Nightwish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nightwish
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Nightwish after a performance in Toronto in May 2022; (L–R): Jukka Koskinen, Tuomas Holopainen, Floor Jansen, Troy Donockley, Kai Hahto, and Emppu Vuorinen.
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| Origin | Kitee, Finland |
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| Years active | 1996–present |
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Nightwish is a famous Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band started in 1996 with songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and singer Tarja Turunen. Soon after, drummer Jukka Nevalainen joined, followed by bassist Sami Vänskä after their first album, Angels Fall First (1997). In 2001, Marko Hietala replaced Vänskä and also became the male singer. Nightwish became very popular in Finland early on, but they gained worldwide fame with albums like Oceanborn (1998), Wishmaster (2000), and Century Child (2002).
Their 2004 album, Once, sold over a million copies and helped them become well-known in the United States. Their hit song "Wish I Had an Angel" (2004) was played on MTV and used in three US movies. After releasing more singles and videos for Once, Tarja Turunen left the band in October 2005. In May 2007, Anette Olzon was announced as the new singer. Their sixth album, Dark Passion Play, released in September 2007, sold almost 2 million copies. The song "Amaranth" from this album became very successful in Europe. Their seventh album, Imaginaerum, came out in November 2011. Nightwish and Anette Olzon went their separate ways in October 2012. Floor Jansen finished the tour with them and became a permanent member in October 2013, along with uilleann pipes player Troy Donockley.
In July 2019, Jukka Nevalainen, who had not been active since 2014 due to health reasons, announced he would not return. Kai Hahto, who had been filling in, became the official drummer. Bassist Marko Hietala left the band in January 2021 for personal reasons. Jukka Koskinen was announced as the new bassist in August 2022.
Nightwish is one of the top-selling bands in Finland, with nearly 900,000 certified sales. They are also the most successful Finnish band globally, having sold over 10 million records and earned more than 60 gold and platinum awards. They have released six albums and thirteen singles that reached number one. On October 26, 2018, Nightwish was honored by being inducted into the Finnish Music Hall of Fame.
Contents
- Band History and Milestones
- Early Days and First Album (1996–1998)
- Global Recognition with Oceanborn and Wishmaster (1998–2000)
- New Members and Orchestral Sound (2001–2003)
- Global Success with Once and a Major Change (2004–2005)
- New Singer Anette Olzon and Dark Passion Play (2006–2009)
- Imaginaerum and Another Change (2009–2012)
- Floor Jansen and Troy Donockley Join Officially (2013–2018)
- More Lineup Changes and Human. :II: Nature. (2019–2023)
- Yesterwynde and a Break from Touring (2023–present)
- Music Style and Themes
- Band Members
- Albums Released
- Concert Tours
- See also
Band History and Milestones
Early Days and First Album (1996–1998)
After playing keyboards in other metal bands, Tuomas Holopainen decided to start his own music project on July 6, 1996. He imagined creating experimental acoustic music, similar to songs played around a campfire, but with his keyboards and a female singer.
He soon asked his friend and schoolmate Emppu Vuorinen to play acoustic guitar and classical singer Tarja Turunen to join. The three recorded their first acoustic demo in late 1996, naming the band "Nightwish" after one of their songs.
In early 1997, Jukka Nevalainen joined as drummer, and the acoustic guitar was swapped for an electric one. Adding heavy metal sounds to their experimental music gave Nightwish its unique style.
The band recorded seven songs for their second demo, Angels Fall First, in April 1997. A Finnish record label, Spinefarm Records, liked it and offered them a deal. The band recorded four more songs, and the full album Angels Fall First was released in November 1997. It reached number 31 on the Finnish album charts, and the single "The Carpenter" hit number 3 on the singles chart. This album is one of only two where Holopainen also sings.
Nightwish played their first live show in their hometown of Kitee on December 31, 1997, for 400 people. They were very nervous! Since they didn't have a bass player, Samppa Hirvonen joined them for the show. Sami Vänskä later joined as the official bassist. In early 1998, the band played seven more concerts while Tarja finished school and Jukka and Emppu completed their military service.
Global Recognition with Oceanborn and Wishmaster (1998–2000)
Nightwish returned to the studio in August 1998 to record their second album, Oceanborn. This album had a more technical and progressive sound than their first. Oceanborn was released in Finland on December 7, 1998, and was an instant hit, reaching number 5 on the Finnish album charts. The first single, "Sacrament of Wilderness", was number 1 for several weeks. Because of this success, Spinefarm released Oceanborn internationally in spring 1999.
