Nightwish is a symphonic group of Metal/Power metal Finnish formed in 1996 in the town of Kitee. He is regarded as one of the representatives of the kind and as one of the groups responsible for the profit of popularity which symphonic metal at the end of the Années 1990 knew.

Although the group became famous in their native land as of the exit of their first individual, " The Carpenter " (1997), their international repute began only with the exit from the albums Oceanborn and Wishmaster , respectively in 1998 and 2000.

In 2005, the group decides to separate from their singer Tarja Turunen who is officially replaced on May 24th, 2007 by the singer of Alyson Avenue, Anette Olzon. The new album of the group, Dark Passion Play , left on September 28th, 2007.

History of the group

Formation (1996)

Nightwish was born from an idea of Tuomas Holopainen, come after having spent one night around a campfire with friends. The group is formed a little later in July 1996. Holopainen invites the guitarist Erno " Emppu" Vuorinen, of which it had made knowledge little front time, and the singer Tarja Turunen, because the vocal performances of this one made him acquire a certain fame in the school which they attended, to join its project.

At that time, their style is based on the experiments of Holopainen with the use of keyboards, acoustic guitars and the traditional singing exercises of Tarja Turunen. The three musicians record then their first Démo, without name and acoustics, from October in December 1996. The name “Nightwish” derives from the title of the first song which the group recorded together, the demonstration includes/understands this piece like " The Forever Moments " and " Etiäinen ". The first idea of the group was to compose of the musics made to be played around a campfire Cependant, after the recording, Holopainen finds that the voice of opera of Turunen is too powerful for such a project, and decides to add to the compositions of the elements of Metal.

Angels Fall First (1997)

Beginning 1997, the beater Jukka Nevalainen joined the group. At the same time, the acoustic guitar of Vuorinen is replaced by a Electric guitar. Two logical decisions which make following the idea of Holopainen change the original style of Nightwish towards a sound plus metal, bringing closer the group to what it is today.

In April 1997, Nightwish goes in studio to record seven songs, of which a version improved of the song of their demonstration " Etiäinen ". In May, they sign a contract with the Finnish label Spinefarm Records for two albums. Angels Fall First , their first album, leaves in November and reaches the 31e place of the Finnish charts. The individual , left in March, " The Carpenter ", 3 of the charts country becomes number.

Nightwish plays its first concert in December 1997, after one year of existence, in their birthplace, Kitee. During the winter 1997-1998, the group occurs only seven times because the Nevalainen beater and the Vuorinen guitarist must carry out to them Military service and Turunen did not finish its studies.

During this time, Spinefarm Records realizes of the potential of the group, and extends their contract of two albums to three.

Oceanborn (1998 - 1999)

In 1998, the group increases with the appearance of a novel member, the bass player Sami Vänskä, an old friend of Holopainen. After the turning of its first clip for the song " The Carpenter " its first album, the group leaves a second album, Oceanborn . Tapio Wilska (ex- Finntroll) takes part in two songs (" Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean " and " The Pharaoh Sails to Orion "), becoming the first guest to be appeared in an album of Nightwish. Oceanborn goes up in the 5th place of the Finnish charts; the individual first of the album, " Sacrament off Wilderness " , appears directly in the first place of the individual charts of where there remain several weeks.

The individual second to come is " Walking in the Air " , a resumption of the work of Howard Blake, part of the band its of the Snowman . Holopainen had seen for the first time this cartoon seven years before, and dreamed to remake a resumption of the music since.

In 1999, they record the individual " Sleeping Sun (Ballads Furnace off the Eclipse) " , at the time of a solar eclipse in Germany. The individual , which contains " Sleeping Sun ", " Walking in the Air " , " Angels Fall First " and " Swanheart ", is sold with: 15000 specimens the first month in Germany. The song " Sleeping Sun " lead the group to turn its third video clip and becomes one of the most known songs of Nightwish, with the futures " Nemo " and " Wish I Had year Angel ".

Oceanborn becomes Disque of gold in August this same year.

Wishmaster (2000)

The following year, in 2000, Nightwish takes part in the Finnish selections of the Eurovision with the song " Sleepwalker " (exit then on the special edition of their next album). They finish second, gaining the Télévote of the public, but rejected by the jury; Finland is finally represented by Nina Åström.

In May, they leave their third album studio, Wishmaster , which becomes directly number one of the Finnish charts and remains three weeks there when it becomes gold disc. The exit of the album is preceded by that by an individual promotional, " The Kinslayer ", a song that Holopainen wrote about the Fusillade of the college Columbine. The song is a dialog between Turunen and a guest , Ike Vil, singer of Babylon Whores.

Over the Hills and Far Away/Century Child (2001 - 2003)

In 2001, Nightwish records a resumption of " Over the Hills and Far Away " of Gary Moore. The pieces leaves in the EP Over the Hills and Far Away with two new songs and a remake of old; Tony Kakko (of Sonata Arctica) and again Tapio Wilska takes part in the recording. The group leaves also VHS, DVD and CD of the recording in a concert with Tampere on December 29th, 2000, all entitled From Wishes to Eternity .

