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Nightwish > Oceanborn > Reviews
Nightwish - Oceanborn

Classic Nightwish at their finest - 96%

Dr_Funf, February 7th, 2023
Written based on this version: 2007, CD, Spinefarm Records U.K. (Limited edition, Reissue, Official Collector's edition, Super Jewelcase)

Nightwish's history can effectively be separated into three distinct eras, each with a different frontwoman - the 'classic' Tarja Turunen era, which all fans of the band view fondly; the divisive middle era with the controversial (and, frankly, underrated) Anette Olzon; and the current era where they are fronted by Floor Jansen, the singer who topped most fans' list as their desired Tarja replacement in 2006, only to see the band gradually lose direction.

Of course, one only needs to play Oceanborn, their 1998 breakout album, to see exactly why the Tarja era is so fondly looked back on by the band. While their debut album, Angels Fall First, evidenced a band still clearly trying to figure out what their sound was, it took only a year later for them to define it on Oceanborn. It's a remarkable transformation to take place in the space of a year, with the folky elements that made up much of their debut being relegated to sporadic appearances. The band's sound is far more power metal-influenced than their later work, and opening track 'Stargazers' is the perfect example. High-paced, atmospheric, epic and featuring a significant amount of technical lead guitar and keyboard work from guitarist Emppu Vuorinen and keyboardist/brainchild Tuomas Holopainen, all focused around the soaring operatic vocals of Tarja. Following number 'Gethsemane' then drops down to mid-tempo, and as a song it is excellently constructed and layered, with a more progressive structure, and ending with a spectacular blistering guitar solo from Emppu. Surely, he must have a wistful listen of the band's early material from time to time, bring back fond memories of the days when Tuomas allowed him to actually have fun.

Among the starry night-inspired fantasy novel odes come a couple of darker numbers, 'The Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean' and 'The Pharaoh Sails to Orion', both of which feature Tapio Wilska (best known for his spell as Finntroll's vocalist in the early 2000s, but was Nightwish's roadie at this point in time) as a guest vocalist. His low-end not-quite-clean but not-quite-harsh vocals are an excellent accompaniment to Tarja, raising both songs to be among the album's most memorable. (One must also credit Tuomas for not attempting to sing again, after his comically awful efforts on Angels Fall First).

What's impressive about Oceanborn, however, is the consistency of it. For an album written entirely by a keyboardist then only around 20-21 years of age (sans one co-writing credit with Emppu), it displays impressive, consistent quality. There are only two real missteps here - firstly, the somewhat aimless second half of 'Passion and the Opera' after the song started so well is disappointing, and secondly, good as cover as it is, it doesn't feel right to listen to their cover of 'Walking in the Air' outside of the Christmas season, given the original is the theme song of the classic British Christmas film, The Snowman.

Overall, though, the most enjoyable aspect of Oceanborn is that the band themselves all sound like they're actually enjoying themselves, playing without the restraint enforced upon them by Sgt. Holopainen since 2002's Century Child. That, along with the group's youthful endeavour and the already-advanced songwriting abilities of Tuomas, still gives Oceanborn more than enough to stand proudly among Nightwish's best work.

Recommended tracks - 'Stargazers', 'Gethsemane', 'The Pharaoh Sails To Orion'.

Their Satisfaction, My Infinite Sleep - 100%

Twisted_Psychology, November 29th, 2022
Written based on this version: 2001, CD, Century Media Records

If Angels Fall First saw Nightwish debut in awkward tentative puberty, then 1998’s Oceanborn was where they managed to put all the pieces together. The band’s established symphonic metal flourishes are maintained, but those lingering folk meanderings are edged out in favor of a bombastic power metal execution that’s somewhere between Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica’s subsequent showings. The roster of musicians also sees some solid bolstering as a proper bassist was found in Sami Vanska and a string quartet was brought in to tastefully broaden the band’s scope.

But even with these extra bells and whistles thrown in, the perfect synergy between the keyboards and the guitars ends up being the album’s most powerful asset. While the two played together nicely enough on its predecessor, both instruments received a major boost of confidence here while playing off each other with relentless enthusiasm. I love how the opening “Stargazers” has the synths giving the rhythmic bursts some extra punch while the guitar leads play off the driving chugs in soaring, airy fashion. Elsewhere, “Sacrament of Wilderness” makes its weird textures and hyperactive speeds work while the shredding solos and trade-offs on “The Pharaoh Sails to Orion” give the six-minute epic an even more rousing flavor.

Of course, this album is also where Tarja Turunen comes into her own as one of the most commanding vocalists in the genre. While her accent somehow getting even thicker between albums might make the lyrics nigh unintelligible, especially for casual listeners, the controlled power she exudes along with the melismatic melodies gives the songs even more of an otherworldly aura. The clashing layers on the chorus of “Gethsemane” could’ve gotten dissonant in a lesser singer’s hands and even if she gets into outright showboating at the climax of “Passion and the Opera,” it’s awe-inspiring every single time. Even the male vocals courtesy of Finntroll’s Tapio Wilska come out cool despite a rather flat delivery, particularly on “Devil & the Deep Dark Ocean.”

The songwriting also sees astronomical improvement compared to Angels Fall First, fulfilling that album’s promising variety with much more focused structures and adept pacing. Having everything seemingly operating at a million miles an hour risks an exhausting listen, but there’s enough substance in the compositions for each song to carry a distinct flavor. On top of blazing highlights like the opening “Stargazers” and “Passion and the Opera,” “Moondance” makes for a jubilantly dreamy jig of an instrumental that “The Riddler” follows with its own catchy bounce.

