Finally.
This is Nightwish’s first album in four years. Four years is a long time and signals the departure of one vocalist and the arrival of the next. For those who don’t know, Annette Olzon got a bit sick of things during their world tour in 2012 and departed about midway through. Floor Jansen, of bands like After Forever and ReVamp, was called in to replace her. You can sum up the challenge as thus: “Please learn the setlist in 48 hours.” I saw Nightwish on October 3, 2012. This was Floor’s third show. She would continue with Nightwish for the remainder of the tour and eventually join Nightwish as their full-time vocalist.
Another new face is Kai Hahto of Wintersun. Longtime drummer Jukka Nevalainen was forced to take a break from the band due to chronic insomnia and was forced to sit out from both the album recording sessions and the current world tour in support of the new album. Hopefully he comes back soon but it could be some time.
Anyway, onto the album. It’s packed with good stuff. Fans of “current Nightwish” should love it and those of old Nightwish (Tarja’s days) should be happy too. Floor is a good mix between Anette and Tarja and while she doesn’t go full-on operatic has a great voice. I’ve been listening to the band since 2001 and Over the Hills and Far Away. Not quite as old-school as some who started with Oceanborn and Wishmaster but old enough. “Tenth Man Down” is still one of my go-to songs today. What do I think about the new album?
I love it.
From the starting track the band takes off running and never lets go. You get little breaks here and there but the speed and heaviness wins the day. “Shudder Before the Beautiful” hits hard followed by “Weak Fantasy” and the single “Elan” gives a short pause. “Yours is an Empty Hope” brings things back up to speed. By the time you get to the titular track “Endless Forms Most Beautiful” you’ve been magneted to your headphones (or speakers) for almost a half-hour without noticing.
One thing on most Nightwish albums besides the hard-hitting opening song is “the epic song.” Yeah, you know the one. This time it’s “The Greatest Show on Earth” clocking in at just under 24 minutes. Much like “Beauty of the Beast” and “The Poet of the Pendulum” it isn’t just one song but a song with many divisions. This one song is like an EP on its own. If I had to pick one part that really stuck with me it’d be Floor and the chorus yelling “we were here.” We all make our marks on the world and hopefully each of us has a legacy that proves our existence.
Quick picks: Shudder Before the Beautiful, Weak Fantasy, Yours is an Empty Hope, The Greatest Show on Earth
Tracklist:
1. Shudder Before the Beautiful
2. Weak Fantasy
3. Elan
4. Yours is an Empty Hope
5. Our Decades in the Sun
6. My Walden
7. Endless Forms Most Beautiful
8. Edema Ruh
9. Alpenglow
10. The Eyes of Sharbat Gula
11. The Greatest Show on Earth
Make sure to catch them on the upcoming tour.