Ask Lemmy

Not really a metal guy. I like beautiful music. I remember asking people why people who play metal don't play beautiful music. And I got no good answers. No one introduced me to Iron Maiden, who would have fit the bill. As someone who does not like metal, I can listen to every minute of "Brave New World" (2000) and enjoy the whole thing. I also like Number of the Beast and Powerslave from the 1980s, and the one that released between them.

The metal band I really love is Nightwish. They're from Finland, but I think they only have one song in Finnish? The opening to Imaginaerum. Over the Hills and Far Away is not only a cover, but it's about The Count of Monte Cristo... sort of. It's not exactly the same, but it's basically the same energy. Love triangle sends an innocent man to prison. Except in the book (and many films) the girl was his and it was the jealous lover who set him up. In this song, he messed with his best friend's wife and that's why he set him up.

And if you wanna hear how they sound live — the true indicator of what a band can do — here's Wishmaster from their final tour, I think, before they changed singers for the first time. Their composer/keyboard player is a bit of a drama queen, much like Eddie Van Halen was, and similarly, his personality would clash with diva singers over who "leads" the band. Neither of them can keep a singer. Not taking a side — incredible talent all around. Just band drama keeps them from having a consistent lineup. It happens to the best of them (see: Fleetwood Mac). So you enjoy what you can as it comes. But sadly they basically suck now. Their second singer was good too, but their third singer either isn't working for them or they're out of ideas, because their last few albums have been duds.

The entirety of their Imaginaerum album is good, but it's a bit weird. It was always meant as a companion piece for their movie, which never saw distribution in the US. So you have to watch it online. I won't help you do that, but if you're savvy, you can find it. Or maybe you're in Europe and you can just pick it up. I think you absolutely should if you can. For a while it was on YouTube (unofficially but in HD), not sure if it still is or not. Worth looking for, and it's just under an hour and a half. Much like Pink Floyd's The Wall, it's about how a musician has been driven crazy. Here, his adult daughter tries to reconcile with him before his death. Watch the movie trailer here