01. When and how the band was created?
02. Who are the members of Nightwish?
03. Where does the name 'Nightwish' come from? Whose idea was it to call the band like that?
04. Did they play in other bands before Nightwish?
05. Who is the author of Nightwish songs?
06. What are the meanings of some words and lines in the songs?
07. What cover versions did Nightwish make?
08. Whom do the male vocals on every album belong to?
09. Are there any non-album Nightwish songs (bonustracks)?
10. Do Nightwish members take part in another music projects besides Nightwish?
11. What music videos have Nightwish made?
12. Have Nightwish ever made any soundtrack songs?
13. What's the band members marital status?
14. There's a hidden bonustrack on EOI DVD, isn't it? How can one listen to it?


Compiled by Nymphe, Kerttu & fans
Latest update: 01.08.2004




1. When and how the band was created?

Nightwish started as an acoustic project by Tuomas Holopainen. Acoustic guitars were performed by his friend Emppu, who came up with the idea of using their friend Tarja, a student from Sibelius Academy, on vocals. The self-titled demo was recorded during 96 and 97 by their friend Tero Kinnunen. The tape, however, did not end up being disributed; it was only sent to some labels and magazines, which all gave the tape relatively good credit but the labels thought music was too narrow, and did not have enough variety. In April '97 the band entered the studio again with drums and percussions performed by their friend Jukka, the latest addition to their line-up. With this demo they accepted Spinefarm's recording contract. Nightwish debut album Angels Fall First was released in Finland in October 1997 and in Europe in March 1998.



2. Nightwish Line-up:

Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen - vocals
Tuomas Holopainen - keyboards, piano, songwriter
Erno 'Emppu' Vuorinen - guitars
Jukka Nevalainen - drums, percussion
Marco Hietala - bass

Since 1998 'till 2001 the bass player was Sami Vänskä.



3. Where does the name 'Nightwish' come from? Whose idea was it to call the band like that?

Tuomas: "This is a cliché, but I love the night and its magic and I love to wander around at nighttime and let my thoughts fly. Often I dream and send wishes to the stars… Originally it was the title of one song from our very first demo, which included 3 acoustic songs ("Nightwish", "The Forever Moments", "Etiäinen"), and because of that, the demo was called "Nightwish-demo". I liked the name and thought that this name really describes what our music is all about so that's why it also became the band's name".



4. Did they play in other bands before Nightwish?

Tuomas played in "Nattvindens Gråt" (which exists no more), "Darkwoods My Betrothed" and "Furthest Shore"; also he played in jazz-band.

Marco played in "Sinergy", "Metal Gods" (cover group), and "Conquest". He plays in "Tarot" concurrently with Nightwish.

Nightwish is real first band for Tarja. She used to sing in many kinds of groups and do various kind of music. Most likely in funky and soul music orientated groups. This happened when she was around 14-18 years old.



5. Who is the author of Nightwish songs?

Tuomas Holopainen is the main author and composer of all songs, except:

Angels Fall First:
"Once Upon A Troubadour" & "A Return To The Sea" - music by Nightwish.

Oceanborn:
"Sacrament Of Wilderness" - music by Tuomas & Emppu.

Wishmaster:
"Come Cover Me", "Crownless", "Bare Grace Misery" - music by Tuomas & Emppu.

Century Child:
"Long Lost Love" - music by Marco Hietala.
"Slaying The Dreamer" & "One More Night To Love" - music by Tuomas & Emppu.

Once:
"Higher Than Hope" - music by Marco Hietala / Tuomas.
"Romanticide" - music by Tuomas & Marco.
"The Siren" - music by Tuomas & Emppu.



6. What are the meanings of some words and lines in the songs?

Angles Fall First       Oceanborn       Wishmaster       Century Child       Once

Angels Fall First

"Elvenpath":

Bilbo - a hero of Tolkien's "Hobbit".

Snowman - a hero of the eponymous movie (The Snowman).

Tapio - the main master, ruler of the forest, the one who's responsible for hunter's luck. The hunter made sacrifices - rye, grains, some beer or wine - to cajole Tapio. /Info by Kerttu/

Mielikki - the mistress of the forest, the spouse of Tapio. She was said to possess "the keys" from all pantries and copse warehouses. Her name is comprised of the words: thought, wish, mood (fin. "mieli"). The entire word can be translated as "desired", "delightful". /Info by Kerttu/

Madrigals from the woods…

Madrigal:
1) In the 14-16th centuries it was a small musical-poetic composition with the romantic-lyric content;
2) From 17th century it's become a complementary rhyme.

"The Carpenter":

Lay the tools of the one who for us had died
Tools of the carpenter


The Jesus' life in Nazareth is still full of questions. Since the righteous Joseph (His father after flesh) was a carpenter by trade, consequently Jesus helped him in his labour, and became a carpenter himself.

