Q (p.97) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Anette Olzon's rich operatic vocals bring new passion and depth..."
Kerrang (Magazine) (p.54) - "It's not just the sheer amount of instrumentation that's so impressive, but how purposefully Holopainen has employed every string, whistle and parp to add amazing washes of colour to the songs."
Nightwish: Anette Olzon (vocals); Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards); Marco Hietala (bass guitar); Jukka Nevalainen (drums).
Additional personnel: Joanna Forbes, Tommy Blaize, Heather Cairncross, Derek Green, Tom Pearce, Eliza Lumley, Anne Marie Cullum, Helen Brookes, Sam Burkey, Ann De Renais, Morag MacKay, Rosemary Forbes-Butler, Sarah Ryan, Charlie Baker, Bob J. Harms, Andrew Tinkler, Catriana Sandison, David Porter-Thomas, Alison Jinear, Ricci P. Washington, Cherith Millburn-Fryer, Yona Dunsford, Beverley Skeete, Jude Sim, Fay Simpson, Jeremy Avis, Lance Ellington, Mary Carewe, Matthew White, Michael Clarke, Samantha Shaw, Sara Jane Skeete, Steve Trowell, Gerard Bentall, Andrew Busher, Michael Dore, Sarah Eyden, Susan Flannery, Matthew Hargreaves, Claire Henry, Nicki Kennedy, Helen Meyerhoff, Jenny O'Grady, Helen Parker, Simon Preece, Lindsay Wagstaff, Lawrence Wallington, Carol Kenyon, Janet Ramus, Bryan Chambers, Catherine Bott (vocals); Guy Elliott, Tom Williams (soprano); Emppu Vuorinen (acoustic guitar); Greg Knowles (cymbolom); Skaila Kanga (harp); Senni Eskelinen (kantele); Julian Leaper, Perry Montague-Mason, Chris Tombling, Tom Pigott-Smith, Warren Zielinski, Boguslaw Kostecki, Liz Edwards, Mark Berrow, Dave Woodcock, Jim McLeod, Dermot Crehan, Mike McMenemy, Simon Fischer, Pete Hanson, Gavin Wright, Steve Morris, Thomas Bowes, Patrick Kiernan, Gaby Lester, Rita Manning, Everton Nelson, Jonathan Rees, Sonia Slany, Cathy Thompson, Gavyn Wright, Jackie Shave, Emlyn Singleton (violin); Nollaig Casey (fiddle); Jon Thorne, Don McVay, Chris Pitsillides, Tim Grant, Garfield Jackson, Katie Wilkinson, Andy Parker, Rachel Bolt, Gustav Clarkson, Peter Lale, Kate Musker, Bruce White (viola); Chris Laurence, Patrick Lannigan, Frank Schaefer, Anthony Lewis, Steve Williams, Ben Chappell, Caroline Dearnley, John Heley, Martin Loveday, Anthony Pleeth, Mary Scully, Allen Walley, Jonathan Williams , Dave Daniels (cello); Andy Findon, Helen Keen (flute); Andy Findlon (whistle); Dave Fuest, Nicholas Bucknall (clarinet); Anthony Pike (bass clarinet); David Theodore (oboe); Julie Andrews (bassoon); John Barclay, Ian Balmain, Maurice Murphy, Derek Watkins, Andy Crowley (trumpet); Mike Thompson, Richard Berry, Laurence Davies, Richard Watkins (French horn); Peter Beachill, Richard Edwards, Andy Wood (trombone); Dave Stewart (bass trombone); Owen Slade (tuba); Troy Donockley (bodhran); Frank Ricotti, Stephen Henderson, Gary Kettel (percussion); Jussi Tegelman (sound effects).
Finland's Nightwish are widely hailed as progenitors of the symphonic metal style. With DARK PASSION PLAY (the group's sixth full-length), Nightwish introduce their new vocalist, Swedish-born Anette Olzon, to the fold. While Olzon proves to be a more than capable operatic siren, Marco Hietala's vocals are far more prominently featured than on past Nightwish efforts, giving the album a double shot of vocal operatics.
