Nightwish - Angels Fall First review
| Band: | Nightwish |
| Album: | Angels Fall First |
| Style: | Symphonic power metal |
| Release date: | November 1997 |
01. Elvenpath
02. Beauty And The Beast
03. The Carpenter
04. Astral Romance
05. Angels Fall First
06. Tutankhamen
07. Nymphomaniac Fantasia
08. Know Why The Nightingale Sings
09. Lappi (Lapland)
1 - I: Erämaajärvi
2 - II: Witchdrums
3 - III: This Moment Is Eternity
4 - IV: Etiäinen
10. Once Upon A Troubadour [2004 digipack Spinefarm re-release bonus]
11. A Return To The Sea [2004 digipack Spinefarm re-release bonus]
12. A Return To The Sea [2007 re-release bonus]
13. Nightwish [demo] [2007 re-release bonus]
14. The Forever Moments [demo] [2007 re-release bonus]
15. Etiäinen [demo] [2007 re-release bonus]
Almost 20 years have passed since Nightwish released their debut album Angels Fall First. Many things have changed, but after their latest album Endless Forms Most Beautiful was released 2 months ago, I have been wondering which album is their best and who is Nightwish, what does this band stand for?
Listening to the latest one, and comparing it, I really think it is a masterpiece, because it brings us back to days when genre was young, when bands played what they felt, when they were influential, not inspired by others (mostly starters of genre). This is middle '90s gothic without unnecessary, boring and progressive keyboard parts. Keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen is the main man in this band - songwriter, poet, and lyricist - but in this album you don't hear anything that should not be there, because Tarja's stunning voice blows everyone away. Keyboard element flows like in one melody; a mix between guitars, drums, and Tarja's vocals.
This band came at the right time, right place and also the right country, with the perfect young singer, who has talent and a great voice (maybe too good for this genre, since she could be a talented opera singer). Dreams of idealism, all is perfect and you are young and naive. It worked so fine for this; perfect melodies, like one big journey (download freaks won't understand what I meant, since they never keep the album booklet and don't read lyrics). Tuomas Holopainen said, you should listen to the Endless Forms Most Beautiful album from beginning till end. Well, the same goes for this (the same for all albums actually).
Two songs that stand out are "Elvenpath" and "The Carpenter." All music and lyrics flow in one stream. To understand it you must be born in the north, you must understand how it is when ice covers rivers, when snow covers fields, when the sun never shines, and you must love a winter wonderland. That's why so many good bands come from Finland and Scandinavia.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 10 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by Bad English | 27.05.2015
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
7.0
7.0
|
Rating: 7.0 |
Nightwish is the band among bands. The epic among epics. The... oh you get the point. This Finnish power/symphonic metal act has more or less acquired a status of having no truly bad songs. Even those who are not fully Nightwish enthusiasts (unlike me) often have a hard time finding something really big to complain about. That's partly what this album is here for! Angels Fall First, the first release by Nightwish was quite odd. The band lacked a bass player at this point and they were still pretty inexperienced, not to mention that the lyrics were very weird. I'd give you examples, but you wouldn't believe me. Let's take a dive in the world of 1997's Nightwish. Read more ›› |
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Comments: 40
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| Dark Cornatus Powerslave Posts: 4330 From: New Zealand  |
I've always called Angels Fall Firsts genre Atmospheric Metal. It sparks some Melodic Doom Metal influences sometimes as well, and of course it's airy Symphonic vibe. It's definitely vocally more focused than other albums. Great album, original as fuck for its time.
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| Dark Cornatus Powerslave Posts: 4330 From: New Zealand |
Written by Bad English on 29.05.2015 at 13:20 Hmmm there is definitely weak songs for me, Nymphomaniac Fantasia sucks balls and so does Lappi, but the amount of very strong songs overwhelms the album.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 60961 From: Sweden  |
Written by Dark Cornatus on 30.05.2015 at 01:01 I wanted include ''if you love doom metal, you can like this album'' I didn't Lappi is weak, but it has different meaning .. even to Lapland its long road north from Kitee (IMO band now is re located to Jounesoo same still long way north to Lapland)
---- Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!! Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''  apos;'[image] I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Warman Erotic Stains Posts: 7695 From: Sweden  |
This is a good album with some outstanding tracks. It also had a pretty big impact on me in high school, listening to it a lot. But it doesn't stand a chance against the other Tarja albums. Oceanborn, Wishmaster, Century Child and a half of Once is in my opinion some of the greatest pieces of music ever written.
---- 
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 60961 From: Sweden |
Written by Warman on 31.05.2015 at 09:59 Dunno, this for me is like 1th time (well not in that what we usually understand whit that fraise menaing) but basically, what ever. I dunno it sounds good, no not-necersly compositions, strong music and all around it. I wont deny others are good , but they are different I wanted write review about Forefather some albums, Borknagar some, Lake Of Tears - Headstones, but well if you be my editor why not 
---- Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!! Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die'' apos;'[image] I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Enemy of Reality Account deleted |
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| Netzach Planewalker Posts: 1611 From: Sweden  |
Good review, I agree for the most part. I'd pick other standout songs (Beauty and the Beast, title track and the Lappis) and maybe give it 8.5 but no matter. I love how their debut still got this "tale-teller-around-the-campfire" feel that's lacking in following albums.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 60961 From: Sweden |
Re read this and re listened and I still feal the same, I wonder how long? 10 years passed wince I tuned this 1th time and I have a same fealings about it, why?
---- Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!! Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die'' apos;'[image] I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| 🦇Enchantress Posts: 15 From: India  |
This album is not gothic metal. I don't know why it is labeled as gothic.
---- Good has power to create, preserve and destroy but only Devil has a power to possess
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| BlankFile Posts: 686 From: Portugal |
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