Why? Was the wine of the Grail
Too sour for man to drink


The (Holy) Grail:
The one who has drunk from the Grail, will get absolution and eternal life.
Thousands of crusaders went off in search of mysterious Grail, which was filled with blood of Christ.
According to the legend, Knights of the Round Table owned The Grail and handed it down from generation to generation.
The last owners of the Holy Grail were Knights Templars at the head of Grandmaster Jacques de Moles, who took away it with him, burnt to death by French King Phillip the Beautiful.

Dream of their precious saviour

In the Book people usually turned to Jesus Christ with the words: "O our Lord, our God and Saviour" or (personally) "Jesus, my Saviour!" /Info by Kerttu/

"Angels Fall First":

Not relieved by thoughts of Shangri-La

In 1935 English writer James Hilton wrote a novel "Lost Horizon". The main hero of this novel went through a plane wreck during his flight over mountainous Tibet, where he and his fellow-travellers discovered a lovely valley named Shangri-La.
Ever since the story surroundings have exceeded the bounds of literary world of "Lost Horizon": Shangri-La, lost in The Himalayas country invented by Hilton, has become a common name of a dream, utopia, eternal bliss.

"Tutankhamen":

Take me with you
Through the Stargate
To the Valley of the Kings...


The Valley of the Kings - a desolate plain, located on the riverside of Nile, opposite the city of Thebes. The tombs of pharaohs since 1850 BC. In 1922 the archeologist H. Carter found here the unrobbed grave of Tutankhamen. /Info by Kerttu/

... For Carter has come to free my beloved

Carter Howard - the English archaeologist. In 1922 he discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen in Egypt.

"Lappi (Lapland)":

Lapland (abbrev. Lappi) - an epic place-name correlated with 'Lapland' concept, an area inhabited by saami (lopari). It's also should be borne in mind that Karelia dwellers frequently use this word to denote nearby region (and its natives), esp. more up north to the present place, as well as their tongue (dialect, patois - to be precise). In the "Kalevala" addenda, E.Lönnrot himself clarified the word 'Lappi' proceeding from the meaning 'neighbouring, aside'. /Info by Kerttu/

Etiäinen - a wandering ghost in Lapland (Finnish mythology).

"A Return To The Sea":

In the meadow play merrily the fox and the hound

"The Fox and the Hound" - one of the numerous Disney cartoons. The story followed a fox pup, Tod, and a hunting dog pup, Copper, who become friends when young and then become enemies when old. /Info by Kerttu/

Trilobite & Anomalocaris

Trilobite - a class of extinct sea arthropoda.
Anomalocaris - an awful squid-like predator.
They both lived in Cambrian.


Oceanborn

"Stargazers":

A grand oasis in the vastness of gloom
Child of dew-spangled cobweb, Mother to the Moon
Constellations beholders of the 3rd vagrant
Theater for the play of life


A grand oasis - our planet Earth
Vastness of gloom - the whole Universe
Child - the Earth
Dew-spangled cobweb - our galaxy (its structure really looks like 'dew-spangled cobweb')
3rd vagrant - the Earth (it's 3rd planet from the Sun)
Theater for the play of life - the Earth (life exists only on this planet of Solar Sistem)

Tragedienne of heavens
Watching the eyes of the night


Eyes of the night - the stars

In this ambrosial merry-go-round they will gaze

Ambrosial merry-go-round - galaxy (it revolves); 'ambrosial' means 'celestial'

Wanderers in cosmic caravan - the planets

Following the pages of Almagest

Almagest - astronomical and mathematical encyclopedia, which was created by Ptolemy in about 140 BC. It was the main guide through the Arabic and European cultures until the 17th century. The title of the book has been descended from the Arabic word 'great'. The embodied subjects in the thirteen books are: geocentric (Ptolemaic) system of universe, Solar System plan, positions and sizes of the fixed stars, eclipses, Sun- and Moon-point distance. /Info by Kerttu/

Oracle of the Delphian Domine...

Domine - the Latin equivalent for "Lord".

On the slope down to the river Parnassus (Central Asia) was one of the Apollo centers - the Delphian fane. Here a special priestess-pythoness was making predictions both for particular persons and town communities. The answers were made by priests of the Delphian fane who had made appropriate inquiries; it helped to give equivocal aphorisms, which will be understood as prophets in any case. "Know thyself" is believed to be written over the portal of the fane. /Info by Kerttu/

"Gethsemane":

Gethsemane - a village nearby Jerusalem. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus enjoyed walking with his disciples. There He was praying before Judas came with warriors to betray Christ.

The name 'Gethsemane', comes from the Hebrew 'Gat Shmanim', meaning "oil-press" (Kollek). Since "oil" is used in the Bible to symbolize the Holy Spirit, it may be said that the garden is where "the Spirit of God was crushed". /Info by Kerttu/

Toll no bell for me, Father

Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee… - taken from John Donne's sermon, lately was used by E. Hemingway as an eponymous title for his novel. /Info by Kerttu/

But let this cup of suffering pass from me…
...not my own will but Yours be done...


It's Christ's prayer in Gethsemane.

"The Pharaoh Sails To Orion":

A constellation of divine architecture built on Earth
A holy harbour - Orion


Perhaps the Egyptian pyramids in Giza are meant to be, in so far as their order is similar to positions of three bright stars in constellation of Orion.

