•
Rating: "I was born amidst the purple waterfalls.
I was weak, not yet cursed.
Dead to the world. Alive for the journey.
One night I dreamed of a withering white rose,
a newborn drowning the loneliness of a lifetime.
I dreamed all my future. I relived my past.
And I revealed the beauty of the beast."
With these melancholic words opens the most contested, the darkest, the most angry, the heaviest Nightwish album. Many do not like this album because they consider it a decline compared to the cheerful power of Wishmaster. They do not realize how loaded with bitterness and anger this album is, and songs that talk about fantasy or Disney would never have come from Century Child.
This album introduces some novelties: the guitars emerge forcefully, with heavy and distorted sounds, as do the bass lines, with increasingly loud riffs, and Tarja abandons the operatic execution in the tracks.
The opener is the very heavy "Bless The Child", from which I took the quote. It is a song predominantly oriented towards Gothic Metal, and the feelings it conveys are certainly not among the happiest.
The second track is "End Of All Hope" and many easily compare it to Wishmaster. Indeed, the structure is the same (try listening to them one after the other, and you'll see they are practically mirror images), but the characteristics are extremely different: the piece offered in Century Child is heavy, deafening, very aggressive, and here too, the lyrics are certainly not among the happiest. "Dead To The World" is cute and catchy. On this track, Marco Hitala's voice appears for the first time, the new bassist replacing that dud Sami Vanska. "Ever Dream", the first single, is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful songs on the entire album. With the support of the orchestra, performing a majestic and splendid accompaniment, and with the introduction of notes played by a harmonious piano, Tarja manages to interpret this song with great emotion, with positive and hopeful lyrics.
"Slaying The Dreamer" is the most aggressive track on the album. Tarja's voice is harsh and not very melodic, but very effective. Amid increasingly aggressive riffs, the track ends with Marco's rough singing. "Forever Yours" is a sad ballad. In some ways, it may remind you of "Two For Tragedy", but this one is much more inspired. It very much resembles the soundtrack of Titanic.
"Ocean Soul" is a very particular track. It doesn't rise to absolute beauty, but the lyrics, which rely on a simple yet pleasant melody, are truly significant and explain all the love that Tuomas (keyboardist and songwriter) feels for the things dear to him, particularly music. "Feel For You" and "The Phantom Of The Opera" are perhaps the weakest points of the album. Not for the music, always meticulously curated, but for the lyrics, disconnected from the context. The former is once again a duet between the two singers, with quite a good result. The latter is a remake of A. L. Webber's work, in a metal version.
We've reached "Beauty Of The Beast", my favorite Nightwish track. Over ten minutes in length, it unfolds in three different moments, all very beautiful and evocative. At the end, Sam Hardwick's sad voice recites the verses that close Century Child:
"Oh, sweet Christabel. Share your poetry with me
For what I know now, I am a puppet
on this silent stage.
I am just a poet who failed his best act.
A Dead Boy, who failed to write an ending
to all his poems."
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Bless the Child (06:12)
"I was born amidst the purple waterfalls.
I was weak, yet not unblessed.
Dead to the world, alive for the journey.
One night I dreamt a white rose withering,
a newborn drowning a lifetime loneliness.
I dreamt all my future, relived my past,
and witnessed the beauty of the Beast"
Where have all the feelings gone?
Why has all the laughter ceased?
Why am I loved only when I'm gone?
Gone back in time to bless the child.
How can I ever feel again?
Given the chance would I return?
Why am I loved only when I'm gone?
Gone back in time to bless the child.
Think of me long enough to make a memory.
Come bless the child one more time.
I've never felt so alone in my life.
As I drank from a cup which was counting my time.
There's a poison drop in this cup of man,
To drink it is to follow the left hand path.
Why am I loved only when I'm gone?
Gone back in time to bless the child.
Think of me long enough to make a memory.
Come bless the child one more time.
Think of me long enough to make a memory.
Come bless the child one more time.
"Where have all the feelings gone?
Why is it the deadliest sin - to love as I loved you?
Now unblessed, homesick in time, soon to be freed from care, from human pain.
My tale is the most bitter truth: Time pays us
with but earth & dust, and a dark, silent grave.
Remember my child:
without innocence the cross is only iron,
hope is only an illusion,
and Ocean Soul's nothing but a name...
The Child bless thee and keep thee forever"
02 End of All Hope (03:55)
It is the end of all hope.
To lose the child, the faith.
To end all the innocence.
To be someone like me.
This is the birth of all hope.
To have what I once had.
This life unforgiven, It will end with birth.
No will to wake for this morn.
To see another black rose born.
Deathbed is slowly covered with snow.
Angels, they fell first, but I'm still here
Alone as they are drawing near.
In heaven my masterpiece will finally be sung.
It is the end of all hope.
To lose the child, the faith.
To end all the innocence.
To be someone like me.
