Nightwish - Once

I was able to get out and see Nightwish on their first American tour when they came through Southern California last September. The concert was a first for me: I actually felt old. Fairly young crowd, half of whom wouldn't have looked out of place at a Slayer show, and me wondering if I was the oldest person there. No biggie; it was bound to happen sooner or later, right? Anyway, the show (which was great) happened before the U.S. release of their latest album, Once (great planning on their label's part, eh?) but I was surprised that most of the crowd were familiar with the new material. In this era of file-sharing I guess I shouldn't have been surprised but it did show that Nightwish have a solid fan base over here. The new album is okay, with the big bright spot being Nemo, one of their best singles (there is also a version of Nemo with an orchestra but not on the album). The interesting thing about it, and much of the album, is that singer Tarja Turunen is pulling away from her opera style for every song (ala Wishmaster-era Nightwish), though it still dominates the album. She has a helluva voice so I'm all for seeing what she can do with it. Check out Dead Gardens to hear some more. You either love or hate this style of rock and roll and if you love it, Nightwish is one of the best.