(Review from wikipedia, amazon, metalstorm.net, amazon, progarchives.com)

In order to find a replacement for Turunen as the female vocalist, the band allowed vocalists interested for the position to send in demo tapes as an audition for the spot, receiving over 2000 demo tapes in the process.

Nightwish’s new vocalist, Annette Olzon is an alto rather than a soprano, uses very little vibrato, and sounds like a rock singer rather than an operatic vocalist. She is a change from the vocals that are very often found in this genre. Her vocals are more a part of the band’s overall sound.

“Dark Passion Play”, the band’s first studio album with her sees them progressing steadily as usual.

As bombastic and grand as Nightwish have ever sounded, the fourteen minute monster of an opening track, “The Poet And The Pendulum” is not just a statement to anyone who may have questioned the future of the band, but is also if you will, the title track with the pendulum on the front cover of the album and is also the epitome of the whole album to come. The band sound as heavy as they have ever been before – full of sound, many layers.

Continued use of harmonized vocals make for a very full and stage-like feel when combined with the instruments and orchestration behind it and some of the songs just get so loud that’s it’s hard not to get overwhelmed by the grandeur.

75 minute long, the album is diverse and adventurous. “Amaranth” sounds very commercial and appealing to the wider audience; “Master Passion Greed” is one of the heaviest and angriest songs this band have ever put on with furious guitaring, double bass drumming and Marco taking to the lead vocal position, and to another far out tangent of the musical spectrum of the album we even have strong folk elements with “The Islander” and “Last Of The Wilds” that seem to work surprisingly well. Elsewhere, “Eva” focuses primarily on the vocal talents of their new frontwoman.

The album includes an unusual amount of personal songs, including “The Poet and the Pendulum” which has been described as Holopainen’s life story, and about being a composer and musician. Another song, “Meadows of Heaven” is a depiction of Holopainen’s childhood and the feeling that it’ll never return. Two songs, “Bye Bye Beautiful” and “Master Passion Greed” are about ex-member Tarja Turunen and her husband Marcelo Cabuli.

Nightwish have taken the symphonic elements of their prior works and infused them with a new voice to create a sound representative of the album title: dark, playful and, most of all, passionate.

This edition of the album has two bonus CDs. The first is a complete instrumental version of the album, which contain instruments that are hard to hear, or are omitted, from the original version of the album. The second contains two alternate, a b-side bonus track.

Line-up:
- Tuomas Holopainen / Keyboards, Piano
- Anette Olzon / Vocals
- Marco Hietala / Acoustic Guitar (10), Bass, Vocals
- Erno “Emppu” Vuorinen / Guitar
- Jukka Nevalainen / Drums, percussions
with
- London Philharmonic Orchestra
- Guy Elliott / Lead Boy Soprano (1)
- Tom Williams / Second Boy Soprano, Voice (1)
- Metro Voices / Choir
- Troy Donockley / Bodhran, Uilleann Pipes, Low and Tin Whistle (10, 11, 13)
- Nollaig Casey / Fiddle (11)
- Senni Eskelinen / Electric Kantele (11)
- Greg Knowles / Cymbalom
- Johanna “Jonsu” Salomaa / Vocals (11)

Track List:
CD1
01. The Poet And The Pendulum – 13:54
02. Bye Bye Beautiful – 4:14
03. Amaranth – 3:51
04. Cadence Of Her Last Breath – 4:14
05. Master Passion Greed – 6:02
06. Eva – 4:25
07. Sahara – 5:47
08. Whoever Brings The Night – 4:17
09. For The Heart I Once Had – 3:55
10. The Islander – 5:05
11. Last Of the Wilds – 5:40
12. 7 Days To The Wolves – 7:03
13. Meadows Of Heaven – 7:12
CD2 (Bonus Instrumental)
01. The Poet And The Pendulum – 13:54
02. Bye Bye Beautiful – 4:14
03. Amaranth – 3:51
04. Cadence Of Her Last Breath – 4:14
05. Master Passion Greed – 6:02
06. Eva – 4:25
07. Sahara – 5:47
08. Whoever Brings The Night – 4:17
09. For The Heart I Once Had – 3:56
10. The Islander – 5:05
11. Last Of the Wilds – 5:40
12. 7 Days To The Wolves – 7:04
13. Meadows Of Heaven – 7:09
CD3 (Bonus)
01. Escapist – 5:00
02. Meadows Of Heaven (Orchestral Version) – 7:13
03. The Poet And The Pendulum (Demo Version) – 13:40

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