Wounded is the deer that leaps highest, and my wound it cuts so deep.
Turn off the light and let me pull the plug.
It is the end of all hope.
To lose the child, the faith.
To end all the innocence.
To be someone like me.
This is the birth of all hope.
To have what I once had.
This life unforgiven, It will end with a birth.
Mandylion without a face, Deathwish without a prayer.
End of hope, end of love, end of time. The rest is silence.
It is the end of all hope.
To lose the child, the faith.
To end all the innocence.
To be someone like me.
This is the birth of all hope.
To have what I once had.
It is the end of all hope.
To lose the child, the faith.
To end all the innocence.
To be someone like me.
It is the end of all hope.
To lose the child, the faith.
End of all hope.
04 Ever Dream (04:43)
Ever felt away with me
Just once that all I need
Entwined in finding you one day
Ever felt away without me
My love, it lies so deep
Ever dream of me
Would you do it with me
Heal the scars and change the stars
Would you do it for me
Turn loose the heaven within
I'd take you away
Castaway on a lonely day
Bosom for a teary cheek
My song can but borrow your grace
Ever felt away with me
Just once that all I need
Entwined in finding you one day
Ever felt away without me
My love, it lies so deep
Ever dream of me
Dream of me...
Come out, come out wherever you are
So lost in your sea
Give in, give in for my touch
For my taste for my lust
Ever felt away with me
Just once that all I need
Entwined in finding you one day
Ever felt away without me
My love, it lies so deep
Ever dream of me
Your beauty cascaded on me
In this white night fantasy
Dream of me...
Ever felt away with me
Just once that all I need
Entwined in finding you one day
Ever felt away without me
My love, it lies so deep
Ever dream of me
Ever felt away with me
Just once that all I need
Entwined in finding you one day
Ever felt away without me
My love, it lies so deep
Ever dream of me
Dream of me...
Ever felt away with me
Just once that all I need
Entwined in finding you one day
Ever felt away without me
My love, it lies so deep
Ever dream of me
05 Slaying the Dreamer (04:31)
I'm a priest for the poorest sacrifice
I'm but a raft in a sea of sorrow
Sorrow and greed
You bathed in my wine
Drank from my cup, mocked my rhyme
Your slit tongues licked
My aching wounds
Put a stake
Through my heart
And drag me into sunlight
So awake
For your greed
As you're slaying the dreamer
Swan-song for the wish of night
God it hurts, give a name to the pain
Our primrose path to hell is growing weeds
Put a stake
Through my heart
And drag me into sunlight
So awake
For your greed
As you're slaying the dreamer
Blame me
It's me
Coward, good-for-nothing scapegoat
Dumb kid, living a dream
Romantic only on paper
Tell me why you took all that was mine
Stay as you lay, don't lead me astray
Tell me why you took all that was mine
Stay as you lay, don't lead me astray
Wake up, mow the weed
You'd be nothing without me
Take my life if you have the heart to die
You bastards tainted my tool
Raped my words, played me a fool
Gather your precious glitter and leave me be
The Great Ones are all dead
And I'm tired, too
I truly hate you all!
06 Forever Yours (03:50)
Fare thee well, little broken heart
Downcast eyes, lifetime loneliness
Whatever walks in my heart will walk alone
Constant longing for the perfect soul
Unwashed scenery forever gone
Whatever walks in my heart will walk alone
No love left in me
No eyes to see the heaven beside me
My time is yet to come
So I'll be forever yours
Whatever walks in my heart will walk alone
No love left in me
No eyes to see the heaven beside me
My time is yet to come
So I'll be forever yours
No love left in me
No eyes to see the heaven beside me
My time is yet to come
So I'll be forever yours
Whatever walks in my heart will walk alone
whatever walks in my heart...
08 Feel for You (03:55)
You were my first love
The earth moving under me
Bedroom scent, beauty ardent
Distant shiver, heaven sent
I'm the snow on your lips
The freezing taste, the silvery sip
I'm the breath on your hair
The endless nightmare, devil's lair
Only so many times
I can say I long for you
The lily among the thorns
The prey among the wolves
Someday, I will feed a snake
Drink her venom, stay awake
With time all pain will fade
Through your memory I will wade
Barely cold in her grave
Barely warm in my bed
Settling for a draw tonight
Puppet girl, your strings are mine
X2
This one is for you for you
Only for you
Just give in to it never think again
I feel for you
X3
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By shagrat
Tarja whispers. With a lot of sensuality and professionalism... but whispering.
The interpretation of The Phantom of the Opera compared to the original sounds like the pre-mortal cry of a cat on Frankenstein’s operating table.
By +Zephyro+
"All of my songs can only be composed of the greatest of pains. Every single verse can only be born of the greatest of wishes."
"Being able to redeem oneself, to surpass oneself, to see beyond what human eyes can see, to see the beauty, the purity, even in the beast, in the ruin; after darkness, the light."
