Metal Hammer recently caught up with Nightwish keyboardist / founder Tuomas Holopainenn and asked him to rank the band's albums from worst to best. Following is an excerpt from the rundown.

#9 - Wishmaster (Spinefarm, 2000)

Holopainen: “It went to #1 in Finland, but to me Wishmaster is one of those albums that was kind of ‘in-between’. It doesn’t stand out to me on a personal level. There was nothing revolutionary about it after Oceanborn (1998). It was made in a really good spirit – everybody in the band was happy after the success of Oceanborn – so this was just a natural continuation of that. But it didn’t really introduce anything spectacularly new for me personally. I think that’s my problem with it. If Ihad to pick a favourite song, I think I’d pick 'Dead Boy’s Poem'; lyrically, it’s very much in the essence of Nightwish.”

#4 - Once (Nuclear Blast, 2004)

Holopainen: “One of the best times that this band has ever had was 2003-2004, making the Once album, and the first part of the tour after that. In late 2003 we flew to London to record the orchestras. I rang the studio doorbell and Rick Wakeman opened the door. I think I said, ‘Errr… [makes incoherent starstruck noise] Thanks!’ We went to the studio, started playing 'Ghost Love Score' and my face melted. Like, ‘I’m next to Wembley, listening to the orchestra playing a song that I wrote, this is really life at its best.’ Something happened with that album – all the stars were aligned. I remember looking at the album charts and seeing ‘Nightwish, Michael Jackson, Anastasia’ and going ‘Really?!’ I don’t think any of us were quite prepared. You get sucked into this massive world of big tours and worship from the fans, then the money starts to flow in, and it’s easy to lose your perspective. Impulse purchases? I did a round the-world trip on my own, it was wonderful. But money has very little meaning to me."

Read the complete rundown here.