Nightwish Imaginaerum review

Ok, I am a BIG Nightwish fanboy, but I will try and be as objective as possible.

Imaginaerum is Nightwish's grandest and most vast album to date. It combines many of their best elements and uses them to the full potential. Musically it is different than anything they've ever done, but it never looses the feel that Nightwish brings. It contains many different styles of music (jazz, folk, etc), but is still distinctly metal. To sum it up, it is an experience. Though Imaginaerum is the second Nightwish album to feature their "new" vocalist, it is the first to be written for her, and it shows. The writing is exceptional, creating a veritable roller-coaster ride of emotions and experiences. The album feels like a concept album, but each song is stand alone. This album is in some ways a soundtrack, as it is a companion to the up coming movie of the same name. Only difference is the movie is based on the music.

1.The first track, "Taikatalvi", is a great opener. It isn't grand or exiting (as you may expect from Nightiwsh's previous albums), but is mysterious and sad. Marco sings in finnish to the haunting notes of a music box, and piano. In some ways this is one of Marco's best performances, though somewhat similar to the islander. Then it all changes.

2. "Storytime". The album's first single, opens with heavy power-chords and Annette's vocals. This song is one of the most catchy songs in the album, though a bit more mainstream than suites Nightwish. But never fear, Nightwish isn't a sell out, they haven't abandoned their hardcore fans!

3.Enter "Ghost river". In my opinion the heaviest song Nightwish has written to date, with Marco singing the chorus in a near death-grunt vocal style, backed by a haunting child choir, and Annette singing the verse. This song contains some great guitar work, heavy and complex.The song sounds more like the Once era than Dark Passion play (think Romanticide).

4.The next song. "Slow, Love, Slow". This song is jazz. Nightwish, playing jazz. It makes no sense, it shouldn't work. But it does. This song works with Annette's voice really well, and the guitar is great.

5. Now for "I want my tears back". This song is everything good about Nightwish, all in one song. A haunting chorus, a great duet, epic guitar, and great classical instruments. Like ghost river, this song speaks more of Once than Dark Passion play, but with a new twist.

6. "Scaretale". The name says it all. Terrifyingly creepy vocals by Annette, grand orchestration, fast pace, and......Marco as a circus ringleader from hell? This song feels like a soundtrack.

7. "Arabesque" A solid instrumental piece. it contains a huge mount of percussion, creating a driving force which builds tension nicely

8. "Turn loose the mermaids" Despite the horrible name, this is a great folk ballad, and one of Annettes best vocal performances. It tried to fill the same place as "The islander" did, in the previous album, though it fell short of this mark, it still is a moving song.

9. "Rest calm" Yet another great duet. It alternates between heavy guitar riffs and Marco's powerful voice, in the verse, and Annette's voice complementing the soft acoustic chorus. It also showcases some great guitar work.

10. " The crow, the owl, and the dove" Probably my favorite song in the album, this is a power ballad. It starts slow with a beautiful acoustic-guitar riff, and slowly builds to it's climax. This is yet again a duet, and probably the best in the album. The vocalists voices work perfectly, and really compliment each other.

11. "Last ride of the day" Annette really takes the lead here, driving the music. This song is grand and majestic. Though not the best, or the most original song in the album, it's great.

12. "song of my self" Clocking in at over 13 and a half minutes, this song is EPIC, only about half of it is vocals and instruments, but while it lasts it is amazing, this song is like nothing else. It is fast, pounding, operatic, and sweeping. After the last chant of the choir fades, the meat of the song starts. You either love it or hate it, but this song isn't just a song. It narrates a walk through a busy city, and life in general. It gives a glimpse into the mind of Tuomas (the person who writes Nightwish's music).

13. "Imaginaerum" This is the melodies of all the songs combined into a fascinating instrumental. Think of it as the song that plays as the credits roll.


All in all, this is a great album, one that no Symphonic metal fan should pass up. It is a bit scattered and lacking focus, and there is some thing that reoccur to much (such as the Child choir). But all in all 4.5/5

Thanks, I hope this review is helpful.

