For those of you who remember Mark Brueland, he is our brother metalhead who attended PPIV to fullfill his last living wish of seeing Nightwish play live before he passed into the otherworld late last year. He died from cancer. Mark was Nightwish's special guest during PPIV. Tuomas recognized his dedication to the band when he introduced Mark on stage before the band performed their classic ballad, "Walking on Air".
I've had "Once" for less than a week when I browsed through the liner notes tonight and noticed the name, "Mark Brueland" as being the voice sampled in the haunting and chilling finale to "Once" - a song named, "Higher Than Hope". I recognized the name, but couldn't remember from where until about 4 hours later when it just clicked while listening to the CD. "Mark was the huge Nighwish fan who lost his battle to cancer last year!", I told myself.
I immediately read the lyrics to the song, and if I'm correct, the song is Tuomas's tribute to Mark. If you listen carefully, you can hear Mark talking about his struggle with the disease and the uncertainty of what tomorrow brings. Just read some of these lyrics and I'm sure you will be touched.
"Time it took the most of me - and left me with no key to unlock the chest of remedy."
"Red sun rising, curtain falling, higher than hope my cure lies."
"Hope has shown me a scenery - paradise poetry. With first snow I'll be gone."
"The hopes were high...red sun rising...your death saved me."
The last line could very well be Tuomas's recognition of Mark's struggle and the effect it had on him. Even if that is not the correct conclusion, it is the one I will choose to believe.
It was such a beautiful drive in the countryside this evening as the setting sun bathed the cornfields and woodlands in glowing curtains of gold. It was as beautiful as it was somber. I was listening to "Higher Than Hope" and was left wondering why am I still here and other's aren't. It's a question that I've thought about a lot in my life. I don't have the answer, but I can say this for certain - the passing of friends such as Mark needs to be thought of as a gift as well a loss. The loss reminds us of just how precious and fragile our lives are. There is nothing more beatiful than the miracle of life - whether it be a newborn baby, a hawk gliding on the wind, or a buttefly fluttering among fields of vibrant wildflowers. As I drove home this evening, the life and beauty around me became even more precious. And it is because of stuggles such as Mark's and the tribute payed to him by Tuomas's that I must never forget to take time out of my day to wonder and truly be thankful for the miracle of life.
Although some people have questioned why "Ghost Love Score" was not assigned the last track on the CD, the placement of "Higher Than Hope" makes perfect sense to me given the insight I gained about the song tonight. I would have a hard time placing a tribute to close friend who's life was taken way too early in the middle of the disc. If "Higher Than Hope" is indeed a final goodbye to Mark, then there can be no other place for it other than the last track on "Once" - what I now consider to be Tuomas's crowning lifetime achievement - regardless of how many more albums he writes. This masterwork simply cannot be outdone - even by Tuomas.
Thank you Mark and thank you Tuomas.
Todd Brown
I've had "Once" for less than a week when I browsed through the liner notes tonight and noticed the name, "Mark Brueland" as being the voice sampled in the haunting and chilling finale to "Once" - a song named, "Higher Than Hope". I recognized the name, but couldn't remember from where until about 4 hours later when it just clicked while listening to the CD. "Mark was the huge Nighwish fan who lost his battle to cancer last year!", I told myself.
I immediately read the lyrics to the song, and if I'm correct, the song is Tuomas's tribute to Mark. If you listen carefully, you can hear Mark talking about his struggle with the disease and the uncertainty of what tomorrow brings. Just read some of these lyrics and I'm sure you will be touched.
"Time it took the most of me - and left me with no key to unlock the chest of remedy."
"Red sun rising, curtain falling, higher than hope my cure lies."
"Hope has shown me a scenery - paradise poetry. With first snow I'll be gone."
"The hopes were high...red sun rising...your death saved me."
The last line could very well be Tuomas's recognition of Mark's struggle and the effect it had on him. Even if that is not the correct conclusion, it is the one I will choose to believe.
It was such a beautiful drive in the countryside this evening as the setting sun bathed the cornfields and woodlands in glowing curtains of gold. It was as beautiful as it was somber. I was listening to "Higher Than Hope" and was left wondering why am I still here and other's aren't. It's a question that I've thought about a lot in my life. I don't have the answer, but I can say this for certain - the passing of friends such as Mark needs to be thought of as a gift as well a loss. The loss reminds us of just how precious and fragile our lives are. There is nothing more beatiful than the miracle of life - whether it be a newborn baby, a hawk gliding on the wind, or a buttefly fluttering among fields of vibrant wildflowers. As I drove home this evening, the life and beauty around me became even more precious. And it is because of stuggles such as Mark's and the tribute payed to him by Tuomas's that I must never forget to take time out of my day to wonder and truly be thankful for the miracle of life.
Although some people have questioned why "Ghost Love Score" was not assigned the last track on the CD, the placement of "Higher Than Hope" makes perfect sense to me given the insight I gained about the song tonight. I would have a hard time placing a tribute to close friend who's life was taken way too early in the middle of the disc. If "Higher Than Hope" is indeed a final goodbye to Mark, then there can be no other place for it other than the last track on "Once" - what I now consider to be Tuomas's crowning lifetime achievement - regardless of how many more albums he writes. This masterwork simply cannot be outdone - even by Tuomas.
Thank you Mark and thank you Tuomas.
Todd Brown