Even the ballads end up being pretty damn good. I must admit that “Swanheart” is a major adjustment with its standstill balladry bringing the momentum to a screeching halt, but even that wins me over with its swelling build and gorgeous layers. The closing cover of The Snowman’s “Walking in the Air” is also a beautiful addition that emphasizes the original’s melancholic nostalgia in a way that keeps from getting overly saccharine, a balance that the band would frankly struggle with in the years to come...

While there are plenty of bands that have pulled off a major glow-up with their second album, it’s truly amazing to see just how much Nightwish improved in just a year’s time. While the nonstop flamboyance on display still makes Oceanborn an acquired taste for more hardened listeners, it’s the sort of album that sees its perfectly concentrated songwriting somehow made even better by its fitting musicianship. The sincere enthusiasm keeps the extravagance from feeling pretentious and the precise layouts keep the sheer volume of ideas from getting too out of control. For all the orchestras and choirs that Nightwish would incorporate to make their sound even bigger in the future, I wager that they never sounded grander than they did under this simpler framing. As far as I’m concerned, this is symphonic metal perfection.

Hits and misses - 74%

lukretion, May 24th, 2021
Written based on this version: 2002, CD, Spinefarm Records (Reissue)

Only one year after having released their debut album Angels Fall First, Nightwish made a comeback with their second full-length, Oceanborn. Apart from the addition of bassplayer Sami Vänskä, the lineup is the same as on the debut LP, with Tuomas Holopainen on keyboards, Emppu Vuorinen on bass and guitars, Jukka Nevalainen on drums and Tarja Turunen on vocals. But Oceanborn is a very different beast relative to the endearing but still raw debut album. Nightwish have now found their footing and have started to unlock the potential that they had only hinted at on the previous record.

Oceanborn has a much clearer sonic identity than Angels Fall First. While that album was suspended between folk metal, power metal and symphonic and operatic ambitions, Oceanborn embarks more decidedly the path of symphonic power metal with operatic vocals. Relative to the debut album, the folk influences are toned down considerably (they only surface on the instrumental “Moondance”). There are fewer mid-tempos and acoustic interludes and far more bombastic uptempos that are a feast of powerful guitar riffs, tight drum grooves and swirling keyboard interjections. While this may bring Nightwish’s sound closer to other European power metal bands (Stratovarius, Rhapsody), the overall result is an album that feels more well-defined and more assured of its direction and identity, which is a substantial improvement over the debut.

There also signs of maturity in Tarja’s vocal performance. Her melodies are better than most of what she sang on Angels Fall First and her tone and expressivity have also improved. She sounds more in control of her voice, which remains splendid. Thankfully, Tuomas Holopainen this time decided to refrain from providing a male counterpart to Tarja’s vocals. His performance on Angels Fall First was terrible and he wisely decided to let all vocal duties to Tarja on this album. There are two songs (“Devil & the Deep Dark Ocean” and “The Pharaoh Sails to Orion”) that contain male vocals by Tapio Wilska (Finntroll). His performance is halfway between narration and singing and, oddly, it reminds me of some of the narrated parts one can find on Cradle of Filth’s albums.

The album is also a step-up in terms of production value. Oceanborn’s sound is smoother and more balanced than the debut album. The rough edges of that album (hyper-distorted guitar sound that dominated the keyboards; drums slightly too upfront in the mix) have been smoothened and the mix and mastering of the duo Mikko Karmila/Mika Jussila is truly excellent.

Despite the considerable signs of progress, however, it is also clear that Oceanborn is still “work in progress” for Nightwish, and that there is still ample room for further improvement. The main dissatisfaction with the album lies in the inconstant quality of its material. There are only a handful of songs where Nightwish seem to be able to fully realize their immense potential, by writing tunes where everything “clicks” and just falls into the right place. “Passion and The Opera” and the ballads “Swanheart” and “Walking in the Air” are the only three songs that I can really call masterpieces on this album. These songs have it all: great melodies, lean structures, sophisticated arrangements (that beautiful strings quartet on “Swanheart”), and fantastic performances. The rest of the album does not quite reach this level of accomplishment. “Gethsemane” gets closer, thanks to its brooding chorus, but it loses steam towards the middle before inexorably drifting towards a meandering conclusion. “Devil & the Deep Dark Ocean” and “The Pharaoh Sails to Orion” are meant to be ambitious “mini-epics” where Nightwish showcase their “progressive” ambitions, but they feel clunky and drag on far too long, showing that there is still work to do in the songwriting department. Other tracks, such as “Sacrament of Wilderness” and “The Riddler”, are little more than inoffensive fillers that do little more than diluting the overall quality of the tracklist.

Overall, Oceanborn is an album of hits and misses where Nightwish manage to channel their immense talents into perfect compositions only in a handful of tracks. When they do, the outcome is nothing short of breathtaking. The rest of the album leaves the listener with the bittersweet taste of unfulfilled potential, while nevertheless confirming that Nightwish are a band on the rise and a force to be reckoned with in the European metal landscape.

Ambitious, Romantic, Flawed - 84%

A Friendly Observer, August 15th, 2018
Written based on this version: 2008, CD, Fontana (Reissue, Official Collector's edition)

In 2007, Nightwish was my introduction to metal, and 'Oceanborn' was one of my first metal albums. At the time, coming from pop and Broadway music, 'Oceanborn' didn't get nearly as many plays from me as albums like 'Once' and 'Dark Passion Play.' Over a decade later, however, 'Dark Passion Play' has aged miserably, while 'Oceanborn' remains standing as a monument to Nightwish's most infectiously energetic and ambitious days -- and to a time when they were a metal band first and whatever else (operatic, symphonic, film score-esque, etc.) second.

