Marko Hietala has had his four decades of experience in the heavy metal game, from bands such as Tarot and Nightwish to the supergroup Northern Kings and his solo work. His powerful voice fits as a foil to the symphonic and gothic metal he’s best known for, particularly as the male vocalist for Nightwish opposing Tarja Turunen, Annete Olzon, and current singer Floor Jansen. His grittier style against the operatic highs of his counterpart makes for great contrast, exhibit A of which would have to be Nightwish’s take on “The Phantom of the Opera.”
At the end of 2020, Hietala left Nightwish after nearly two decades of service, and has played with Northern Kings and Therion since. He also went on tour with former bandmate Tarja earlier this year, releasing “Left on Mars” together in March of this year. Now the multi-talented Hietala has a spine-tingling new single for his solo work, “Frankenstein’s Wife.”
Mad science meets a morbid love story in this song, as Hietala croons in the verses and snarls just a bit in the chorus. While some fans of Nightwish may catch a similarity to songs such as “Wish I Had an Angel,” this is a straightforward rocker with a late-Eighties touch. The keyboards dance along the melody and against a four on the floor groove. The tale of re-animation and lost love is as old as time, and the method in which Hietala and his backing band deliver it is a throwback all its own, making for a great effort from the symphonic metal stalwart.
Watch the music video for “Frankenstein’s Wife” below: