In July of 2017, I gave that month two female fronted Power Metal bands, and 2020 is no exception. The metal subgenre was one of the first way for women to gain a huge foothold in the world of Heavy Metal in the 90s (Despite fronting some classic rock & metal bands from the 80s and before), and to this day many Power Metal bands have women in them in some capacity. Chief among them was Nightwish: since the late 90s they’ve patented their Power Metal/Symphonic Metal formula, and they’re still going strong today. They’ve had 3 female singers over the course of their existence, but I figured that it might be fun to look at the final album that Tarja Turunen ever sang on. So grab you sword, put on a heavy cloak, and let’s take a look at my review for 2004's Once. Let’s begin.
Background
By the time it reached the mid 2000s, Nightwish had made quite the name for themselves. With 4 album beforehand made of their unique mix of Power & Symphonic metal, they gained plenty of success in their native Finland & beyond. It was this success that allowed the band to put out their 2004 record, Once. Released on the 4th of June, Once was the most expensive recording in Finland at the time, costing €250,000 to make, (1,000,000 including the videos). This would be the band’s most expensive album until their next one, which would cost €500,000. Deciding to pick an orchestra from outside their home country, they settled on the London Philharmonic Orchestra, which was probably one of the chief reasons why things were expensive. As of 2013, Once has sold 2.3 million copies worldwide, making it their most successful album to this date.
However, it would be the post period of Once that would be the most interesting. As stated on Wikipedia:
“The success of the album allowed them to perform the Once World Tour, taking them to play in many countries the band had never visited before. Nightwish performed at the opening ceremony of the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, held in Helsinki, highlighting the acclaim the band had gained. A "best of" album, Highest Hopes, was released in September 2005. The compilation also featured a live cover "High Hopes" (from the Pink Floyd album The Division Bell). Besides "High Hopes", a remake of "Sleeping Sun" (from Oceanborn) was included on the album and released as a single. A video for the remake was shot, featuring a medieval battle, and can be found on the German release of the single and as a separate DVD released by Spinefarm.
The four other members of Nightwish had decided that it was best to continue Nightwish without Turunen. After a concert in the Hartwall Areena (Helsinki) on October 21, 2005, recorded for the live DVD End of an Era (released June 2006), they expressed their decision through an open letter which was given to Turunen by Holopainen, and afterwards posted on the band's website. It was written by Holopainen and signed by all four band members. The main justification given in the letter for Turunen's dismissal was that the band felt that both her husband Marcelo Cabuli (an Argentine businessman) and commercial interests had changed her attitude towards the band.
Turunen responded to the incident twice, during press conferences in Finland and Germany, saying that her dismissal came entirely as a shock to her, given that she had not been notified before the letter was given to her. She felt that the personal attacks on her husband were unwarranted, and that playing the issue out in public was "senselessly cruel". She expressed these feelings through her own open letter, which was published on her personal website, and through various TV, magazine, and newspaper interviews.”
Basic Description
Symphonic Behemoth.
Though I have a tiny gripe with this (More on that below), I must say that Once is one of the most bombastic Symphonic Metal records ever released in the 2000s. Nightwish already established themselves well within the realm of Power Metal, but they had symphonic elements as well. With this album, they’ve effectively gone full-blown Symphonic Metal, and it’s wonderful. Tarja is at the top of her game when it comes to her voice, Tuomas plays the keyboard masterfully, Emppu Vuorinen earns the position of lead guitarist once again, Marco does a good job on the bass and has some fine singing moments as well, and Jukka Nevalainen handles the drums & percussion wonderfully. Coupled with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and many other symphonic components, the band created something wonderful that has lasted nearly 20 years, and hopefully for 20 more afterwards.
Best Track
Nemo has to be one of the best song Nightwish has every made. I knew about this track long before listening to the album it came from, so I confess some personal elements are guiding me to this decision. The opening piano notes lend a soft kind of melancholy before the guitar & drums kick in, yet nothing ever gets “loud” per se in terms of volume. A subtle yet obvious gentleness persists during the song’s run time, and even when things do get “loud” at the end, it never goes away. Certainly a curious song you shouldn’t skip when this album is in your preferred listening device!
Nemo
Worst Track
About the only thing that I can say bad about Once would be the lack of Power Metal elements. There are still around here and there, but the symphonic aspects are much more forward here than on any other release before. This isn’t bad per se, but for any fan who enjoy an even mix between the powerful and the symphonic, you might not like the shift in metallic styles. I don’t have a problem with this since I listen to some Symphonic Metal from time to time (Apocalyptica mostly), but I do think it hurts the record a little.
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:
Once
Overall Impression & Rating
Once is the end of the classic Nightwish. The album on which the band’s original outfit of musicians etched their name into the marble wall that is Power Metal. It may lean more in the direction of Symphonic, but that doesn’t make the album any less enjoyable. If you like Symphonic Metal more than Power Metal, then Once might be the album to start at. I guarantee you’ll never forget it.
Once gets a 9 out of 10.
And that was Once. The final time that Tarja Turunen got to sing with the band, and it’s a hell of an album to go out on. It may not be as Power Metal-y as Nightwish’s prior outfits were, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be included in such. See you all next time for more femininity with the world of Power Metal, and I got something nice for when you come back!
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