CD REVIEW: NIGHTWISH – Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Rating: 8.5/10
Reviewed by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur
Nightwish has undergone changes over the years, but the addition of Floor Jansen as lead vocalist instantly gave them a larger fan base by at least one – this reviewer. I couldn’t wait to hear what the band came up with this time around. Disc opener “Shudder Before The Beautiful” is a cool track that allows Floor to demonstrate her soaring vocals over awesome symphonic metal. The guitar work is killer and helps sets the standard for the rest of the disc. “Weak Fantasy” builds on the first songs momentum and gives a larger symphonic sound with keyboards and layered background vocals. “Yours Is An Empty Hope” has furious guitars, compliments of Empuu Vuorinen, that gives the track bite that is accentuated by Jansen’s vocals. “My Walden” is a bit different than other tracks on the disc, with a Celtic edge. The arrangement and the vocals are good, but something seems to miss the mark. “Edema Ruh” opens with airy keyboards and soon morphs when the guitars and rhythm section join the fray. The song shifts between soft and hard, hitting on all cylinders when in the harder mode, with a heavy bass from Marco Hietala.
Lead single “Elan” has a mellower edge to it, and even leans in a Celtic direction, much like “My Walden” – thanks to Troy Donockley’s pipes, flutes, and whistles – that veers from the path set by the opening one-two punch of the first two tracks. While showing a softer side of the band, it also has a cool arrangement. “Our Decades In The Sun” is a beautiful ballad that showcases Floors voice, along with a melodic piano piece played eloquently by Tuomas Holopainen that sets nicely against a heavy bottom end at times. When the drums and guitars kick in this song develops an edge. Title track “Endless Forms Most Beautiful” is a track that combines different textures and creates one of the more diverse songs on the disc. The keyboards and guitars dance nicely on this one. “Alpenglow” features everything a Nightwish fan has come to expect, but the rhythm section really anchors this track underneath the vocals, guitars, and keyboards. The solid drumming has cool fills compliments of Jukka Nevalainen. “The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula” takes a left turn from the tracks on the disc, but sets the table for the nearly 24:00 opus “The Greatest Show On Earth.” While featuring beautiful keyboards and arrangements, the track really gives Jansen room to run and combine her vocals with those of bassist Marco Hietala at times. Also listen for heavy keyboards and drums to fill the void not occupied by great guitar riffs.
NIGHTWISH LINKS:
Some other stuff you might dig
Category: CD Reviews