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.
Guest review by
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Rating:
7.0
7.0
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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 ›› |
Comments
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Comments: 40
Visited by: 265 users
| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 61031  |
Yeahhhhhhhhh
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. 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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| Sunny Pagliaccio Staff's PITA Posts: 12  |
I actually like the review. Love the parenthesis, but disagree with the point where you say we, downloaders, don't read the lyrics.  Otherwise, I'm impressed, good job there.
---- I wish, I wish I was a fish. With wings. And long mane. And maybe a halo. Possibly shape-shifting.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 61031 |
Written by Sunny Pagliaccio on 27.05.2015 at 21:35 it was more sarcasm... digital music cant be like you keep booklet sit in darkness, listen music and look into it and have some beer
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. 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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| Ismarmlp Posts: 145  |
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| the_scarecrow Posts: 67  |
It's a great album. I don't think there's anything out there that sounds like this; it's got a unique atmosphere. I read Holopainen doesn't care for this album anymore, and that he has negative thoughts on it. That's a shame, because it is certainly much more enjoyable than Wishmaster, Once and Endless Forms Most Beautiful.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 61031 |
Written by the_scarecrow on 27.05.2015 at 23:20 he still are good lyricist and you never know, maybe label fource change and its unique album ... pure gothic IMO
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. 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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| Karlabos Meat and Potatos Posts: 5658  |
How come you suddenly can write english? =p
---- "Aah! The cat turned into a cat!" - Reimu Hakurei
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Karlabos on 28.05.2015 at 05:10 Just try and imagine all the hours the proofreader has spent sweating and slaving away on this review to make it readable?
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| slim pickings Account deleted |
slim pickings
Account deleted Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.05.2015 at 17:56  "progressive keyboards parts"? LOL - a keyboard solo does not make an album/band progressive. But prog is cool to hate, right?
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| Maco Pvt Funderground Posts: 3593  |
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| Kais Posts: 610  |
With all due respect to Nightwish and mr Tuomas Holopainen, that album was absolutely garbage IMO. Love the review though.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 61031 |
Written by Author on 28.05.2015 at 18:02 listen other female fronted bands where keys sounds like I dunno ... progressive, boring sound, totally unnceserly Many bands would have better potential if there wont be keyboards
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. 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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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 61031 |
Written by Kais on 28.05.2015 at 20:28 This album is best what band ever has written, all album is good even bad songs are good, good songs are supper good Other ones are boring songs
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. 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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| Kais Posts: 610 |
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| Cynic Metalhead Paisa Vich Nasha Posts: 6823  |
Good review. I like couple of songs off this album but not my favorite.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 61031 |
Written by Cynic Metalhead on 28.05.2015 at 20:48 Only one what I can write review about .... Tom Petty And Heartbrakes Greatest Hits are other one, but I don't know if staff allows add that band for my review This is only band album what is equally good IMO
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. 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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| slim pickings Account deleted |
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| Stunning Cactus Posts: 319  |
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| angel. Evil Butterfly Posts: 2419  |
Huh?! You must be in north to understand this album? what does this mean actually? Tarja's vocals always sounded to me somehow weird, her voice is somehow strained and nasal, I don't know why so much fuss about her singing yeah I agree this album came out in right time and place so they got all the success while there were other really better bands with somehow similar style but they didn't make their way to attention of audience and reviewers that much...
---- The Fangirl.
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| Dark Cornatus Powerslave Elite Posts: 4330  |
I completely agree with the review. I've always rated this as equally their best album alongside Oceanborn. First 6 tracks are all amazing, it gets a little weaker after, but that doesn't matter much.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 61031 |
Written by deadone on 29.05.2015 at 04:39 I agree man, and you bought it and you explore CD plaid it a lot. Now just torrent, how easy it is I don't wanna say its bad, but whole music industry is made for play lists. My mobile I need 3 days to find app what don't play a-z songs but in order. House - some has children room, some has hunting trophy room, sport trophy room, dark porn room, some has music room...and I like it. You know its easy delete song what you download, but if you pay .. you will listen
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. 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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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 61031 |
Written by angel. on 29.05.2015 at 09:56 You should spend 2 years in Sweden, Finland. Those days there was no internet, as child I spend summers out, winters in, what to do if its snow, minus, 1h walk and its it. Here all is emthy n winter, ok we have internet, but you cant image , non of you can not how it is . Its not France or comedy Germany where it snow parody sno, chaos in traffic. We had new snow record 1m10cm lats time so much was in 1968 ... not a single buss was out of time, life was not palarlized, Germany, France ... 2cm and its aaaa Sun never shines, dark 22h per day... what to do, that's why Nordic bands has darker meaning of music, This band came in right time, many came after are underground, and basically split up after 1-2 albums .. ToT, Tristiania, F
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. 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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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 61031 |
Written by Dark Cornatus on 29.05.2015 at 13:01 Weaker songs are still strong and I discover other albums 1th, and they were strong, later I discover this, and it was amazing, totally different sound of all 100% old school Lappi songs was weak IMO, but it suppose not be, there was some message, tribute ... like Amorhpis whit title Karelian Itshmus
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. 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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| Ernis 狼獾 Posts: 6807  |
Can you really say that Nightwish has ever done Gothic music? You could say there were some hints on "Oceanborn" but "Angels Fall First" surely hasn't anything gothic about it. But it is dreamy and does represent the poetry of the northern wilderness and midnight sun fairly well...
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| Erik M. Posts: 3104  |
Good job, dude.  It's weird reading something you wrote that has good grammar and spelling, though. This is a great album no doubt, though I'd rate it a bit lower (about an 8 sounds right).
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| Erik M. Posts: 3104 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.05.2015 at 17:56 I can imagine that was quite a painful task to complete. Who did the proofreading, btw?But it's still very obvious it has been done by Edgar due to the way it has been written.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 61031 |
Written by Ernis on 29.05.2015 at 23:18 then what is gothic metal, how you describe it ? It is written by be, 100% words, just spell checked and grammar checked by friend and it don't violate any of MS rules I wrote all 100%
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. 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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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 61031 |
Written by Erik M. on 29.05.2015 at 23:21 to me its good, originality is 10 IMO -... and I hardly rate
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. 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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| Ernis 狼獾 Posts: 6807 |
Written by Bad English on 29.05.2015 at 23:26 Gothic sounds something like that... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIpTolK_Q-A Paradise Lost are a good example of gothic, Theatre Of Tragedy as well... If you're looking for symphonic gothic, then Tristania with Vibeke and Morten Veland played that kind of music... Nightwish has always been very remote from this genre...
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 61031 |
Good song BTW Gothic or dead rock to me, and this NW album don't fits in any other category
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. 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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