In May 1999, Nightwish recorded "Sleeping Sun", and 13,000 copies of its single were sold in Germany before it was even officially released. Nightwish then opened for the band Rage on their 1999 European tour. Both Oceanborn and the singles "Sacrament of Wilderness" and "Walking in the Air" were certified gold in Finland by August 1999.
In early 2000, while working on their third album, Nightwish entered the Finnish Eurovision Song Contest preselection with "Sleepwalker". They won the public vote but finished third overall.
On May 19, 2000, Nightwish released their third album, Wishmaster. It was number one on the Finnish album charts for three weeks and quickly went gold. After Wishmaster came out, Nightwish went on their first world tour, playing in South America, Mexico, and Canada. They also played their first headlining European tour and appeared at big festivals like Wacken Open Air.
New Members and Orchestral Sound (2001–2003)
In 2001, Nightwish recorded a cover of Gary Moore's "Over the Hills and Far Away" along with new songs. This was released as their first EP, Over the Hills and Far Away.
Around this time, the band faced some challenges. Bassist Sami Vänskä was having trouble with his commitment to the band. After much discussion, Holopainen decided to ask Vänskä to leave. Marko Hietala (Tarot) was asked to join as the new bassist and also to sing male vocals.
In 2002, Nightwish released Century Child, with singles "Ever Dream" and "Bless the Child". Century Child went gold just two hours after its release and platinum two weeks later. It set a record in Finland for how far ahead it was on the album charts. A music video was made for "Bless the Child".
A big change on Century Child was the use of a live Finnish orchestra on several songs. A fan favorite from this album is the band's version of "The Phantom of the Opera" from the famous musical. This song was often played live until Tarja Turunen left the band in 2005. It was not played again for 17 years until November 2022, when Dutch singer Henk Poort joined Nightwish on stage in Amsterdam to perform it.
In 2003, Nightwish released their second DVD, End of Innocence, a documentary about the band's story.
Global Success with Once and a Major Change (2004–2005)
Nightwish released their fifth album, Once, on June 7, 2004, along with the single "Nemo". Once sold triple platinum in Finland, platinum in Germany, and gold in six other countries. It reached number 1 in Greece, Norway, and Germany, and was in the Top 10 in France, Hungary, and Sweden. "Nemo" was number one in Finland and Hungary. Other singles from the album included "Wish I Had an Angel" and "The Siren". Critics also liked Once, often comparing it to Oceanborn. "Nemo" is still the band's most successful single.
Once featured a full orchestra on most of its songs, this time the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It also included a full song in Finnish, "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan" (meaning "Death Makes an Artist").
The production of Once cost about 250,000 euros, making it Finland's most expensive recording at the time. The band later broke this record again.
The album's success led to the Once Upon a Tour tour, where the band played in many new countries. Nightwish even performed at the opening ceremony of the 2005 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki. A "best of" album, Highest Hopes, was released in September 2005, including a new version of "Sleeping Sun".
After a concert in October 2005, the other four members of Nightwish decided to continue without Tarja Turunen. They gave her a letter explaining their decision, which was later posted on the band's website. They felt that her attitude towards the band had changed. Tarja said she was shocked and felt the situation was handled unfairly.
New Singer Anette Olzon and Dark Passion Play (2006–2009)
To find a new female singer, the band asked interested vocalists to send in demo tapes starting March 17, 2006. In May 2007, Anette Olzon from Sweden was announced as the new singer. Holopainen wanted to keep her identity a secret until new music was ready.
On May 25, 2007, the charity single "Eva" was released for download, featuring Olzon's first vocals with the band. On June 13, Nightwish revealed the title and artwork for their new album, Dark Passion Play, and the second single, "Amaranth". "Amaranth" was released in Finland on August 22 and quickly went gold.
Dark Passion Play was released in Europe in late September 2007. It went double platinum in Finland and reached number one in Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Hungary, and Croatia.
This album broke the band's own record for Finland's most expensive audio recording, costing over 500,000 euros. On this album, male vocalist Marko Hietala had more singing parts, including lead vocals on "The Islander" and "Master Passion Greed".
On September 22, 2007, the band played a secret concert in Tallinn, Estonia, pretending to be a Nightwish cover band called Nachtwasser. Their first official concert with Olzon was in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 6, 2007. The Dark Passion Play tour was Nightwish's longest tour yet, lasting from late 2007 to September 2009.
In March 2009, Nightwish released a new live EP/DVD called Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places), featuring live tracks from the tour and a documentary.
