I had just started to take an interest in Nightwish when news broke of their split with Tarja Turunen and so I was somewhat disappointed at having missed out on the opportunity to experience them live. ‘End of An Era’ is precisely that, having been recorded at Tarja’s last performance on October 21st last year at Helsinki’s Hartwall Arena. On the evidence presented here it is difficult to imagine what sort of future the rest of the band have without their towering front woman. Certainly if they opt to continue with the name Nightwish comparisons will be inevitable; and it is hard to imagine anyone providing the vocals with anywhere near the same presence, charisma and style. Such is Turunen’s dominance of the performance that the contribution of the rest can all too easily be overlooked and it is worth making the point that Holopainen is clearly a talented songwriter and keyboard player. But without Tarja and her unique delivery it is hard to see how they would have crossed over with ‘Once’ and been seemingly poised for even greater success. 

‘Dark Chest of Wonders’ is a suitably dramatic opener, complete with stunning operatic vocals and bombastic choruses. Things continue in pretty much the same vein with the likes of ‘Ever Dream’, ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and ‘Sleeping Sun’ before Tarja takes a break and Marco takes over on a cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘High Hopes’. Whilst serving its purpose in providing a chance for Tarja to get her breath back it is probably the one track you would choose to skip over second time around, sounding pretty uninspired when compared to the original, which was one of the few real gems of the Gilmour led Floyd era. Highlights of disc two include a note perfect ‘Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan’ and an appearance from Native American John Two-Hawks, providing spoken word and flute on ‘Stone People’ and ‘Creek Mary’s Blood’ respectively. The set builds to a rousing climax with the cover of Gary Moore’s ‘Over The Hills and Far Away’, a song Nightwish have really made their own, and ‘Wish I Had An Angel’, a superb example of how Marco and Tarja complement each other as vocalists. 

For those already familiar with Nightwish this will be an essential purchase and it stands as a fitting reminder of what an excellent band they were; those with a passing interest are certainly advised to add ‘End Of An Era’ to their shopping list. Whilst the future for both parties may be uncertain it is clear that Nightwish with Tarja Turunen were a very special combination.

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Track List

Dark Chest Of Wonders
Planet Hell
Ever Dream
Kinslayer
Phantom Of The Opera
Siren
Sleeping Sun
High Hopes
Bless The Child
Wishmaster
Slaying The Dreamer
Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan
Nemo
Ghost Love Score
Stone People
Creek Mary's Blood
Over The Hills And Far Away
Wish I Had An Angel

Line Up

Tupmas Holopainen - Keyboards
Marco Tapani Hietala - Bass
Jukka Nevalainen - Drums
Emppu Vuorinen - Guitars
Tarja Turunen - Vocals