Editing Nightwish (section)

===Musical style===
[[File:Tuomas Holopainen, Palais.jpg|thumb|left|The use of keyboards is an important part of Nightwish's original music.]]

Nightwish performs goth-influenced [[symphonic metal]] with female vocals.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nightwish-mn0000868628/biography|title= Nightwish - Biography |publisher=ALLMusic |accessdate=6 July 2022}}</ref> Their music has been also described as [[symphonic gothic metal]] which mixes metal, [[opera]], weepy power ballads, and keyboard solos.{{sfn|Ladouceur|2011|p=196}} Although the combination of operatic vocals and melodic heavy metal made Nightwish famous,{{sfn|Ollila|2007|p=18}} they don't employ operatic vocals as much as they used to. On the ninth studio album, ''[[Human. :II: Nature.]]'', "Shoemaker" was the only song with an operatic vocal after [[Tarja Turunen]]'s departure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/nightwish-human-ii-nature-album |title=Nightwish – Human. : II: Nature. (Album) |date=April 13, 2020 |publisher=Nordic Music Review |accessdate=25 January 2023}}</ref> They have also been known to play [[power metal]], [[progressive metal]], [[folk metal]] and [[gothic metal]].{{efn|Musical styles:
* "power metal"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dangerdog.com/2015-music-reviews/nightwish-endless-forms-most-beautiful.php|title=New Music Review : Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful : CD Album Music Review : Dangerdog Music Reviews by Craig Hartranft|website=Dangerdog.com}}</ref>
* "progressive metal"<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hartranft |first1=Craig |title=Nightwish: Imaginaerum |url=https://dangerdog.com/2011-music-reviews/nightwish-imaginaerum-review.php |website=Dangerdog Music Reviews |access-date=8 September 2024 |date=12 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Pierce |first1=Ken |title=Nightwish: Dark Passion Play |url=https://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=5780 |website=Sea of Tranquility |access-date=8 September 2024 |date=28 November 2007}}</ref>
* "folk metal"<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blackie |first1=Andrew |title=Nightwish: Dark Passion Play |url=https://www.popmatters.com/nightwish-dark-passion-play-2496208801.html |website=[[PopMatters]] |date=October 3, 2007 |access-date=October 3, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=TheKenWord |title=Yer Metal Is Olde: Nightwish – Oceanborn |url=https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-nightwish-oceanborn/ |website=Angrymetalguy.com |date=March 6, 2019 |access-date=March 6, 2019}}</ref>
* "gothic metal"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chartattack.com/news/2007/10/23/finnish-gothic-metallers-nightwish-want-to-grow-their-north-american-cult/|title=Finnish Gothic Metallers Nightwish Want To Grow Their North American Cult – Chart Attack|date=October 23, 2007|access-date=June 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829204706/http://www.chartattack.com/news/2007/10/23/finnish-gothic-metallers-nightwish-want-to-grow-their-north-american-cult/|archive-date=August 29, 2017|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/nightwish-dark-passion-play-2496208801.html|title=Nightwish: Dark Passion Play|date=October 3, 2007|website=PopMatters.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/nightwish-once-2496009270.html|title=Nightwish: Once / Over the Hills and Far Away|date=January 23, 2005|website=PopMatters.com}}</ref>}}

The band's music is known to be complex<ref>{{cite web| url=https://whus.org/2020/04/nightwish-continues-to-dominate-the-soundscape-of-symphonic-metal/ |title=Nightwish continues to dominate the soundscape of symphonic metal |date=April 23, 2020 |publisher=[[WHUS]] |access-date= January 22, 2023}}</ref> and layered.<ref name="AllEnd"/> Their approach is epic, theatrical and operatic.<ref name="AllEnd">{{AllMusic |class = album |id = r842788 |tab = review |label = Review of ''End of an Era'' |first = Katherine |last = Fulton |access-date = July 14, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/4/19/nightwish-elan-single-2015-retrospective/ |title= 'Élan' Retrospective: Nightwish Have a Laugh at the Orthodox |publisher=[[The Harvard Crimson]] |accessdate=22 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.wearethepit.com/2020/03/nightwish-debut-epic-new-song-ad-astra-and-video-announcing-world-land-trust-partnership/ |title=Nightwish Debut Epic New Song "Ad Astra" and Video Announcing World Land Trust Partnership |date=March 11, 2020 |publisher=The Pit |accessdate=27 January 2023}}</ref> Critic Steve Huey notes "their rich melodicism, dynamic textures, and theatrical approach to performance make them a unique musical entity"<ref>{{AllMusic |class = artist |id = p373181 |tab = biography |label = Biography of Nightwish |first = Steve |last = Huey |access-date = January 22, 2023}}</ref>

