Nightwish Dark Passion Play: Collector's Edition CD

Finland's Nightwish are widely hailed as progenitors of the symphonic metal style. With DARK PASSION PLAY (the group's sixth full-length), Nightwish introduce their new vocalist, Swedish-born Anette Olzon, to the fold. While Olzon proves to be a more than capable operatic siren, Marco Hietala's vocals are far more prominently featured than on past Nightwish efforts, giving the album a double shot of vocal operatics.

Nightwish: Anette Olron (vocals); Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards); Marco Hietala (bass guitar); Jukka Nevalainen (drums).

Personnel: Andy Findon (flute).

Additional personnel: Joanna Forbes, Tommy Blaize, Heather Cairncross, Derek Green, Tom Pearce, Eliza Lumley, Anne Marie Cullum, Helen Brookes, Samuel Burkey, Ann DeRenais, Morag MacKay, Rosemary Forbes-Butler, Sarah Ryan, Charlie Baker, Bob J. Harms, Andrew Tinkler, Catriana Sandison, David Porter-Thomas, Ricci P. Washington, Cherith Millburn-Fryer, Yona Dunsford, Jude Sim, Faye Simpson, Jeremy Avis, Lance Ellington, Alison Jiear, Matthew White, Michael Clarke, Samantha Shaw, Sara Jane Skeete, Steve Trowell, Gerard Bentall, Catherine Bott, Andrew Busher, Mary Carewe , Michael Dore, Sarah Eyden, Susan Flannery, Beverley Skeete, Matthew Hargreaves, Claire Henry, Nicki Kennedy, Helen Meyerhoff, Jennie O'Grady, Helen Parker, Simon Preece, Lindsay Wagstaff, Lawrence Wallington, Carol Kenyon, Janet Ramus, Bryan Chambers (vocals); Guy Elliot, Tom Williams (soprano); Emppu Vuorinen (acoustic guitar); Greg Knowles (cymbolom); Skaila Kanga (harp); Senni Eskelinen (kantele); Julian Leaper, Perry Mason, Chris Tombling, Pigott Smith, Tom, Warren Zielinski, Liz Edwards, Mark Berrow, Dave Woodcock, Jim McLeod, Dermot Crehan, Michael McMenemy, Simon Fischer, Pete Hanson, Steve Morris, Thomas Bowes, Patrick Kiernan, Boguslaw Kostecki, Gaby Lester, Rita Manning, Everton Nelson, Johnathan Rees, Sonia Slany, Cathy Thompson, Gavyn Wright, Jackie Shave, Emlyn Singleton (violin); Nollaig Casey (fiddle); Jon Thorne, Donald McVay, Chris Pitsillides, Tim Grant , Kate Wilkinson, Andy Parker, Rachel Bolt, Gustav Clarkson, Garfield Jackson, Peter Lale, Kate Musker, Bruce White (viola); Patrick Lannigan, Frank Schaefer, Steve Williams , Ben Chappell, Caroline Dearney, John Heley, Chris Laurence, Anthony Lewis , Martin Loveday, Anthony Pleeth, Mary Scully, Allen Walley, Jonathan Williams , Dave Daniels (cello); Helen Keen (flute); Andy Findon (whistle); Dave Fuest, Nicholas Bucknail (clarinet); Anthony Pike (bass clarinet); David Theodore (oboe); Julie Andrews (bassoon); John Barclay, Ian Balmain, Maurice Murphy, Derek Watkins, Andy Crowley (trumpet); Mike Thompson , Richard Berry, Laurence Davies, Richard Watkins (French horn); Pete Beachill, Richard Edwards, Andy Wood (trombone); Dave Stewart (bass trombone); Owen Slade (tuba); Troy Donockley (bodhran); Frank Ricotti, Steve Henderson, Gary Kettel (percussion); Jussi Tegelman (sound effects).

Q (p.97) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Anette Olzon's rich operatic vocals bring new passion and depth..."
Kerrang (Magazine) (p.54) - "It's not just the sheer amount of instrumentation that's so impressive, but how purposefully Holopainen has employed every string, whistle and parp to add amazing washes of colour to the songs."