It is followed by one of the album's most famous tracks, “Storytime.” According to Tuomas Holopainen, the song was inspired by the 1982 Finnish animated film The Snowman. Holopainen wanted to create his own version of a soundtrack for a remake of The Snowman, which originally features the song “Walking in the Air”—a track Nightwish previously covered for their album Oceanborn. The lyrics contain references to Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and other fairytale and mythological characters.

The subsequent track, “Ghost River,” is described by the band as a “duel between the Devil and Mother Earth,” and it is more theatrical and unconventional than the rest of the album. “Ghost River” was also one of the first songs written for the record.

The track “Slow Love Slow” is technically not a ballad, although it sounds very similar; it is actually a jazz song inspired by the music of 1930s American nightclubs. David Lynch and his show Twin Peaks were major influences on the track. “Slow Love Slow” brought a completely fresh element to the established Nightwish sound.

“I Want My Tears Back” was recorded featuring Troy Donockley, who was not yet a permanent member of the band at the time. According to Holopainen, this song is the most accessible for a first-time listener.

The following track, “Scaretale,” was described as the polar opposite of the fairytale-like “I Want My Tears Back.” It tells the story of childhood nightmares, serving as Nightwish's own take on Metallica's “Enter Sandman,” while also paying homage to the Disney song “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” The track was originally titled “Haunted Mansion Ride.”

“Arabesque” is the first instrumental track on the album. The song was written specifically for a key scene in the movie that represents a turning point for the main character. The vibrant melody, enriched with choral elements and brass instruments, feels like a march with distinct hints of Middle Eastern rhythms.
Following “Arabesque” is “Turn Loose the Mermaids,” which the band described as a “sad and melancholic Celtic ballad.” This is the first of two “true ballads” on the record, and it was inspired by Western movies.

“Rest Calm” is one of the heaviest songs on the album, drawing inspiration from doom metal pioneers like Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride. It is a heavy yet melodic track that, according to Holopainen, “completely spirals out of control at the end.”

“The Crow, the Owl and the Dove” is the second ballad on the album. Holopainen co-wrote this song with the band's bassist, Marko Hietala. Holopainen later found it “quite funny” that “the poppiest ballad on the album was written by true metalheads.” The vocals of Troy Donockley can also be heard on “The Crow, the Owl and the Dove.”

The track “Last Ride of the Day” was written by Holopainen, inspired by a roller coaster that Thomas eventually rides in his imagination during the film.
The album's longest track, “Song of Myself,” was inspired by the work of Holopainen’s favorite poet, Walt Whitman, and his famous poem of the same name. Holopainen made his boldest and most complex attempt to reinterpret the original piece, composing a song that echoes and channels the themes and imagery set by Whitman's work.

Imaginaerum, the album's title track, serves as the final song, conceived as the film's closing credits. Holopainen created a medley of the album's musical motifs, giving arranger Pip Williams creative freedom to craft a cohesive piece.

Rating: 10/10