[.ca] Dark Passion Play

From Amazon.com:
Nightwish returns with an ambitious epic metal opus that begins promisingly enough but quickly devolves into another formulaic power rock affair. The band's at its most powerful and convincing on the opening "The Poet and the Pendulum" (all 14 minutes of it), the dynamic "Bye Bye Beautiful," and the infectious pop-inflected "Amaranth." But mid-album tracks such as "Sahara," "For the Heart I Once Had," and the limpid closer, "Meadows of Heaven," retread familiar ground that reminds us of epic metal's more disappointing tendencies--faux pop, bombastic bombast, anemic anthems, and a penchant for the maudlin. With new vocalist Annette Olzon in the ranks, the Finnish outfit stands poised to make a thoroughly convincing and wholehearted classic (listen to "The Islander" for further proof) but falls short, delivering a decent but distracted recording. It's too ambitious, too scattered, and, simply, too long--and that's too bad. --Jedd Beaudoin

So, what was everyone complaining about?:
Seriously, I want to know. I have heard so many complaints about this album, the new singer, etc. since it came out, that they were hard to avoid. I bought the album despite all that because I would rather judge for myself. After purchasing DDP, I fail to understand what people deem so horrible about it. It's actually a very well done album. Let's start with the vocals: Now, it's typical for a large group of fans to be upset when the original lead singer is ousted from a band and replaced. But, the complaints leveled at Annette Olzon, the new lead, are without merit, in my opinion. (And believe me, there are many cruel insults) In this album, she not only proves she can sing, but also has a great degree of control over her voice. She sings with power, emotion, and doesn't strain her vocal limits. Unlike other replacement singers in bands (take a hint Sirenia), she still fits the mold of the band and adds strength to the songs. Is she Tarja? No, of course not. I'm glad of this because a Tarja clone would be boring to listen to. Yes, Tarja will be missed; but Annette proves herself just as capable of handling the lead singing position. She brings a fresh sound to the band as a whole. She has talent. As such, I'm beginning to think that some fans wouldn't like any singer other then Tarja in Nightwish, even if they have talent (as Annette proves). What I'm saying here is, give Annette a chance, if you decide to buy this album. If you don't like her singing after giving her a fair chance then that's fine. But don't judge based on the complaints. Marco has consequently improved in his vocal ability on this album this time around, many of the songs compliment his voice, rather then contrast it (The Poet, Bye Bye Beautiful, 7 Days, etc.) Instrumentals: Nightwish is still here - switching things up a bit several times in a song with dually layered instrumentals. This is always a treasure because you discover new things about a song each time you listen to it. So a song doesn't get old. The Songs: For the most part the songs are great. I will disagree (for the most part) with the amazon review which states "mid-album tracks such as "Sahara," "For the Heart I Once Had," and the limpid closer, "Meadows of Heaven," retread familiar ground that reminds us of epic metal's more disappointing tendencies--faux pop, bombastic bombast, anemic anthems, and a penchant for the maudlin". Now, "Sahara" isn't the best song on the album; but it's still pretty great in it's own right. The beat and the vocals are dead on and enjoyable. "For the Heart I Once Had" isn't a bad song; however, I must say that it just doesn't feel like Nightwish, so it shouldn't be included on the album. It doesn't hold the general feeling of the band. But, I will disagree with "Meadows of Heaven" being bad. It's a nice soothing song and finishes the album off well. "The Poet And the Pendulum", is an amazing song. It has some of the best vocals and choruses I've heard in a long time. I love the constant switch of rhythmn and sound throughout the song. "Bye Bye Beautiful" and "7 Days to the Wolves" carry over their own sense of masterwork. Both songs will get your blood going. The latter, I feel, is potential movie material (in the nice sense) because it shines. "Amaranth" is a combo of rock, metal, classical, and a little bit of pop influence mixed to create a catchy single. Opposite this "Eva" and "The Islander" are the slower songs on the album. They compliment the heavier songs well by creating a slower atmosphere. There's a balance here that works. The only downside to this album, from what I can see, is that there are a couple songs (such as Cadence of Her Last Breath) that are missing that powerful sound Nightwish is attributed with. It makes the said song sound a little, how should I put it, hollow or mellow. Aside from that minor downside, DPP is still a great album in it's own right. The bottom line: Nightwish - or Tuomas - still knows how to make a great album. So, don't let the complaints discourage you. If you give the album a fair chance, you shouldn't be disappointed with the end result. Happy listening...

Another medium grade 2007 album:
My "year of disappointments" continues with Nightwish' latest release, Dark Passion Play. As with the latest releases from Arch Enemy, Children of Bodom and Megadeth, Nightwish seems to forget who they are with this latest outing. It's a great sounding album, but it lacks the epic feel of its predecessors. The first notable difference is the introduction of Annette as lead vocalist. Her voice and style are completely different in comparison to Tarja's previous reign with the band. It would be easy to put the blame on her, but quite frankly, she does a remarkable job stepping in with the band. I've had the pleasure of meeting Annette in person, and she's a sweetheart with a beautiful voice to boot. No, the real problem with Dark Passion Play is that it sounds too much like a Lacuna Coil album. Any doubters, please take a moment to stack this album against a LC album and you'll see what I mean. It is perhaps more noticeable given the fact that Annette has a similar vocal style to Cristina Scabbia, but the real culprit here are the boys of Nightwish who have comprised songs that lack the gothic, operatic crunch of their previous entry, "Once." Despite this shortcoming, Dark Passion Play is a fine album to listen to. I'm simply not listening to it "as much" as other Nightwish albums. Tarja's presence on those previous albums is not a factor, either. I sincerely hope that Nightwish do not stay down this path, and instead opt to head back into the beautiful territory of "Nemo," "Creek Mary's Blood" and "Ghost Love Score." They are masters in that field.

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