Wishmaster (album)

Wishmaster is the third studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was released on 8 May 2000 through Spinefarm Records in Finland. The album was released in the rest of Europe by Drakkar Entertainment on 29 May, and in Japan by Toy's Factory on 19 July. In the US, it was released by Century Media on 6 February 2001.[6]

Wishmaster
Studio album by
Nightwish
Released8 May 2000 (2000-05-08)
RecordedJanuary – March 2000
Studio
Genre
Length53:32
Label
Producer
  • Nightwish
  • Tero Kinnunen
Nightwish chronology
Oceanborn
(1998)		 Wishmaster
(2000)		 Over the Hills and Far Away
(2001)
Singles from Wishmaster
  1. "The Kinslayer"
    Released: 20 April 2000
  2. "Deep Silent Complete"
    Released: 16 July 2000
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles[2]
Exclaim!(favorable)[3]
Chronicles of Chaos[4]
Metal Hammer (GER)[5]
Kerrang!

Wishmaster peaked at No. 1 in the official Finnish charts;[7] the album also debuted in the European charts at No. 21 in Germany[8] and No. 66 in France.[9] Wishmaster has sold more than 79,000 copies in Finland alone.[10]

Most reissues of the album contain the song "Sleepwalker", which was released in July 2000 to compete in the Finnish Eurovision Song Contest tryouts.

Background and release

The writing and recording of Wishmaster was very fast and devoid of complications, in contrast with what had happened for Oceanborn.[11] The main composer Tuomas Holopainen considers the album "the most distant and least personal (...) in the Nightwish catalogue", despite containing the "mother of all Nightwish songs - Dead Boys' Poem."[12] The image of the dead boy would reappear in several songs of the following albums. Wishmaster was issued on 8 May 2000, a few days earlier than its scheduled release,[13] because the music had leaked onto the Internet.[11]

Music style

Wishmaster's sound continues the bombastic symphonic power metal approach originally featured on Oceanborn, albeit with more emphasis on atmosphere and melody versus speed and heaviness. Perhaps even more so than its predecessor, Wishmaster has a very clear fantasy theme.[12] While commonly considered to be closer to conventional power metal, there is still a great variety with slower songs like "Two for Tragedy" and "Dead Boy's Poem", and more epic pieces like "FantasMic". "The Kinslayer" is written about the victims of the Columbine High School massacre.[14] "Wishmaster" was inspired by the fantasy novel series The Lord of the Rings and Dragonlance, mentioning Elbereth, Lórien, and the Grey Havens from the former; and Dalamar, Raistlin Majere (Dalamar's shalafi, or "master"), Gilthanas, the Sla-Mori, Silvara and the Inn of the Last Home from the latter.[14] "FantasMic" is a song about the Disney animated movies, particularly their fantasy and fable elements, taking its title from the Disneyland show Fantasmic!.[12]

Live performances

The song "Wishmaster" has remained one of Nightwish's greatest hits, appearing on several best of compilations. Since its release, it has been a recurring track during live performances and was featured on the live DVD End of an Era, recorded in 2005. It is still often performed live despite the band's change of vocalists and is the third most played song with 472 live performances as of December 2018.[15] A new orchestral intro for the track was recorded during the orchestral recording of Dark Passion Play. Other recurring live songs from the album are "She Is My Sin", "Dead Boy's Poem" and "Come Cover Me".

Covers
  • The song "Wishmaster" was brought back to the metal community's mind by a cover version and video of metal a cappella band van Canto in 2008.
  • The song "Wishmaster" was remade as a bluegrass version by the Finnish country band Steve 'N' Seagulls and appears on their album "Brothers in Farms" released in 2016.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Tuomas Holopainen; all music is composed by Holopainen, except where noted.

Wishmaster – Standard edition
No.TitleMusicLength
1."She Is My Sin" 4:46
2."The Kinslayer" 3:59
3."Come Cover Me"
4:34
4."Wanderlust" 4:50
5."Two for Tragedy" 3:51
6."Wishmaster" 4:24
7."Bare Grace Misery"
  • Holopainen
  • Vuorinen
3:40
8."Crownless"
  • Holopainen
  • Vuorinen
4:26
9."Deep Silent Complete" 3:57
10."Dead Boy's Poem" 6:47
11."FantasMic" 8:18
Total length:53:32
Wishmaster – Japanese bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."Sleepwalker" (Eurovision version)2:56
Total length:56:28
Wishmaster – 2007 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Sleepwalker" (Eurovision version)2:56
13."Wanderlust" (live at Pakkahuone)4:30
14."Deep Silent Complete" (live at Pakkahuone)4:20
Total length:65:18

Personnel

Nightwish

Guest musicians
  • Ike Vil - spoken parts in "The Kinslayer"
  • Sam Hardwick - spoken parts in "Dead Boy's Poem"
  • Esa Lehtinen - flute
  • Ville Laaksonen, Matias Kaila - tenor singers
  • Kimmo Kallio - baritone singer
  • Riku Salminen, Anssi Honkanen - bass singers
  • Ville Laaksonen - choir arrangements

Production
  • Tero Kinnunen - producer, engineer, arrangements with Nightwish
  • Mikko Karmila - engineer, mixing
  • Mika Jussila - mastering

Charts

Certifications
Country Organization Year Sales
Finland IFPI 2000 Platinum (+ 40,000)[10]
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gollark: Matrix server software also seems to be hilariously complex and slow.

References
  1. Ravelin, Antti J. "Nightwish - Wishmaster review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  2. Gromen, Mark (6 June 2000). "Nightwish - Wishmaster". Bravewords.com. Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  3. Palmerston, Sean (February 2001). "Nightwish - Wishmaster". Exclaim!. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  4. Wee, Alvin (10 January 2001). "Nightwish - Wishmaster". Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  5. "Nightwish - Wishmaster". Metal Hammer (in German). June 2000. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  6. "Nightwish releases to hit the USA". Nightwish's Official Website. 22 February 2001. Archived from the original on 2 January 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  7. "Nightwish - Wishmaster (album)". Finnishcharts.com. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  8. "Album – Nightwish, Wishmaster". Charts.de (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  9. "Nightwish - Wishmaster (album)". Lescharts.com (in French). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  10. "Tilastot - Nightwish" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  11. Bonutto, Dante (2007). Wishmaster (CD Booklet). Nightwish. London, UK: Spinefarm Records UK. p. 14. 0602517449350.
  12. Holopainen, Tuomas (2007). Wishmaster (CD Booklet). Nightwish. London, UK: Spinefarm Records UK. p. 3. 0602517449350.
  13. "New Album: Wishmaster". Nightwish's Official Website. 1 May 2000. Archived from the original on 2 January 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  14. Holopainen, Tuomas. "Lyrics - Wishmaster". Nightwish Official Website. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2006.
  15. Wishmaster by Nightwish
  16. "Nightwish – Deep Siulent Complete (song)". Finnishcharts.com. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
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