Imaginaerum and Another Change (2009–2012)
In June 2009, Tuomas Holopainen said he had started working on a new Nightwish album. He later mentioned that the new album would have a "big twist." Uilleann pipes player Troy Donockley, who had worked with the band before, said he would be playing on the new album and that it would be "extraordinary."
By April 2010, Holopainen had finished writing the songs. In late 2010, the band announced more details would come later, describing the album as a "Burton-Gaiman-Dalí – amusement park." It was revealed to be a theme album with many mood changes.
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On February 10, 2011, Nightwish announced the new album title would be Imaginaerum. They also said they were making a movie based on the album, to be released in 2012. On August 31, 2011, the title was changed slightly to Imaginaerum to avoid confusion. The first single, "Storytime", was released on November 11.
On October 1, 2012, Nightwish announced that they were parting ways with Anette Olzon. The band stated that their directions and needs were no longer matching. This news came after Olzon was unable to perform at a show due to illness, and the band used guest singers. Dutch singer Floor Jansen (from After Forever and ReVamp) stepped in to sing for the rest of the Imaginaerum World Tour.
In 2015, Holopainen said the band became "stronger" after these changes.
Floor Jansen and Troy Donockley Join Officially (2013–2018)
On October 9, 2013, Nightwish announced that Floor Jansen was the permanent replacement for Olzon. Troy Donockley also became a full-time member, making the band a sextet (six members) for the first time. The band planned to enter the studio in 2014 to record their eighth album for a 2015 release. They also said it would include Nightwish's longest song ever.
In November 2013, the band released the live album Showtime, Storytime, which was the first Nightwish release to feature Jansen and Donockley as official members.
In May 2014, Holopainen shared that he had recorded 12 demos for the new album. The band planned to start rehearsing in July and finish recording by January 2015. Holopainen said the album would explore many different sounds and would have a running theme.
On August 6, the band announced that founding member and drummer Jukka Nevalainen would not be part of the new album or tour due to severe insomnia. Kai Hahto (Wintersun) took his place.
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins was announced as a guest on the album. In November, the band filmed a music video for "Élan", which became the first single from the album, released on February 13, 2015.
The new album's title, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, and cover art were revealed on December 22. The album was released on March 27, 2015. Its title comes from the writings of English naturalist Charles Darwin. The album featured the London's The Metro Voices choir and the Orchestre De Grandeur. Professor Richard Dawkins narrated parts of the album's opening and closing songs. To promote the album, the band went on the Endless Forms Most Beautiful World Tour, which lasted from April 2015 to October 2016.
In December 2015, Nightwish became the first Finnish band to headline a show at the Wembley Arena in London. Richard Dawkins joined them on stage for his parts. The Tampere and London shows were filmed for a live album called Vehicle of Spirit.
On August 20, 2016, the band played a special 20th-anniversary show in Finland. Original bassist Sami Vänskä and drummer Jukka Nevalainen joined them for a few songs. The band took a break in 2017.
On June 9, 2017, the band announced a nine-month world tour called Decades: World Tour for 2018, along with a new compilation album, Decades. The tour featured "rarely heard material." A show in Buenos Aires was filmed for a live DVD, Decades: Live in Buenos Aires, released in December 2019.
More Lineup Changes and Human. :II: Nature. (2019–2023)
In July 2018, Holopainen said he had written most of the material for Nightwish's next album. Recording began in July 2019.
On July 15, 2019, the band announced that Kai Hahto would permanently replace Jukka Nevalainen as drummer. Nevalainen explained that while his health was better, he didn't want to risk returning full-time but would still help with band business behind the scenes.
By October 31, 2019, recording for the new album was complete. On January 10, 2020, Holopainen confirmed that mixing and mastering were finished.
The new album's cover, track list, and title, Human. :II: Nature., were revealed on January 16, 2020. The album was released on April 10, 2020. The first single, "Noise", came out on February 7, 2020, with a music video. The second single, "Harvest", was released on March 6, 2020. On the album's release day, Nightwish put out lyric videos for all songs. The album debuted at number one in Finland, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany.
Nightwish announced a partnership with the World Land Trust, a conservation charity, on March 11, 2020. They released a video promoting the organization, featuring their song "Ad Astra."
On July 10, 2020, a new crab species, Tanidromites nightwishorum, was named in honor of the band. On August 12, 2020, a prehistoric rockshelter in Pennsylvania, USA, was named Alpenglow Rockshelter, after their song "Alpenglow."
