of Dolores O'Riordan.
---- "Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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| vikingman369 Posts: 22  |
I heard Anette sing one of Tarja's songs and I have to confess, she did VERY well. In short, no matter how "open-minded" people say they are, they don't like nor do they want change. And that's exactly what Anette represents: a change from moody operatic to meaningful power. For those people who think that Nightwish (and Anette Olzon) are pop...are you even LISTENING to this music or are you just judging them because tarja isn't there? If you compared Dark Passion Play to any of today's TRUE pop artists (like anyone of those wannabe singers from the disney channel), you'll notice that the new Nightwish is NOTHING like them. In short, this has to do with the other posts in that all people are doing is bashing a very good band, which is quite unfair. Tarja left Nightwish because she wanted more money and fame (which, in my opinion, makes her truly pop, since pop-artists don't hold to anything; they do whatever is popular, trendy or gets them money), and now that she's gone, you can either hound after her, or give Anette a second chance. Its like with Metallica. They changed their sound because THEY WANTED TO, NOT FOR FAME, and everyone leaves them (gee, if they were selling out for fame and it didn't work, I guess we can just get over ourselves on that issue and just listen to Metallica). Hopefully there will be more Nightwish-fans who are TRUE fans and not poseurs who will forsake this awesome band just because tarja left.
---- "God it feels Like it only rains on me" -- My World
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| CyberSymphony Ollie Posts: 673  |
I dont agree with the score being 7.5, i think it should be alot higher. Its only that anette is not as powerful as tarja. But the songs are more agressive and powerful. Even though i prefer tarja more, anette voice doesnt bring anything in a symphonic power metal band, her voice would suit a rock band. Thats my own view. Music wise, the songs are some of the best ive heard in Nightwish, espcially the folk/celtic like The Islander influenced ones and the mighty Poet and the Pendulum. When i first heard the Amaranth, i immediatly thought *what is this shit?* and *her voice sucks* but Dark Passion Play now has become one of my favorite Nightwish albums. I understood the album being a huge surprise but not a letdown.
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| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8669  |
Well "more aggressive and powerful" songs started already on Once album, so it is only a continuous trend...also most of the songs were written by Tuomas earlier than Anette assigned (then obviously she was chosen to fit into those songs)...but still i like it, no doubt... only i am now quite pissed off with all those singles and dvds released to recycle the same song material for more than 2 years...hope the new album will treat my disappointment again
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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| His Eminence Account deleted |
His Eminence
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Nice review, but I probably would have rated it a point higher. I actually prefer Anette's voice over Tarja's, so Dark Passion Play is a step up in my opinion. There were a lot of songs on here that I enjoyed.
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| Thor arise Posts: 26  |
A very good album..probably an 8 rate...bur Anette sounds like a pop girl not like a metal chick...that's what i miss A LOT!!
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