I surprised myself in 2020 when I did not include the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish's ninth album Human. :II: Nature. (which I reviewed here) in my Albums of the Year list. There was a time when a new album from Nightwish would have been almost a dead cert to top such a list - but Human. :II: Nature. could not crack the top 10 of 2020 for me. I felt bad leaving it out at the time, but in retrospect it easy to see why I did. Easily the most divisive album in Nightwish's generally fantastic canon, Human. :II: Nature. saw the band push the film score-esque side of their sound further than ever - with bandleader and keyboard player Tuomas Holopainen deciding to tack the eight-part 30 minute long classical suite All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World on the end of a strong 50 minute long modern-sounding Nightwish album. As much as I like the album's first half, the second half has still not grown on me - and, as such, Human. :II: Nature. rarely gets pulled off the shelf these days. Considering that the four albums which preceded it, despite the line-up changes and shifts in overall tone, are four of my favourite metal albums of all time - Human. :II: Nature. still feels like a bit of a disappointment overall looking back now, even though I like most of the actual 'songs' written for it. It did not help, either, that long-time bassist and secondary vocalist Marko Hietala, who had seemingly become Holopainen's right-hand man over the years, perhaps tempering some of the latter's stranger ideas, left the band at the beginning of 2021. He did not have writing credits on Human. :II: Nature. and his vocal contributions were significantly reduced, too, so Hietala's departure was not actually that much of a surprise in retrospect. In truth, the Nightwish camp has not seemed all that happy since Human. :II: Nature.'s release. The tour was obviously significantly impacted by the pandemic and Hietala's departure also had an impact on the band's dynamics. Frontwoman Floor Jansen has also given some rather negative interviews over the past few years, too, even criticising the band's management at one point - and, of course, she has had significant health struggles to contend with, too. As such, I was not sure what to expect of Yesterwynde - Nightwish's tenth studio album which dropped last month. The fact that the album is not going to be supported by a tour further points to a potentially unhappy camp - and another, more recent, interview with Jansen suggested that she was perhaps not thrilled with this and how the album turned out. Despite the strange few years for the band, though, I went into the album with my love for Nightwish burning bright - and generally I have been having a great time with it. It feels much more like 2015's Endless Forms Most Beautiful (which I reviewed here) than Human. :II: Nature. - and there are some heavier moments which hark back somewhat to 2007's Dark Passion Play. Hietala is missed, particularly vocally, but I do not mind the increased vocal presence of multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley. This is a view not likely to be shared by all, though, but it goes without saying that Jansen sounds excellent as ever. It is the band's first album, too, with bassist Jukka Koskinen (Norther; Wintersun; Cain's Offering; Amberian Dawn; Crownshift) - who officially replaced Hietala in 2022 and toured with the band in support of the last album.
Nightwish's albums always take plenty of listens to fully appreciate and there are still some songs here which I do not think I have fully digested yet. There are complexities in the arrangements which are typical of Nightwish's style - but there are some songs which flirt with new ideas. There is a bit more of a prominent heaviness at times, which is welcome, although, at times, the overall mix could be better in my opinion - and Jansen does occasionally suffer due to all of the bombast going on around her. Perhaps uncharacteristically, though, the album starts out slowly - with the short, folky title track. In truth the last album's opening track built from a slow start and 2011's Imaginaerum had a more acoustic-based intro - but Nightwish tend to go for bombast from the off. Yesterwynde is a delicate scene-setter, though, opening with what sounds like a film reel spinning - before a chamber choir takes over, singing a multi-layered and rich refrain, over which some gentle strings add depth. Acoustic guitars and Donockley's folk instruments then replace the classical introduction - and Jansen starts to sing in a more restrained, floaty manner. Donockley adds gentle harmonies at opportune moments and the song packs a lot into its short runtime - before the epic and heavy An Ocean of Strange Islands takes over, and