Dark Passion Play

When people ask me what kind of music I listen to, my standard response is "Christian contemporary and European metal". Most American know the Christian contemporary music scene well enough, even if they don't partake in it. Artists like Skillet and Switchfoot have achieved mainstream success, and big names like Casting Crowns or Steven Curtis Chapman headline Christian music festivals so often it's hard not to know of them, at least. However, it's likely that not many in the states have heard of even relatively mainstream "European metal" bands like Blind Guardian, Stratovarius, or In Flames. The reality is that "European metal" is about as broad a descriptor as "American rock music" and considerably less well-known around here. So, after being inspired by my friend's blog on all things J-pop, this blog has a mission: to raise awareness of the awesomeness of European metal. (Not that I won't talk about other stuff, of course) So, up first is one of my favorite albums of all time, the latest offering from Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish: Dark Passion Play.

As the "symphonic" part suggests, Nightwish's instrumentation extends beyond the usual guitar-bass-drums. Their songwriter, Tuomas Holopainen, often performs with several keyboards at once, and on their latest few albums they've gotten to record with a full choir and orchestra. The symphonic and metal parts of the band take turns sharing the melodic spotlight, or work together to produce pure awesomeness. There's something about the densely layered sound created by a metal band, orchestra, and choir working together that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. More than any other, this album basically serves as my definition for what "epic" music sounds like.

The 14-minute opening track, "The Poet and the Pendulum", clearly shows Holopainen's influence by movie soundtracks. It starts off quietly before exploding into a whirlwind of strings and horns, which is soon joined by the whole band. This part actually bears little resemblance to a movie soundtrack because no movie ever made can possibly justify being accompanied by music so epically awesome. The lyrics are obscure, but are supposedly Holopainen's life story. The rest of the song is a multi-segmented odyssey traversing the breadth of Nightwish's bombastic style.

The rest of the album doesn't quite maintain the epic scale of "The Poet and the Pendulum", but this isn't saying much. The next two songs are clear-cut singles; "Bye Bye Beautiful" toys with industrial sounds and deals with the dismissal of the band's old vocalist, while "Amaranth" is more pop-friendly and focuses on the band's new vocalist, Anette Olzon. On the other hand, "Master Passion Greed" is one of the band's heaviest songs, sung entirely by bassist Marco Hietala. "Cadence of her Last Breath" and "Whoever Brings the Night" are pretty standard Nightwish fare; both are epic, thrilling tunes.

Other songs like "Sahara" and "Seven Days to the Wolves" have fantasy-themed lyrics; the outro of "Seven Days to the Wolves" ranks as one of the most epic parts of any song I have ever heard. Other standout tracks are the relatively quiet interlude "The Islander" and instrumental "Last of the Wilds", wherein Nightwish displays their earlier folk influences. "Eva" and "Meadows of Heaven" are slower, more orchestral ballads; the latter slowly builds to a huge choir-driven climax that is a great album closer.

So Nightwish is one of the best examples of the "European metal" I enjoy. The only other band that can rival their epic-ness is Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. Oh, and just because you haven't heard of them doesn't mean they're underground; Nightwish is the most successful band in Finland. If you're looking to broaden your musical horizons across the Atlantic, definitely give Nightwish a look.

Addendum 5/12/2012: I was exaggerating just a bit; Nightwish is in fact the second most successful band from Finland, after HIM.