All About The Metal

Ranking Nightwish's Albums

 This chapter is going to be pretty much what the title says. I thought of this completely randomly: ranking all eight albums from my least favorite to my favorite. I want to do chapters for multiple bands, but I thought I would start with Nightwish since they're the easiest for me to do. I took some time to think about it, and this is how I would rank them: 

9. Human :||: Nature (2020)

 I know a lot of people seem to like this album, but I'm not a fan of it. I will say that I really enjoyed "How's the Heart?" and I liked "Pan", but that's actually it. I was disappointed when hearing this album in full for the first time; I had been hoping for something heavier and more interesting than the last album, and this just wasn't it. There's just something about this one I don't like.

8. Endless Forms Most Beautiful (2015) 

 My original last place before Human :||: Nature came out. The songs on this album are pretty good; I would say my favorites are "Alpenglow" and "My Walden", and "Elan" and "Yours Is An Empty Hope" were two of the first songs I heard by Nightwish. Endless Forms Most Beautiful feels dull and lacking in something when compared to their other albums. It just feels like there's something missing, but I don't know what exactly. 

7. Century Child (2002)

 I originally had this one a little higher, but later on it just wound up here. I love the cover of "The Phantom of the Opera" (it was how I discovered Nightwish in the first place), "Slaying the Dreamer" is definitely my favorite song from the album, and I also like "Bless the Child", "Ever Dream" and "Dead to the World". I like it, of course, but I just like other albums better. 

6. Once (2004)

 I feel like most other people would probably have Once as their favorite or one of their favorites, and I absolutely understand why. "Ghost Love Score" is one of my absolute favorite Nightwish songs, and I'm also a fan of "Nemo", "Planet Hell", "Dark Chest of Wonders", and one or two others. I rarely listen to this one, and I guess it's just not one of my favorites. 

5. Wishmaster (2000)

 I think this was about the time when Nightwish began gaining more international fame, and I imagine this album must have helped. Tarja sounded a lot more mature on this album than she did on the first two, and the music was a little darker and more polished. My favorites are definitely "The Kinslayer" and "She Is My Sin", and the copy of the album I have is actually a re-release that came with "Sleepwalker" as a bonus track, which is another favorite of mine. 

4. Oceanborn (1998) 

 I know this was kind of a breakout album for them back in the day, this is where they really began to develop their own distinct style. At the time Oceanborn was released, a metal album like it was rare. Songs from the album have become Nightwish classics, including a few I love, which is why I put this one at fourth place. 

3. Angels Fall First (1997) 

 This one doesn't seem to be anyone's favorite, and I guess I can see why since it was a lot of raw material and they didn't have too distinct a style at the time. I don't know what to say other than I just really love the songs. There are a few underrated old-school songs on this one like "Angels Fall First" and "Tutankhamen", stuff the band rarely plays live anymore. I think the album overall is underrated compared to their later works. 

2. Imaginaerum (2011)

 This album is a real adventure, from the opening "Taikatalvi" to "Song of Myself". There's a diversity in the sound of the songs, and the whole album is very bombastic and ambitious. It sounds like something that wouldn't have been expected of Nightwish at the time, but they obviously pulled it off. 

1. Dark Passion Play (2007) 

 I originally had a hard time choosing between this and Imaginaerum, but in the end I went with Dark Passion Play. "The Poet and the Pendulum" is my absolute favorite Nightwish song, and that is part of the reason why I picked this one. But then you have "Bye Bye Beautiful", then "Amaranth", then "Cadence of Her Last Breath" and so on. It's just one great song after another. Being that this was their first album after firing Tarja from the band, you would think this album might not have done too well, but I think this is actually their highest-selling album (or one of their highest-selling albums). 

 And there we are. I had some fun putting this together. Let me know if you agree, and there will be more to come!