On January 12, 2021, Marko Hietala announced he was leaving the band for personal reasons and to take a break from the music scene. The band stated that a temporary bassist would fill in for the tour.
The band began their world tour in May 2021 with online virtual reality shows, which broke records for viewership in Finland. These virtual performances were released on DVD in March 2022. The tour continued live in Finland in July 2021 and finished in June 2023.
On August 21, 2022, after several summer festivals, the band announced that Jukka Koskinen was officially their permanent bass player.
Yesterwynde and a Break from Touring (2023–present)
In April 2021, Holopainen mentioned he had started working on ideas for the next Nightwish album. He confirmed that the band booked a studio for summer 2023. By June 2022, the demos for the new album were finished.
Floor Jansen said in June 2022 that the upcoming album would be heavier but still sound like Nightwish. Holopainen confirmed in August 2022 that the next album would be a continuation of their previous two albums, completing a trilogy. He also said the album would be released in early 2024. Recording for their tenth album was completed, and mixing and mastering finished by February 2024. The band renewed their deal with Nuclear Blast in March 2024.
The name of the tenth studio album, Yesterwynde, was announced on April 30, 2024. The album was released on September 20, 2024. Before the album came out, three singles were released: "Perfume of the Timeless", "The Day of...", and "An Ocean of Strange Islands".
The band announced on April 6, 2023, that they would take a break from touring for two to three years after the album's release. Troy Donockley explained in September 2024 that this break was for personal reasons and to avoid burnout. He did not rule out the band playing some shows in 2027 for their 30th anniversary. During this touring break, Holopainen and Donockley's side project, Auri, is set to tour in Finland in August 2025.
Music Style and Themes
Musical Style
Nightwish plays a type of music called symphonic metal, which often includes female vocals. Their music is also described as symphonic gothic metal, mixing metal, opera-like singing, emotional ballads, and keyboard solos. While they were famous for combining operatic vocals with heavy metal, they don't use as much operatic singing now as they used to. On their ninth album, Human. :II: Nature., only one song, "Shoemaker," featured operatic vocals after Tarja Turunen left. They also play power metal, progressive metal, folk metal, and gothic metal.
The band's music is known for being complex and having many layers. Their style is grand, dramatic, and often sounds like an opera. Critic Steve Huey noted that their "rich melodies, changing textures, and dramatic way of performing make them a unique musical group."
Having a female singer became a trademark for them, though many other female-fronted metal bands became popular in the mid-2000s.
Former bassist and singer Marko Hietala described their music as "melodic symphonic metal." Some critics felt the band had a gothic sound from their very first album. Tarja Turunen's "operatic voice" was a defining part of Nightwish's early sound. Critics noticed her vocals became less operatic on the Once album. After Tarja Turunen left, Nightwish moved away from the "signature operatic vocals" of their earlier albums, though they brought some of this style back when Floor Jansen became the lead singer.
While Nightwish's music focuses on a female lead singer, they have also featured male vocals since their first album, Angels Fall First. This first album also included "elements of folk music and atmosphere" that were not used on their next album, Oceanborn. However, the song "Creek Mary's Blood" from Once used some Native American folk melodies, and their 2007 album Dark Passion Play included folk music elements on songs like "The Islander" and "Last of the Wilds".
Song Themes
In the beginning, Holopainen mostly wrote about myths and fantasy, often using ideas from "metaphysics and nature." Fantasy novels greatly influenced Nightwish's lyrics. Songs like "Wishmaster," "Elvenpath," and "Wanderlust" clearly refer to fantasy book series like Dragonlance and J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. "FantasMic" from Wishmaster is a direct tribute to Walt Disney and Disney animated films, which Holopainen says influenced him. Dark Passion Play returned to fantasy themes with songs like "Sahara" and "7 Days to the Wolves," which is loosely based on Stephen King's novel Wolves of the Calla.
Over time, the lyrics became more personal. "Dead Boy's Poem" from Wishmaster is a very emotional song that Holopainen called his "legacy." The personal themes became even clearer on Century Child. Turunen felt that the lyrics were no longer about "dreamland" but about "the real parts of life."
"Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan" ("Death Makes an Artist") from Once talks about how losing someone can affect art. "Nemo" is about feeling lost, and "Dead Gardens" is about a time when Holopainen couldn't think of new ideas for songs. "Creek Mary's Blood" is based on Dee Brown's story about Native Americans in the late 1800s.