A little later Sami Vänskä is invited to leave the group, Tuomas did not find it justified enough, to be replaced by Marco Hietala, which preserves its place in the group Tarot but leaves Sinergy. The bass player, in addition to playing of his instrument, would deal then with the male choruses. Tuomas then declared that him and Sami remained in contact in order to put an end to the rumors according to what they had been spoken again more since. However, they do not seem interested by the idea to assemble another project together.

In 2002, Nightwish leaves Century Child , accompanied by the individual Ever Dream and Bless the Child . The principal difference with the other albums is the participation of a Orchestre on " Bless the Child ", " Ever Dream ", " Feel For You " and " The Beauty off the Beast " , bringing closer the pieces of the Classical music. " The Phantom off the Opera " is the version of the group of the famous piece of Andrew Lloyd Webber of the musical comedy of the same name. Century Child is certified disc of gold only two hours after its exit, and platinizes two weeks afterwards; a record in the charts of Finnish albums. After the clip of " Bless the Child ", a clip is recorded for " End off All Hope " but without the support of an individual . The clip contains scenes of Finnish film Kohtalon kirja .

In 2003, Nightwish leaves a second DVD, heading End off Innocence which tells the history of the group through the dires of Holopainen and Nevalainen during two hours. The documentary one also includes a few moments in concerts, the exclusive sequences, etc Tarja Turunen Marie during the summer 2003, giving birth to from the rumors on the nearest dissolution of the group. However, the group continues to play in concert during still a year and leaves another album.

Ounce/Highest Hopes (2004 - 2005)

The album Once leaves on June 7th, 2004, follow-up of the first individual one of the album, " Nemo " (“nobody” in Latin). The individual is at the head charts in Finland and Hungary and appears in the signal ten of five other countries. " Nemo " remain the individual one of Nightwish to date to have obtained the most success.

The group uses a complete orchestra on nine of the eleven songs of the album. With the difference of Century Child , Nightwish decides this time to seek an orchestra apart from Finland, choosing the Philharmonic orchestra of London. Once is also the second album to include a long Finnish song, " Kuolema tekee taiteilijan ". The sales of Once make him become triple platinum disc in Finland, disc of platinum in Germany, gold disc in Sweden and number one of the charts in Greece, Norway and Hungary. Others individual follow: " Wish I Had year Angel " (included in the band its of the film Alone in the Dark ), " Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan " (left only to Finland and with the Japan) and " The Siren ".

The success of the album led to the Ounce World Turn , a world tour which makes it possible the group to play in many countries that they had never yet visited. Nightwish plays opening ceremony of the Championnats of the world of athletics 2005, organized with Helsinki.

A Best off leaves in September 2005, entitled Highest Hopes , which includes/understands songs of their whole discography as well as a live recovery of " High Hopes " Pink Floyd. This song is the first in which Hietala only sings. In addition to this recovery, a remake of their song " Sleeping Sun " east includes in the album, and leaves in individual . A new clip for " Sleeping Sun " is turned, putting in scene a medieval battle.

The one era end (2005-2006)

After the concert with the Hartwall Areena of Helsinki on October 21st, 2005, which the recording off leaves in June 2006 on the DVD End year Era , the group knows an historical turning point. Tuomas Holopainen, with the agreement and the support of Marco Hietala, Emppu Vuorinen and Jukka Nevalainen, decides that it would be better to continue the adventure without Tarja Turunen, a feeling which they express in a Open letter that Tuomas Holopainen gives to Turunen after the concert, and who is then put on line on the site of the group. According to the letter, the reference of Tarja was decided because it was not invested enough in the group, often privileging its career soloist. Moreover, it was not, with their taste, more too in agreement with the spirit and the mentality of Nightwish, for example with regard to the financial question. It would seem that the main issue does not come entirely from Tarja it even, but of the manager of this one, which is also to be her husband, Marcelo Cabuli, an Argentinian businessman. Consent of the other members, if it is possible to transfer a manager, it is more difficult to transfer a husband. Not wishing to interfere in their businesses of couple, they chose the solution to return their singer.

In answer, Turunen publishes in its tower an open letter on its personal site, and through various interviews. She declares that this decision was a shock for her, because she had not been informed before the letter is given to him. She considers the personal attacks on her husband unfounded, and that to play this turn with the public was “stupidly cruel”.

The four remaining members intending to continue to make their music without changing musical style, the group must find one replacing in Turunen and passes an advertisement so that the interested people send their demonstration to pass a hearing. At this time, the speculations start to circulate to know which will take the continuation of Turunen. In answer to these rumors, the group declares on their site that the fans should not believe any other source on top but the group itself.

May 24th, 2007, the singer Anette Olzon of the Swedish group Alyson Avenue is officially announced as being the new singer of the group.

Today

April 1st, 2007, the group transmits via its Internet site a Poisson of April: he announces the arrival of Harder, Faster Nightwish , them 6th album and the first without Turunen, accompanied by a new logo. This information was contradicted the following day.

In February, " Eva ", the individual first of the new album, was announced for the May 30th but, because of an escape on a British download location, the individual leaves the 25. Eva is distributed only via Internet, the profits go in a charity work, Die Arche.

