NIGHTWISH - Dark Passion Play (2008) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Judging from the way Dark Passion Play starts out, it's understandable to assume that it's some sort of opera aria. But hold tight, dear friends, because from out of nowhere metal guitar riffs come swooping in. That's Nightwish for ya -- a Finnish quintet that had been walking the line between symphonic and metallic for ten years by the time of this 2007 release. The album signals the arrival of new singer Anette Olson (who replaced longtime member Tarja Turunen), but for longtime fans worried that this lineup shuffle may alter the band's sound and direction, there's no reason to fret -- Nightwish are as bombastic and dramatic as ever. Understandably, there are quite a few similarities between symphonic metal and prog metal, and this is certainly the case on such tracks as "Bye Bye Beautiful," which contains a very Dream Theater-esque opening. Elsewhere, "Eva" focuses primarily on the vocal talents of Nightwish's new frontwoman, while the slow-building album opener, "The Poet and the Pendulum," proves to be a neat summary of Nightwish's style. Depending on which side of the metal fence you're on, Dark Passion Play is either a symphonic metal triumph or merely pretentious twaddle. Greg Prato  
Tracklist :
1-01    The Poet And The Pendulum 13:54
Cello [Solo] – Martin Loveday
1-02    Bye Bye Beautiful    4:15
1-03    Amaranth    3:51
1-04    Cadence Of Her Last Breath    4:15
1-05    Master Passion Greed    6:03
1-06    Eva    4:25
1-07    Sahara    5:48
1-08    Whoever Brings The Night    4:18
1-09    For The Heart I Once Had 3:56
Whistle [Solo] – Andy Findon
1-10    The Islander 5:06
Violin [Solo] – Gavin Wright
1-11    Last Of The Wilds    5:40
1-12    7 Days To The Wolves    7:04
1-13    Meadows Of Heaven    7:10
2-01    Erämaan Viimeinen 5:11
Vocals – Jonsu
2-02    Escapist    4:59
2-03    Meadows Of Heaven (Orchestral Version)    7:14
2-04    The Poet And The Pendulum (Demo)    13:45
2-05    Bye Bye Beautiful (DJ Orkidea Remix) 12:07
Remix – DJ Orkidea
Credits :
Arranged By [Orchestra & Choir], Orchestrated By, Directed By [Orchestra & Choir] – Pip Williams
Artwork, Layout – Gina Pitkänen, Janne Pitkänen
Bass, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Marco Hietala
Cello [Solo] – Anthony Pleeth
Chorus Master – Jenny O'Grady, John Tobin
Cimbalom – Greg Knowles
Drums – Jukka Nevalainen
Fiddle [Celtic] – Nollaig Casey
Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Emppu Vuorinen
Kantele [Electric] – Senni Eskelinen
Keyboards, Piano, Other [Art Direction] – Tuomas Holopainen
Other [Soundscapes] – Jussi Tegelman
Producer – T. Holopainen
Soprano Vocals [2nd Boy Soprano], Voice – Tom Williams
Soprano Vocals [Lead Boy Soprano] – Guy Elliott
Uilleann Pipes, Low Whistle, Bodhrán – Troy Donockley
Vocals – Anette Olzon