The 2007 album Dark Passion Play had many personal songs, including "The Poet and the Pendulum," which is described as Holopainen's life story as a composer. "Meadows of Heaven" describes Holopainen's childhood memories. "Bye Bye Beautiful" and "Master Passion Greed" are about former member Tarja Turunen and her husband. The album also refers to authors like Edgar Allan Poe.
Imaginaerum has different themes. For example, "Ghost River" is about a "duel between the Devil and Mother Gaia," while "Scaretale" is about "childhood nightmares and monsters."
On Endless Forms Most Beautiful, themes included the beauty of the world ("Shudder Before The Beautiful"), criticism of how some religions limit people's lives ("Weak Fantasy"), and the meaning of life ("Élan").
The first part of Human. :II: Nature. continues the themes of Nightwish's previous album, focusing on human nature and how we are as a species. Songs cover modern society ("Noise"), life ("Harvest"), human imagination ("Pan"), and human kindness ("How's the Heart?").
Yesterwynde, the tenth album, continues themes from the previous two albums: time, human nature, and history.
While Nightwish's lyrics are usually serious, they have also made some lighter songs, like "Nightquest," which talks about the band members' connection and the band's "quest."
Language Used in Songs
Nightwish mainly writes songs in English. However, a few songs are in Finnish: one on their first album, Angels Fall First (1997); "Kuolema tekee taiteilijan" from Once (2004); the single "Erämaan viimeinen" (2007), which is a vocal version of an instrumental song; and "Taikatalvi" ("Magic Winter") from Imaginaerum (2011). Holopainen has said that writing in Finnish can be challenging.
Influences on Nightwish and Other Bands
Tuomas Holopainen, who writes most of Nightwish's lyrics and music, says he gets much of his inspiration from film music. Songs like "Beauty of the Beast" (from Century Child), "Ghost Love Score" (from Once), and "The Poet and the Pendulum" (from Dark Passion Play) show this influence. Holopainen also enjoys listening to film music in his free time. He likes the music from movies like The Village, Van Helsing, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and almost everything by Hans Zimmer. Other songs, like "Bye Bye Beautiful" and "Wish I Had an Angel", have elements of industrial metal. Some songs, like "The Islander" and "Last of the Wilds", and the Angels Fall First album, include folk music elements. Bands that influenced Nightwish include Children of Bodom, Theatre of Tragedy, The Gathering, and The 3rd and the Mortal.
Nightwish has also inspired other bands. Simone Simons, the lead singer of the Dutch symphonic/gothic metal band Epica, said she started singing in a classical style because of Nightwish's 1998 album Oceanborn. Tony Kakko, the lead singer of the power metal band Sonata Arctica, has also explained how much Nightwish influenced him. In December 2015, Metal Hammer magazine called Nightwish "mainland Europe's most successful metal band."
Band Members
Current Members
- Tuomas Holopainen – keyboards (1996–present), male vocals (1996–1998)
- Emppu Vuorinen – guitars (1996–present), bass (1997–1998)
- Troy Donockley – uilleann pipes, tin whistle, low whistle, guitars, bouzouki, bodhrán, male vocals (2013–present; session/touring musician 2007–2013)
- Floor Jansen – lead vocals (2013–present; touring musician 2012–2013)
- Kai Hahto – drums, percussion (2019–present; session/touring member 2014–2019)
- Jukka Koskinen – bass (2022–present; touring: 2021–2022)
Albums Released
- Angels Fall First (1997)
- Oceanborn (1998)
- Wishmaster (2000)
- Century Child (2002)
- Once (2004)
- Dark Passion Play (2007)
- Imaginaerum (2011)
- Endless Forms Most Beautiful (2015)
- Human. :II: Nature. (2020)
- Yesterwynde (2024)
Concert Tours
- The First Tour of the Angels (1997–1998)
- Summer of Wilderness (1999)
- Oceanborn Europe Tour (1999)
- Wishmaster World Tour (2000–2001)
- World Tour of the Century (2002–2003)
- Once Upon a Tour (2004–2005)
- Dark Passion Play World Tour (2007–2009)
- Imaginaerum World Tour (2012–2013)
- Endless Forms Most Beautiful World Tour (2015–2016)
- Decades: World Tour (2018)
- Human. :II: Nature. World Tour (2021–2023)
See also
In Spanish: Nightwish para niños
- List of best-selling music artists in Finland
- List of heavy metal bands
- List of symphonic metal bands
- Music of Finland
- Rock music in Finland
- Symphonic gothic metal
- Symphonic metal
- Symphonic power metal
- Tarja Turunen discography
