NIGHTWISH In Israel; Photos, Review Available

Finland's Helsingin Sanomat has posted a review of the opening gig of NIGHTWISH's world tour — a one-off in Israel that took place this past Saturday (October 6) in Tel Aviv. An excerpt from the review follows:

"Anette Olzon, the newcomer, acquits herself pretty well at the microphone, but the excitement of the occasion shows through in occasional bum notes. The former soloist Tarja Turunen (dramatically sacked in 2005) had a classical training and hit the notes better in a live setting.

"Olzon is most in her element in the high register. Particularly at the end of some numbers, when the chorus line takes off, she can deliver.

"Contrastingly, when performing the band's older numbers, where she should use the lower register, he voice does not carry as well as Turunen's.

"A bigger problem is that Olzon has not established herself and taken charge of centre-stage, really fronting the band.

"Tarja Turunen was never one to be the darling of the fans, with long conversations with the audience between numbers, but she did grab the stage and make it her own, with her glamorous ball-gown oufits and sheer presence.

"Olzon, meanwhile, bounces around in time to the music and is dressed in more teeny-bop garb, and she does not fill the visual void on stage left by Turunen.

"But she still has time to grow into the role, and it should also be noted that a good many fans see the current line-up as more of a BAND and less of a group of instrumentalists backing a female singer."

Read the rest of the review and check out photos at this location.

Fan-filmed video footage of NIGHTWISH performing in Israel on October 6, 2007: