Nightwish, the queen of female fronted symphonic metal bands, doesn't want to step down from its throne. That's why they keep making metalheads happy with their endless wit for melodies. With a new singer and renewed siprit, Endless Forms Most Beautiful seeks to condense in eleven songs the idea of the greatness of the cosmos which we have the fortune to belong to.
Have you listened to Endless Forms Most Beautiful. What did you think about it? Please,
comment and share.
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In
2007, when the Finnish band selected a pop singer as replacement for operatic vocalist
Tarja Turunen, many fans were very disappointed. Though the music didn’t lose
quality, time proved them right, and it was evident that Anette Olzon didn’t
fit the role. Fortunately, the band decided to give the part to the best singer
in the scene, Floor Jansen. Her enrolment was received with excitement and
curiosity. That is why Endless Forms Most Beautiful arrives with very high
expectations and, in my opinion, pays off.
It
is a delight to listen to Floor Jansen singing. She is a vocalist with lots of
presence, who frees all her power when necessary; but caresses notes with
sweetness and delicacy in the most intimate moments of songs. Her voice fits to
perfection with the one of Marco Hietala (male vocalist and bassist of the
band). However, in this particular record, he lets Floor Jansen be the center
of attention and mostly supports with backing vocals.
In
contrast with the latest records of Nightwish in Endless Forms Most Beautiful
the orchestral arrangements are not as present as the rock band. Every member
of the group shows off with his instrument. Readers who have been following
Nightwish for many years can enjoy songs that evoke the music of albums like
Oceanborn and Wishmaster.
There
is a great balance between distorted guitars, fast drum beats, keyboards and
orchestral elements. There’s also a lot of presence of piper Troy Donockley,
who adds folky sounds to the music and very tasteful backing vocals.
Each of the songs of
Endless Forms Most Beautiful is worthy of attention. All the tracks have
particular stories to tell, so I think all of them deserve to be analyzed.
1. Shudder Before the
Beautiful:
A
few spoken sentences, pronounced by British scientist Richard Dawkins, are the
sparkle for an explosive introduction to the album. The band and the orchestra
show off with all their might in this song, and honor its title by making
whoever listens to it shudder before its beauty.
Floor Jansen starts
singing delicately, almost whispering; but unfolds the full potency of her
voice before the track reaches the chorus. At last, Nightwish has a strong
vocalist again and this song proves it.
Another
of the surprises that caught my attention was that, after many years, keyboard
player Tuomas Holopainen and guitarist Emppu Vuorinen engage in a battle of
solos. The tangling harmonies of both instruments demonstrate amazing chemistry
between both of them.
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2. Weak Fantasy:
It is one of the heaviest tracks in the album. It has a very rhythmic
riff and very clever vocal melodies. The song also has some solid acoustic
guitar passages that give it an unconventional touch. One can notice the hand
of bassist Marco Hietala in the composition. There are certain parts that
remind listeners of Marco’s other band, Tarot.
The harmonies that Floor and Marco sing together are proof of the great
chemistry their voices have. They do not take too much advantage of it in this
particular record, but I consider that their vocal combination is better than
the one Marco and previous singer, Anette, made.
3. Élan:
This song is a jewel that invites the listener to enjoy the wonders that
being alive offers. It is simple, festive and folky. Élan has melodies that can
stay ringing in one’s mind for weeks.
The protagonist of this tune is, definitely, Troy Donockley. With flute and pipes arrangements, Troy shows that he can provide many
fresh sounds as the new member of Nightwish. He also provides some solid backing vocals.
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4. Yours is an Empty Hope:
Another heavy song empowered by one of Empu’s classic tangled riffs. Its
lyrics talk about hatred in the internet, a topic that has turned recurrent in
metal albums over the past few years. The symphonic orchestra frolics with
guitar and drums, in order to achieve a powerful musical storm.
5. Our Decades in the Sun:
A ballad dedicated to the parents of the members of the band. It’s a
heartfelt and enjoyable song, but it can easily be skipped.
6. My Walden:
The lyrics of Endless Forms Most Beautiful present many literary
references worthy of listing. "My Walden" is based on an essay about
life in the woods by American writer Henry David Thoreau.
The pleasure of enjoying nature is a recurring topic in the lyrics of
Nightwish. It has a marvelous effect when accompanied by folk music and a
catchy chorus. The only turn-off this song has is that it suddenly changes to a
second movement, less cheerful, that cuts the inspiration of listeners who are
expecting to sing the chorus one more time.
7. Endless Forms Most Beautiful:
The title of the album is inspired in a phrase that appears in Charles Darwin’s
The Origin of Species. “Endless Forms
Most Beautiful” is a very animated song with a “bombastic” beat. Its lyrics are
about the wonders surrounding evolution. With a very catchy chorus and
magnificent orchestral passages, it generates an atmosphere as intense as the
words in its verses.
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8. Edema Ruh:
Music is a cosmic force that has the capacity to reach ears and hearts,
just to whisper the phrase: “I understand you”. “Edema Ruh” is a tribute to
those who make that magic force possible. It is a beautiful song that tucks the
souls of the ones who have played a musical instrument.
9. Alpenglow:
This song will be very much appreciated by fans of the first records of
Nightwish, like Oceanborn or Wishmaster. It generates the mental image of white
guitars and owls on album covers. For those of you who aren’t familiar to the
past of Nightwish, this means lyrics about nature, “bombastic” music, lots of
keyboards and plenty of female vocals.
10. The Eyes of Sharbat Gula:
At this point, Endless Forms Most
Beautiful slows down violently and indulges to a monotonous and dark
instrumental song. This piece is inspired in the famous National Geographic picture of a green eyed girl from Afghanistan. Piano,
flute, orchestra and choir succeed in expressing the harm suffered by innocent
people during wartime.
11. The Greatest Show on Earth:
Brace yourselves for the 24 minute finale of Endless Forms Most Beautiful. It is the most ambitious piece ever
written by Nightwish. It has the intention of representing the fascination for millions
of years of evolution in a glorious heavy metal symphony. For this purpose, the
band makes use of atmospheric and natural sounds and several speeches by
scientist Richard Dawkins.
The effort is titanic, but a track that runs for nearly half an hour
should have the power of keeping the attention of listeners during all that
time. That is my concern with the “The Greatest Show on Earth”. I see this song
as “big”, not great. As the “legendary” conclusion of the album, I find it
terribly diffuse. On its defense, the mix of Toccata and Fugue and Enter
Sandman is fucking awesome.
Endless Forms Most
Beautiful is a great start for a new stage in the career of Nightwish, with two
new members (the new drummer is a temporary replacement) and many new soon-to-be
classics.
