A well-rounded effort, bookended by stellar tracks. Even the weakest songs are good enough to play in regular rotation.

I've noticed that later Nightwish frequently borrows riffs from this album. Pretty telling that this is what they still aspire to sound like.

Emerald Sword is amazing. The remade version of Land of Immortals is stellar. I'd argue better than the original. And, since this is the version that made it to the "Tales of the Emerald Sword Saga" compilation, I assume the band felt so too. Where Dragons Fly is solid, though it lacks the oomph of the other two. But considering the quality of the other two, that's some stiff standards to be compared against.

The first time I listened to most of these songs, I went "meh", but several of them have since grown on me. Some songs, such as Lost and Sinead, are very dependent on my mood whether I want to listen to them or not. Even the weaker songs are listenable, and as a whole the album puts forth a consistent effort.

I got this as a present in 2008. All the songs felt dissonant and off, and I never really got into any but The Warrior Inside.

All the songs kinda blend together here, barring Trail of Broken Hearts. They all sound rather similar. I was proud of myself back in the day when I could tell them apart in the first 10-15 seconds. Probably the album that sent me toward listening to power metal.

I remember really liking this back when I first got it. I've since moved on for the most part, having found better stuff. I did re-add Soldiers of the Wasteland to my music rotation; no regrets there.

This was my first major foray into metal (though I didn't realize it at the time).

Magnificent Stumbled across The Raven Child on YouTube one day, and went "OMG this is amazing", and ended up borrowing a copy from the library. Fantastic album.

It's got the quintessential power metal song, Emerald Sword. I also really enjoy Wisdom of the Kings, Wings of Destiny, and Symphony of Enchanted Lands. The sore thumb of the album is Beyond the Gates of Infinity. It just feels off, and I've pulled it from my music rotation. Heroes of the Lost Valley is (I guess) a song, and I never ended up putting it in my rotation to begin with.