Orion
The constellation of Orion is one of the most recognizable patterns of stars in the northern sky.
  • Abbreviation: Ori
  • Genitive: Orionis
  • Translation: The Great Hunter (recall the last line of the song: Join my soul The Hunter in the sky)
  • Best seen in January (at 9:00 PM)
  • Visible between latitudes 85 and -75 degrees
Orion, the hunter, stands by the river Eridanus and is accompanied by his faithful dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor. Together they hunt various celestial animals, including Lepus, the rabbit, and Taurus, the bull. According to Greek mythology, Orion was in love with Merope, one of the Seven Sisters who form the Pleiades, but Merope would have nothing to do with him. Orion's tragic life ended when he stepped on Scorpius, the scorpion. The gods felt sorry for him, so they put him and his dogs in the sky as constellations. They also put all of the animals he hunted up there near him. Scorpius, however, was placed on the opposite side of the sky so Orion would never be hurt by it again. /Info by Kerttu/

The Unicorn arrives with the westwind to dream His funeral

Unicorn (Monoceros) - a constellation without bright stars; located among Canis Major, Canis Minor and Orion. /Info by Kerttu/

"Thou art born for Horus dwells in thee"

Horus - a god of Light, who's struggling with the forces of evil. His eyes are represented as a Sun and a Moon. His flight symbolizes the alternation of day and night. Horus gave protection to pharaoh's power. /Info by Kerttu/

"Thou art born for Seteh dwells in thee"

Seteh - a god of Desert from Egyptian mythology, the embodiment of evil. Seteh was fabled to capture the earthly throne of Osiris after murdering him. Horus, the son of Osiris, got into a fight with Seteh and overcame his enemy by means of the Eye of Ra. Afterwards Seteh was deprived of the Egyptian throne and taken to the Heaven by Ra to frighten others. /Info by Kerttu/

Reveal Your Face to me and guide me through the Stygian fields

Stygian - referred to river Styx (in a figurative sense - gloom, diabolical). Styx - a sacred river that even gods swore on it; flowed along the Nether realm of Hades. /Info by Kerttu/

Tales like the ocean written to the Draco's glance

Draco - constellation. The Greek legend says that this dragon (Ladon) had kept a guard over the tree with apples of eternal youth until Hercules killed him. /Info by Kerttu/

Enthral my soul to Sepedet's beams to serve Your will…

Sepedet - a goddess of Sirius (her second name). Sepedet is also a celestial manifestation of Isis (Horus' mother).

The Pied Piper of Hamelin"Nightquest":

Born to the false world, the wanderer,
Storyteller, The Pied Piper
On a quest for immortality
Gathering a troop to find the fantasy


The Pied Piper - The Ratcatcher, a hero of German lore. According to the legend, in 1284, the town of Hamelin (German version - Hameln) was suffering from a terrible plague of rats. The town council tried everything to get rid of them - without success. At last, the Mayor promises 1000 florins to the one who could put an end to the plague. A stranger dressed in bright red and yellow clothes showed up and said he could rid Hamelin of the rats. At night, the stranger started to play a soft tune on a flute, luring all the rats out of the houses and barns towards the river Weser, where they drown. None the less, the Mayor refused to pay the piper: "Playing a tune on a flute is not worth 1000 florins. Get out of Hamelin!" But the piper returned on a Sunday morning, when all the grown-ups were at church. Again he started to play a tune on his flute. This time, all the children follow him, as he walked out of the gate to the mountains. Suddenly, a cave opened in the mountain. The piper walked into the mountain, still followed by the children, and the cave closeed again. The children were never seen again in Hamelin. The children are thought to be taken away to Moravia (the Eastern part of the modern Czech republic). By any means, this legend is of a durable historical origin. At present there's a street in Hamelin that was named after the event - the Bungelose Gasse, in so far as it is forbidden to sing or play an instrument in it.
Basing upon different elements this legend was written down in 1816 by the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm: "Die Kinder zu Hameln". Lately the story was made world-renowned by an English writer Robert Browning, who has composed a book "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" (1849). You can also find an eight minute coloured cartoon short from the Walt Disney SILLY SYMPHONY series (1933/1934?). By now this fairy tale was translated in many different languages: L'homme `a la flute (fr), El flautista de Hamel'in (sp), O flautista de Hamelin (porte), Il pifferaio magico (it), Krysolov (rus), Krysar (cz), Raatfaangaren fraan Hameln (sw), The Pied Piper of Hamelin (sw), Der Rattenfanger von Hameln (germ). /Info by Kerttu/


Wishmaster

"She Is My Sin":

Take heed, dear heart ...

Shakespeare, sonnet XCV:
How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame
Which, like a canker in the fragrant rose,
Doth spot the beauty of thy budding name!
O, in what sweets dost thou thy sins enclose!
That tongue that tells the story of thy days,
Making lascivious comments on thy sport,
Cannot dispraise but in a kind of praise;
Naming thy name blesses an ill report.
O, what a mansion have those vices got
Which for their habitation chose out thee,
Where beauty's veil doth cover every blot,
And all things turn to fair that eyes can see!
Take heed, dear heart, of this large privilege;
The hardest knife ill-used doth lose his edge.


