Another good Nightwish album.

I've been listening to Heavy Metal for seven years and I have heard a lot different bands. But Nightwish always unleashes something new and different with each release, the band never sounds the same which is something that appeals to me. Century Child is a huge step in the band's career, as they aquired their new bassist and male vocalist Marco Hietala. While the entire album is great, the songs that I'm most attached to are: "Dead To The World", "Slaying The Dreamer", and "Everdream." This is a very talented group of indivduals and I highly recommend this to fans of "Edenbridge", "Lacuna Coil", "Within Temptation", "Darkwell", "Visions of Atlantis", "Leave's Eyes", etc...

A controversial album

I find looking back at past reviews most entertaining - this album has received such wildly variant feedback. And its not hard to see why. When this album came out, it was a part way step on the current road, a leaving behind of the Oceanborn/Wishmaster thing. For many fans, maybe too much of a leaving behind.



I think Nightwish themselves have acknowledged the difficulties associated with this album - personal difficulties, Marco's acceptance (who in their right minds would question that now - what a truly excellent vocal team Tarja and Marco are), the softening up and modifications to Tarja's delivery, and the move to a more orchestrated construction.



Many reviews have recommended the earlier albums over this one, while giving mostly qualified praise to CC. I would agree that Oceanborn/Wishmaster are a fine pair representing early 2000s Nightwish, but in my opinion they are not really superior to Century Child in any sense. I personally find myself listening to this and Once far more than the earlier ones.



Is this their best album? No, in my opinion Once is that, as it is a truly finished masterpiece, with very few duff moments, whereas this is an album on the road to Once. Once is also on the road to another place, but less so than CC, and I really look forward to the next album!



However, this is a very good album in its own right, being after all part of the world's best symphonic rock band's body of work.



I am impressed with Marco's singing on this album - his voice is used to great effect in many places, in a more supporting role, perhaps, than on Once. He has excellent intonation and dramatic sense, and he's one of the few metal singers who can really control a massive growl, and make it melodic!



He does greater justice to this material than to Tarot's more recent material, although his early 90s work with them is very good. And he is superb on Once, as is Tarja, who really arrived on Once, for all her excellent work on earlier albums.



There is a little compositional wandering on this album, which Tuomas Holopainen more than made up for on Once. As to covers, unlike a lot of people I am not overly impressed with Phantom of the Opera, although Beauty of the Beast is just fantastic and is, along with Bless the Child, Dead to the World and Ever Dream, a standout track.



I think Once is their best - a 5 star magnum opus, whereas this is a 4 star work. I would still recommend it to the lover of symphonic rock - its a very good album.



I must agree with that reviewer who asked all those who hate this kind of music to review the music they like - one review in particular was pointlessly offensive.

Nightwish Continues To Impress

When you take the time to consider the more standout bands in the world of Metal nowadays, Nightwish is probably one of the first to come to mind. With each release Nightwish brings you into a diverse world that combines metal with arias and epic orchestrations. Tarja Turunen definitely has one of the best and most beautiful voices to come along in some time. She has led the way for modern metal women of today to find a stronger foothold in the music we love. "Century Child" was the first readily available releases in the USA courtesy of Century Media Records. This is a great CD, and it quickly follows up on the success of "Wishmaster". Beginning with "Bless The Child" you are quickly drawn into the sound of the band by Tarja's warm vocals and a very eerie haunting melody. When the "End Of All Hope" kicks in you find that the group can be heavy as they find the need. This number is full of incredible double drumming by Jukka and great guitar wizardry of Emmpu. For those who enjoy a hearty chorus the track "Dead To The World" might be most impressive. I admit that on the CD, these few are actually among my favorites. When Nightwish first played the States a little over a year ago, they performed some these and it made enjoying them all the more easier.



Showcasing her softer side, Tarja serenades you with "Forever Yours", it is the closest thing to a ballad that you will find on the CD. There is also an unusual item on the disk and that is "Phantom Of The Opera". Now I am not speaking of the Iron Maiden song of the same name, but instead the version from the Broadway play. While I am aware of this plays wide and worldwide popularity, I admit I found it amusing that a band from Finland would choose to perform it. Reservations aside, the band does not disappoint and brings the sound of Broadway to an entirely different audience with this one. You will be impressed.



Nightwish has since moved on from Century Media to Roadrunner Records as their label in the USA. Yet, I am not certain if they will also take on the back catalog. For now, if you need those you should look into CM's site. They reissued them here and added a track or two for the listener to enjoy it more. Nightwish is definitely one of those bands that if you are for some reason not looking into you should. They have defined a new level of style to it, and raised power metals bar a little higher.

Short and to the Point

Nightwish's novelty is starting to ware off. If you've heard Wishmaster, there's really no need to own this album. You'll be avoiding male vocals, although quite good, just don't fit. Their new bass player should stick to just playing bass.
Their song writing style is becoming generic and predictable. The beauty of their ballads is the only thing that keeps me buying their albums. Sad but true.

Sorry, but this is far from a mandatory purchase

I fell in love with Nightwish's "Oceanborn", and naturally bought their latest opus, "Century Child". Contrary to what some of the revieweres here wrote, I liked it the first time around, and liked it during several successive spins. But about half a year later when I returned to it, it struck me how plain and unoriginal this record is.

Basically, there's only one major change to Nightwish's sound, and that is an introduction of a male singer backing up Tarja Turunen's incredible performance. His voice is high-pitched, and is a mixed affair, working in some tracks, and disturbing in other. Beside that, nothing really changed much, and you won't hear anything you haven't heard on "Oceanborn". Except that the songwriting on that album is by far better than on "Century Child". Only the remake of a famous "Phantom of the Opera" saves this CD from mediocrity.

For The Love of Tarja

After reading a review in a Metal Magazine I decided to give NightWish a try and I am glad that I did. This is the first time I ever heard of the band and I love the album Century Child so much that I can't stop listening to it and I mean every song! Being a musician myself; I have become very inspired by it. I recommend this album to everyone who enjoys rock opera and progressive metal