Search - Nightwish :: Siren

Tarja rocks The Katacoombs...

Steven Cain | Temporal Quantum Pocket | 10/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...in my modern Gothic novel, One Star Awake. The Katacoombs being a Gothic/Dark Culture nightclub, in which the likes of Bauhaus, Switchblade Symphony, Nightwish and The Mission UK tend to be played, in a dry ice-drenched wasteland in New England.



In the real world, I must throw myself at reviewer Erica Anderson's feet for recommending this superb band. The combination of Erica's rightful praise of Nightwish (I also ordered their latest DVD) and the title The Siren made me take a chance on this CD single/mini album, as my own book is heavily laced with mermaid/siren imagery.



From the outset, when the band come at you with a chunky wall of cello and electric violin, this CD delivers value off the scale. Tarja's operatic vocals (especially evident on the closing track,) soar majestically over a solid Gothic Rock foundation, and it is a pleasure to have three versions of this superb song, along with an excellent live version of Megadeth's Symphony of Destruction. Dave would be pleased, I'm sure.



While there is a very Germanic feel to the band and even in their looks, they hail from Finland, where they are understandably huge. My copy came through (from Holland, I think) in less than a week, so it's a safe bet to order this and other CDs by the band.



If there's a more beautiful woman in this world than Tarja, I have yet to see her. Having a classically-trained goddess like her fronting a band as powerful as this one, especially given the band's writing prowess, is just about as good as it gets.



Superb."