Probably what is most immediately striking is that there is a heavy reliance on fanfares that pervades the entire album. If you just listened to the first minute of every song on the record, you'd think Oceanborn is a masterpiece. Tuomas's fanfares on songs like 'Gethsemane' and 'Sacrament of Wilderness' are simply excellent, and rarely reached the same kinds of peaks again on later albums. But he was not yet the wizard chorus-writer of 'Wishmaster', 'Ever Dream', or 'Amaranth'; the refrains just don't pack the punch promised by the fanfares.

What makes the album so memorable for me, in spite of the not-there-yet melodic songwriting, is its magnificent home stretch, starting with the ethereal, heart-pounding 'The Pharaoh Sails to Orion', which pulls out all the stops. It begins with a reading from Exodus, which is followed by the best fanfare of the album, complementary harsh-ish male vocals, the best vocal melodies of the album, moments for all the instrumentalists to shine, and a killer climax. It's one of Nightwish's very best songs. The pair of ballads that follow are both superb: a cover of 'Walking In the Air', from the children's TV special 'The Snowman', which, seeing as it is originally sung by a little boy, absolutely should not work, and yet ends up being one of their finest ballads, peaking with chilling harmonies, tapping into a potential nobody else could have seen in that song. 'Sleeping Sun' is in the same league. The album's third ballad, 'Swanheart', in the middle of the track list, gets off to a strong start, with lush, dreamy harmonies, but fizzles out and runs out of ideas after about two minutes. Three ballads on an 11-track metal album that already features an instrumental-only track ('Moondance', which sounds exactly like it's titled, and is rather good) would ordinarily be downright criminal, but Tuomas, in true-believer romantic-artist mode, made it work.

Curiously, Christian imagery pervades the album: Gethsemane, sacraments, a fixation on chastity and virginity, a reading from Exodus, and prayer all feature in some way. In general, metal music that touches these themes tends to be anti-Christian -- but for Tuomas, Christianity is just one more set of mythological symbols to use in his quest to paint soundscapes of romantic fantasy. The obsession with virginity hits its peak on centerpiece 'Passion of the Opera', which finally hits all the right melodic marks after four that just barely miss them. On this song, Tuomas plays with song structure a little: after a gothic-tinged verse-chorus-verse-chorus first half, the second half of the song is all about Tarja's operatic vocalizing. It is a lot more interesting than anything preceding it, and most of what follows it, too.

The album is oh-so-romantic. It is teeming with passion and longing, and an innocent belief in the power of art. It is also full of ambition: every track wants to make an impression; there's nothing that feels phoned-in (except maybe 'The Riddler', which is smartly buried deep in the track list). All the best metal albums are drenched in emotional intensity: raw passion is a kind of 'x-factor' that makes a great song or album more than the sum of its parts. That is what makes this album worth coming back to -- and God only knows what wretched arrangement and production job Tuomas would inflict on these songs if he wrote them today.

No song is a total dud, but there's a pervasive sense on most of these songs of big ambitions and big talents -- yet also of promise that does not quite deliver (yet). It's a great album, but it's not their best (that would be 'Century Child'), and it is not their most representative album (that would be 'Once'). Still, I keep coming back to it for its energy, superb fanfares, and trio of excellent songs closing out the album. It's a superior slice of symphonic power metal, no matter what qualifications you want to add.

Warping from Rocka Rolla to Stained Class - 91%

TrooperEd, December 29th, 2016
Written based on this version: 2008, CD, Fontana (Reissue, Official Collector's edition)

1998 was a weird time for music, period. Metal was starting to come out of its mind 90s stupor, thanks to power metal, not the Korns and Hatebreeds like MTV and those modern narratives would have you believe. As far as I'm concerned, this was the album that led the charge. I never thought much of Stratovarious, but who'd have thunk Stratovarious worship would be the defiant statement that would re-establish metal but good! It takes some serious talent to outgun heavy hitters like Blind Guardian and Bruce Dickinson.

Speak not of ridiculous symphonies, this is heavy/power/classic/traditional/whatever the hell you want to call it metal the way Lemmy intended it to be. With standard tuning riffs, standard tuning riffs and RIFFS. Forget the opera of Passion & The Opera, that opening riff is so fucking brilliant I was personally offended when Tarja decided to "remake" this song for her live shows without including it. This song could have been an instrumental and still be legendary. The fact that we get some worthy chops at the end is an added bonus that puts this into classic status. The reviewers who have been saying this album has no interesting guitar work must have passed out from their Keystone Light blackout at this song, to say nothing of the mid-paced neckbreaking creamy goodness of Gethsemane at the 2:18 mark. That riff is so metal not even a bizarrely chosen flute solo (is Troy Donockley secretly the 13th Doctor?) can derail its momentum!

Then of course, you have the brilliant Helloween speed metal moments, like Stargazers, Pharaoh Sails To Orion and Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean (silver medal award for best riff). Man I really miss the days of Nightwish playing fast. They were much like Accept in that speed is when they were more interesting. They had great slow moments (see: Passion & The Opera), but they were way more hit and miss. Some of these faster songs feature additional vocals from Tapio Wilska. I can take them or leave them. They make some of the songs sound like death metal and that can be a big turn off for the Vh1 Classic fan. It would give them a misconception that this band was like Therion, starting out as a death metal band with female operatic backing vocals, but bringing them as the focus for commercial palatability. Nightwish is just much better off without male vocals period, and yes, that includes Marco. One reason I'm not sure whether or not Wishmaster is better than this is on that album, Tapio has fucked right off.

