Search - Nightwish :: Once (Spec)

More than just a cash grab

Paul Lawrence | Australia | 07/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was so close to giving the standard version of Once the full five stars. But didn't based on the presence of some filler. But the extra value located in this special edition release of the album tips things over the edge into the uncouth realms of butt kicking. Not only do we get the Once album in all it's glory - The wondrous semi ballad lament of Nemo, the blazing one-two punch of openers Dark Chest of Wonders and Wish I Had An Angel and the metal of Planet Hell but also a few tidbits and it's these that I'll focus on since I've already reviewed the plain jane version of this album elsewhere.



Firstly we get the bonus tracks of White Night Fantasy and Live To Tell The Tale. Neither is earth shattering and in fact in some territories these tracks were part of the normal issue of Once. But both are OK tracks. We also get the video clip for Nemo which ain't all that bad at all.



Further there is the CD single of Wish I Had An Angel which is bolstered by a few odds and sods sure to make the Nightwish fanatic happy. We get an instrumental score of Ghost Love Score, the b-side Where Were You Last Night and a demo version of ....Angel. In addition there is a photo gallery section for the teenage fan in all of us.



And the whole thing comes in a nifty little presentation box (as per, say, Stratovarius' Elements Pt1 and Pt 2). Which admittedly looks kinda cool on your CD shelf.



So there you have it, quality, quantity, nice presentation and some great music by a band that stood outside the mainstream until the mainstream came to them."