Nightwish release career-spanning greatest hits collection with Decades
It’s not often that a band comes along that changes the face and the overall sound of music forever. Finnish symphonic metal act, Nightwish have carved their legacy in stone over the past 20 years, with their expert composition, songwriting and powerful storytelling, the band has become a major influence for many that have followed in their footsteps. Nightwish have taken a genre, perfected it and molded it into something that many would have never expected 20 years ago, creating a massive, atmospheric and powerful sound that rivals many big blockbuster scores. Nightwish hasn’t had just one of the most powerful vocalists to have ever graced the industry but three of them, Tarja Turunen, Anette Olzen and current frontwoman, Floor Jansen, have all had their chance to lead one of Europe’s biggest bands.
Decades is a culmination of Nightwish’s biggest hits and the songs that helped solidify their legacy. The tracklist for the release was put together by the band’s mad genius and master composer Tuomas Holopainen, which includes songs from the band’s most recent release Endless Forms Most Beautiful all the way back to their debut with Angels Fall First.
This record is perfect for the longtime fans of Nightwish and even better for the people that are looking for a one-stop shop introduction to the band. The release opens with the band’s biggest accomplishment from their career, “The Greatest Show On Earth”, a 24-minute epic masterpiece of song structure and composition. This is followed by two more songs from Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Included also are songs from the Anette-era of Nightwish with “Amaranth”, “The Poet and The Pendulum”, “I Want My Tears Back”, and “Storytime”.
I was relieved to see my favorite Nightwish song included on this release, Ghost Love Score. This was the song that helped put the band on the top of my favorites list, I believe that this song is one of the best releases in all of music. Also included are “Nemo”, “The Carpenter”, and “The Kingslayer”.
The 22-track, 2-hour and 21-minute album is one of the best greatest hits collections that I have ever heard. However, I do have a few complaints. Where is “Phantom of the Opera”, “Dark Chest Of Wonders”, and “Over The Hills”? I think these three tracks were a necessity to add to this collection because of their long-lasting impressions on the music world.
Overall, I think this is a must-own for any Nightwish fan and it helps kick off their upcoming US tour cycle which begins in March. Buy this record and buy your ticket for your chance to see master musicianship in action.
