10 Strangest Concept Albums
5. Music Inspired By The Life And Times Of Scrooge - Tuomas Holopainen
Symphonic and metal may not be two words most of us would readily throw together, but that's where the roots of this entry lie. Songwriter Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen is best known as leader of Finnish symphonic metal band, Nightwish.
For the artist's first solo album, Holopainen chose almost certainly the most unlikely of themes on this list. Released in 2014, the album is not, as you might assume, a meditation on Charles Dickens' famous character as featured in his classic novella, A Christmas Carol. That would be strange enough, but Holopainen had a different personage in mind.
The album is, in fact, based on a graphic novel written and illustrated by Don Rosa, the full title of which is The Life And Times Of Scrooge McDuck; a work which evidently captivated Holopainen, with the musician stating: “This is my longtime dream come true, 14 years in the making, and a homage to one of the best storytellers of our time."
Yes, we're talking Disney's beloved duck and, lest you think this some whacky joke, the record features several notable guest vocalists, a choir, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.