Traxan

Track listing:
Shudder Before the Beautiful
Weak Fantasy
Élan
Yours Is an Empty Hope
Our Decades in the Sun
My Walden
Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Edema Ruh
Alpenglow
The Eyes of Sharbat Gula
The Greatest Show on Earth

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Although due next week, the album leaked out and I couldn't wait. I'll make it legal next week because I've been a fan of this band for a decade.

The quick review:

The title comes from a line in Darwin's "Origin of Species," and the opening track "Shudder Before the Beautiful" features a spoken intro by Richard Dawkins. Sounds like Tuomas is going full Neil Peart on us.

This album features two new members, singer Floor Jansen and drummer Kai Hahto, who is filling in for regular drummer Jukka Nevalainen, who is struggling with severe and chronic insomnia. Jukka has not quit and if and when he is healthy enough he will rejoin the band. Tuomas has said that might be 2-3 years.

With this album, Nightwish has almost completely backtracked. There is next to no orchestra or choir on this album. There is some but nothing to the ridiculous bombast of the last 3 albums. It's a straight up metal album featuring more guitar solos by Emppu Vourianen than he has done I think in his Nightwish career.

Lyrics seem more personal and less around the silly fantasy themes that made me cringe so many times. "Our Decades in the Sun" is clearly written for his father. I'm not sure if the man died but you get that impression.

Floor has dialed back her vocals. Normally this woman just blows the shingles off the roof, but she is more subdued here, and her vocals fit perfect. So don't fuck this one up, Tuomas.

The final track is 23 minutes long but it's good, and not cringe-inducing like "Song of Myself."

I need a few more listens. This isn't the Nightwish I've been blasting in the car for the last decade. It's like "Oceanborn," without the youthful naivete.

First song off the album:

coomok

Addict to Nightwish...

RocShemp

Listening to it right now and really enjoying it. I wanted to get the 3-disc set but I couldn't justify an extra $30 for just one more disc. Had it been $10 more, I'd been okay with the extra expense.

bunkaroo

The sound clips on iTunes sound pretty weak to me sonically. Like no punch or impact at all and drenched in reverb. I know it's "Mastered for iTunes" but I wonder if the CD is as bad.

RocShemp

I listened to the whole album (including the instrumental disc). I like it but don't love it. But I think it's because it's not what I am used to from the last few albums. There's less grandeur and symphony and mostly straightforward hard rock. Also, the first and last tracks are pretty much the weak parts of the album.

Otherwise, it's pretty solid. But then the same thing happened with Dark Passion Play. It was good but felt a tad off. Annette and the band didn't click until Imaginaerum. I'm sure the next album will be where this new iteration of Nightwish with Floor really shines.

The Cow

I think the orchestral disc (3rd CD) is pretty good.

Would be interesting to hear some of that mixed in.

RocShemp

I wish they'd release the orchestral disc apart. I just can't bring myself to pony up the cash for the 3-disc set.

Traxan

I can't help but think Nightwish has stumbled badly for the first time. There were trips here and there but never anything as severe as this album. No one seems excited about it. And the setlist from the tour is pretty heavy on new material, too. They launched last night in NYC.

01. Shudder Before The Beautiful
02. Yours Is An Empty Hope
03. Amaranth
04. She Is My Sin
05. Endless Forms Most Beautiful
06. My Walden
07. The Islander
08. Élan
09. Weak Fantasy
10. Storytime
11. Nemo
12. I Want My Tears Back
13. Stargazers
14. Sleeping Sun
15 The Greatest Show On Earth

Encore:

16. Ghost Love Score
17. Last Ride Of The Day

And of course, someone recorded the whole show.

The Cow

It's grown a lot on me after a few listens.

I'm seeing them next Friday, really looking forward to seeing all 3 bands. Although I wish Delain would get more than 6 songs.

hdnmickey

I enjoyed it on the first listen. And I still haven't seen anything that convinces me that, outside the obvious change at lead vocals, that I should be thinking this CD as a big change from the others. I could have easily picked out this new release as a Nightwish album without anybody telling me before hand. If anything I can see people getting on them for continuing to release the same album over and over.

Why So Blu?

Just started listening to the newer stuff with Floor - she's a babe, too. She's got some proper thickness mixed in with equal parts hotness and that voice is fucking awesome.



EDIT - She's also 6"1.

Juzylle

Meh, Epica is better. And Simone is hotter.

There, I said it.

Why So Blu?

Awesome. Start your own Epica thread then, because this is a Nightwish thread.

bunkaroo

This is actually the first Nightwish album that has stuck with me since Once. I think it starts to drag some but the first few songs are really good.

Michael Corvin

I love Nightwish and listen to Imaginarum and DPP fairly regularly (along with a mix of Tarja tunes). Also loved Thomas' Scrooge album.

I got it a few months back and gave it a few spins. It has since been forgotten and a band I used to look forward to new material from is on the back burner.

JOE29

Gave up on Nightwish a few years ago. I got into them pretty heavily after Once was released. Which I still play from time to time but they changed after that. And I lost interest. I would go back to them if they ever got heavy again. But for the time being, I've moved on.

Michael Corvin

That's when I got more into them. Once they went epic and symphonic I couldn't get enough. This one, along with Floor (thus far) is a misfire.

They should have tried to swallow their pride and reunite with Tarja. Their recent symphonic sound + Tarja's vocals?

Why So Blu?

Tarja is cool and all but Floor wipes the floor with her and Anette. Hands down. Tarja has more operatic vocals, Anette is scaled down, but Floor has so many more meshed qualities. She can do those epic vocals like Tarja but retain that metal edge. My vinyl arrived today and I listened to the first 3 songs and it was great.

I also managed to score a copy of the Showtime Somewhere BD - I guess that's the show/tour where Floor filled in before being the new official singer. I was watching some clips on Youtube and Floor's rendition of Last Ride of the Day was phenomenal in that Whacken festival.



And boy can Floor headbang like a motherfucker!

Don't get me wrong - I know folks love Tarja - hell, she does rock, and was with the band the longest but Floor is a great replacement. I've watched some clips with Anette and there's something that's off about her being in the band. I think Bye Bye Beautiful is a great song, though, and the video rocks. She's rather average.

In any event - I will be checking them out when they visit L.A. again.

Traxan

Better learn to like EFMB. You won't get new material for 2 years.

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/nig...as-holopainen/

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen has confirmed to Roppongi Rocks in a brand new interview that the band will take what is planned to be a year-long break during all of 2017. "That's the plan, yes," he said. "The last show for this tour is going to happen in October. Then all of 2017 off and back with a vengeance in 2018."

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I hope they return with a fully recovered Jukka. I miss his drumming.

hdnmickey

That would be awesome.

Why So Blu?

Well, looks like I won't be seeing them live until 2018 then. Oh well.

Michael Corvin

So Anette wanted a break to have a kid (a natural thing to do) and they end up taking a break after this album anyway?

The Cow

Floor is supposedly recording some vocals for the next Sabaton album. (due out this fall, I think)

Why So Blu?

What was their touring like, though? I was watching the documentary highlighting the touring and they were on the road for like 2 years. If they tour 1.5 - 2 years at a time then it's fine. Now if Anette gets pregnant right in the middle of the tour then yeah, it fucks up the momentum.

Not to mention Juka (the drummer) is on break due to his own health issues. He at least waited until they finished a world tour before taking the time off. Anette was being difficult and she got canned. Hey, it meant we got Floor and I they're better for it.

Michael Corvin

So everyone says. I'm still waiting to be floored.