A wolf will betray a lamb...
Lead astray the gazers...


In Shakespeare's sonnet XCVI there are the lines:

Some say thy fault is youth, some wantonness;
Some say thy grace is youth and gentle sport;
Both grace and faults are loved of more and less;
Thou makest faults graces that to thee resort.
As on the finger of a throned queen
The basest jewel will be well esteem'd,
So are those errors that in thee are seen
To truths translated and for true things deem'd.
How many lambs might the stem wolf betray,
If like a lamb he could his looks translate!
How many gazers mightst thou lead away,
If thou wouldst use the strength of all thy state!
But do not so; I love thee in such sort
As, thou being mine, mine is thy good report.


"The Kinslayer":

Killers This song is about massacre in Columbine High School in Colorado. Twelve students and one teacher were killed when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, on 20 April, before taking their own lives. Harris and Klebold made at least five tapes of the events leading up to the school massacre. The last was recorded less than an hour before the shootings. They said that their hatred was directed against "niggers, spics, Jews, gays", but also whites who did not side with them. Throughout the tapes the killers show hardly any remorse, although they are clearly aware that what they are about to do will ruin their parents' lives. "Good wombs hath borne bad sons," Eric Harris quotes from Shakespeare's "The Tempest". They recall how they were picked on and bullied at school, how they felt excluded by their own families. Except for his parents, Dylan Klebold says, his family treated him like an outcast. "You made me what I am. You added to the rage. "Being shy didn't help. I'm going to kill you all."

For whom the gun tolls…

This line reminds the title of E. Hemingway book "For Whom The Bell Tolls". /Info by Kerttu/

"Come Cover Me":

Come wet a widow's eye…

In Shakespeare's sonnet IX there is a line:

Is it for fear to wet a widow's eye
That thou consumest thyself in single life?
Ah! if thou issueless shalt hap to die.
The world will wail thee, like a makeless wife;
The world will be thy widow and still weep
That thou no form of thee hast left behind,
When every private widow well may keep
By children's eyes her husband's shape in mind.
Look, what an unthrift in the world doth spend
Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it;
But beauty's waste hath in the world an end,
And kept unused, the user so destroys it.
No love toward others in that bosom sits
That on himself such murderous shame commits.


Dry the rain from my beaten face

From Shakespeare's sonnet XXXIV:

Why didst thou promise such a beauteous day,
And make me travel forth without my cloak,
To let base clouds o'ertake me in my way,
Hiding thy bravery in their rotten smoke?
'Tis not enough that through the cloud thou break,
To dry the rain on my storm-beaten face,
For no man well of such a salve can speak
That heals the wound and cures not the disgrace:
Nor can thy shame give physic to my grief;
Though thou repent, yet I have still the loss:
The offender's sorrow lends but weak relief
To him that bears the strong offence's cross.
Ah! but those tears are pearl which thy love sheds,
And they are rich and ransom all ill deeds.
    /Info by Aviss/

Blue Lagoon "Wanderlust":

I want to love by the Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon, a unique natural wonder, is a pool of mineral rich geothermal seawater, situated in the 40 minutes from Reykjavik (Iceland). /Info by Kerttu/

"Wishmaster":

Elbereth (the normal Sindarin name of Varda) - A character from J.J.R.Tolkien's fantasy universe, Middle-Earth, she is also known as Elbereth, Gilthoniel, The Kindler, Lady of the Stars, Queen of the Stars and Tintalle. The element el- means "star", while bereth means "spouse", used of the spouse of a king, hence coming to mean "queen". According to the Letter: 282 Elbereth is translated "Star-lady". /Info by Kerttu/

Lorien - the elf kingdom to the west of Anduin, ruled by Celeborn and Galadriel. In the Second Age was found by Galadriel, thus the woods of Lorien were guarded from Sauron power. But with the advent of Balrog near Khazad-dum majority of elves moved to the south. At the end of Third Age this territory was terrifically destroyed. The capital of Lorien was Caras Galadon, and the elf residents were called Galadrim. The original name of Lorien was Laurelindorinan (Land of the Valley of Singing Gold), lately was changed into Lothlorien (Dreamflower). /Info by Kerttu/

A dreamy-eyed child staring into night
On a journey to storyteller's mind...


In the Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman book "Dragons of Autumn Twilight" there is a phrase: "...an old man who was telling stories to a dreamy-eyed child staring into the flames." /Info by Aviss & LovelyLady/

"I`ll be with you soon, my Shalafi"…

Shalafi - means 'Master' in Elven Language of Krynn ("Dragonlance Saga")

Silvara - means 'silver-haired' (Kagonesti Elven).

