Nightwish came a long way since they started their endeavor in 1996. The band around Tuomas Holopainen truly was with the pioneers of what was to become Symphonic Metal. Their fulminant career didn’t come without their hiccups, though. First, the somewhat messy divorce from Tarja Turunen made headlines across the mainstream metal press. Anette Olzon didn’t fare much better after a couple of thunderous records or so. And that left the band – rightly or wrongly – with a bad rap.
Luckily, with the arrival of the spirited and somewhat carismatic Floor Jansen, some calm finally came to Nightwish‘s symphonic realm. Only, the masters that be stuck her with the two worst records currently on the NW roster (check here and here for guidance). To the point that the RMR crew decided to deny them entry into our review pipe next time. You wish, right? Because curiosity killed the cat again, and here we are nursing old insults and looking for new glories to bask in Nightwish‘s bosom yet again. The incorrigibles salute you!
In truth, the RMR crew wondered how Yesterwynde would sound without the presence of one Marko Hietala. And would the band finally manage to overcome their overwrought and often condescending academic and elitist musings? So many questions.
First and foremost, Nightwish will be Nightwish, so you shouldn’t expect any wild changes to their styles or to what came before this record. And yet. The moment Yesterwynde roared off into the blue yonder, we detected some new-found freshness in their tune. And while still overwhelmingly lengthy to a point, the band worked to reduce playtime. And that is a good thing.
Gone are all those overcooked, slightly syrupy, and overthought shenanigans. Instead, a refreshing explorative mood, quite akin to Imaginaerum, makes its appearance. Yup, you heard that right. We’re back in Anette Olzon‘s realm. Already, the excellent An Ocean of Strange Islands is living proof of that. This one sports such a blatant Holopainen handprint it almost hurts.1 But – it also contains one of Troy Donockley‘s best almost magical performances of the Ullieann Pipe in a series of great such interactions. Just sayin’.
That the band – allegedly2 – tried to substitute Hietala with Donockley on male vocals led to some serious head-scratching over here. His reach by no means matches the brute force Marko Hietala can muster. Troy‘s vocal performance famously appeared on Harvest of the conflicted Hvman. :II: Nature. piece for the first time. There’s nothing much wrong with Donockley‘s basic singing skills, but you’ll mostly get some softer crooning and nothing too harsh. A style nowhere near that irresistible powerhouse sound the former guy could muster, enough to carry the music hall and subdue the considerable powers Jansen can somewhat effortlessly throw at the audience.
And this already becomes evident on The Antikythera Mechanism which sees the female front seriously toning it down to favor her male companion. A track that’s – by the way – a lot drier than the rest and true garden-variety Nightwish fare. In other words, Donockley‘s clears will complement Yesterwynde nicely on songs like Sway with its thoughtful slightly unplugged airs but we seem to be short of a serious belter in NW land. For instance, Spider Silk would have gained a notch or two with a singer of Hietala‘s caliber.
And Yesterwynde also forms part of Kai Hahto‘s stellar year. His drumming skills first captured our attention on Wintersun’s overhyped yet underwhelming Time II piece. But on this here record, his considerable drumming skills are fully coming into their own. Measured, yet powerful blast beats roar into action when the metal calls for it. Whereas, on the more fantasy-laden softer parts, there’s a silkiness in there that’s pretty much astonishing.
But let’s not forget Floor Jansen‘s stellar performance with her – to date – most versatile offering yet. It takes a lot of skill to manage this kind of complexity and ever-changing soundscapes. Her vocals and person are always front-center in the mix, exactly where they ought to be. And that made me wonder where Holopainen resides in this production with his multi-pipe keyboard monster. True, you often get a few glints of some stellar keys, but apart from that, he’s invisible. Same as the Koskinen / Vuorinen guitar team whose audible presence – apart from a ton of overused and dime-a-dozen Nightwish-esque riffmastery – seems to hide somewhere in the props.
Now, let me circle back to the length of the album. True, in a long series of overly lengthy records, Yesterwynde stands out as a shorty. That’s a hefty thing to say with some 72 minutes of airplay, though. And indeed, many of the lengthier tracks could easily lose a minute or three of airtime which would have done away with that playing-to-the-audience-on-stage feeling on a recorded album. That action might also have brought a welcome change in the energy distribution of the record. Right now, you’ll find the most powerful songs at the very top of the tracklist, with the rest kinda quaking in their wake.
In conclusion, Nightwish, same as the famed leopard, won’t change its spots. And thus, those who looked for a ton of change on Yesterwynde will be disappointed. Also, this album won’t sway the stance most people took with Nightwish over the last two records. But, Holopainen reaching back into the past with a shorter, more focused, arrangement truly carried the flag. Gone are the half-hour pseudo-classical monstrosities slam at the end of the tracklist or the elitist monologues seemingly made to annoy the audience. And this brought some of that playful energy back that made this band great in the past. An almost theatrical setting that sits well with the material at hand and sports – ironically – much less of a cinematic component than its predecessor. In other words, Yesterwynde is a pretty balanced record that won’t bore you even after a few intensive listens.
In short, there’s a spring in Nightwish‘s step yet again. A soaring and positive energy permeating a record with a band having fun performing the piece. And that is what we need more of in the future.
Record Rating: 6/10 | Label: Nuclear Blast | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 20 September 2024
- Scrooge Mc Duck from Holopainen’s backyard beckons you.-↩
- Or obviously, you be the judge. -Ed.-↩