the album seems to start proper. A crunchy guitar riff from founding guitarist Emppu Vuorinen leads the charge from the off, under which the extremely fast footwork of drummer Kai Hahto ensures that the nine minute-plus epic is one of the fastest and most aggressive pieces here. The emphasis on big guitar riffing and the dramatic vocal melodies of Jansen are one of the aforementioned harks back to the sound of Dark Passion Play. The orchestrations are perhaps less lush and varied here than they have been on the band's other recent albums - instead the strings provide dramatic stabs and a warm backing, with the keyboards and guitars generally feeling much more prominent. There are shades of power metal here at times, especially during a rare and pretty high octane guitar solo from Vuorinen which hits early on, whilst there are heavier breakdowns which focus on doomier and much more chugging riffs which are very typical of the Nightwish sound of a decade-plus ago. Some of the band's older crunch has been missing on recent albums, but this song sounds like a throwback in that regard - with Jansen using the grittier side of her voice at times to add to the overall heaviness, whilst a few more melodic moments see her more playful side come out. Arrangement-wise, too, the song is a bit different. There is not really a chorus here, with the track moving through a number of distinct movements. There are a couple of vocal hooks that do resurface, but in general this is a piece which keeps moving forward - building towards an epic crescendo which sees some pretty high-pitched operatic vocals from Jansen and a reprise of the opening riff, all of which follow a brief folky section with acoustic guitars and floaty vocals. A brief instrumental coda returns to this folk sound, with Donockley's uilleann pipes adding some mournful melodies as the lengthy track draws to a dark close.
An Ocean of Strange Islands is easily one of the best songs here, but the album continues to give. The first half in particular is very strong, but each listen reveals more to me - with The Antikythera Mechanism up next. The song opens with a mid-paced drum and bass groove, over which some swirling choral vocals sit, but it is not long before Jansen starts to sing - unleashing her powerful voice as the guitars kick in. This opening is very percussive, then, with the band rocking out around Koskinen's bass playing - but the song is very dynamic, moving back and forth between these groovier and folkier moments. Donockley does a fair amount of lead vocals on this album, and his first foray alone on Yesterwynde comes during an early low key moment here - his warm voice sitting nicely against a string backing during a short break in the mechanical bombastic seen elsewhere. Later expansions of this formula see him and Jansen singing together to create a bigger sound - and the song is the first here with a proper chorus, with the dramatic and staccato vocal melodies Jansen belts out also feeling like something from the band's past somewhat. There is a lot more of a guitar grind during most of the song, too, and it is nice that the bass is also pretty prominent. This allows the song to really groove along, not something typical of Nightwish's sound, and there is a raw heaviness to parts of the track as a result - whilst other moments see the keyboards and the orchestra really letting rip with a dynamic symphonic metal flair. The Day Of... retains the groovy feel of the previous track - but it places it in a much more overtly melodic backing. The track is one of the simplest and poppiest of the album - and it was one of the songs released as a single prior to the album dropping. The heaviness of the previous songs has been stripped away here with Koskinen's bass again the driving force. He and Hahto really lock in well together here to create an infectious groove, whilst Holopainen embraces some more overt synths than usual. There is a slight industrial edge to the track at times, then, but there remains a string backing at all times - and Vuorinen does add an edge later in the song with some snappy riffs and lead guitar melodies which play nicely off the grooves and vocal hooks. Jansen's vocal melodies are easy to latch onto, too, given the simpler arrangement - whilst a children's choir adds depth at times and a symphonic instrumental mid-section sees an explosion of grandness which contrasts with the rest of the song's simpler sound. This is the sort of song which is likely to be quite divisive, as it eschews a lot of typical metal trappings for something more overly pop - but I like it quite a bit. It does something different in my opinion - and it works nicely as a single without having that typical Nightwish single sound which has served the band well over the years.