Alhana Starbreeze, daughter of the Speaker of the Stars, princess of Silvanesti. (Dragons of Winter night) /Info by Aviss & LovelyLady/

Sla-Mori the one known only by Him…

Sla-Mori - means 'Secret Way' or 'Secret passage'.

"Bare Grace Misery":

A figurante
This dance will hurt like hell...


Allusion to the episode from a tale "Mermaid" by Danish writer H.-H. Andersen: "… and the mermaid kept dancing and dancing, though every time her feet touched the ground, it hurt so deep, as if she was walking on the sharp blazers". /Info by Kerttu/

A wild thing
Never felt sorry for anything


In the D.H. Lawrence poem there are lines:

"I never saw a wild thing feel sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough never having felt sorry for itself". /Info by Tongor/

"Crownless":

Crownless again shall be the king...

It's the last line of a poem about Aragorn:

All that is gold does not glitter
Not all those who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not wither
Deep roots are not reached by the frost

From the ashes a fire shall be woken
A light from the shadows shall spring
Renewed shall be blade that was broken
The crownless again shall be king
/Info by Tille/

Mine is the Earth and the sword in the stone...

That seems to be a story about Excalibur sword (Cleburne, Excalibur). The legend said that a king to come pulled that sword out of the stone, where it was stuck into. It was prophesied that he who took the sword out of the stone, would become a king of England. The strongest men of country were all trying to get the sword up till Arthur. He had coped with the task and became the King Arthur.

"Deep Silent Complete":

In your creation heaven did decree
That in your arms sweet death should dwell


Shakespeare, sonnet XCIII.
So shall I live, supposing thou art true,
Like a deceived husband; so love's face
May still seem love to me, though alter'd new;
Thy looks with me, thy heart in other place:
For there can live no hatred in thine eye,
Therefore in that I cannot know thy change.
In many's looks the false heart's history
Is writ in moods and frowns and wrinkles strange,
But heaven in thy creation did decree
That in thy face sweet love should ever dwell;

Whate'er thy thoughts or thy heart's workings be,
Thy looks should nothing thence but sweetness tell.
How like Eve's apple doth thy beauty grow,
if thy sweet virtue answer not thy show!


The age will say "This poet lies"
Heaven never touched earthly face...


There are similar lines in Shakespeare's sonnet XVII:

Who will believe my verse in time to come,
If it were filled with your most high deserts?
Though yet, heaven knows, it is but as a tomb
Which hides your life and shows not half your parts.
If I could write the beauty of your eyes
And in fresh numbers number all your graces,
The age to come would say 'This poet lies:
Such heavenly touches ne'er touch'd earthly faces.'

So should my papers yellow'd with their age
Be scorn'd like old men of less truth than tongue,
And your true rights be term'd a poet's rage
And stretched metre of an antique song:
But were some child of yours alive that time,
You should live twice; in it and in my rhyme.


"Dead Boy's Poem":

I live no more to shame nor me nor you

Shakespeare, Sonnet LXXII.
O, lest the world should task you to recite
What merit lived in me, that you should love
After my death, dear love, forget me quite,
For you in me can nothing worthy prove;
Unless you would devise some virtuous lie,
To do more for me than mine own desert,
And hang more praise upon deceased I
Than niggard truth would willingly impart:
O, lest your true love may seem false in this,
That you for love speak well of me untrue,
My name be buried where my body is,
And live no more to shame nor me nor you.
For I am shamed by that which I bring forth,
And so should you, to love things nothing worth.


"Sleepwalker":

Silently the senses
Abandon all defences


From "The Phantom of The Opera: Music of the Night":

Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation,
Darkness wakes and stirs imagination.
Silently the senses abandon their defences.     /Info by Kerttu/


"FantasMic" pt 1:

Wish upon a star

In Disney cartoon "Pinocchio" you can hear a song, "When you wish upon A Star" written by Ned Washington. /Info by Kerttu/

The second star to the right

"The Second Star to The Right" - a song from Disney cartoon "Peter Pan". The words were written by Sammy Cahn. /Info by Kerttu/

"FantasMic" pt 3:

Bald Mountain Night...

Every year on the night of May first evil spirits make a witches' sabbath on Bald Mountain called "Great Black Synod". In Europe this night is known as 'Walpurgis-Night'. The pagan Slavs called it 'Drevorog's Night'.

Chernabog`s succubi...

Chernabog Chernabog, a villain from W. Disney cartoons. His origin has a mythological background. Being the evil god in accordance to the Slavonic Chronicle by Germogold, Chernabog is usually related to Chernagolov from Knitlingsagi, who carried the military duties. In Serbian Pantheon A. Frenzel has it as Czernabog. While serving round the cup in celebration of the evil god on a feast, every person made not the words of blessing, but curses. Chernabog`s place (temple) is supposed to be on the top of the mythological mountain. Among his numerous servants was a witch called Putana (name of the Russian whore). /Info by Katerina/

Succubi - women-spirits, who seduce the men and disturb their dreams.

