The compositions of NIGHTWISH are one of the most exciting examples of symphonic heavy metal. Tuomas Holopainen composes songs full of emotion and poetry and uses many strategies in order to accompany them musically. The songs of NIGHTWISH are a successful fusion of lyrical emotion and musical construction. How is NIGHTWISH’s popularity explained? What musical features characterize this band? Can the music of this group be analyzed from a music scientific point of view? The aim of this article is, on the one hand, to give sound answers to these questions and, on the other hand, to describe from a music analytical point of view the sound of this band in terms of how emotionality influences the musical construction.