The song which was released to kick off the album's promotional campaign first, though, was the lengthier Perfume of the Timeless. In some ways, this song does that that trademark single sound previously mentioned - albeit stretched out and played out over eight minutes. I liked the song from the off, though, and its lengthy introduction and build up returns to the vibe of some of the folkier moments of The Greatest Show on Earth - which links the album back to Endless Forms Most Beautiful nicely. In fact, the song overall feels like a call back to that album - with Jansen singing in a much more delicate way once the verse finally kicks in, and the band moving back and forth between lighter verses and heavier choruses. Donockley's pipes and wind instruments dominate during the symphonic intro, but the song gets going proper once the guitars kick in and a heavier riff takes over. This riff is short lived, though, as the verses are slower as mentioned - but the chorus sees it return and is typical modern Nightwish with plenty of choral additions and dramatic strings. I do feel that Jansen could be higher in the mix during the chorus, though, as she does get a bit swamped by the orchestra and the choir - but the melodies still cut through. It is an easy chorus to sing along with and this is partly why the song feels like the typical Nightwish single - despite the arrangement being a bit deeper. Another heavy and fast-paced symphonic instrumental section later features some excellent drumming from Hahto and plenty of crunch from Vuorinen. The song had me excited for the album following hearing it for the first time, despite all of the strange vibes currently surrounding the band, and Donockley's gentle vocals and some delicate piano during the closing coda perfectly see the song fade to a close. Those who really like Donockley's vocal contributions to Nightwish will find a lot to like in Sway - a much slower track which reins in the bombast heard so far to deliver something much folkier. His acoustic guitars and some gentle strings open the track in a surprisingly busy manner - but the track is very low key overall, with Donockley and Jansen singing together to create a warm, harmonised sound. There are strong vibes of bands like Mostly Autumn and Karnataka at times here, particularly the early albums from both, with Donockley's voice leading the charge. I like his voice quite a lot and it meshes well with Jansen's - even if she generally operates in a more supporting role here. Harvest was Donockley's big vocal moment on the last album, but I think that this track is better - largely as it feels a bit less forced from a folk perspective. The guitar melodies are memorable and I like the occasional breaks to let some darker strings take over. It gets more percussive as it moves along, creating an underpinning rhythm, with low whistles and dancing strings adding a majestic side to the song's core folk sound. It is a song which has grown on me in a big way - and it has become one of my favourites of Nightwish's acoustic-based pieces.
The Children of 'Ata returns to a heavier sound, but the song takes a little while to get going. It opens with a Tongalese choir singing in their native language, as the song is based on the true story of some children from Tonga getting stranded on the island of 'Ata, before Jansen starts to sing against a very sparse backdrop - with only a sparkling synth refrain for company. The track builds quite slowly around her vocal hooks, then, although the orchestra and synths do grow in stature - and some acoustic guitar is also added at times. Once the first chorus is reached, though, the band are back to operating at full tilt - and the heavy guitars kick in, taking the album back to some of the heavier moments of the past few songs. The overall sound is perhaps not as crunchy, so there are shades of the past couple of albums as a result, but there is still a big feel - albeit Vuorinen's guitar tone is a little warmer overall. The chorus is another hooky one, though, and the ethnic choir is used to great effect throughout the song - with the occasional deep burst from them really keeping things sounding different to the typical Nightwish approach to choral vocals. There is less diversity arrangement-wise, despite the slow build up, but the song is still a memorable ones due to the Polynesian influences which have been weaved into the band's traditional sound. Something Whispered Follow Me opens with a pretty expansive lead guitar moment from Vuorinen. His role in the band has generally reduced over the years, and he is essentially a rhythm player these days, but the mid-paced and spacious opening to this track really benefits from his melodic playing - and he adds a lot of vibrato to his hanging leads to create a memorable and effective sound. The song is not all that riffy, but these guitar refrains are returned to throughout the track - and they help to create a pretty expansive sound overall, with the bass creating a deep rhythmic pulse beneath these snaking leads. These instrumental sections have weight and feel quite progressive, but when Jansen sings the band take a backseat initially - with a simple beat and string arrangement accompanying her. Occasional guitar leads sit beneath, though, and another hooky chorus sees her delivering her lines with real warmth - as the chorus is not all that heavy with the band instead conjuring up an excellent bed of strings and a swinging groove. This is not a song which did a lot for me on first listen, but it has become a real favourite of late. The focus on more prominent lead guitar moments is welcome and there is still a dense and memorable sound throughout despite the lack of any real heavy moments. Opening with classical-sounding piano melodies and some effects-heavy clean guitar playing, Spider Silk feels different again - although once Jansen starts to sing in her trademark playful manner the song sounds like classic recent Nightwish. The melodies here are very typical of the band's recent approach and it is another piece which grows in stature as it moves along. The guitar crunch absent from the last track returns here, slowly worming its way into the mix, before a big chorus drops in - with more heavy guitars and a grittier vocal from Jansen. Hypnotic moments with repetitive vocal hooks and a more mechanical guitar groove help to shake things up - whilst elsewhere Donockley harmonises nicely with Jansen to add depth. Like The Children of 'Ata there is simpler arrangement here, but the strong hooks and typical Nightwish flair keep the song interesting - even if the extended outro feels somewhat superfluous.
