Imaginearium, Nightwish

7 is an evocative and powerful number. Magic, fear, mystery religious and pagan suggestions are tunefully combined in it.
"Imaginaerium" is the seventh studio album recorded by Nightwish. Probably it's not an accident if it perfectly contain all these features.
"Imaginaerium" is once again a magnificent gift to a whole world of cultivated listeners, a product of Tuomas Holopainen's wild imagination. It seems (and in a lot of reviewers' opinion is) a concept album based on a dying man who reminds his youth through vivid pictures of snow winters and creepy episodes.

"Taikatalvi" is the first track of the album, the one with onerous task to introduce the public into this enchanted and ghostly world (which, believe me, will make you forget of yours for more than an hour!). Even if I don't understand a damn of the lyrics, and honestly I don't want to break the magic looking for the translation, this song totally captures me every time. Marco's voice abducts me and lead me to somewhere very far... in the north of course.

I couldn't imagine a better choice than "Storytime" as first single. Catchy but noisy, gentle in verses and explosive in the chorus, impossible to find it an ugly song. Orchestra plays a huge rolet, helping this ensamble of heavy and sweet to give an idea (also to the sceptics) of what Nightwish have become now.

"Ghost River" begins with a very resonating guitar, in general I would define it a little but less epic than the rest of the album's songs, but kinda heavier. More metal, less gothic, if you prefer. I interpreted like Anette plays the Good (the mother and the innocence at the same time) and Marco plays the Evil (the river who's looking for victims, the aware slayer). Strong enough to be appreciated also from non-Nightwish fans.

The most experimental track of the album is without any doubt "Slow Love Slow". Jazz-like, Anette becomes a 30ies diva with deep red lips, singing to his beloved one. I must admit this is not my favourite track of "Imaginaerium", but it's only due to my personal taste: I consider it a good song, well built and even better played and sung, and I don't skip it when I listen to the cd. Strange but enjoyable, after all.

"I want my tears back" was the second track, after "Storytime", who made me fall in love with this album. The pipes are an auditive orgasm, it's almost impossible not to try to dance when you listen to that part! Also from a lyrical point of view this song in one of the most meaningful ones, an hymne to the beautiful things of life: "Where is the wonder where's the awe - Where are the sleepless nights I used to live for- Before the years take me - I wish to see - The lost in me".

Another manifesto of "Imaginearium" is its track n. 6, "Scaretale". It's inspired by childish fears, Anette perfectly embodies through her voice a kind of "psychopathic evil sorceress", the children chorus is even more disturbing, while Marco 's introduction to the macabre Cirque de Morgue extremely well. From an emotional point of view you'll never get tired of this. Listen to this before falling asleep, in the dark, and you'll remind of when you, at 6 or 7 years old, watched that horror movie...the one who came back every night when you turned off the light.

First instrumental track: "Arabesque". Pleasant to hear, personally it reminds me a little bit too much of something else already heard (not from Arab but from another metal bands), anyway it constitutes a nice "break".

"Turn Loose the Mermaids" is one of the sweetest melodies ever. It makes me want to hug my beloved one. Anette's voice is charming, you can feel how much emotion she puts in this. I've always loved the former singer of the band, Tarja Turunen, but she could have never sung such a sweet lullaby like Anette does. Simply and beautifully, maybe with less technique, but surely with pure devotion.

"Rest Calm" isn't, in my humble opinion, an impact song. I personally didn't like it immediately, it took at least three or four listenings before I understood the marriage between the powerful, screamed in verses and slower, delicate in its chorus. I don't want to become repetitive but in "Imaginerium" Anette and Marco's voices mix good together, they female vs. male game sounds better than in every previous Nightwish album. They probably found a key or something. The result is great.

"The Crow, the Owl and the Dove": before I knew it, I guessed it was not written by Tuomas. It's not because I don't consider it a good song, don't misconceive me. It's just a totally different style. Maybe a genre that can be appreciated also by radios. I'm referring to Italy, where listeners generally don't want to try anything different from mass pop music...which this song is not, but it's also true that it's less heavy: it could, with a miracle, get a chance also in my country:-) After all it's not so strange that the band chose it as second single. Oh, the author is Marco Hietala by the way! Fantastic bassist, great vocalist (getting better and better through the years!).

When I listen to "Last Ride of the Day", I dream to be on a stage rockin' to it, as it's one of the funniest tracks to sing. "Sweet music, starry skies", will to celebrate life in a fast and dark carnival. Joy and disbelief to be able to forget your everyday worries. Try it to believe it.

"Song of Myself" leads the listener to the epic closing of "Imaginearium". It's very long, but I wouldn't consider it dull for this reason. The first minutes are charachterized by the nimble voice of Anette, absolutely at ease also in a track that I perceive as "shaped" on Tarja. The song becomes then more intimist, it continues with an acted part whose lines are so touching and deep. I'd really like to believe that their content is what Nightwish themselves really think and hope (and the same should do their fans).

With "Imaginaerum", the title track, we say goodbye to the enchanted world of winters, storytimes, riverghosts, mermaids and tears... it's a beautiful medley of all the tracks that compose the album, I think it's quite evident that it's inspired by movie soundtracks of the greatest composers of today's history  (among them I would name Morricone, Elfman and Zimmer). With a deep sigh I leave all this beauty behind...but it's just until the next udutive journey :-)