Black Cauldron born
Gurgi's heart forlorn
Pig-Keeper or hero
On a quest of augury


Legend has it, in the mystic land of Prydain. There was once a king so cruel and so evil, that even the gods feared him. Since no prison could hold him, he was thrown alive into a crucible of moltin iron. There his demonic spirit was captured in the form of a great black cauldron. For uncounted centuries The Black Cauldron lay hidden, while evil men searched for it. Knowing whoever possessed it, would have the power to resurrect an army of deathless warriors. And with them, rule the world.
Gurgi, pig-keeper are the heroes of "The Black Cauldron".

The spindle so luring…

The wicked sorceress in the tale "Sleeping Beauty" foretold the princess to prick her finger with spindle and fall dead asleep, but she would awake only after a handsome prince gave her a kiss. The prophecy was fulfilled.

Mickey & Yen Sid
Apprentice of Yen Sid…

Yen Sid - a Disney personage. He is also known as Mr. Sorcerer, Dalt Wisney, Yensid Retlaw; his apprentice is Mickey Mouse.



Century Child

"Bless The Child":

To drink it is to follow the left hand path

"Satanism is not a white light religion; it is a religion of the flesh, the mundane, the carnal - all of which are ruled by Satan, the personification of the Left Hand Path" [The Satanic Bible, Book Of Lucifer 3:paragraph 30]
The Left Hand Path is solitary, individualistic, personal, based on self development, self analysis, self empowerment.
The notion of the Left-Hand Path is derived from the Tantric term vama-marga ('left-path').
Click here to learn more. /Info by Aviss/

Time pays us but with earth & dust, and a dark, silent grave …

There are lines in a poem by Sir Walter Raleigh:

"The Conclusion"
Even such is Time, that takes in trust
Our youth, our joys, our all we have,
And pays us but with earth and dust;
Who in the dark and silent grave,

When we have wander'd all our ways,
Shuts up the story of our days;
But from this earth, this grave, this dust,
My God shall raise me up, I trust.
    /Info by Aviss/

"End Of All Hope":

Wounded is the deer that leaps highest…

The excerpt is similar to a line from Emily Dickson rhyme:

A wounded deer leaps highest,
I've heard the hunter tell;
'Tis but the ecstasy of death,
And then the brake is still.

The smitten rock that gushes,
The trampled steel that springs;
A cheek is always redder
Just where the hectic stings!

Mirth is the mail of anguish,
In which it cautions arm,
Lest anybody spy the blood
And "You're hurt" exclaim!
    /info by Kerttu/

Mandylion without a face…

Mandylion - (from Arabian "shawl"), "not made by hands the Saviour", Turin shroud of Christ - a cloth where the body of Christ was wrapped up during the interment. Since XVII century the shroud of Christ has been guarded in Italian city Turin [Torino] (belongs to Catholics). So far modern scientists are unaware of the way the cloth was imprinted with the picture of wrapped around body. For further details of this relic check here (available in Russian).

"Dead To The World":

In the Edgar Allan Poe novel "William Wilson" (1839) there is a phase: "Yet, henceforward art thou also dead - dead to the World, to Heaven and to Hope!" /Info by Kerttu/


"Forever Yours":

Fare thee well, little broken heart…

"Fare Thee Well" - a poem by Lord Byron; it can be found here.


"The Wayfarer":

I went into the wilderness with Uncle Walt

Walt Disney liked himself to be called like that. /Info by Kerttu/


"Beauty Of The Beast" (Christabel):

Oh, sweet Christabel. Share with me your poem...

Christabel LaMott - a Victorian poetress - a heroine of A. S. Byatt's "Possession".


Once

"Dark Chest of Wonders":

On the 1st page of Stephen King's novel "The Stand" there is a dedication, "For my wife Tabitha: This dark chest of wonders."

"Wish I Had an Angel":

13th disciple who betrayed me for nothing!

Judas Iscariot – the 13th disciple at the Last Supper – who later betrayed Jesus Christ to the Romans for 30 pieces of silver and then hanged himself. There are such words in The Bible: 21 "... Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was lying close to the breast of Jesus; 24 so Simon Peter beckoned to him and said, "Tell us who it is of whom he speaks." 25 So lying thus, close to the breast of Jesus, he said to him, "Lord, who is it?" 26 Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give this morsel when I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly." (Gospel of John, 13:21-27). /Info by Katerina/

"Nemo":

Nemo - the Latin equivalent for "nobody", "no one".

"Planet Hell":

Mother Gaia in slaughter

Gaia - Mother Earth, goddess of the Earth and Nature in Greek Mythology.

Save yourself, a penny for the ferryman
Charon
Charon, in Greek mythology, is the ferryman of the dead. The souls of the deceased are brought to him by Hermes, and Charon ferries them across the river Acheron (or Styx) to Hades. He only accepts the dead which are buried or burned with the proper rites, and if they pay him an obolus (coin) for their passage. For that reason a corpse had always an obolus placed under the tongue.
Those who cannot afford the passage, or are not admitted by Charon, are doomed to wander on the banks of the Styx for a hundred years. Living persons who wish to go to the underworld need a golden bough obtained from the Cumaean Sibyl. Charon is the son of Erebus and Nyx. He is depicted as an sulky old man, or as a winged demon carrying a double hammer.

