Guest Review by Rene Hebert

How does Anette’s vocals compare to Tarja’s?

There are many people arguing that Anette is nowhere near the singer that Tarja was. Although I do admit that Tarja was a much stronger singer, especially when it comes to very large, operatic songs, Anette’s voice brings a much-needed feel to Nightwish’s music. My personal opinion is that although Tarja suited Nightwish very well in the Angels Fall First and Oceanborn years, their more recent CDs, Century Child and Once, especially, needed a new kind of voice—specifically, one that was not so operatic. I feel that Anette is this new voice. I’ve heard that the new feel of Nightwish makes them seem too much like Evanescence for the fans’ tastes. I believe that this new, slightly edgier feel is a good thing for the band as a whole. Sure, they may lose some fans, but they’ll gain some, too. Although I will miss Tarja, I welcome Anette to the band, and I hope to hear much more from her.

What are some good points about this album?

I very much enjoyed the diversity in songs found in this CD. Although some songs don’t really suit the overall feel, like I’d already mentioned, for the most part, the songs chosen fit very well together. Also, the variety in songs, both in feel and in vocal range, show off Anette’s singing capabilities very well. I find that it shows very well exactly what we can expect from her, as well as what we can expect from Nightwish in years to come. That being said, I’m very optimistic about this “new” Nightwish.

What mistakes did they make?

There were a few songs on this new album that I thought were weaker, especially compared to some that they’d chosen to omit. For example, I felt that “The Islander” didn’t suit the overall feel of the album, whereas “While Your Lips Are Still Red”, which can be found on their Amaranth single, would have made a much better choice. In fact, having seen the music video for “While Your Lips Are Still Red”, I was very disappointed that it wasn’t on the CD, as I think it’s one of their best songs to come out recently.

Any last words?

I’d have to say that, overall, I’m very happy with this new CD. Although we’ll all miss Tarja’s melodic voice, I have high hopes for this new singer. She may not be able to bring justice to “Wishmaster”, or to “Over the Hills”, but I now consider those a chapter of Nightwish that’s past. I’m looking forward to what this new chapter will bring.