I am here responding to a review of the Nightwish
album Dark Passion Play. The Review is by Joshua Mackle and is hosted at
Helium.com. For the most part I agree with his review and I certainly believe he
evaluated the album in a fair and unbiased way. This album was a pivotal point
in the history of the band, released after the first major break in the band
with the replacement of the lead singer.
Because of this there are some major differences
that needed addressing, primarily in the direct relationship of the two voice
types, but also the feel of the music as a whole. First, the review touches on
the vocal shift. It is plain that there is a major difference in the tonal
qualities of the singers and that Tarja was much more powerful than Annette,
but the review goes on to mention some of the highlights of Annette’s voice
that allow it to stand out in a light of its own, particularly with the example
of the final track, Meadows of Heaven. Here, the review says, her voice is just
as powerful as Tarja’s, but sweeter and cleaner.
In response to the change in the bands
encompassing nature, the review is a little skewed as it compares Dark Passion
Play to albums that are several albums old. Nightwish is a dynamic band whose
albums are all different and represent the change in sound produced by the
band. The album before Dark Passion Play, Once, is most similar and the
reviewer acknowledges this as he says that if the listener liked that album,
they will like Dark Passion Play.
The major problem with this source is that it does
not once mention symphonic metal but is more focused on comparing albums of Nightwish
to each other and explaining features of Dark Passion Play and how they compare
to previous sounds of Nightwish.
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