"Creek Mary's Blood":

Creek Mary's Blood - a book by Dee Brown. The magnificent story of an Indian squaw and four generations of her descendents. A saga spanning four generations from that of Creek Mary to her descendants, who mingled the blood of the Cherokee, the Cheyenne, the Dakota and the Sioux, and who lived, fought and suffered through the bitter century that formed America.

"Dead Gardens":

All the orchids gone

In the language of flowers Orchid means Love, Beauty, Refinement. Ecclesiastical meaning of the Orshid is "devotion to the Deity". /Info by NeoPsycho/

Or is it time to challenge the Ancient of Days

Ancient of Days - one of the biblical names for God. This term appears three times in the book of Daniel (7:9, 13, 22), and is used in the sense of God being eternal. In contrast with all earthly kings, God's days are past reckoning.

"Romanticide":

I am the decadence of your world

DECADENCE, DECADENT ART (Fr. decadence from the Latin "decadentia") - general name of the crisis, decadent, pessimistic sentiments in the art. Decadence appears in the transitional ages, when one large historical style is already exhausted itself, and another one is not born yet. Thus decadence is not an artistic fact (stylistic features integrality is absent here), it's a moral condition, certain attitude. It's a lifestyle, but not the style of art. Decadent sentiments - aestheticism of decrease, decline, faint dreams, insipid emotions, and dark disquiet fantasies - in different time have found reflection in the various streams of the art. /Info by NeoPsycho/

"Higher Than Hope":

A story behind the song you can read here.



7. What cover versions did Nightwish make?

"Walking In The Air" - by Howard Blake (album "Oceanborn"; single "Walking In The Air"; single "Sleeping Sun")

"Over The Hills And Far Away" - by Gary Moore (MCD "Over The Hills And Far Away")

"The Phantom Of The Opera" - by A. L. Webber (single "Ever Dream"; album "Century Child")

"Crimson Tide" (instrumental) - by Dykes & Zimmer; (Live CD, DVD, VHS "From Wishes To Eternity")

"Deep Blue Sea" (instrumental) - by Trevor Rabin (Live CD, DVD, VHS "From Wishes To Eternity")

"Crazy Train" - by Ozzy Osbourne (performed by Marco Hietala during "Century Child World Tour 2002")

"Wild Child" - by W.A.S.P. (performed by Marco Hietala during the concerts in 2003)

"Symphony of Destruction" - Megadeth (performed by Marco Hietala during the concerts in 2004)

"Where Were You Last Night" - Ankie Bagger (single "Wish I Had An Angel") >>> Lyrics

The songs "Red Light In My Eyes part II" (by Children of Bodom), "Only Dust Moves..." ( by Thy Serpent) from single "The Carpenter" & "The Crow And The Warrior" (by Darkwoods My Betrothed) "Burning Flames' Embrace" (by Eternal Tears of Sorrow) from single "Sacrament Of Wilderness" are not played by Nightwish. These songs are just taken from the albums of other bands of the same record company (Spinefarm).



8. Whom do the male vocals on every album belong to?

On "Angels Fall First" male vocals belong to Tuomas.

On "Oceanborn" male vocals in "Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean" and "The Pharaoh Sails To Orion" belong to Tapio Wilska.

On "Wishmaster" male vocals in "The Kinslayer" belong to Ike Vil; Dead Boy's voice in "Dead Boy's Poem" belongs to Sam Hardwick.

On "Over The Hills And Far Away" male voice in "10th Man Down" by Wilska; male voice in "Astral Romance" by Tony Kakko (from Sonata Arctica); male voices in "Over The Hills And Far Away " by Tony Kakko and Tuomas Holopainen.

On "Century Child" male vocals belong to Marco Hietala. In "Bless The Child" and "Christabel" male voice by Sam Hardwick.

On "Once" male vocals belong to Marco Hietala; voice on "Creek mary's Blood" by John 'Two-Hawks'; voice on "Higher Than Hope" by Marc Brueland.



9. Are there any non-album Nightwish songs (bonustracks)?

"Nightwish" (demo)

"The Forever Moments" (demo)

"Etiäinen" (demo)

"Once Upon A Troubadour" (Limited Edition of "Angels Fall First"; "Wishmastour"; 8 track version of "Bless The Child")

"A Return To The Sea" (Limited Edition of "Angels Fall First"; "Wishmastour"; 8 track version of "Bless The Child")

"Nightquest" (Japanese Edition of "Oceanborn"; single "Walking In The Air"; "Wishmastour"; The Golden Wishes; 8 track version of "Bless The Child")

"Sleepwalker" (Japanese Edition of "Wishmaster"; special edition of Wishmaster (spi87sp) published in Finland)

"Sleepwalker" Heavy Version (single "Deep Silent Complete"; "Wishmastour"; The Golden Wishes)

"Passion And The Opera" Edit Version ("Wishmastour")

"Walking In The Air" Single Version (single "Walking In The Air")

"Sacrament Of Wilderness" Single Version (single "Sacrament Of Wilderness"; The Golden Wishes)

"Bless The Child" Edit Version (single "Bless The Child", video "Bless The Child")

"The Wayfarer" (Japanese Edition of "Century Child"; single "Ever dream"; Drakkar Version of "Bless The Child"; 8 track version of "Bless The Child")

"Lagoon" (single "Bless The Child")

"Nemo" Orchestral version (single "Nemo")

"Live To Tell The Tale " (single "Nemo")

"White Night Fantasy" (single "Nemo")

There is also an album "Angels Fall First" - New Version (UNI-066878-2). It includes remastered versions of the songs of the original album, and "A Return To The Sea" as a bonus track.



