La popolarità dei Nightwish cresce a dismisura con il passare degli anni  e non solo nella natia Finlandia. Ed ecco che per accontentare i Nightwish-dipendenti la Spinefarm ci propone un maxi singolo contenente una cover, due inediti, una nuova versione di “Astral Romance” e sei brani live.
La cover “Over and the hills and far away” di Gary Moore è un bel pezzo, che entra subito in testa (anche grazie al mitico ritornello) e diciamocelo:è decisamente divertente. Il primo dei due inediti, “10th Man Down” è davvero un bel pezzo, con delle chitarre più pesanti rispetto ai precedenti album dei Nightwish (ricordiamoci che siamo nel 2001): un perfetto punto di incontro tra Wishmaster e Century Child. “Away” è una dolcissima ballad con un atmosfera soffusa con un ottima Tarja.
Trovo degna di nota la riedizione di “Astral Romance” se non per il cantato maschile: non più opera di Tuomas ma della guest star Tony Kakko: Un deciso salto di qualità. I Brani dal vivo sono meravigliosi e acquistano una dimensione nuova. Sono stati scelti i pezzi più veloci e tirati:un ottima scelta. I pezzi sono eseguiti in maniera impeccabile, anzi , addirittura velocizzati rispetto ai cd. Tarja non sbaglia una nota ed improvvisa anche particolari gorgheggi.
Una spanna sopra le altre “The Beauty And The Beast” bellissima come al solito ma al posto delle stonature di Tuomas abbiamo ancora Tony Kakko e “Walking In The Air” ancora più evocativa.

Certo, è un prodotto adatto soltanto ai fan dei Nightwish e ai collezionisti (considerando anche il prezzo,uguale a quello di un cd di inediti e l'assenza di un vero e proprio libretto) ma anche se non appartenete ad una di queste categorie fateci pure un pensierino.

“...Over the hills and far away…”

Elenco tracce testi e samples

01   Over the Hills and Far Away (05:03)

They came for him one winter's night.
Arrested, he was bound.
They said there'd been a robbery,
his pistol had been found.

They marched to the station house,
he waited for the dawn.
And as they led him to the dock,
he knew that he'd been wronged.
"You stand accused of robbery,"
he heard the bailiff say.
He knew without an alibi,
tomorrow's light would mourn his freedom.

Over the hills and far away,
for ten long years he'll count the days.
Over the mountains and blue seas,
a prisoner's life for him there'll be.

He knew that it would cost him dear,
but yet he dare not say.
Where he'd been that fateful night,
a secret it must stay.
He had to fight back tears of rage.
His heart beat like a drum.
For with the wife of his best friend,
he spent his final night of freedom.

Over the hills and far away,
he swears he will return one day.
Far from the mountains and blue seas,
back in her arms he swear he'll be.
Over the hills and far away.

Over the hills and,
over the hills and,
over the hills and far away.

Each night within his prison cell,
he looks out through the bars.
He reads the letters that she wrote.
One day he'll know the taste of freedom.

Over the hills and far away,
she prays he will return one day.
As sure as the rivers reach the seas,
back in his arms he swears she'll be.

Over the hills and far away,
he swears he will return one day.
over the mountains and the seas
back in her arms is where he'll be.

Over the hills and far away,
she prays he will return one day.
As sure as the rivers reach the sea,
back in his arms is where she'll be.

Over the hills,
over the hills and far away.

Over the hills,
over the hills and far away

02   10th Man Down (05:24)

Today I killed, he was just a boy
Eight before him, I knew them all
In the fields a dying oath:
I'd kill them all to save my own

Cut me free
Bleed with me
Oh, no
One by one
We will fall
Down down
Pull the plug
End the pain
Run'n fight for life
Hold on tight
This ain't my fight

Deliver me from this war
It's not for me it's because of you
Devil's instant my eternity
Obey to kill to save yourself

Cut me free...

I envy the 9 lives that gave me hell
My path made up by their torn bodies
Man to man, soldier to soldier, dust to dust
Call me a coward but I can't take it anymore

They wait for me back home
They live with eyes turned away
They were the first ones to see
They are the last ones to bleed

The ultimate high as all beautiful dies
A ruler's tool, priest's excuse, tyrant's delight...
I alone, the great white hunter
I'll march till the dawn brings me rest
10th patriot at the gallow's pole!

Cut me free...

03   Away (04:33)

04   Astral Romance (remake 2001) (05:22)

05   The Kinslayer (live) (04:12)

06   She Is My Sin (live) (04:44)

07   Sacrament of Wilderness (live) (05:01)

08   Walking in the Air (live) (05:10)

09   Beauty and the Beast (live) (06:40)

10   Wishmaster (live) (05:03)

Carico i commenti...  con calma

Altre recensioni

Di  Big D

 La title-track è una cover di Gary Moore, qui la troviamo reinterpretata magistralmente 'alla Nightwish', con cori, violini e, naturalmente, un cantato quasi lirico.

 Per qualche motivo, non mi convince affatto. Tecnicamente è un live ottimo... ma è troppo 'freddo', senza emozioni, non entri nell'atmosfera.