Nightwish: Century Child
Operatic Power Metal, Symphonic Metal
Century Media Records, Spinefarm Records
June 24th, 2002
  1. Bless the Child - 6:12
  2. End of all Hope - 3:55
  3. Dead to the World - 4:20
  4. Ever Dream - 4:44
  5. Slaying the Dreamer - 4:32
  6. Forever Yours - 3:50
  7. Ocean Soul - 4:15
  8. Feel for You - 3:55
  9. The Phantom of the Opera - 4:10
  10. Beauty of the Beast: Long Lost Love/One More Night to Live/Christabel - 10:22

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Review information:
- Release length: 50:15
- Review posted on April 11th, 2010
Discography
Full-Length(s): Angels Fall First (1997) | Oceanborn (1998) | Wishmaster (2000) | Century Child (2002) | Once (2004) | Dark Passion Play (2007)
Demo(s): Demo (1996)
Split(s)/Compilation(s): The Carpenter (1997) | Sacrament of Wilderness (1998) | Golden Wishes (2001) | 1997-2001 (2002) | Special Edition (2004)
Tales from the Elvenpath (2004) | Bestwishes (2005) | Highest Hopes - The Best of Nightwish (2005) | End of an Era (2006)
The Sound of Nightwish Reborn (2008) | Made In Hong Kong (And In Various Other Places) (2009) | Lokikirja (2009)
EP(s): Sleeping Sun (Ballas of the Eclipse) (1999) | Over the Hills and Far Away (2001) | Wishmastour 2000 (2001) | Bless The Child (2002)
The Siren (2005)
CD Single(s): Passion and the Opera (1998) | Walking in the Air (1999) | The Kinslayer (2000) | Deep Silent Complete (2000) | Bless the Child (2002)
Ever Dream (2002) | Nemo (2004) | Wish I Had an Angel (2004) | Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan (2004) | Sleeping Sun (2005)
Ballads of the Eclipse (2006) | Eva (2007) | Amaranth (Part 1) (2007) | Amaranth (Part 2) (2007)
Erämaan Viimeinen (2007) | Amaranth (2008) | Bye Bye Beautiful (2008) | The Islander (2008) | Amaranth (Live) (2009)
Live Album(s): From Wishes to Eternity (2001) | End of an Era (2006)
DVD(s): From Wishes to Eternity (2001) | End of Innocence (2003) | Nemo (2004) | Once (2006) | End of an Era (2006) | Amaranth (2007)
Bye Bye Beautiful (2008)
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed.
Review
Nightwish is quickly becoming a staple act in the movement of molding a Metal style around symphonic and orchestral back drops to create a beautiful atmosphere to accompany well composed albums. Century Child is no different an album then the band's past full-length releases, and is still one of the band's finer attempts to this day. Blending some heavy hitting orchestral Power Metal tracks, as well as some slower paced ballads with some Symphony-based influences, while not as dramatic as some would want, the album really does it's job well of blurring the lines between both Metal and Opera, a unity that is quickly becoming a well embraced norm for the genre.

Given the band's past and the quickly growing showcase of talent, it was almost guaranteed that Nightwish would belt out an album like this one. Century Child is an astounding piece, even if some of the material on here does feel a little lax in comparison to what the band can accomplish. There's no denying that there are plenty of heavy hitting tracks on here that will make you want to sing along while pounding your fists in the air, such as the starting powerhouse "Bless the Child, which sets the tone of the album well and seems to carry through on the next few tracks, coming off almost as a conceptual piece by the time "Dead to the World" kicks in, a beautiful masterpiece that can move the listener on the first go with it's beautiful vocal work against a powerful musical landscape and dark, yet majestic lyrics. But it's shortly after here that the music, while retaining some of the beauty that is expected, kind of starts to become a little more bland then it could have been.

"Forever Yours" acts more as the ballad track for the album, and really has the potential to be something special. The problem here is that it feels restrained, almost as if the band couldn't acknowledge their talent through either not wanting to push themselves, or perhaps even financial issues. Had the track pushed the symphony aspect a little further, instead of simply relying on a few moments that seem based through keyboards or chimes, then this song could have been something to blow the minds of the listener. Aside that hiccup, you have "Ocean Soul" and "Feel For You", both also seem to not have been the central focus of the band, but yet had potential to be excellent tracks, whether through the guitar work, such as on "Ocean Soul", or the duet vocals on "Feel For You".

Century Child does make up for those few tracks with the closing works "Phantom of the Opera" and "Beauty of the Beast". Yes, "Phantom of the Opera" is a cover of the Roger and Hammerstein song of the same name from the opera also sharing the same name, and it's a very well composed cover. Not too far from the original version that you would expect to witness on Broadway. Then, of course you have "Beauty of the Beast", which is a song that actually has three different parts to it, and really closes out the album well with it's slower paced symphonic sounds. The restrained feel you would get from the song work well with it this time, since there are moments where the restrained elements seem to build up to the more powerful moments that the band really drives home.

With the filler tracks aside, Century Child really does show the promise and talent the band has. This beautiful release is full of entertaining music that is either powerful and hard hitting, or beautiful and moving. It's clear that Nightwish have a bit of a new musical direction with this release, and hopefully the group can look at some of the restrictions that fell into place with some the music on a few of these tracks and try to expand on it more to create a truly epic and moving masterpiece that their listeners deserve, and that they simply need to release. In the mean time, this is as good an album as any to jump into the Nightwish pool with if you have not heard this act, or, if you have and just haven't heard it, then waste no more time to pick this one up.