NIGHTWISH — Oceanborn (review)

NIGHTWISH — Oceanborn album cover Album · 1998 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Warthur
I typically find the symphonic power metal style which Nightwish are one of the leading exemplars of to be a decidedly hit or miss affair, with Nightwish typically falling on the "miss" side of the equation. This album is the closes that they come to winning me over, which probably explains why it's their critical and commercial breakthrough. The best tracks on here tend to be the ones when the band go at it full pelt and rely on Tuomas Holopainen's keyboards to provide most of the symphonic gravitas, though a few pieces with a more orchestral touch do stand out, such as an inspired cover of the Snowman theme song Walking In the Air which gives Tarja the perfect opportunity to show just what she can do with her vocals.

Still, it all feels a bit light and insubstantial to my tastes, a bit popcorn and candyfloss next to the red meat of groups like Theatre of Tragedy or The Sins of Thy Beloved, which offer a somewhat more classically gothic take on the whole "Beauty and the Beast" lineup and rely a bit less on orchestral overkill.
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Deviance Deathcore
ASHES INTO BLOOD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Equilibrium Atmospheric Sludge Metal
BESRA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tension Between Rot And Genesis Sludge Metal
ANTHESIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Recycle Brain Crust Punk
C.P.G
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cartography Of The Mind Deathcore
TETHERED
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us