Text by Leonardo Orletti
In the late 1990s, a new wave of symphonic metal bands emerged. This style combined heavy rock with the excessive use of keyboards and vocals influenced by classical music. The result of this mix was deep and melancholic music, despite its almost always heavy sound.
The main inspiration for this new style of music was power metal, introduced to the world by the German band Helloween . With some adaptations and influences, the time had come for the internationally famous symphonic metal. Even before the start of the decade, there were already bands associated with this movement, but 1997 was the year it took on new proportions.
Most of the bands that emerged in this new wave were from Europe. But the movement itself brought groups from all corners of the world. Nightwish came from Finland. It's worth remembering that it's proven that, proportionally, the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland, etc.) are the nations with the largest number of metal bands in the world.
One of those influenced by this extremely favorable music scene and motivated by his natural passion for music was the multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and perhaps something more, Tuomas Holopainen . He joined drummer Jukka Nevalainen , guitarist Emppu Vuorinen , and vocalist Tarja Turunen to form Nightwish and release the quartet's first album, Angels Fall First.
The bass lines for the entire album were recorded by the band's guitarist, and on the album's promotional tour, the position was filled by Samppa Hirvonen . But enough with the Finnish names! Luckily, most of Nightwish's material is recorded in English.
The excellent “Elvenpath” kicks things off. Before the instrumental begins, vocalist Tarja poetically recites a few verses, introducing the listener to the path of the elves. The choice of this opening track was spot on. Everything in this track is very intense. Tuomas' riff demonstrates the power of the keyboards, and Tarja's privileged voice stands out. The melody and the heaviness complement each other well, setting the tone for the story that describes the path where Beauty met the Beast.
The next track is interesting. It's called "Beauty and the Beast." It's a romantic and melancholic dialogue between Belle and the Beast (Tarja plays Belle and Tuomas sings the Beast's lines), who had already been mentioned in the first song. Not only that, but the two tracks are very similar. "Beauty and the Beast" also has a keyboard riff and heavy instrumentation, although it's more progressive due to its rhythmic breaks.
Nightwish gives us the impression that their debut is conceptual. The themes of the compositions of the first two tracks are very similar. In addition to the French tale of Beauty and the Beast, elves, gnomes, and even the seven dwarfs are also mentioned, all characters from European and Nordic tales and mythology.
"The Carpenter" deconstructs the idea of a single album theme by making analogies to religion. The lyrics and the music video make this clear. Speaking of which, this is the only song to have both a music video and a single released, both in the year following the release of the full album. Tuomas' parts are musically soft and melancholic, while Tarja's parts are heavier. This was the most commercially successful song in Finland.
“Astral Romance” is another good song. The instrumental is much more rock n' roll than usual, and the vocals are more geared towards classical music. Tuomas' vocals serve as a backdrop for Tarja's Gregorian chant. The guitar solo is very beautiful. I even think the keyboards accompanying the six strings would be dispensable. The music would be cleaner. The lyrics are quite abstract, but also melancholic, addressing themes such as anguish, scars, and death.
The fourth track is the last one to feature vocals from the keyboardist and leader of Nightwish. Tuomas is also the composer of all the lyrics and the main producer of the album. Perhaps among Tuomas' many qualities, his voice isn't in a good position. His songwriting potential should definitely be first!
The title track returns to the theme of religion, this time questioning it in a not-so-clear way. The expression "Angels Fall First" is naturally controversial and thought-provoking. For the first time, Nightwish presents a completely acoustic song, but with a very dense arrangement and a melody that is not at all accessible. In fact, it is not recommended for live performances.
“Tutankhamen” is the sixth track. This one would definitely get a return if it were played live more often. It's a good song about the life of Tutankhamun, a powerful pharaoh of ancient Egypt, set to a memorable melody. Regarding the lyrics, honestly, I doubt that interpreting Tuomas' words is easier than identifying the family tree of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. For your information, his first relatives were identified 88 years after the discovery of his tomb.
“Nymphomaniac Fantasia” is another smooth and mysterious song, this time brimming with eroticism, as the title suggests. And even though this is an accessible theme, Tuomas is able to adapt his incomprehensible lyrics. The flute, so present in this track and the previous one, is played by Esa Lehtinen .
“Know Why The Nightingale” is a true breath of fresh air. After so much suffering, Tuomas speaks of feelings opposite to melancholy and despair, such as joy and freedom. Musically, this is Emppu Vuorinen's moment! Nightwish's heavy guitar occupies a good part of the song with beautiful riffs and solos, giving the track a sound more geared towards classic rock and metal.
The final track is called “Lappi (Lapland)” and is divided into four parts that together form an epic of almost ten minutes. The first is “Eramaajarvi”, the second is “Witchdrums”, an instrumental with only percussion and arrangements by Tuomas. Jukka Nevalainen's percussion brings out tribal influences. The third part is “This Moment Is Eternity”. It and the first part are beautiful and sad songs accompanied by Tuomas' keyboards. And the last part is called “Etiainen”, another instrumental.
Lappi is the name of a large region located in northern Finland. It has nothing to do with the band's origin, as all their cities are in the south of the country. The song lyrics actually describe a place as a land of beauty, cold and cruel, etc.
It's interesting how Nightwish references their homeland in their lyrics, sometimes clearly and other times not so much. They talk about its mythology, its stories, all in a somewhat emblematic way, as one would expect, since we're talking about Tuomas Holopainen.
This is the highlight of the band's first album. The lyrics are very sophisticated, bearing in mind that the author of all of them was an incredible 20 years old at the time. Given his young age and this being his first professional work, Tuomas showed incredible potential. It's worth noting that in addition to writing, he was primarily responsible for the production and a large part of the instrumental work.
No less important, and perhaps more obviously, the vocalist's voice is a spectacle in itself. Tarja Turunen's vocals bring great dynamism to the songs. Tuomas' megalomania and Tarja's marvelous singing talent, combined with well-played guitar, bass, and drums, would lead Nightwish to become the greatest exponent of symphonic metal in the world. And Angels Fall First was the first step in that direction.
*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.