10. Do Nightwish members take part in another music projects besides Nightwish?

Tarja made a guest appearance in recording the "Infinity" album as a project of BETO VAZQUEZ INFINITY. She performed leading vocals in "Until Dawn (Angels Of Light)" and "Sadness In The Night", and backing vocals in "Wizard", "The Laws Of The Future" and "Promises Under The Rain".
There is also a version of "Promises Under The Rain" released in Argentina exclusively in a "Battle of Valmourt" single with only Tarja doing her operatic harmonies.
Emppu also took part in this project: he wrote music for "Until Dawn (Angels Of Light)".
NOCHE ESCANDINAVA

NOCHE ESCANDINAVA - an opera where sang Tarja, it has taken place in Argentina and Chile since 1st June'02.


Erno Vourinen, Jukka Nevalainen & ex-Nightwish Sami Vänskä took part in recording a solo album of the Argentine band Rata Blanka's vocalist Adrian Barilari, called BARILARI.


Tuomas and Jukka together with Tero 'TeeCee' Kinnunen play in band called BITCH DRIVEN:
Tero - bass
Jukka - drums
Tuomas - (!) guitar   >>> pic 1   pic 2


During their break Nightwish musicians participated in following projects:

Tuomas plays keyboards in FOR MY PAIN....

For My Pain... is:
Altti Vetelainen (Eternal Tears of Sorrow): bass
Tuomas Holopainen (Nightwish): keyboards
Lauri Tuohimaa (Embraze): guitars
Olli-Pekka Torro (ex-Eternal Tears of Sorrow from the first two albums): guitars
Juha Kylmanen (RefleXion): vocals
Petri Sankala (Eternal Tears of Sorrow): drums

Tuomas also played keyboards in Timo Rautiainen ja Trio Niskalaukaus Finland -tour in November-December 2002.

Jukka and Tuomas recorded their parts of drums and keyboards for the SETHIAN debut album.

Emppu joined on guitar Finnish melodic metal band ALTARIA; Marco also took part in this band on baking vocals.

Marco Hietala recorded a new album with his band TAROT.



11. What music videos have Nightwish made?

Promo-videos:

  • The Carpenter (director Sami Kayhko, filmed in Helsinki, Finland and in Hennigsvaer, Norway during spring 1998) >>> Screenshots

  • Sleeping Sun (director Sami Kayhko, shot on location at Ivaro and lake Inary, 1999 july (Lapland)) >>> Screenshots

  • Over The Hills And Far Away (director Pasi Takula; filmed in Tallinn, Estonia) >>> Screenshots

  • Bless The Child (director Pasi Takula; filmed in 2002) >>> Screenshots

  • End Of All Hope (director Pasi Takula; filmed in 2003; excerps taken from the movie "Kohtalon Kirja" [The Booke Of Fate]) >>> Screenshots

  • Nemo (director Antti Jokkinen; filmed in 2004) >>> Screenshots
There are live-videos, such as:
  • Sacrament of Wilderness (Filmed in Kitee on 13.11.1998) >>> Screenshots

  • Sleepwalker >>> Screenshots

  • The Kinslayer (Recorded at ACATRAZ club, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 21.7.2000)

  • Walking In The Air (Recorded at Le Medley in Montreal, Canada, in November 2000)

12. Have Nightwish ever made any soundtrack songs?

The songs "End of All Hope" and "Slaying the Dreamer" could be heard in a Finnish movie "Kohtalon Kirja" (The Booke of Fate).


13. What's the band members marital status? Tarja and her husband Marcelo Cabuli

Tarja got married to Marcelo Cabuli, an Argentian entrepreneur and label chief of "Infinity" album, in recording of which Tarja took part in.

Jukka and his girlfriend Satu had a she-baby Luna (moon) on 11th March 2003. >>> Picture

Marco has two twin-sons Antto and Miro. >>> Picture

There's no information about other members.


14. There's a hidden bonustrack on EOI DVD, isn't it? How can one listen to it?

Get to the Photo Gallery (Root Menu → Extras → Photo Gallery), then use the arrows to navigate: go rightward 4 times, downward×2, leftward×1, downward×5, rightward×2, upward×2, rightward×1, downward×3, rightward×1, downward×1 and then onward till you see a message: Hey! You made it this far. - Now start over or wait for a while.

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