Nightwish

Nightwish was formed by keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen in a small town of Kitee in Finland as the embodiment of his idea - a band, playing camp songs that can be ususally heard in the forest near the fire. The problem was that the classical operal voice of their vocalist Tarja Turunen was too powerful for acoustic music. Finally they found the solution: changed the acoustic guitar for the electric one and started playing power metal. Nightwish recorded a demo and sent it to different studios. In the beginning of 1997 their line-up was finished by drummer Jukka Nevalainen. The band signed to the Spinefarm Records for two albums. The first one, Angels Fall First, was released in the same year. Though the critical reviews were not homogeneous, Nightwish were an undoubted success in Finland. The band planned to tour but it was difficult to bring to life due to Tarja's study. Besides, drummer Nevalainen and guitarist Vuorinen were fulfilling their obligatory military service for the moment. It did not stop the Spinefarm from realising the Nifgtwish's huge potential and prolonging the contract for one more album.

In 1998 the group was extended by an obligatory for every self-esteeming metal band bass player Sami Vanska (later replaced by Marco Hietala). The follow-up, Oceanborn, only gained of this aquisition in technical terms. It also showed a more profound approach to song-writing and arrangement. The first single of Oceanborn, Sacrament of Wilderness, immediately headed the Finnish charts, while the disc itself entreted the top ten album chart. In 1999 Nightwish recorded the single edition Sleeping Sun (Four Ballads To The Eclypse), for which they were inspired by the upcoming sun eclypse in Germany. The mesmerizing Tarja's vocals in gothic arrengement conquered the German auditory by the first strike. Sleeping Sun is still thought to be one of the best band’s things. The next year Nightwish took part in Finnish audition for Eurovision with the song Sleepwalker. Though they won the tele-voting, the jury chose another contestant. It did not prevent their new album Wishmaster from climbing to the chart top immediately after the release in May. In 2002 a new album, Century Child, was ready. It became the pivotal point in band's stylistics, as some of the songs featured the live orchestra music. The most famous song from the album became the dramatic cover for Phantom Of The Opera. The disc became golden in Finland in two hours after release.

In 2004 Nightwish presented their new work, Once, the first one fully recorded in the symphonic power metal style. The first single, Nemo, is still the most successfull single by the group, helped to promote the album in Europe. The financial and critical success of Once gave Nightwish the opportunity to present the World Tour, visiting many coutries they never played in before. No need to say it seriously enlarged the band's auditory. In September 2005 the command released the compilation of their best songs, High Hopes, in order to overview the way Nightwish had done. In October 2005 the concert record The End Of The Era came out for selling. It was the last performance by Nightwish with Turunen, as immediately after the concert she received the open letter from the other band's members about her dismissal. In her own open letter Tarja said this had been like the bolt from the blue for her. In 2006 Nightwish finished recording the instrumental material for their next album and started looking for a new vocalist. To the very release of the album Dark Passion Play the name of Tarja's change was in high secret. At last it became known that the vacant seat was taken by Anette Olson, a Sweedish-born 36-year-old singer, Alyson Avenue's ex-vocalist. Though it was difficult to imagine Nightwish without Turunen, the band did not lose its charm with her dismissal. Dark Passion Play is also interesting with soloing by the bassist Hietala, for example, in the ironical dedication to Turunen's retirering Bye, Bye, Beautiful. Nightwish made an excellent present to their fans in 2009 by releasing a truly epic compilation album Lokikirja, which consists of a great number of band’s songs, including the remastered edition of group’s debut long play Angels Fall First. That record is a real encyclopedia of Nightwish’ creativity, from their early works to Dark Passion Play, and there is no doubt that Lokikirja will be a wonderful addition to any lover of symphonic power metal.