In the interest of not getting myself banned...

...I will post my thoughts on this here instead.

The Nightwish Criticism Thread over on the official forum is threatening to really, really piss me off. I haven't even read through the entire thing yet (in fact, I've only skimmed a few posts because I know it's going to make me angry) but so far all I've gotten out of it are a) people are still bitter over having Anette as the lead singer and, along the same lines, this is going to turn into an "Anette bashing" session and b) people seem to be under the impression that the lyrics are nothing more than a "Tuomas pity party" and, therefore, this will turn into a "Tuomas bashing" session. And anyone who knows me should know why this annoys me so greatly.

This post in particular made me want to jump through the computer screen and strangle the author.

My criticism is about Tuomas..it would be a nice and maybe a positive change if he could stop with the selt pittying and the poor toumas no one understand me thing's...yes some of the best songs do come from that (not the poet...that's just over the top..) but he's an adult now sometimes i just wanna shake him grow up dude...it is getting a bit old. I understand that't the image he wants to keep..the lone wolf, poor lost soul etc...but it's getting a bit annoying."

Seriously? How on Earth could anyone think, let alone actually type out, these kinds of things about Tuomas? He is certainly not a "self-pitying" person, he simply writes from the heart. It has nothing to do with being an adult now, in fact, I think that if he were to have kept writing about fantasy and LOTR and whatnot like he did on the first three albums (Angels Fall First and Oceanborn particularly, because there are a few more "emotional" songs on Wishmaster along side FantasMic and Crowlness, etc.) that would have shown that he wasn't growing up at all, but remaining locked in his "fantasy world." And I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with that, because "growing up" should never be about losing your imagination and the ability to see fantastic, mystical things even in the "real world" but come on...the subject matter of Century Child and Dark Passion Play (and Once, though to a lesser extent) is a lot more mature and adult because of the emotions within the lyrics. The fact that people can't see that makes me think that perhaps they're the ones who need to grow up. Grrr...

*scrolls through and skims a few more posts*

*sighs*

Yep, just like I thought. That's the basic gist of the thread. Anette's vocals are too "poppy" and Tuomas is too "whiny"...God. If these people are fans of the band, I can only imagine what "outsiders" would have to say...and maybe I do take this all too personally, but this band has saved my life so many times that I feel, in some ways, that I have every right to take it a bit personally. Meh, whatever. I should just shut up.

At the end of the day, I suppose it doesn't really matter what these people have to say. Nightwish is Nightwish, it's Tuomas' baby, the "scenery of his soul" (in his own words) and that's all that matters to me. Still, it does bother me that people can post things that are so...harsh and demeaning...on the band's official forum where they know damn well the band members can read it. They'll try to pass it off as constructive criticism, but in all honesty, all I see is a bunch of disgruntled "Tarja worshippers" who can't stand the fact that the band is changing. And what's funny is that a lot of their complaints date back to the shift, both musically and lyrically, that the band went through between Wishmaster and Century Child...*sighs*

I'll just stay out of that thread from now on...I've read enough to make me want to just sit and cry...

Tuomas, I know you will never, ever actually read this, but please know that I admire the fact that you are willing to put your darkest, deepest thoughts and feelings out there for the entire world to hear. That sort of personal sacrifice is one of the many, many things that I have admired about you since day one, over 10 years ago, and you have become even more open and giving of yourself and your emotions ever since. Thank you. I know that I told you all of this when I met you (and...well...*laughs*...yeah...) but I felt the need to put it in writing here as well. You are an amazing person, an absolute genius when it comes to songwriting, and one of the biggest inspirations and sources of happiness in my life. Don't ever change, because I love you just the way you are. <3

And Anette, I know that you also will probably never see this, but don't listen to these haters. There are so many Nightwish fans out there who a) would never have found this amazing band if it weren't for you and b) have had the opportunity to see their favorite band come back to life and thrive again since you joined (such as myself) that what these people say doesn't matter at all. You are a beautiful person, both inside and out, and your voice is incredible. As I said above to Tuomas, don't ever change. So many of us love you and respect you just as you are.

Okay...that's all. I apologize for this rant, but I had to let it out somewhere.