Ariel,seekeroftruth wrote:
3.Enter "Ghost river". In my opinion the heaviest song Nightwish has written to date,

*clears throat*

I think it's close. I really like that song, but I think Ghost river is a bit heavier.

Fair enough! Great review by the way!
( ^ - ^)♪♫♪♪♫

Hguols wrote:Fair enough! Great review by the way!
( ^ - ^)♪♫♪♪♫

Thanks. I have been considering making a review blog. I just need a bit of motivation.....

Nightwish rules

Imaginaerium rules

Annette is hot.

Even though shes old.

Great album. Annette came out of Tarja's shadow on this one. Now she's gone and Floor Jansen from After Forever is the new singer and from what I have seen concert wise it seems she is able to do both Annette and Tarja era songs quite easily. Cant wait to see if they do an album with her

If Dark Passion Play was a triumph for Nightwish, which it pretty much was, then Imaginaerum is even more so.

This is a sometimes incredible album. I'll say 'sometimes' because there are parts that don't grab me as much as I wish they did, mainly the slower ones, like "Slow, Love, Slow", about which I can't make up my mind. But I'm hoping that more listens will eventually win me over.

At its best however, this is a record of breathtaking music. Metal, classical, folk, adult choirs, children's choirs, and of course melody ... it just has everything, and most importantly it comes together with effortless fluidity.

The straight rock songs include "Storytime", "I Want My Tears Back", and "Last Ride of the Day", and all deserve to be on any Best of compilation, while there are the more unconventional ones, like the weird and demented "Scaretale" which, amongst others things, shows that Annette Olzen belongs in the group - it just wouldn't have worked with Tarja.

Then there's the magnificent "Rest Calm", my personal favourite - a perfect example of how to take one melody and play it over over again and, by adding different instrumental touches and building to a grandiose frenzy, make sure it never becomes boring. Rather, it's a song I just never want to end.

"Song of Myself" is a 13-minute four-part piece which has much going for it, the only reservation being the final bit "Love", which is spoken poetry. It is in its own way gentle and lovely, both in the words and how the different voices speak them, but does it go on for a bit too long? Maybe.

After that comes the concluding overture, that combines the various melodies into one whole. Done completely by orchestra, it is beautiful.

Imaginaerum is in a way a companion piece to the film Imaginaerum by Nightwish, something I haven't seen, and wonder whether I should. I'm not generally a big fan of rock bands going cinematic (The Beatles being an exception), and am likely to be disappointed. Then again, if I'm not expecting much ...

Like Dark Passion Play, this album runs to about 75 minutes, and whenever I get one that even approaches that length, let alone run over it, I usually give an initial groan. But if it's done well the groans subside before long. And Imaginaerum is done well. It's done very well. It takes every minute of its time and gives us a musical tour-de-force that's just stunning.

I see this post is very old as I am pretty new to this forum.
The first thing my eyes met is a review about a non christian band and I´m asking myself why this is here. Can you explain please?
Blessings

OberMetalzinalrat wrote:I see this post is very old as I am pretty new to this forum.
The first thing my eyes met is a review about a non christian band and I´m asking myself why this is here. Can you explain please?
Blessings

Of course we have an emphasis on christian metal and other musical genres on this forum but we also like the secular stuff here

OberMetalzinalrat wrote:I see this post is very old as I am pretty new to this forum.
The first thing my eyes met is a review about a non christian band and I´m asking myself why this is here. Can you explain please?
Blessings

This is a site that celebrates all things metal (as well as other genres at times), whether Christian or secular.  :-)  Of course, everyone has their own tastes and, when it comes to the moral issue, we all have limits when it comes to how we view things. Speaking for myself, I forgot I'd even put my review up here.  I should check as to whether I still agree with what I've written, since I've listend to the album since I wrote i. 

Anette Nightwish=best Nightwish