There's some debate over the "weak points" of the album, whether or not Moondance or The Riddler should have been replaced by Nightquest. Personally, I think the fans have their sights set on the wrong targets. If anything should be replaced, it's the ballads. Dynamics on metal albums is always a great thing, but you can't stay soft for too long, just long enough for the bar-room punters to recharge their batteries. While Swanheart is a solid tune with great melodies, its just way too layered to be able to be properly played live. (and that's just the vocal overdubs). In other words, it's B-side material. But turning the old Snowman centerpiece number into a power ballad, that was a stroke of genius. I have heard multiple non-metal fans express joy and approval upon hearing Walking In The Air as a metal novelty and I can't disagree.

The name Nightwish unfortunately brings mixed emotions into the metal conversation, but Oceanborn and Wishmaster should not. There's a reason Tuomas had the title be the very second word on the first song of Endless Forms Most Beautiful. He wanted us to think they were "back." It's a shame, because for about six minutes they fooled me. Forget the fat goth Hot Topic audience, forget Tuomas' Jack Sparrow posturing, forget the orchestras, and forget the fact that they descended into Evanescence pantomime shortly after the Over The Hills and Far Away EP. Oceanborn is an 80's metal classic telling the Nirvanas, the Soundgardens, the Machine Heads, the Tools and the Panteras to take their groovy, atonal backwash crap and shove it back up their ass.

Yes, an amazing album, but not quite perfect - 90%

bunburina, March 27th, 2008

I have been reading all the previous reviews about this album and, although I agree with them in a lot of points, I also think they are getting carried away a little bit. Or maybe it is just me trying to pick on the slightest imperfections. In any case, I hope my review is useful for newcomers into the Nightwish world.

I'll mention the positive aspects first: it is incredibly beautiful, melodic, original, candid and innovative. Oh, and it rocks. Lyrically, every single song is a wonderful poem. Musically, it is complex, heavy and well structured. There is a true group effort here. Everything, the guitars, the bass, the drums are blended in perfectly. Original, in the sense that you can find pretty much everything in here, grunts, ballads, fast-paced songs and hell of a lot heavier stuff and, of course, nice atmospheres created by the superb instrumentation. And candid cause it is quite an innocent album, compared to other metal relaeses and to later Nightwish albums. There are trails of sadness, yes, but it is not a depressing album. It is hard to point out the best songs of the album since all of them are great. But I personally love Gethsemane, Sleeping Sun, Stargazers, Swanheart, Walking in the air, and the long lost jewel of this album, The Pharaoh sails to Orion (kick ass song!).

However, after all this praising, I find two weak elements in this album. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get bashed by the most hardcore Nightwish fans for saying this, but these two elements I am referring to are the vocals and the keyboard. It must be a childhood trauma of mine. My grandmother was a professional opera singer and, in her last years, her hobby was trying to teach me how to sing. I hated those lessons, so when she died, the same happened to my "singing career". Anyway, the only thing I remember from her "lessons" was she telling me not to "eat down my voice". I never understood what she meant by that. And then I listened to Tarja in this album and it hit me.

My theory is that, back then, in 1998, Tarja was relatively young and not as technically proficient as she proved to be in later albums. That's why she sounds rough at times and, like my grandma said, eating her voice down, just as she did in songs such as Sleeping Sun and Swanheart. At times, she overdoes it, just going oh oh OHHH when it is not needed, when something more subtle would fit better. And I find that very annoying cause it almost ruins the whole song for me. I almost feel that it is too hard for her to break the operatic mold and "flow", so to say, with the song, recurring to just, well, go oh oh OHHHH in those key moments. Another aspect that makes me not so happy about Tarja's performance in this album is her pronunciation. It is common in opera to let his aspect slide. However, a small effort on this aspect would have been more than welcomed! I like to understand what the singer is singing. Nevertheless, the other elements are so strong that is rather easy to ignore these flaws. Tarja still has, without a doubt, an amazing powerful voice, a beautiful colour in it that just clicks with metal.

About the second element, the keyboards, my only objection is that they are overdone. Sometimes it is too much and they do sound too Nintendo-ish at times. Aside from that, they are ok.

In summary, a nearly perfect album. My grade: 90

Their finest... - 95%

SilentDreams, February 6th, 2008

Now bear in mind on this review I do not own all of Nightwish's albums so my comparisons to their other work may be lacking but I will compare at times anyhow. With my Nightwish collection so far this is my favourite studio album. Almost every song displays fantastic instrumentation, lyrics, and vocals.

The opening track called "Stargazers" was a smart choice. The song is fast-paced and shows all the members' strengths; Tarja's operatic vocals, Tuomas' intricate piano/keyboard work, strong riffs from Emppu, a thundering bass from Sami, and booming drums by Jukka. All of these elements form a band which in this album shows they're confident in the Symphonic genre and have the songs to not only show their confidence but make them deserving of it. The album's second song "Gethsemane" has a strong folk element that I find very catchy and appropriate. From the opening lines "Toll no bell for me Father..." you know it's going to be an interesting and engaging song. Clocking in at over 5 minutes the song never gets too big for itself nor does it leave one feeling underwhelmed. It is one of the best on the album.

"Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean" is one I feel needs a little spotlight as well. I think for me this will always be one of the strangest in the Nightwish catalog. The reason being that if you were first introduced to Nightwish through a greatest hits like "Highest Hopes" you'll be quite familiar with a song called "The Kinslayer" which basically features a re-cycled intro and main riff from the song on this album. So it's a bit off-setting no matter which you listen to first. I will say though that this song definitely holds as much right to keep the intro/riff as the latter song. It's a very good example of the epic and expansive sound Nightwish tries to go for on many songs. My only big complaint would be some of the "cheese" quality I get from this song. There are some female screams (not Tarja's as far as I know) placed that when mixed with Tuomas' keyboards sound all too reminiscent of a b-movie horror flick. It may have been the intention of the band to go that route but I didn't find it necessary.

There are a few other note-worthy tracks on this album. Going in order of the track listing the next would be "Swanheart" it's a fantastic ballad which mainly features Tarja's voice and Tuomas' piano work. There are some guitars and drums but they're used sparingly until the last third of the song and only used when necessary. Delicate but memorable. The lyrics are a interesting as it's the only metal song I know that seems to be based off the children's tale of the Ugly Duckling. The song immediately after it is by far the best instrumental they've done. (It's also the only instrumental on the album) It runs the whole "field" from it's beginning with a slow version of it's main piano tune to a fast paced, high energy "jig" (the best way I can describe it) that once again slows for but a moment before racing off to the same speed it had before. It may sound a bit too "all over" but it works. Two tracks later the album hits another high point with Nightwish's interpretation the classic "Walking In the Air". Another ballad which displays Tarja's vocal talents quite well. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, though the band can't take credit for that I do give them credit for picking this song. There are many songs they could've chosen to cover but this was a great choice that I don't think many (myself included) would have expected.

Deserving of the most praise however is the last track on the album (depending on which version you have) "Sleeping Sun". This is not only the best the album has to offer but it is my favourite song by the band in general. It's another track that is mainly performed by Tarja and Tuomas as was done with the aforementioned "Swanheart" but where that was a very good track this is what all their tracks strive to be, EPIC. I'm told the lyrics were inspired by a Solar Eclipse that was happening at the time. It makes the lyrics interesting but also shows one how much this event must have affected Tuomas (who penned all the lyrics for this album). They are some of the most beautiful he's written and Tarja wipes away any talk of a cold exterior by pouring emotion into each verse. The biggest highlight for me is in the middle the listener is bombarded by a huge cascade of Tarja's voice that's been treated to sound like to sound like many copies of herself singing in unison with a strange "echo" effect which gives the voices a under-water quality. It's a truly amazing piece which I would encourage all metal fans to listen to, even if it's the only Nightwish song you will agree to try out.

I can safely say none of the songs are bad. But there are a few which I don't find up to the level of the others. Those would be "Sacrament of the Wilderness" and "The Pharaoh Sails to Orion". Both are decent tracks but I find myself skipping them where as I never skip the others. I think the major flaw with "Sacrament..." would be that I find Tarja's vocals a bit hard to understand. Yes, this happens more readily whenever she's using her more operatic vocals but on this track I find them especially difficult to decipher. With "Pharaoh..." I think it's the length. Being a Nightwish fan I'm no stranger to long songs and I like quite a few. But I feel this song suffers from unnecessary length. They probably could've shaved 30 seconds off this song and it'd still be far from being labeled "unfinished" or "lacking".

To sum it up this album is without a doubt their finest work. I would love to be hopeful and think it could get better than this but I'm a realist. This album is something they will never top. Succeeding albums have shown that. They're good but they've not scratched the surface of what this album is. A part of me hopes they never will.

Oceanborn within the Devil's Gaze. - 100%

hells_unicorn, March 19th, 2007

If the early 90s were the era of metal’s alleged death to the world, then the late 90s were the era of its rather astounding rebirth, as a series of innovative yet traditionally grounded melodic acts came out to inject some passion and majesty into the dry music scene. Amongst the epic brand of power metal there were 3 signature releases that will live forever as timeless classics; namely Blind Guardian’s “Nightfall on Middle Earth”, Rhapsody’s “Symphony of Enchanted Lands” and this rather unique release. Where the first two sought to tell a conceptual tale based around Tolkein’s High Fantasy genre, (the first being a retelling of one of his tales, the second being an original homage to the style) “Oceanborn” is a collection of tales, mostly depicting tales of passion, nature and even astrology.

However, much as was the case with Rhapsody, the typical metal listener will likely find Tarja’s traditional operatic soprano voice a sizable hurdle to get past, as metal’s connection with classical music was more of a tonal/technical one rather than a vocal one. Likewise the lyrical style and predominance of the keyboards are something that probably wouldn’t sit well in many quarters. To put it plainly, in order to really be able to get into this music, you have to have an equally strong taste for speed metal and Sturm und Drang era classical opera and symphony in order for this to agree with you musically. And likewise, you might want to look elsewhere if you don’t care for lyrics delving into romantic themes and mystical tales.

Much as was the case with Stratovarius at the time, Nightwish balances out the keyboards and the guitars to equal proportions, resulting in a very light form of power metal when contrasted with Blind Guardian. “Stargazers”, “Gethsemane” and “The Riddler” are principle examples of this, as the intros and the overall of these songs are heavily keyboard drenched, but the guitar is still heavily present and unlike Timo Tolkki doesn’t meander during the leads. “Passion and the Opera” and “Moondance” are both stylistic anomalies for the metal genre, the former being almost more opera than metal (particularly the vocal inflections), while the latter is an instrumental that bounces back and forth between a piano ballad and a heavy metal dance fest. I’m not sure if you would sit like an opera audience or possibly be able to dance to these songs, but they are nonetheless amazing to listen to.

