Afro Lint wrote:
Missed this before. Great interview. Since Marco joined Nightwish he's become one of my favorite musicians. He writes killer songs, has an awesome, unique voice, and works with some great bands! You should have asked him a few questions about Tarot, though. I'd like to know if any new album is planned at some point.
I still can't believe that Nightwish got this big. I remember when I bought Angels Fall First and Oceanborn in 1999, in Korea. A guy at a metal shop recommended them, so I just bought them blind. I put on Angels Fall First when I got back to the dorm and nearly shat myself when Tarja really hit that opera style about a minute and a half in on "Elvenpath." It gave me goose bumps! I'd never heard anything like it before. Every metal fan I knew in Korea turned up their nose to the band; they couldn't stand the style. I understood their opinions; it is an odd combination of styles, but that's what did it for me. Originality.
Still, even when Tarja toned it down a bit, I couldn't imagine them becoming what they are today. She still had that operatic style, something I figured most wouldn't be able to dig on. Then...I don't know...what happened? How did they get big? Was it "I Wish I Had An Angel" on that movie soundtrack (Alone In The Dark?) that did it? I don't recall Roadrunner really pushing them in a way comparable to the popularity gained. Or was it simply a case of something truly great and original transcending the limitations most bands face? I have no idea. But it's still pretty cool.
And the latest album is killer.
It's an odd one, but the unexpected success of Evanescence definitely has a part to play. The record buying masses wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two, at least not at first, and the record companies of course pandered to this. Not that I grudge Nightwish their success, even if I do think they "played the game" a little to happily. I prefer their power metal stuff, but hey, I'm a power metal fan.
