Rock music separates itself into broad categories to help fans find their way. One group forced the rock establishment to invent a new category: symphonic/gothic rock.

When listening to the rock group Nightwish, the most striking initial characteristic is the operatic quality of the lead, female vocals. Readers may react that women have been in the world of rock since its inception and that a few have been frontliners: Grace Slick of the Jefferson Airplane, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, and Pat Benatar come to mind.
Yet Nightwish stands out not only for feminine vocal talent in a male-oriented rock strata, but for the passion and hauntingly theatrical qualities of their music. Of Finnish origin, they have delighted audiences and fans around the world for well over a decade.
A Brief History of Nightwish
According to the Nightwish band biography, the “idea” for the group was born around midnight at a campfire in July of 1996. The first three members were Tuomas and Emppu, who played acoustic guitars, and Tarja, who sang. They considered their new sound “mood music,” and soon wondered how it would sound if drums were added. This brought a fourth member to the group, Jukka.
Shortly after the addition of drums, the group also switched to electric guitars. Initially, they enjoyed success in their native Finland, with one of their singles reaching number eight on the musical charts there, but early concert tours were rare. Jukka and Emppu were in the army and Tarja was busy with her school studies.
By the late 1990’s and early 2000’s they ironed out most of those conflicts and began to record and tour extensively. The CD’s Wishmaster and Century’s Child brought the group prominence in Europe, and by August of 2004 they finally made it to the United States to the delight of their new fans on this continent.
Focus on Tarja Turunen
The resume of the original lead singer of Nightwish reads more like the list of accomplishments for an operatic soprano than a heavy metal rock and roll singer. While Nightwish was in its beginning stages, Tarja also sang for the Savonlinna Opera Festival Choir, where she sang Wagner, Verdi, and other classical composers.
Onstage and off, Tarja possessed astounding beauty and charisma, which complemented her angelic singing voice. Her picture illustrated magazines around the world and her stunning theatrical talents lit up video screens for the Nightwish songs “Nemo” and “I wish I had an Angel.” From 2000 to 2004 Ms. Turunen managed not only to tour with Nightwish but to continue her musical studies and perform classical opera for ballets and stunningly beautiful a capella solos for Christmas concerts.
One of the best examples of the power of both the band and its Junoesque lead singer was the Nightwish peformance of “The Phantom of the Opera” from 2002. Late in 2003, Tarja started to distance herself from the band and aim for a solo career. By early 2005, her Nightwish band mates wistfully dismissed her.
Nightwish from 2005 to the Present
The search for a new lead singer led Nightwish to listen to thousands of tapes from singers around the world. By early 2007, they found Anette Olzon, a singer with a similar style to Tarja, and promptly released two new videos and a new CD: Dark Passion Play.With their new singer leading the way, Nightwish toured extensively in late 2007 and into the first half of 2008. Ms. Olzon braved the great expectation and inevitable comparisons and put aside her nervousness, performing admirably. A Nightwish concert review from May, 2008 describes how American fans received her.
While the band has been on hiatus at the time of this article, early 2010, their music and epic videos remain wildly popular and easily accessible on music download and P2P sites. The video “Amaranth” features a story about villagers rescuing an injured angel, intercut with studio footage from the band and gloriously showcases their unique style.

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