The ballads are highly varied as well, ranging from pleasant arias of longing to melancholy tales of love and childhood imagination. “Swanheart” is another classical number driven mostly by piano, reminding a bit of earlier classical nocturnes by the likes of Haydn and Mozart. “Walking in the Air” is a remake of a Christmas song with a rather sad story associated with it; the words and the music fit in well with Nightwish’s deep approach, signifying a sort of end to the childhood innocence through the loss of a magical friend. “Sleeping Sun” is probably the guiltiest of pleasures I’ve ever indulged in as a metal fan, it’s almost entirely keyboard and vocally driven, the lyrics are mushy as hell, but damned if I don’t love this song.

The three most metal tracks on here also reek of an untraditional approach to the genre, though hints of older styles are highly present. “Sacrament of Wilderness” is a catchy speed track with some solid guitar and keyboard work, the keyboard solo is the highlight of the song. “Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean” has it down in the riff department, and proves to be the most guitar driven song the band has ever put out, not to mention one of the most dramatic and heavy. “The Pharaoh sails to Orion” is a song that probably helped redefine the meaning of the term epic power metal. The sheer bulk of contrasting sections, themes, guitar sounds, keyboard work, and overall atmosphere are astounding. The spoken narrations and Tarja’s voice interplay perfectly, the piano themes are fast and passionate, and the drumming is as tight as it gets.

Up to this day Nightwish has never been able to repeat the magic that was present on this release, it is truly something that transcends the sub-genre it is lumped into. If you only get one Nightwish album, are predisposed to melodic speed/power metal, and don’t mind a female vocalist then this is it. It is obviously not for everyone, but then again, what defines a true classic has always been a point of contention in the metal scene.

Takes you to another world - 92%

TommyA, March 13th, 2007

"Oceanborn" is definitely Nightwish's most melodic work yet. It continues on the same path of the perfect debut album, while making a few alterations here and there.

Like any Nightwish album, Tarja's vocals are the absolute highlight. Although her vocals aren't as bombast as on "Angels Fall First", they're still in the operatic range. In songs like "The Pharaoh Sails to Orion" and "Sleeping Sun", there are a couple of lines that Tarja sings with amazing power that makes you shiver. I'd also like the point out the increased presence of Tarja. On the debut, songs were divided 50% vocals and 50% music. Not here. On "Oceanborn", Tarja takes over more than 50% of each track. I don't find this as an upside really, because I really enjoyed the great music present on "Angels Fall First", but you cannot possibly view it as a downside either.

Musically, this album is very different from the debut. It's much more melodic. Guitars are not used as much, and it's more focused on synths. When I say more focused, I mean it's at least 75% of the music. That was the only slight downside that I found on this album. The excessive use of keyboards doesn't leave room for Emppu and Jukka to unleash their true talent. This problem is also present on "Wishmaster". However, it seemed to be fixed on "Century Child".

Besides the slightly overused keyboards, this album is pretty much flawless. The artwork is amazing, and also one of the best things of this album. I'm not joking. I love it when the artwork of an album is so meaningful. It shows everything this album is about. It shows an owl, the ocean, planets, and a crying woman alone in the open sea. In my opinion, it's exactly what this album is all about; astrology, nature, freedom and sadness. By the way, I'm talking about the original artwork, not one on the Drakkar release.

And what can you really say against the lyrics? The same beautiful poetry that was present on the debut. I was especially struck by the lyrics of "The Riddler". They're amazingly beautiful and magical.

The highlights of the album are "Stargazers", "Devil & the Deep Dark Ocean", "The Pharaoh Sails to Orion" and "Sleeping Sun". The former is my personal favorite. It's an epic track which combines Tarja's operatic vocals with heavy, Egyptian-themed music. There are also a few growls added to the song. Overall, "The Pharaoh Sails to Orion" remains a Nightwish jewel until this very day. It's definitely among their finest songs ever.

So, in conclusion, "Oceanborn" is an amazing album which transports you to a different world. It has a magical, ocean-like atmosphere that's too great to explain. However, I still prefer "Century Child" and "Angels Fall First" over this. This is in third place in my Nightwish list. It’s still an amazing, epic release. Definitely recommended.

No. - 27%

caspian, October 10th, 2006

Heavy riffs, with lite-opera vocals. Ok, so I was probably always going to hate something with that description, so why the hell did I bother buying it and writing a review? Well, after hearing all the praise for this album, I thought that surely it couldn't be that bad.. And damn, was I wrong. This review isn't for those people who already dig Nightwish, this review is a warning for those guys and girls out there who think "Well, surely they couldn't be all that bad. Maybe I should give them a listen." Just doing my duty folks.

Nightwish are trying to do a complete assimilation of metal, opera and classical. As most people know, this is generally impossible. Metal's aggression and the general low-on-the-fretboard riffing clash terribly with high, operatic vocals and the delicate, melodic strains that's most classical music. You might say "But Nightwish mix both genres so well!!!1", but if you said that, you would be wrong. Here are some examples of the terrible meshing of genres Nightwish do:

The intro of the first song. Duhn Duhn Duhn, Duhn Duhn Duhn, DUHN NUHN NUHN NUHN!!! Why was this not just done on guitars, in the same register? Did we need synths? THe answer: No. What should be all triumphant and epic just ends up Lame.

