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Nightwish - Yesterwynde CD (album) cover

YESTERWYNDE

Nightwish

Progressive Metal


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3 stars The album starts of amazingly, with some of Nightwish's best work to date; then Troy is put on vocals and I'm just like "ugh." Come on, Tuomas, he's a terrible vocalist.

Mastering is a little overdone, but is forgivable, and mixing feels off, as well. I'll give 'em props for the progressive/experimental nature of the album; probably their most progressive album to date. Will require more listens to garner more appreciation here, and if not for the less than satisfactory engineering work, it'd probably be a grower. Not a fan of the synthy/80s poppish moments ("The Day of..." was a, erm, failed experiment imo).

Also what's with the repetition of "we are" in some of the songs' lyrics... lol it sounds like a Penn State advertisement.

Overall a considerable improvement over Human:||:Nature as it is much more consistent (and has more DR, I think), and in some ways better than Endless Forms Most Beautiful, as it is more ambitious (and bombastic, like their earlier work), but lacks the concise refinement that made EFMB masterful imo. Goes a little too far into left field for me, but at least it doesn't have the "kumbaya" moments of their previous album...

"An Ocean of Strange Islands" is kind of by a long shot the best song on the album and probably of Jansen-era thus far. It's not even close, how much better than the rest of the album it is. "Something Whispered Follow Me" is probably Nightwish's first dive into proper prog metal, too, and it's quite good (kind of has some Opethian vibes imo).

Upon second listen, ig my other major complaint would be that the symphonics here really sound bad, like MIDI. It doesn't feel organic like on the previous 2 albums...

Report this review (#3092012)
Posted Friday, September 20, 2024 | Review Permalink
3 stars 1. Yesterwynde for the ideal solemn intro, intense, sovereign; orchestral surrounded by choirs on a used lyrical crescendo 2. An Ocean of Strange Islands which continues with the machine gun after the short intro; symphonic metal, keyboards galore, a warlike rhythm, it twirls everywhere, it's good ... and it's agreed with the voices, the string instruments sampled by Tuomas, the guitar riff; the aerial break with Floor who tries delicacy for a while; it's good but it sounds a lot like EPICA, WITHIN TEMPTATION which themselves sound like NIGHTWISH; the hard riff before Troy's folk-type flute for the progressive outro, soundtrack of an Irish elf film 3. The Antikythera Mechanism follows, more pompous, grandiloquent with a phrased song, Floor in voluptuous jerks; the volleys of violins as a highlight; EPICA again when they were just the little thumbs, a symphonic air with the break battle and the heavy riffs that cut, the violins that tear the air for the grandiloquent final rise, yes it will often be the case 4. The Day of... with the folkloric electro pop rock title with the choir of the little children of wood or another 5. Perfume of the Timeless for the tribal pads on a forest of violins or the cinematic haunting intro, and choirs that rain down from everywhere; the song starts and you will have to be reminded of it on an encore repetita phonetically interesting but cruelly consensual, mantranic. Floor seems alone since Marco left and it is not the burning heavy symphonic moments otherwise perfect that will move because of the repetition for this title, excellent but! 6. Sway for the bucolic folk nursery rhyme ballad with a vocal duet Floor and Troy on an acoustic, to be taken as an interlude

7. The Children of 'Ata with the choir coming from Tonga there; Floor speaks more than she sings on this true story, the sound, the prog blood is in place with the cries and tribal flights 8. Something Whispered Follow Me with a heavy tempo, a piece that stands out with latent synth, Floor reminds me of AMBEON then WITHIN TEMPTATION; it's beautiful like this contemplative break, taking before hearing Floor fly away; pleasant piece that doesn't do the easy, my favorite 9. Spider Silk piano and western slide guitar as an intro launching Floor for the redundant title, getting closer to Annette's titles, much more pop rock. The crystalline piano outro 10. Hiraeth, missing in Welsh for the singing in the local language, more glacial and solemn nursery rhyme; rise halfway through with the return of Troy's keyboards and uilleann pipes bringing the folk procession 11. The Weave returns to the destructive wave of the group printing choirs, fat riff and grandiloquent rise for a debauchery of overly predictable sounds; the choirs very forward, EPICA did that on its first album; shivering outro 12. Lanternlight concludes this chapter which had started 2 albums ago; a triptych with a syrupy melody with proven spleen, piano and flutes in the distance. Origine on Planète prog.(3.5)

Report this review (#3093195)
Posted Tuesday, September 24, 2024 | Review Permalink

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