One of the best Yngwie albums albums never made LOL
926201
Great album here, melodic metal with a lot of "medieval" overtones and scorching riffs/solos. If somebody put this on for me I'd be hard pressed to not guess Yngwie immediately (even the vox), but if sounding like Yngwie is the biggest criticism, then you could do a whole hell of a lot worse. Certainly recommended for any Yngwie fan or metal fan in general.
954315
The best EWF album, a must have for any collection
4156498
Reading these reviews at one star rating and reading the reason saddens me.  This is an awesome album that just shows the true talent of one band!  You have to be a true lover of music I guess to appreciate it.  If your stuck on one kind of genre or one kind of beat, then I do suggest you stay far away from this album, HOWEVER, if you love music of all types and genres then your in for a treat, the amazing sounds of Zac doing everything from country to big band, to rock, to Swing...it's a cool collective mix definitely not worth the 1 star rating people have given it from their own closed minds on music and how they feel the albums should sound!  It is truly what it says " jekyll&hyde". The sound on vinyl is wonderful and there is not a lack of talent in any of the genres that he plays on this piece.  Unique but also worth it, took me two times through to start to love this album!
2525483
One of the best Albums in my collection, I am a bit mad that I have only recently come across the existence of this album but non the less it is one I plan to enjoy for years to come.  Side note:  I'm writing this on May 5th, so I can verify personally that this music goes well with Mexican beer.
2572343
It took a few listens but I freaking love this album! It's too soon to say where it will rank compared to their other albums but I know it will be towards the top. Endless Forms Most Beautiful is easily the most complex record Nightwish has done from both a lyrical and musical standpoint. This is a deep record that takes some time to absorb. It's still Nightwish but the next evolution of their sound. I believe it is a more consistent record than Imaginarium and more Nightwish sounding than that record. If you like Nightwish I don't see how you won't like this album.

As far as the criticisms that Floor was not utilized enough. This is a Nightwish album not a Floor solo album. We all know she is super talented but she doesn't need to scream on every song. I feel that she was used to fit the songs perfectly and does not overpower them. It took two albums for Annette to really spread her wings in the band so Floor may do the same on the next record. It does impact the quality of music though.
460147
What an amazing album to say the least. If you are a fan of Nevermore and love the solo's you hear on any of their albums you cant go wrong with this. A respectable number of the songs are definately in the vein of This Godless Endeavor also. That said, this album is the best guitar album I have heard since Jason Becker's "Perpetual Burn". Anyone familiar with Jeff Loomis knows he is a fan of Jason Becker and it shows on this album. This album has it all and then some. If you like a respectable mixture of Jason Becker, Yngwie Malmsteen, Frank Gambale and Paul Gilbert then this album is for you. I can only hope the guitar players of this world vote this album as Best Shred Album in Guitar World for 2008. Jeff Loomis deserves so much credit for this album. He is underated as is, and if he does not get the recognition he deserves for this album then another music atrocity he been done.
2924504
Nightwish are not newcomers to the metal scene, but they may be newcomers to the ears of the American people.  This is courtesy of Roadrunner records, who released the US version of Nightwish's fifth studio release, Once.  There are two bonus tracks that are present on this version.  (sorry, those of you who ordered the import version from Finland) One thing to note is that Nightwish recorded this album with a full symphony orchestra!  Lead singer Tarja once again gives a stunning performance on the vocals.  With the release of this album, Nightwish embarked on a full-scale US tour for the first time.  I did have the privelage to see them in Anaheim, CA, and they were amazing.

The album starts out with a great intro, Dark Chest of Wonders.  This song has intense riffs, and the symphony is very present. Tarja's operatic vocals sound ethereal.  The chorus is very strong.  The next song is the single, Wish I had an Angel.  It took me a long time to like this song.  When they played it live, I didn't like it.  About a month after I bought the album, I decided to crank this song, and now I love it.  There is also a music video of this song, and it is very well done!  The third track is one of my favorites, Nemo.  This song is beautiful and the keyboards are brilliantly composed.  The two longest songs on the album are breathtaking songs.  Creek Mary's Blood, a song about Native Americans, and the song, Ghost Love Score, are the best on the album.  The symphony is at its best with Ghost Love Score, and it flows very well.