[[File:Tarja Turunen at Obras Stadium 2008 09.jpg|thumb|right|A part of Nightwish's original sound was the soprano vocals of [[Tarja Turunen]], until her dismissal from the band in 2005.]]
The usage of a female vocalist has become a sort of trademark, though less so since the outbreak of new female fronted metal bands in the mid-2000s with the popularization of bands such as [[Evanescence]] and [[Within Temptation]] as well as several gothic metal bands mixing female and male vocals, such as [[Lacuna Coil]], [[The Gathering (band)|The Gathering]], [[Tristania (band)|Tristania]], [[Epica (band)|Epica]] and [[After Forever]].<ref name="u-empire/holo" />

Former bassist and vocalist [[Marko Hietala]] describes the style of the band's music as "melodic symphonic metal;"<ref>{{cite web |last=Dusedau |first=Zack |title=Interview with Marco Hietala and Emppu Vuorinen of Nightwish |work=Metalunderground.com |url=http://www.metalunderground.com/interviews/details.cfm?newsid=9240 |date=August 19, 2004 |access-date=July 14, 2008}}</ref> though this is not a view shared by all members of the group,<ref name="Hall of Metal">{{cite web |title=Interview with Tuomas Holopainen and Anette Olzon of Nightwish |url=http://hallofmetal.com/ver_entrevista.php?id=34&leng=en |work=Hallofmetal.com |access-date=March 16, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071231110506/http://www.hallofmetal.com/ver_entrevista.php?id=34&leng=en |archive-date = December 31, 2007}}</ref> including band composer [[Tuomas Holopainen]],<ref>{{cite video |people= Maria Paula Carvalho |date= December 23, 2004 |title= 'Nightwish Interview' in ''Almanaque'' TV program |medium= [[Globo News]] channel |location= Brazil |url= http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6553868459227033740 |access-date= March 13, 2009 |quote= '' Well, we kind of dress in black and we have a female singer, but that's pretty much it. I mean so many people consider us as a gothic metal band but I totally disagree. I don't think that... we can be put into any category'' |archive-date= April 17, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110417210543/http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6553868459227033740 |url-status= dead }}</ref> who describes the band as simply [[symphonic metal]].<ref>{{ cite web |url=http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xnbb9w_tuomas-holopainen-genre-answer_music |title=Interview with Tuomas Holopainen, Nightwish interview in Brasil |year=2008 |work=dailymotion}}</ref> Some critics find that the band had a gothic sound since their debut.<ref>{{cite web |language=de |title=''Angels Fall First'' review |url=http://www.metal.de/gothic-metal-mittelalter/review/nightwish/6508-angels-fall-first/ |work=Metal.de |access-date=February 25, 2015}}</ref> The music of Nightwish had been "distinguished by the operatic voice" of soprano [[Tarja Turunen]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://muzicisifaze.com/interviu.php%EF%B9%96id=6.html |title=Interview with Tarja Turunen (ex Nightwish) |first1=Horia |last1=Diaconescu |first2=Ioan |last2=Cora |first3=Mihai |last3=Plămădeală |date=November 30, 2005 |access-date=March 4, 2008 |work=Muzici și Faze}}</ref> a "charismatic frontwoman with a powerful voice". Critics observed that her vocals became less operatic with the release of ''Once''.<ref name="soniconce">{{cite web |last=Grant |first=Sam |title=''Once'' review |url=http://www.soniccathedral.com/webzine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=35 |work=Sonic Cathedral.com |date=May 7, 2004 |access-date=July 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216145312/http://www.soniccathedral.com/webzine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=35 |archive-date=December 16, 2008 }}</ref> Following the departure of Tarja Turunen from the group, Nightwish left behind the "signature operatic vocals" of their earlier albums, though the band somewhat reintroduced this style when [[Floor Jansen]] became lead singer.<ref name="soniconce"/>

While the music of Nightwish is centered on a female lead singer,<ref name="PopOnce">{{cite web |last=Begrand |first=Adrien |title=''Once'' review |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/23597/nightwish-once/ |work=[[PopMatters]] |date=January 24, 2004 |access-date=July 14, 2008}}</ref> the band has also featured some male vocals on their albums ever since their debut release, ''[[Angels Fall First]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Grant |first=Sam |title=''Angel Fall First'' review |work=Sonic Cathedral.com |url=http://www.soniccathedral.com/webzine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=82&Itemid=35 |date=February 10, 2003 |access-date=July 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227100131/http://www.soniccathedral.com/webzine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=82&Itemid=35 |archive-date=February 27, 2012 }}</ref> This debut album also included "elements of folk music and ambience" that were discarded on their subsequent album, ''Oceanborn''.<ref name="AllOcean"/> However, the song "Creek Mary's Blood" from the album ''Once'' featured some use of folk-oriented [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] melodies, and their 2007 release ''[[Dark Passion Play]]'' featured folk music elements on the songs "[[The Islander (song)|The Islander]]" and "[[Erämaan viimeinen|Last of the Wilds]]".<ref>{{cite web |last=Blackie |first=Andrew |title=''Dark Passion Play'' review |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/49140/nightwish-dark-passion-play/ |work=[[PopMatters]] |date=October 4, 2007 |access-date=July 14, 2008 |archive-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611004708/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/49140/nightwish-dark-passion-play |url-status=dead }}</ref>