What is Your Favorite Nightwish Album?

[Tramz]

For the longest time i saw Century Child as my favorite, with Wishmaster as a very close second. I think at this point Wishmaster has overtaken CC. I think it may be because as time goes on and as Nightwish moves further away from it's referential origins, I appreciate them ever more. Also, it's just some damn fine music. (and by the by, I am currently re-reading the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy, to be followed up by the Dragonlance Legends trilogy. This does not hurt my appreciation for Wishmaster)

[C.]

I saw a couple of those books at the book fair and wanted to pick them up, but I don't like to have part 2 and 5 when all the others are missing.

[Calinn]

I'm on the CC boat! Really love its inner balance, the only track I don't like is Phantom, it just ruins the mood :| But the rest of the album is wow!

[Frankopan]

I'll be honest, AFF. By no means a masterpiece, very average in fact, but I have an unexplainable affinity towards the album. It's pure and simple.

[Himiko]

It's close between Oceanborn and Century Child, but Century Child was my first Nightwish album, and I think it'll always be the favourite.

[The Witchdrummer]

My favourite will always be Angels Fall First. The Carpenter was my first Nightwish song so that definately has a big influence, but I also love the "real" spirit of this album. And it has the best cover.

[Bianca74]

I know I cited "Wishmaster" as my favourite, but I have to admit that it's getting a lot of competition from "Imaginaerum"!

[Tramz]

Originally Posted by Bianca74

I know I cited "Wishmaster" as my favourite, but I have to admit that it's getting a lot of competition from "Imaginaerum"!

Wow, that is quite a statement. A testament to the quality of Imaginaerum.

[C.]

I don't think anything will ever top Wishmaster for me, but it's safe to say that the other albums get a nice rotation for second-place.

[Hyperspace]

My situation is similar to yours. I don't think anything will ever top Century Child for me. It seems to be safely locked into that top spot. My current album ranking now that "Imaginaerum" is out:

1. Century Child
2. Wishmaster
3. Once
4. Imaginaerum
5. Oceanborn
6. Dark Passion Play
7. Angels Fall First

Not too bad, it manages to finish right in the middle.

[Oceansoul Troll]

I've now got every Nightwish album and have gone through their whole catalog and my favorite album is "Wishmaster" with "Once" coming in second.

I personaly feel the song "Bare Grace Misery" was written just for me. If I knew how to play good and how to compose a song, that's the song I would write. It's pretty crazy to hear a song like that when you could swear that's what your heart has been screaming out this whole time. Thank you, Tuomas, for writing a song that I only wish I could.

[C.]

^That's my favorite song off "Wishmaster" and feel it doesn't get nearly enough props. So I'm finally glad to see someone else loving it as much as I do!

[Bianca74]

After listening to the new album for a few months now, I would have to cite "Wishmaster" AND "Imaginaerum" as my favourite albums. I can't pick either or as the favourite because they are so different, but I love both as much. Is there someone else that is of the same opinion? Just curious.

[C.]

Not yet for me, but I don't think it would be wrong to say you have a favorite Tarja-era album and a favorite Anette-era album.

[hauta]

IMHO the best NW albums are the ones with Anette.. The songs with her are way better!

[Oceansoul Troll]

@ Bianca74


That's how I feel about "Wishmaster" and "Once". Both Tarja era, both totally different. As a newer fan, I didn't grow up with Nightwish as most of you did so I don't have any emotional attachment to the old era. It's clear as day that every album has it's own sound and is going on what Tuomas was feeling at the time. Seriously, "Once" sounds nothing like "Wishmaster" but I love them both in their own way. Every other album is completely independent from the other. So yea, I relate. And on a personal note, that's what's so cool about this band. No album sounds a like, it's all based on real emotions, there's nothing phoney about it. There's no "Hey, we gotta sound like this because we're expected to" bullshit goin on at all and that takes a whole lot of balls to do (I bet alot of people bitched when CC came out that it was too different than WM). Music being written and played for love and not money.

