Nightwish is a
Finnish symphonic power metal band, formed in 1996 in
Kitee,
Finland. The band has sold more than 5 million CDs, DVDs and online material internationally.
[1]Although Nightwish has been prominent in their home country since the release of their first single, “The Carpenter” (1997) and debut album Angels Fall First, they did not achieve worldwide fame until the release of the albums Oceanborn, Wishmaster and Century Child, which were released in 1998, 2000 and 2002 respectively. Their 2004 album, Once, which sold more than 1 million copies,[2] led to Nightwish video clips being shown on MTV in the United States and inclusion of their music in US movie soundtracks. Their biggest US hit single, “Wish I Had an Angel” (2004), made it onto three US film soundtracks as a means to promote their North American tour.[3] The band produced three more singles and two music videos for the album, as well as “Sleeping Sun”, from the 2005 “best of” compilation album, Highest Hopes, prior to vocalist Tarja Turunen’s dismissal.
In May 2007, former Alyson Avenue frontwoman, Anette Olzon, was revealed as Turunen’s replacement,[4] and in the autumn, the band released a new album - Dark Passion Play, which has sold nearly 800,000 copies.[2] A tour supporting the album is currently in progress. It started on October 6, 2007 and will end on September 19, 2009.[5][6]. A new E.P./live album, Made In Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places), was released in March 2009 as a MCD/DVD.[7][8][9]
After playing keyboards in several heavy metal bands in the 1990s, including for example Nattvindens Gråt and Darkwoods My Betrothed, Tuomas Holopainen decided to create his own project while sitting around a campfire with friends in 1996.[10] He immediately had a clear idea of the music experimentally acoustic music he wrote by himself, similar to the music usually played around campfires, but with a distinct sound of atmosphere, played on his keyboards.
