Angels Fall First | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1 November 1997[a] | |||
Recorded | April–September 1997 | |||
Studio | Huvikeskus ( Kitee) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 51:29 | |||
Language |
| |||
Label | Spinefarm | |||
Producer |
| |||
Nightwish studio album chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Angels Fall First | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 7/10 [3] |
Metal Hammer (GER) | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Angels Fall First is the debut studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, originally released by Spinefarm Records on 30 September 1997 as a 500-copy limited edition. [5] This edition is highly sought after by collectors and in 2012 a copy was sold for $1137.23 on eBay. [6] It was subsequently released to the general public on 1 November, with four additional songs. The album was released in the US by Century Media in March 2001. [7]
Angels Fall First is a power metal album with gothic, folk and classical elements. [2]
Tuomas Holopainen wrote the music for the album during his time in the Finnish Army. [8] In a 2008 interview with the British magazine Kerrang!, Tuomas Holopainen remembered:
It came about in August 1996, around a campfire. We were at my summer cabin, a bunch of friends camping out, barbecuing, singing songs, and then it just hit me that I wanted to start a band. But we were too far ambitious at that time for it to remain simply acoustic and making music with just acoustic guitar, keyboards and female voice, was just a bit boring, and we naturally started heading in a heavier direction. The funny thing about Angels Fall First is that it was only supposed to be a demo to send out to record labels. But then Spinefarm heard it and thought it was perfect, so they put it out as it was with no remixing or anything. I used to be a bit embarrassed but now I can feel proud and nostalgic about those songs. [9]
The original pressing featured Holopainen's home contact address, an accident from reprinting the demo sleeve for the album. [9]
As of December 2009, Angels Fall First has sold more than 36,000 copies in Finland alone. [10]
The band, and especially band leader and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen has since frowned upon the album, considering it essentially an extended demo. In a 2011 interview, when asked what album other than Imaginaerum Holopainen wanted to make into a movie, he replied that it would be Angels Fall First, and that it would be "a black-and-white comedy". [11]
The male vocals heard on "Beauty and the Beast", "The Carpenter", "Astral Romance" and "Once Upon a Troubadour" are sung by keyboardist–band leader Tuomas Holopainen, as well as the whispers in the beginning of the demo version of "Etiäinen". [12] Following this release, Holopainen never sang credited on an album again, because he thought that he was not good enough. [12]
All lyrics are written by Tuomas Holopainen; all music is composed by Nightwish
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Elvenpath" | 4:38 |
2. | "Beauty and the Beast" | 6:22 |
3. | " The Carpenter" | 5:56 |
4. | "Astral Romance" | 5:11 |
5. | "Angels Fall First" | 5:34 |
6. | "Tutankhamen" | 5:30 |
7. | "Nymphomaniac Fantasia" | 4:45 |
8. | "Know Why the Nightingale Sings" | 4:13 |
9. | "Lappi ( Lapland): I. Erämaajärvi" | 2:15 |
10. | "Lappi (Lapland): II. Witchdrums" | 1:19 |
11. | "Lappi (Lapland): III. This Moment Is Eternity" | 3:12 |
12. | "Lappi (Lapland): IV. Etiäinen" | 2:34 |
Total length: | 51:29 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "A Return to the Sea" | 5:46 |
14. | "Nightwish" (demo) | 5:49 |
15. | "The Forever Moments" (demo) | 5:36 |
16. | "Etiäinen" (demo) | 2:59 |
Total length: | 71:39 |
All information from the album booklet. [13]
Nightwish
Additional musician
Production
Album
|
Singles
|
Country | Organisation | Year | Sales |
---|---|---|---|
Finland | IFPI | 2001 | Gold (20,000) [10] |
Angels Fall First | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1 November 1997[a] | |||
Recorded | April–September 1997 | |||
Studio | Huvikeskus ( Kitee) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 51:29 | |||
Language |
| |||
Label | Spinefarm | |||
Producer |
| |||
Nightwish studio album chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Angels Fall First | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 7/10 [3] |
Metal Hammer (GER) | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Angels Fall First is the debut studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, originally released by Spinefarm Records on 30 September 1997 as a 500-copy limited edition. [5] This edition is highly sought after by collectors and in 2012 a copy was sold for $1137.23 on eBay. [6] It was subsequently released to the general public on 1 November, with four additional songs. The album was released in the US by Century Media in March 2001. [7]
Angels Fall First is a power metal album with gothic, folk and classical elements. [2]
Tuomas Holopainen wrote the music for the album during his time in the Finnish Army. [8] In a 2008 interview with the British magazine Kerrang!, Tuomas Holopainen remembered:
It came about in August 1996, around a campfire. We were at my summer cabin, a bunch of friends camping out, barbecuing, singing songs, and then it just hit me that I wanted to start a band. But we were too far ambitious at that time for it to remain simply acoustic and making music with just acoustic guitar, keyboards and female voice, was just a bit boring, and we naturally started heading in a heavier direction. The funny thing about Angels Fall First is that it was only supposed to be a demo to send out to record labels. But then Spinefarm heard it and thought it was perfect, so they put it out as it was with no remixing or anything. I used to be a bit embarrassed but now I can feel proud and nostalgic about those songs. [9]
The original pressing featured Holopainen's home contact address, an accident from reprinting the demo sleeve for the album. [9]
As of December 2009, Angels Fall First has sold more than 36,000 copies in Finland alone. [10]
The band, and especially band leader and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen has since frowned upon the album, considering it essentially an extended demo. In a 2011 interview, when asked what album other than Imaginaerum Holopainen wanted to make into a movie, he replied that it would be Angels Fall First, and that it would be "a black-and-white comedy". [11]
The male vocals heard on "Beauty and the Beast", "The Carpenter", "Astral Romance" and "Once Upon a Troubadour" are sung by keyboardist–band leader Tuomas Holopainen, as well as the whispers in the beginning of the demo version of "Etiäinen". [12] Following this release, Holopainen never sang credited on an album again, because he thought that he was not good enough. [12]
All lyrics are written by Tuomas Holopainen; all music is composed by Nightwish
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Elvenpath" | 4:38 |
2. | "Beauty and the Beast" | 6:22 |
3. | " The Carpenter" | 5:56 |
4. | "Astral Romance" | 5:11 |
5. | "Angels Fall First" | 5:34 |
6. | "Tutankhamen" | 5:30 |
7. | "Nymphomaniac Fantasia" | 4:45 |
8. | "Know Why the Nightingale Sings" | 4:13 |
9. | "Lappi ( Lapland): I. Erämaajärvi" | 2:15 |
10. | "Lappi (Lapland): II. Witchdrums" | 1:19 |
11. | "Lappi (Lapland): III. This Moment Is Eternity" | 3:12 |
12. | "Lappi (Lapland): IV. Etiäinen" | 2:34 |
Total length: | 51:29 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "A Return to the Sea" | 5:46 |
14. | "Nightwish" (demo) | 5:49 |
15. | "The Forever Moments" (demo) | 5:36 |
16. | "Etiäinen" (demo) | 2:59 |
Total length: | 71:39 |
All information from the album booklet. [13]
Nightwish
Additional musician
Production
Album
|
Singles
|
Country | Organisation | Year | Sales |
---|---|---|---|
Finland | IFPI | 2001 | Gold (20,000) [10] |