Angels Fall First

Bringing symphonic metal from obscurity to popularity,"Angels Fall First" is the debut from the Finnish band, Nightwish. During a time when every unsigned band tried too hard to be the same this band stood out. Rather than having largely overdone guitar solos or any other generic element of metal, their first demo was all acoustic. That is, acoustic with a female opera singer. Needless to say, this was definitely new at the time, and because of that they were quickly signed to a label and created "Angels Fall First."

Originally the band wanted to be an acoustic only project, but then they realized the strength in Tarja Turnen's voice. Though, there is still an acoustic vibe on the album, with a majority of the songs either being exclusively acoustic or having acoustic parts in them. Most notably is the title track, which is solely acoustic.
Notable because of the wonderfully heartfelt lyrics. For an example read the following lines:

"Yesterday we shook hands
My friend
Today a moonbeam lightens my path
My guardian"

Needless to say, the song is about how death can happen at any time to anyone. Though it is impossible to escape death there is still faith that the deceased may ascend to heaven to watch over and protect those they love.

Do not be tured off if you are not a fan of ballads and the like, because there are many upbeat songs on the album. The problem is that if you are not a fan of fantasy or Disney then you most likely will not enjoy the lyrics. The song "Beauty and the Beast" is based soley on the Walt Disney adaptation of the story.

Still, the music itself is quite good for a relatively low budget album. Surprisingly the keyboard orchestra and strings sound not too bad, and the rest of the keyboard effects are pleasent. Even if this album does not fully impress you it must be noted that their sophomore release taps further into their potential, and is arguably their best album. This will be reviewed at a later date, but for now experience the album that started it all.