The individual second was planned for on August 22nd, 2007, Amaranth, which after two days only, was already disc of gold. The third individual one, entitled " Bye Bye Beautiful ", is a song which relates to the reference of Tarja. Dark Passion Play , the new album, left on September 28th, 2007.

Music

Influence

Tuomas Holopainen, the author of the majority of the words and the partitions of the group, known as to have drawn the majority of her inspiration in the film musics, fascinating for example musics of Van Helsing and Crimson Tide, and practically all that was written by Hans Zimmer. Songs like " Beauty off the Beast " and " Ghost Coils Score " are good examples of this influence. Of another pieces, like " Romanticide " and " Wish I Had year Angel " borrow certain elements réminescents music Techno.

On another side, Nightwish was a source of inspiration for other groups. Simone Simons, the singer of Spiced, known as to have started to sing thanks to Nightwish. The former singer of Visions off Atlantis, Nicole Bogner, also largely took as a starting point Nightwish for their first album. Sander Gommans of After Forever admits that Nightwish had certainly an influence in the creation of their songs. Tony Kakko, singer of Sonata Arctica explained how much it takes as a starting point the music Nightwish.

Musical style

Although discussed, the kind of this group can be qualified of heavy symphonic metal, or more precisely of Power metal, whose characteristic was the voice of its singer Tarja Turunen until its reference.

Having followed a Lyric formation of song , Tarja used all the possibilities that its voice offers on an accompaniment metal, sometimes bringing a depth, sometimes a certain lightness which one finds in the opera.

A confusion persists in classifying Nightwish among the groups of Gothic metal. This confusion is explained mainly by the fact why the group put on the female song and a melody aspect. Indeed, the female songs Soprano are rather rare in the power metal compared with the usual male-intonated voices of Fausset, whereas they are more common in the groups of gothic metal like Tristania, Within Temptation or Theater off Tragedy. Actually, the esthetic bases of Nightwish take their roots in the power metal (like in the heavy metal with lyric song) and not in the gothic metal. The bass player and singer of the group Marco Hietala, define their film music roughly to him “score metal” (: music metal of film ).

Indeed, Nightwish, in particular in its first three albums, rests above all on rhythmic speed or heavy metal, accompanied by a lyric song high perched, the solos of guitar and keyboards, a epic atmosphere and topics of Fantasy (milked more typical of the power metal gothic). As the encyclopedias of reference of metal confirm it, Nightwish is a symphonic group of power metal to lyric tendency.

Musicalement, Nightwish remains closer to groups like Helloween than of dark groups such as Theater off Tragedy, Tristania, or even more accessible as Lacuna Coil (which misent certainly on a singer and a melody basis, but take their roots in the doom-death).

If it is true that certain slow songs of Nightwish (for example Swanheart or Sleeping Sun ) from their atmospheres melancholic persons and contemplative, can more or less point out some features of the gothic metal, they do not remain about it less too far away from the dark atmospheres characteristic of this style .

However, Nightwish seems to adopt a different style since Century Child , which then developed with Once . The guitars are downtuned and simplified with a rhythmic sound low, nearer to the modern Hard rock than of the melody old style of the power metal. Moreover, the voice of Tarja loses its side partly operated to become closer to that of a normal singer of rock'n'roll. The addition of the male-intonated voice of the new bass player Marco Hietala adds a new dimension, rougher, with the songs. The topics of escape fantasy from the old pieces are gently replaced by imaginary the Gothic. The next album, Dark Passion Play , should remain in this spirit.

Members

The group counts five members:

Former members

Guests

Discography

Albums studios

Albums live

Individual

  1. 1997 : The Carpenter

  2. 1998 : Sacrament off Wilderness
  3. 1998: Passion and the Opera
  4. 1999: Walking in the Air
  5. 1999: Sleeping Sun (Ballads Furnace off the Eclipse)
  6. 2000: The Kinslayer
  7. 2000 : Deep Silent Supplements
  8. 2002: Ever Dream
  9. 2002 : Bless the Child
  10. 2004 : Nemo
  11. 2004 : Wish I Had year Angel
  12. 2004: Kuolema tekee taiteilijan
  13. 2005 : The Siren
  14. 2005 : Sleeping Sun
  15. 2007 : Eva
  16. 2007 : Amaranth
  17. 2007 : Bye Bye Beautiful

Clips

  1. 1997 : The Carpenter
  2. 1998 : Sacrament off Wilderness
  3. 1999: Sleeping Sun
  4. 2000 : The Kinslayer
  5. 2001 : Over The Hills And Far Away
  6. 2002 : Bless the Child
  7. 2002 : End Off All Hope
  8. 2004: Nemo
  9. 2004 : Wish I Had year Angel
  10. 2004: Wish I Had year Angel (containing extracts of the film Alone In The Dark)
  11. 2005: The Siren
  12. 2005 : Sleeping Sun version 2005
  13. 2007: Amaranth
  14. 2007 : Bye Bye Beautiful

Recoveries

Compilations

Video compilations

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