The speedy part in Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean. Nightwish are actually quite good at employing the metal, but they can't put the classical over it. A fairly heavy, nice speedy riff is interrupted by.. Operatic vocal stabs? WHY???? This move was just absolutely unneccessary, and completely ruined the best part of the song and maybe the album.

Swanheart: In this surprisingly gorgeous song, Nightwish show that they can do the whole classical thing with passion and melody. The lyrics are terrible, but the melodies and arrangements are actually pretty cool. When drums kick in at 2.20, I started fearing the worst.. But when the guitars come in, it didn't actually sound that bad. I sat, aghast at the fact that maybe Nightwish had actually succeeded in their goal? But then they drop in a guitar solo, which makes the whole thing ridiculously cheesy. It would've been 100x cooler if they'd either just built up a big wall of sound, or done the whole song as one long classical build. But no.

Nightquest: Basically, good power metal meets gothenburg riffing, all completely ruined by the vocals. The vocals aren't out of key, and the melody isn't terrible.. It just doesn't freaking fit. Good solo too.

I could go on, but really there isn't that much point - every song has these terrible moments. Nightwish are fairly adept at metal, and the classical stuff is a bit cliched but still decent, but Nightwish can't do both at the same time. It's a shame really, as these guys would be either a great metal or classical band, but they can't be both no matter how hard they try. Also, the singer should not sing as much. Really, they should just give up completely. To conclude, let me just warn people who are curious about this band: Really, it isn't worth it. Save your time and money. If you want 'heavy classical', I suggest you check out Mono. Nightwish fans and some less discerning Power Metal fans will love this album, but most people will find this awkward, badly done forcing together of genres hard to take.

Overrated - 65%

drewnm156, March 11th, 2006

Where to begin when something as goofy as this album is praised as a masterpiece of “symphonic power metal”? First of all with all the limitations as to what is and isn’t accepted as metal on this site, I find it ironic that this band is included. Let me break it to you, there is nothing remotely metal about this album. Layers of keyboards and operatic vocals do not constitute a metal album.

Metal is based on guitar riffs. Many bands support guitar riffs with keyboards, piano, strings, mouth harp or what have you. Nightwish however is keyboards and vocals supported by guitar. Heck the main songwriter is the keyboardist. If the guitar riffs were anything unique or creative, maybe I could get past their buried performance but rest assured the guitar is nothing you haven’t heard a million times before. It comes and goes only to be buried under multiple tracks of keyboards.

With all the time given to the keyboards it’s really too bad this album has such a sterile and cheesy sound. No warmth or creativity in sounds are employed here. When listening to this I want to think that in 1998 this might have sounded original. But in reality it was just as goofy sounding as it is now. The average song on this album consists of bombastic keyboards in various modes, strings, flutes etc along with up-tempo to fast drumming. Highlights of this style are opener Stargazers and Devil & the Deep Dark Ocean.

The vocals of lead singer Tarja are obviously the most enjoyable aspect of the album. A trained vocalist, her technical ability is unquestioned. Her vocals are some what of an acquired taste as they have operatic traces, but are they only truly unique and redeeming quality to the album. I just wish she had better material to sing over. Her melodies at the intro of Walking in the Air are my favorite of the album.

While the appeal of this music is understood, it’s generally catchy and easy to digest; I fail however to see it as something original or progressive. The popularity of this band probably has more to do with the looks of their lead singer rather than heavy songs or truly progressive songwriting.

Their masterpiece and their potential realised! - 95%

Wez, October 31st, 2003

To me, this is Nightwish's masterpiece, the first of two albums continuting the distinctive style of their debut, but making several noticable alterations to their sound, taking a little risk in melding the keyboards and guitars more firmly together, but creating the definitive Nightwish feel! A little more adventurous as far as songwriting goes, and more daring than the straightforward "Wishmaster" album. The band waste no time in slamming into a storm of their trademark energy with my favourite song "Stargazers". The stage is set for a magnificent album, not as shifty in mood than the last album, mainly sticking to energetic numbers for the first five tracks. This album feels a lot more enchanting and theatric overall than the debut, mainly due to a major presence of keyboards and other additional instruments (such as violins and flutes). It still sounds much better to me, satifying the appetite for the grand and elegant that was so obvious in "Angels Fall First". After five tracks, "Swanheart" introduces the soothing power ballad style that is synonymous now with this band, veering away from the title track of the debut, while the calm beginning of instrumental "Moondance" delightfully decieves and unfolds into a feast of energy and enthusiasm this band have yet to top. "The Riddler" follows the album's upbeat energy on to its logical conclusion, and up to this point, wow, can this band even play just one note that sounds dull at all?! The more dark, and epic "The Pharoah Sails To Orion" gives us yet another metal classic, that's what 9 so far?! But the most striking piece is to come, the cover of "Walking In The Air" from "The Snowman" is simply captivating in it's beauty and quality of the performance. "Sleeping Sun" closes brilliantly, but just seems to finish too quickly.
Can I go without a special mention of both Tuomas and Tarja? "The Poet" is back in fine form, his writing and themes improving and getting more and more interesting, fitting together with his compositions incredibly. Tarja must have the most wonderful voice of all time, and this is by far her best performance, she puts so much feeling and spirit into every note it really gives the album that something special that can't quite be described in words. The rest of the band hold up mighty fine, Emppu always pleasing me with his energetic guitar playing.

