Nightwish
Bless the Child

THE REVIEW

I know what you're thinking: the extreme uselessness of these mini CDs for the average listener. But knowing that it contains "Bless the Child," two exceptional live tracks, and all the bonus tracks that appeared in the singles (except "Lagoon") before "Once" might make you reconsider.
"Bless the Child" is the piece we all know, with its majestic and regal atmosphere and excellent orchestrations. One of the highest points of Century Child.
The live tracks are "Come Cover Me" and "Dead Boy’s Poem," along with Wanderlust, the best pieces from Wishmaster, two tracks that maintain the same wonderful atmospheres even live.

The bonus tracks are almost all of good quality: no cast-offs here! Even though listening to tracks one after another from such distant and different eras and styles definitely leaves a certain impression. "The Wayfafer" is a fast symphonic power piece, "A Return To The Sea" is a beautiful piece, very atmospheric and enchanting, "Sleepwalker" is a nice dreamy and refined piece that participated in the Eurorock Festival in 2000 but lost, "Nightquest" is a playful and very heavy track. The only off-key note (pun intended) is given by the piece "Once Upon a Troubador": based only on an acoustic guitar, very folk, with a very young Tuomas (we're talking about the times of Angels Fall First) who's more out of tune than ever.
If you're a fan of Nightwish, buy it sight unseen (pieces like "Sleepwalker," "Nightquest," and "A Return To The Sea" will delight you). For others, listen first.