Nightwish biography
Nightwish can best be described as a symphonic metal band, hailing from Finland since 1996. Their music draws from various inspirations, and as such, frequently defies genre conventions; it is perhaps put best by band founder Tuomas Holopainen, who has described their music as "melodic heavy metal with a female voice."
Nightwish began in July 1996 as an acoustic mood music project organized by Holopainen, and along with guitarist Emppu Vuorinen and vocalist Tarja Turunen, a 3-song demo was recorded. It was not long before Holopainen realised the power of Turunen's voice would provide too large a contrast to the acoustic music, so the acoustic guitar was set aside for an electric one, and Jukka Nevalainen joined the band on percussion.
1997 saw the release of the seven-track 'Angels Fall First' limited edition, immediately followed by being signed onto Spinefarm Records. 'Angels Fall First' saw a proper release in November of 1997, reaching a modest 31st place on the Finnish album charts. Some elements of their "acoustic mood music" origins resounded in the album, elements that would be set aside entirely for their second album release the following year.
Bassist Sami Vänskä joined the band and the 'Oceanborn' album was recorded, shattering expectations by reaching #5 on the album charts, with the single "Sacrament of Wilderness" claiming the top spot on the singles chart. In 1999, the band recorded the song "Sleeping Sun" in commemoration of the German solar eclipse; the song was added as a hidden track to future "Oceanborn" pressings.
2000 saw the band enter the Finnish qualification for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Sleepwalker"; they claimed second place, despite winning the public vote. That same year, Nightwish released their third LP, 'Wishmaster', which became an instant success both critically and commercially.
The next year, Nightwish released the EP 'Over the Hills and Far Away" and the live concert DVD/album 'From Wishes to Eternity". After their releases, Vänskä was asked to leave the band, shortly to be replaced by Marco Hietala. "Century Child" was released in 2002, and was a dramatic step up from their previous releases. For one, the vocal talents of Hietala accompanied Turunen on several tracks, and the album also was the first to feature a live orchestra. The album set a record on the Finnish charts, marking the farthest a first and second place album had ever been separated.
In 2003, rumours circulated that the band would soon break up due to Turunen's marraige and other personal tensions. These rumours were proven wrong in the summer of 2004, upon the release of Nightwish's fifth album, 'Once'. The new album featured a full orchestra on a vast majority of the songs, making it their most epic-sounding album to date. Once has enjoyed extensive commercial success, having moderately "broken" the US market to further extend the band's North American fanbase.
In 2005, Nightwish released the best-of compilation 'Highest Hopes', featuring several tracks spanning their library, a remake of Sleeping Sun, and a live cover of Pink Floyd's "High Hopes". On a sourer note, the year also marked the departure of Tarja Turunen from the band, with the other four members ejecting her by way of an open letter, due to her alleged flippant view of Nightwish, which clashed against Holopainen's less commercial, more artistic vision. A replacement vocalist has not yet been found.