This was the start of something big for Nightwish, and they deserve their place as the most popular metal band in Finland, never disappointing, and releasing such a classic album as "Oceanborn"!

Holy shit--this is amazing!! - 98%

OSheaman, August 7th, 2003

This album is the shit. It's Nightwish at their absolute best. It features nonstop, beautiful Symphonic Power Metal and incredible vocals all mixed in with a healthy dose of headbanging to create a fucking classic.

Nightwish has matured since Angels Fall First, and it really shows in this masterpiece. Gone is the ambiguous melo-doom of the first album, and in its place is incredible symphonic metal with a excellent use of vocal harmony to absolutely take your breath away. The guitar playing has improved tremendously, and there are now more solos and faster playing instead of nothing but backup riffage, while the keyboard/piano playing is simply georgeous and powerful at the same time. The drums get to play some actual beats, too, proving that Jukka Nevalainen can actually drum with the best of them when he needs to. The bass is solid and is an actual presence here, rounding out what is a really awesome band.

Highlights. Well, let's start out with Stargazers, which is a fucking awesome masterpiece and holds a spot on OSheaman's Top Ten Power Metal Songs list (I'm not sure how many songs are actually on the list, but rest assured that if they're on there, they're the best of the best). It's awesome--a combination of really incredible guitar playing and riffage, a really cool melody and awesome vocal work on a fast-paced ass-kicker. The vocals are operatic and beautiful while still maintaining the sense of urgency that the song conveys. The drum work is also supremely well-done. You'll be headbanging in no time, and you won't stop--it's that supremely cool. Gethsemane is an excellent follow-up to Stargazers and continues the solid headbanging sound that was present in the first song. Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean has a really cool, can-do-no-wrong opening riffset, followed by some blasting riffs trading off with a really light xylophone-keyboard sound and then progressing into the main theme with a deep, dark vocal performance by Tuomas contrasting with Tarja's high-and-mighty operatic vocals. Passion and the Opera is a really catchy headbanger that will have you pounding away in no time flat. Swanheart is one of the most beautiful and haunting ballads--indeed, one of the most beautiful and haunting *songs*, period--that I have ever heard. The piano playing is incredibly beautiful, and the vocal harmonies are nothing short of stunningly gorgeous. There is even a flute solo and a haunting (fake) violin solo. Then the guitars and drums come in as the song rises to a climax, and then a beautiful guitar duet emerges, and . . . well, this song is really damn beautiful. Slow and powerful, made for slow-dancing and absolutely breathtaking. A true masterpiece. Moondance follows the song up with another slow piano solo that suddenly explodes into heavy guitar riffage, followed by some more slow & fast inerchanging. The Pharoah Sails to Orion is an amazing epic with heavy guitar work, great drumming and keyboarding, and that oh-so-cool combination of low and harsh vocals with the high operatic vocals. A Return to the Sea has some great keyboard and vocal work, but is most noteworthy for the excellent main beat provided by the drums. Finally, Nightquest is shameless Iron Maiden worship that comes off really well given the differences in style between the two bands.

That's a lot of highlights, but this album is a fucking classic. There are absolutely zero throwaway tracks on here--everything is really excellent and well-done. This is Nightwish at it's pinnacle, and is a must-buy.

A Classic - 100%

liten, June 14th, 2003

Definitely Nightwish's no 1 album. All the songs have catchy melodies that easily stick to your brain. And this is one of those few albums where every single song is something different, something unique.
It starts with the track "Stargazers" in a fast and heavy manner, Tarjas beutiful and thick voice merging perfectly with the music. The next track, "Gethsemane" follows in the same manner, and then, when you think you've got a hold on the cd, the atmosphere shifts with "Devil and The Deep Dark Ocean". The heavy drum beats and the dark, almost deathmetal like, voice of "the devil", which is the perfect contrast to Tarjas deep voice. The 4th song, "Sacrament Of Wilderness", with its heavy guitar riffs is yet a song that differs greatly from the others.
Then it is time for a very unique song. "Passion and the Opera" starts with good riffs and a catchy melody, but then, after about half of the song, The true power of Tarjas voice is revealed. Acompanied by thick drums and guitars, the puts fourth some mighty "Opera-screams".

"Swanheart" is a wonderful ballad which has the perfect place on the album, after five mighty songs it is perfect to have a slow, beautiful song. The song "Moondance" is yet another song that is different from the others. It begins with a slow, beautiful keyboard melody, which suddenlu bursts into a heavy, fast and folk-inspired song (I know I've herd the melody in some classical piece but I can't remember which). This is an Instrumental song. "The Riddler" has some really deep lyrics, and this song keeps the same tempo as "Moondance". The 9th song is the heaviest and darkest song on this album. "The Pharao Sails To Orion" is most alike "Devil and the deep dark ocean", with the dark and heavy voice playing the major role. Here Nightwish has some egyptian themes in the same manner as "Tutankhamen" on their first album "Angels Fall First", but this song also features some fast piano parts. The last song "Walking in the Air" is the perfect ending for this cd. Starting off as a slow ballad, it is the total opposite of the previous track. But for every passing second the song becomes a little bit more heavy and a little bit faster. You will, as shure as you can't walk in the air, remember this song and this album.

If you're still not convinced that this is a great album, consider this:
I have played Nightwish for many people, with manny different opinions about music, some like trance, some like punk etc. and none, i repeat NONE, of these have said that they don't like Nightwish afterwards. Even my mother, who is very sensitive to all music that is not classical, has said they're good!