Once

Once is an incredible achievement for Nightwish and there isn't a single track that disappoints or feel you want to skip. Particular stand out tracks are Planet Hell, which starts off with an orchestration piece that sounds like the sound track to a battle from Lord of the Rings. You can almost imagine two armies coming together bristtling with weaponry and then the guitars kick in and all hell breaks loose!! After this track you have the emotional Creek Mary's Blood, which tells the tale of the plight of the Native Americans. This track builds at one segment to a point where you can almost hear the medicine man dancing and calling us to war! The albums grandest track though is saved until track 9. Ghost Love Score is a song of pure technical brilliance. At ten minutes long, for me personally, this track alone deserves to be the reason to purchase this album. The orchestra pieces on Ghost Love Score are the best to be found anywhere on the album, at times taking the song off on inspired and breathtaking tangents, and then bringing you right back from this journey to the where the song started. I don't lie when i tell you that when you listen to this song the hairs will tingle on the back of your neck and arms. After this track we are treated to a track sung in Tarja's native Finnish language, which although you might not understand the lyrics, still proves an awesome showcase for Tarja's incredible voice. This version of the album ends with the track Higher Than Hope, which is also a brilliant track. If however you purchase the limited edition UK version, you are treated to a further two previously unreleased tracks - White Night Fantasy and Live To Tell The Tale, which are equally as good as everything else on the album. If you are looking for an album with amazing vocals, insanely dynamic riffs with a film score esque edge then look no further. Once awaits you with open arms!

'old loves they die hard, old lies they die harder...'

Unlike many contemporary rock bands which focus on the radio friendly 4 minute formula, there is a huge range of songs within this album.
With the opener 'Dark Chest of Wonders' Nightwish charge out of the traps, playing heavy, progressive metal of the highest order .
Wish I Had an Angel, Dead Gardens , Romanticide and the excellent The Siren all follow in its wake alongside the less heavy but equally progressive, Higher than Hope
Nemo is about as commercial as Nightwish get and it provides both a catchy signature tune for the album and an easy in for new listeners.
Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan is a lovely ballad sung in the bands native Finnish and proves that understanding the words isn't always as important as appreciating the beautiful sounds a vocalist can make.
The epics 'Creek Marys Blood' and the stupendous ' Ghost Love Story' show Nightwish at their most orchestral and operatic.
Only Planet Hell disappoints, sounding like a throwback to some of the less successful tunes on Wishmaster .

Overall this is an album that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys progressive metal. Its one of the best works in the genre .