[Bianca74]

UMadBro: I think that's well put. I've actually only been a fan for a little over 2 years now, but I have to admit that it took me some time to get into DPP as opposed to for instance "Once", "Wishmaster" and this new album. It had less to do with Anette and more to do with DPP not having any song except "7 Days to the wolves" that I really really love.

[Bianca74]

Originally Posted by C.

Not yet for me, but I don't think it would be wrong to say you have a favorite Tarja-era album and a favorite Anette-era album.

Yes I definitely have my favourite Tarja-era album and my favourite Anette-era album. That said, I'm sure that Tuomas will be able to surprise us all with the next album, making it totally different from the previous ones.

[Oceansoul Troll]

Originally Posted by Bianca74

UMadBro: I think that's well put. I've actually only been a fan for a little over 2 years now, but I have to admit that it took me some time to get into DPP as opposed to for instance "Once", "Wishmaster" and this new album. It had less to do with Anette and more to do with DPP not having any song except "7 Days to the wolves" that I really really love.

I still can't get into DPP. Has a few songs I like with "Poet & The Pendulum" being my personal favorite off the album. If I had to rank them today...

1) Wishmaster
2) Once
3-4) Imaginaerum
3-4) Oceanborn
5) Century Child
6) Dark Passion Play
7) Angels Fall First

[C.]

(I bet alot of people bitched when CC came out that it was too different than WM)

Did they ever! It's hard to remember all of these years later with Marco's reputation as a sort of "metal god", that he wasn't instantly looked at that way when he joined Nightwish. Many people *hated* his voice in contrast to Tarja's. That was the biggest adjustment that I saw among fans at that time. Personally, I didn't like how when Marco got there how he sort of "took over" as the "mouthpiece" of the band in live shows. I felt at the time that really wasn't his place; he's the "new guy", you know? But of course, all these years later, it doesn't bother me anymore, and I don't really know why it ever did. But yeah, it seems that each new album that comes is a major transition for a lot of fans. Just as many fans (who may not have protested to Century Child) didn't take as easily to Once, or didn't take to DPP. I've been a Nightwish fan for nearly 11 years and I've never seen an album come out from them where everyone is instantly on the same page and agreeing that it's great, or that it's bad. There are always those that take a long time to get used to it, or never really do.

But it's like you said, that's what's great about the band; every album is distinctly "them", but also very different from the ones before in their own way. I admit it took me many listens before Imaginaerum grew on me. There was just so much there to digest that it was impossible to start picking out favorite songs right off the bat, as I have been able to do with past albums. I think that's where many fans have had trouble embracing this album, because it's not something you can just take in small doses here and there, and that's not easy for a lot of people who have become accustomed to listening to music in a different way. Honestly, it took me back to the day when you listened to *albums*, not *singles*, and that's why it's a special album too.

This is probably a huge reason why a lot of fans have not taken to it as quickly; our musical experiences have changed because of things like the internet, so a lot of fans out there are too young to remember when you walked into a store, bought a CD (or album, in some of our cases), took it home and listened to the whole thing while studying the lyric booklet and looking at the artwork. Most people have become used to getting their music right here, right now, and don't have the patience to stick with something that doesn't grab their attention right off the bat. While there have been many advantages to the way music is listened to these days---such as being able to *find* these bands that don't get any exposure in our country---I think that is the biggest downfall too; people's attention spans have become shorter and if they're not blown away by something instantly, they write it off as not being any good. There are so many albums/bands out there that I didn't like on first listen either, and that I'm glad I gave another chance, because I would have missed out on some really great music if I would have let first impressions decide whether or not I was going to like something.

[St Enigma]

^ Thruth! I'm an old prog fan, but had never heard about Dream Theater until you told me to listen to them. Go firgure... but when I did, there was no turning back! And I'm eternally grateful for your advise Took some adjusting but really paid off in the end. Did go to see them in concert a few years back in Helsinki, too.

It's how these things happen - always listen to a good advisor


Oops! About Nightwish, after 15 years of fandom, still can't make sure which album would be my favourite. All of them have their ups and downs, I reckon.

[C.]

^Awesome! I think that I converted several people at this forum to DT at one time or another; I know that Snowy was another one who got into DT through me. Now if only I could be as successful converting people to Nightwish!