Nightwish have written another solid album since the release of Century Child, which was also good.  Personally, I like this album a little better than Century Child, but in my opinion, Wishmaster is their best album.  The symphony was a very good addition to the recording of Once.  Whenever metal bands use symphonies it just adds another dimension to the music.  One of Finland's best bands continue to write very beautiful music and I would recommend fans that are new to Nightwish to check out the albums Oceanborn, and Wishmaster.  Nightwish are one of metal's most heavenly bands!
4431759
Buy it! I thought it was maybe one of there best album releases of all there albums.  The sound alone..
3330429
This albumn will always be my #2 favorite, second only to the Jayhawks Hollywood Town Hall...Stamey and Holsapple are both very dynamic and dead on with their harmonies and songwriting....so if you love good songwriting and seamlessly brilliant vocal harmonies this is definately the albumn for you.  I could rant and rave for hours - this is one of the few I will never tire of listening to.

PS:  The dB's are actively touring a little these days...
3287166
This is the best and most innovating album by Yngwie Malmsteen, and in fact the only one you need. When this album first was released, it was a thrill and it really added something to the heavy metal genre. Ever since, Malmsteen has been most interesting in showing off as the fastest guitar slinger in the world, paying little attention to the overall quality of his songs - just focusing on those (in the long run) boring guitar solo's.
1491129
I would first like to get the bad out of the way, the production.  It does not give mush credit to lars drums pounding wise.  With that out of the way I want everyone to know how great of an album this is.  Whenever you start and album off with a song like blackened you know that this is going to be one of the greatest albums ever.  The album itself is long with only TWO songs under SIX minutes!  But the songs never get boring (except at the ninth minute of the title track) and with all the extreme music going on you will no doubt be entertained.  This is also metallicas compositional masterpiece.  Every song has the greatest musicianship of any album EVER!
4392492
I LOVE IT! I knew I'd love it so much,only by skimming the songs (on spotify*) I immediately bought the vinyl. Only certain records will get the vinyl treatment for me personally. I love the old school Sabbathy/stoner type stuff (but done well,like Orchid Golden Void,Earthless,etc) this album absolutely rocks start to finish,and I'm very surprised by the lack of reviews for this honestly (then again,the U.S. seems to be stuck at a stand still as far as people getting turned on to new tunes-I'm guessing due to laziness,and not willing to explore new stuff) it's a shame,because there are quite a few "newer" bands out there making "older sounding" GREAT MUSIC.But few know of them! Either way,this album kicks much a**,do yourself a solid,and just get it!!
157566
Another great progression for Yngwie. This album is also a must have for any serious fan or any fan of 80s metal. The singing of Mark Boals is also at its best on this album. This was another album where Yngwie was still in his prime and all the music was great.
4252938
I listened to this album a few years ago so I should spread the word...

This album is full of heart it's also raw, heavy and epic. The production is terrible but I don't think it is a bad thing when it comes to this piece of art. I have never heard anything like this in my life and I don't think I ever will again. So if you have an open mind about music and especially metal pick this up. If you don't like it thats a shame, this album has a very special place in my heart. RIP Quorthon
4868814
To be honest, I usually rate my favorite albums, and this is one of them.  I didn't know almost anything about them until very recently, but it was a  big shame!  This is just really great!  Why did I not know this band?  And  why did this band not become as popular as Pink Floyd, King Crimson etc  etc?  I wonder why...
Anyway, this album is definitely worth having!  It  is pretty hard to get, but thanx amazon.com!  It is a huge MUST have album  for all the BJH fans!  You won't be sorry!
4119272
There are amazing songs on the album, and actually Scotty earned a #1 on Billboard's top 200, and made the record since 2003. This really is a great album, and I suggest all to get it =)
147657
Its unfortunate that alchemist are from Australia, because if they were European or North American they would be one of the great metal bands and this album would be known as a classic, along side the likes of ROOTS, SLIPKNOT, BURN MY EYES and DEMANUFACTURE

Every time I listen to this im amazed that it went largely unnoticed in the metal community because it still sounds as fresh today as it did when it was released 13 years ago. I am quite dissapointed that this album is so hard to find, Alchemist's US label RELAPSE needs to re-release this classic for a whole new generation of fans

Pick this up now!