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Nightwish - Oceanborn review



Reviewer:
10

1284 users:
8.64
Band: Nightwish
Album: Oceanborn
Release date: December 1998


01. Stargazers
02. Gethsemane
03. Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean
04. Sacrament Of Wilderness
05. Passion And The Opera
06. Swanheart
07. Moondance
08. The Riddler
09. The Pharaoh Sails To Orion
10. Walking In The Air [Howard Blake cover]
11. Nightquest [bonus]
12. A Return To The Sea [bonus]
13. Sleeping Sun [bonus]

It's always hard to be objective when you talk about one of your favourite bands.I can's pretend I am going to be objective here, because I like this band so much.

The most noticeable thing with Nightwish is that everything lays on Tarja Turunen's fragile shoulders. And as her voice is perfect, everything works, even better than on the first album Angels Fall First. Compared to this one, Oceanborn is heavier, more varied and has, of course, a better sound, and finally Tuomas Holopainen decided to stop singing (his voice scared me when I first heard Angels Fall First): he who writes everything, and has stunning keyboard sounds decided to let Tarja do the job.

This album is in pure Nightwish style, with an alternance of speed and heavy-metal songs ('Stargazers', 'Sacrament of Wilderness', 'The Riddler') with ballads ('Swanheart' and the beautiful 'Walking in the Air') and violent moments ('The Pharaoh Sails to Orion', its ?Beauty and the Beast?-like structure and its beginning riff makes me headbang all the way), but they are still able to remain melodic, thanks to the voice and to the keyboards. The instrumental track ('Moondance') is a pure moment of delight: just lay on your sofa, close your eyes and listen carefully, and you will see elves dancing around a fire in the depths of a distant forest. You too might jump everywhere while hearing it...

Every musician perfectly knows his part, making a jewelcase for Tarja's crystal voice, the opera arrangements are as good as they can be ('Gethsename', 'Passion and the Opera'), and even the guests work for Nightwish's cause ('Devil & the Deep Dark Ocean', 'The Pharaoh Sails to Orion')

My favourite track remains 'Stargazers', because it is the one that made me know (and love) Nightwish: it is still a special moment when I hear this speedy riff and this wonderful voice (it reminds me of the bad times when I didn's know this band).

It has to be said that if you had the luck to find the Limited European Tour Edition, here are 3 bonus tracks:
'Nightguest' is probably the heaviest song they ever recorded, with a speedy riff that gets stuck in your brain after the first listening.

'A Return to the Sea' is a mid tempo track, closer to a ballad than to a power-metal song. 'Sleeping Sun' is, in my opinion, the best Nightwish song of all time. I still don's understand why it has not been released on album. No heavy-metal, no violence here. Just the most beautiful, the sweetest ballad I?ve ever been given to hear... It's more than melodic, Tarja excelled herself, her voice is pure, so pure that it washes you far away in a blue and fluffy world... And this album ends up with a jewel. The only thing I can reproach to this song is that it is too short!

If you don's know Nightwish, try to get this limited edition, just for this song. It's worth doing it. Enjoy your journey in fantasy lands...

Highlights: Stargazers, Sacrament Of Wilderness, Sleeping Sun

Written by Deadsoulman | 18.09.2003



Guest review by
Spyroid
Rating:
7.6
Oceanborn - for many people the highlight of Nightwish's discography. This is a very hard album to review for me - I've had it for several years and I'm still not sure what I think about it. On some points Oceanborn is a masterpiece with ten points out of ten - I'll describe how first.

The material itself on this album is pure professionalism - song structures are all interesting and the only song I find to be bad is 'Swanheart' which always manages to bore me. Guitars are interesting, the keyboards are almost virtuoso and the performance is overall top notch. There's a lot of instrumental passages through the tracks which provide a lot; they take the music away from the deep, deep swamp of 'verse-bridge-refrain-repeat-solo-refrain-end'. I can't really find any tracks that are better than the others and for me there are no real hits here. That is the main reason why this album isn't perfect.

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published 07.07.2008 | Comments (17)

Guest review by
ErnilEnNaur
Rating:
9.1
Oceanborn. What's in a title? A lot. Purity and innocence are words that describe someone who is born in - or from - an ocean. There is a sweet innocence to Nightwish's 2nd album that can not be found in the later albums or on the previous one. "Dark Passion Play," "Nymphomaniac Fantasy," "She is my Sin," "Slaying the Dreamer" - what's in a title? That's not to say Oceanborn doesn't have its darker themes, too, they just aren't overwhelming. When I listen to the album as a whole, it is a solemn, but joyful experience. I get the feeling that Tuomas and the band really enjoyed making this album and made it for themselves. Back then, their music was still in the foreground and business was somewhere on the background, not even in clear focus. They didn't have the troubles and responsibilities they now carry, they were young and free.

Read more ››
published 24.04.2010 | Comments (16)


Comments

Comments: 23   Visited by: 184 users
23.07.2006 - 15:07
Rating: 10
dark awakening

That's true! Great album!
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Baptized in a lake of acid tears...
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21.09.2006 - 00:07
DarkAngelCosmo
Account deleted
it's not only a great album but also a magnificent musical piece.....i can describe this album with just one sinlge word..awesome!!:banger2:
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21.09.2006 - 00:11
Streetcleaner
Account deleted
Very good album, "The Riddler" is one of my favourite songs ever... just some of the lyrics pathetically suck, but musically no complaints.... the best by Nightwish that's for sure-.
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21.09.2006 - 00:17
Baz Anderson

this is my favorite Nightwish album!!!!
and just my reading the tracklist i am going to listen to some right now
i havent listened to any Nightwish in ages!!
this is their best album by far though! i love it!
(lots of exclamation marks there!! haha)
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21.09.2006 - 00:41
The Alchemist
Metalchemist
Great album indeed. I got one bonus track: "Nightquest" and it's really good.
I agree witht the variety of the album: instrumental, fast riffs, ballads, heavy songs... this album is the best of Nightwish imo.
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I'm not afraid to die, I'm afraid to be alive without being aware of it
Sensorium - Epica
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29.11.2006 - 15:04
Talvi

Good album, but far from perfect. Overrated I'd say.
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My account on other musical pages:
http://www.last.fm/user/Pozito/
http://rateyourmusic.com/~Talvi
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30.11.2006 - 20:06
Bitch Boy

I agree with Largos. The rating is too high, but it still is a very good piece of work. My favorite is Sacrament of Wilderness.
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14.01.2007 - 03:08
Talvi

BTW: A perfect album doesn't have highlights
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My account on other musical pages:
http://www.last.fm/user/Pozito/
http://rateyourmusic.com/~Talvi
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14.01.2007 - 06:32
Rating: 9
Susan
Smeghead
I don't think this album is "overrated," it's just so loved and so popular that people grow tired of hearing how great it is. Yet, it really is great. I'd probably give it a 9 or 9.5 but still cannot disagree with this review. Well, written.

The Pharaoh Sails to Orion has long been my favourite song from this album but alfter all these years I've grown to love Gethsemane as my favourite. Go figure
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"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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15.01.2007 - 02:35
Bitch Boy

Excellent review. I also wonder why "Sleeping Sun" hasn't been released yet... By the way, those highlights are my favorite songs.


@ Lyrinan: I totally agree with you, this album isn't overrated (maybe it's overrated in the rating given by Deadsoulman) is just that it became very a well-known one. I would give this one something close to a 9.
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16.01.2007 - 14:02
Deadsoulman

Yep I also think my rating is a bit too high now I don't think I would give it such a high score today (maybe a 9 would fit better) but it was my first review for Metal Storm a few years ago and thus I don't want to lower the rating. It reflects what my taste was at one given moment in the past
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13.06.2007 - 14:52
Rating: 10
Grey_Dandelion

One of the best music creations of all times!!!Walking In The Air is my favourite...what a cover!!!
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Don't turn away just take my hand and when you make your final stand i ll be right there i ll never leave all i ask of you is believe...
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01.07.2007 - 08:29
Noel Sonic
Account deleted
It's just Nightwish style. I like that feeling which contains Symphonic style, just like a falling angel's melody.I had to say Tuomas Holopainen had writen a very good album.
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01.07.2007 - 12:57
Rating: 8
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
i like their new works with Marco Hietala more, but i really enjoy songs like Stargazers, Moondance or Sleeping Sun too
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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15.10.2007 - 18:49
Dreamwar_86
To Arms!
01. Stargazers
03. Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean
04. Sacrament Of Wilderness
05. Passion And The Opera
06. Swanheart
07. Moondance
09. The Pharaoh Sails To Orion
13. Sleeping Sun [bonus]


these are the best songs of nightwish its the best album of nightwish ever its very fast i lo ve it
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Stay Metal !!!
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15.10.2007 - 21:24
Rating: 8
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
and what about Nightquest?

imo it is better song than all those 8 together
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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16.03.2008 - 10:40
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
i dont understand why so much noise about this album. its absolutly worst than the first one.
Gethsemane, Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean, Sacrament Of Wilderness, Passion And The Opera, Sleeping Sun... there too much bad tracks, only saved by Waking in the air and The Riddler.
6/10 in my opinion.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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23.12.2009 - 06:34
Rating: 10
SatyriconChick

Damn that I don't have the European Limited edition version of this CD, because I don't have those bonus songs! This was the first Nightwish album that I truly fell in love with. I'm addicted to "Walking In the Air!" "Gesethemane" is my other favorite.
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23.12.2009 - 10:03
Rating: 8
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
I own "regular" version only as well...it is shame, since "Nightquest" and "Sleeping Sun" are from the top of NWs works...
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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09.02.2010 - 02:15
Stas

Flawless!
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21.04.2010 - 22:09
ErnilEnNaur
Account deleted
"Everything rests on Tarja's shoulders?"

Well, the reviewer is right. Everything except for songwriting, keyboards, drums, percussion, guitar and bass rests on her shoulders. Wait a minute...that's not EVERYTHING!
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26.04.2010 - 18:25
Rating: 8
MétalNoir
Fils du Lys
Written by Guest on 21.04.2010 at 22:09

"Everything rests on Tarja's shoulders?"

Well, the reviewer is right. Everything except for songwriting, keyboards, drums, percussion, guitar and bass rests on her shoulders. Wait a minute...that's not EVERYTHING!

lolll right! Oceanborn is still the band's best release as of 2010 and not just beacause of Tarja's voice.
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Notre destinée n'est pas encore tracée....
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27.08.2016 - 00:28
Rating: 9
BlankFile

One of the best of Nightwish, for sure. The first real glimpse of the band.
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