nightwish

A popular Finnish metal band that is in desperate need of innovation. Distinct for being popular not only in Europe, but also in the U.S. and other countries across the pond. Known for the poetic lyrics of their frontman, Tuomas Holopainen, and the operatic voice of Tarja Turunen, who has since left (forcibly) due to band drama. Nightwish seems to want to produce music that is of a more mature grade than what comes to mind when one thinks of "metal," and succeeded, but only at first. After five albums they are still singing about the SAME things and in many cases, using the EXACT SAME words, phrases, and motifs. The ocean soul thing was insightful back in Oceanborn, but four albums later, it starts to feel like Tuomas has fashioned his ocean soul into a metal hammer that he has been swiftly and forcefully smashing against my head for the past four years. Unfortunately my desire to listen to them has been steadily leaking out of the resulting hole in my skull. Their soft, melodic signature that they started with has been compromised by a vicious repetition of symbology and the overtly elementary singing skills of bassist Marco Hietala, who has since gotten more and more singing parts in recent albums. What began as a borderline revolution in metal has turned into a musical Days of our Lives - stagnant as a quadriplegic's legs, derivative of itself, and giving off a throbbing feeling that you already watched this shit ten years ago.