Though they may not be the most accessible band of the 'female-fronted metal' genre, Finland's Nightwish has always been one of my absolute favorites of the crop. The reasons are rather simple and painfully obvious: I'm a lyrics fiend, and Nightwish's pianist/chief songwriter Tuomas Holopainen just so happens to be a master of words. I'm also a sucker for fabulous voices, and the band's classically trained former vocalist Tarja Turunen has a gravity-defying range. They're unique. Their music is so meaningful and beautiful. On top of all that, Nightwish has this indescribably intriguing, somber mystique that surrounds them. Upon my very first listen to their exquisite 2004 release Once, the first Nightwish album I bought, I was hooked.

Century Child was released in 2002. It's a nice mixture of Wishmaster's heavier tendencies and the more structured, polished nature of Once. Although many Nightwish fans swear that this album is their finest work, I find myself in firm disagreement with that statement. This album isn't horrible by any means, but I simply don't find it quite as enrapturing and nowhere nearly as delightful as most other Nightwish releases.

As the album's artwork may suggest, Century Child is anything but a happy-go-lucky, feel-good listening experience. True to the band's nature, Nightwish's usual desolate delicacies are wept over wild, crunchy guitars and moaning keyboards. This may be most evident in the eerie six-minute opener, "Bless The Child", where dramatic choirs unexpectedly plunge into a mishmash of heavy guitars and Tarja's ever-beautiful wails. Nightwish has always excelled at offering opening tracks that are truly mesmerizing, and this was no exception. A perfect follow-up comes in "End Of All Hope", which shows off the band's tight musicianship at its best -- the music flows wonderfully, and I still find myself in awe of how expertly they can blend operatic and symphonic elements with roaring Megadeth-esque riffs without coming off as weird or pretentious at all.

The sweeping, keyboard-heavy "Dead To The World" gives Nightwish bassist/co-vocalist Marco Hietala a chance to shine. His trembly voice complements Tarja's rich soprano perfectly as they trade off vocal lines before reaching the extraordinarily powerful chorus: "Heaven queen, carry me / away from all pain / All the same, take me away / we're dead to the world." "Ever Dream" carefully adapts a slower pace than its predecessors, and the way Tarja maneuvers the gorgeously written verses makes it a definite highlight for me.

"Slaying The Dreamer" has a much more straight-up metal feel than most Nightwish songs. I find that the gritty guitar riffs complement Tarja's smooth vocals excellently, but things get a bit too repetitive toward the end. The chilling ballad "Forever Yours" and the incredibly emotional "Ocean Soul" perfectly highlight what an intense songwriter Tuomas is -- "Should I dress in white and search the sea / as I always wished to be / one with the waves, ocean soul," goes the latter's main hook -- but musically, they don't impact nearly as much as they probably should.

Things pick back up with the excellently assembled "Feel For You". Tarja and Marco share vocal duties on this spacey, midtempo rocker that offers an interesting, slightly disturbing reflection on a lost love: "Barely cold in her grave, barely warm in my bed / Settling for a draw tonight / Puppet girl, your strings are mine!" I don't find the album's closers "The Phantom of the Opera" and the 10-minute epic "Beauty of the Beast" nearly as strong as other well-known Nightwish anthems such as Once's dynamic masterpiece, "Ghost Love Score". The impressive harmonies and downright creepy atmospheres of these songs are enough to maintain my attention despite their extensive lengths, but I'm left feeling slightly incomplete when all is said and done.

In all honesty, I don't find this album nearly as enjoyable as the near-flawless Wishmaster and the glorious Once. However, I must say that Century Child is certainly worth checking out if you're a fan of symphonic metal. Those who have listened to other Nightwish albums will undoubtedly enjoy this one, though possibly not as much; fans of Epica and early Within Temptation would be smart to investigate this further, too. It may not be the most accessible Nightwish release, and I wouldn't encourage a stranger to the band to check this disc out first (Once may be the best place to start). As much of a mixed bag as it wound up to be, it has plenty of standouts that make it worthwhile.

Recommended: Yes