Nightwish is the band known for pioneering symphonic metal with the album “Oceanborn.”
Released in Finland on 7 December 1998, Oceanborn was Nightwish’s second studio album and a major expansion of the Finnish band’s sound. It combined power-metal speed, dramatic keyboards, orchestral atmosphere, and Tarja Turunen’s operatic vocals.
The album helped establish Nightwish internationally and is often discussed alongside Therion’s Theli as a cornerstone of symphonic metal. Its songs include “Sacrament of Wilderness,” “Walking in the Air,” and “Sleeping Sun,” although “Sleeping Sun” was added to later reissues.
A common mix-up is confusing Oceanborn with Once, the 2004 album that became Nightwish’s major commercial breakthrough. Oceanborn was the earlier record that defined much of the band’s classic symphonic-metal identity.