Artist: Nightwish
Title: “Eva” (Single)
Label: Roadrunner Records
Release Date: 5/22/2007
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Rating: 4/5

Well my friends the time has come for new music and the mighty Nightwish has welcomed singer Anette Olzon into their ranks and offered up the first single from their upcoming album with the song “Eva”. I guess it’s too early for a servicing of the brand-new full album, so this will have to suffice. Let’s talk a little about this one to generate some additional excitement. The song begins with a solemn piano intro and what sounded like a concertina but could just be one of the many effects Tuomas has under his command. It’s a slow number but the voice of Olzon is warm and compassionate. She’s clearly a different style of vocalist from Tarja and the song itself is not bombastic at all which is a vibe that many have grown accustomed to with Nightwish.

The rest of the group comes in more than halfway through and I think that this was done by design to showcase the new vocalist up front which was a smart idea. As it draws to a close more of the flourish of old comes into play and we discover that Anette also has a powerful register but not in an operatic sense. I’ve given the song a high mark based on its positive flow and overall dramatic feeling, but I do need to hear the rest of the album and see if the band has changed some direction as well as singers. They are one of my favorite groups at the time of this writing, so I look forward to the travelling in music together. Let’s see what comes to pass. Welcome Anette, I wish you good fortune and hope you bring something interesting to life with this amazing band.

Track Listing:
1. Eva

Official Website: http://www.nightwish.com