Hiraeth is another slower and more acoustic-based track - with acoustic guitars and some delicate wordless vocals opening things up, over which some mournful strings and a greater vocal presence is soon added. This is another song which features Donockley vocally in a big way - although this track is generally sung more as a duet, with him and Jansen both taking the lead during different parts of the song. He sings in a deeper manner than is typical for him, which sounds a bit strange, but given the song's downbeat nature it works well - and he contrasts nicely with Jansen's more floating delivery whenever she takes over. She is the light to Donockley's shade - and, whilst Hietala is definitely missed vocally here, there is still a nice vocal diversity when they sing together on this album. Unlike Sway, though, this song does get heavier. The band all kick in later on, with Vuorinen laying down a folky guitar lead, whilst a busy instrumental section later sees Donockley's pipe playing some strong melody lines against a fast-paced drum beat. There are shades of I Want My Tears Back as a result, but the song feels more grounded in a folkier sound - with the more metallic sections there to add a darkness. The Weave is a shorter piece than many of the tracks here, and the penultimate track goes for a bit of a different sound overall - with a synth-led intro soon giving way to a drum and bass groove which leads the charge, over which Jansen sings. The organic presence of the rhythm section gives the song a different feel - but the orchestra still add some dense strings over the top at times, and there is a real heaviness injected into the album once Vuorinen joins in - his tough guitar rhythms perfectly matching the fast footwork of Hahto. It is rare to have such a focus on the rhythm section on a Nightwish album, though, so the song does stand out as a result - but it does still hit a lot of typical symphonic metal sounds with dramatic instrumental sections and some soaring vocal-led moments. It does not hit as hard as some of the other tracks here and the symphonic moments are less bombastic - but the heavy moments are welcome. The album then comes to a close with Lanternlight, a ballad which opens with sombre piano melodies - over which Jansen soon starts to sing. She sings, at least initially, in a deeper tone than is typical for her - but, given how diverse of a singer she is, this tone gradually shifts as the song moves along. She sounds more expansive as the track progresses and strings join Holopainen's piano. There is also plenty of focus on Holopainen's piano playing, too, with a lengthy instrumental section playing out like a classical composition - after which the melodies slow down further and Donockley adds his warm voice to the mix. His harmonies and the dense strings add darkness to the piece - although the strings later become a bit busier, which leads to a more urgent-sounding vocal. The song never gets heavy, either, and the slow-burning ballad closes the album on a plaintive note with Donockley actually having the last say vocally and the album closing as it opened - slowly and with the sound of the film reel. Even just listening to the album again whilst writing this review, more nuances have jumped out at me. There is plenty more to discover I am sure but I already know that I like this album a lot - and I am sure that my opinion will only improve. It is certainly stronger than Human. :II: Nauture. overall but where it sits in the canon is hard to say. There are familiar moments here but also some experiments - most of which succeed. I can see this album getting plenty more attention from me over the coming months - and I really hope that, one day, some of these songs get played live.
The album was released on 20th September 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Perfume of the Timeless.
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