Floor, firstly we feel a huge admiration for your work and it is a proud have you as lead singer of the band we love. Thanks for your generosity in give us this interview. Let's go?! NewEra: If you were not a singer, what you would have been chosen? Floor: I can't imagine a life without music. It's not just something you do... It's who you are. But I always loved nature, so I imagine that would be something related to this. NewEra: You have several social networks, and is always updating things that happen with you, like the birth of your niece, your relationship with Sabaton drummer etc. How do you think that should be this relation artist-and-fan? Do you think important this partnership between artist and fan clubs, and the support that these people provide to your work? Floor: I am very careful with what I share and what it doesn't comes to my personal life. Things I am extremely proud or happy, something I would like to share. And I hope people can respect the limits set when it comes to privacy. When that happens, I like to be open and relaxed, and think it's important that kind of relationship with fans. But there are haters that make it impossible to be more open, a sad fact. I value the contact with those who follow me with good intentions, and fan clubs are the best example of this. I am happy to share and cooperate together to keep the magic alive. NewEra: What is the funniest thing that happened to you on stage? Something that you stopped and thought: "I can't believe that it's happening!". Floor: Years ago, but still the first thing that pops to my mind. It was with After Forever and we played on a weird stage. The guitarist, Sander, made a wrong move and fell off the stage. That happened in such a strange way I could only laugh. I was a bit worried if he was injuried, but the stage wasn't high. And all he could think about was keeping his guitar safe. I was headbanging and laughing loud. A great combination. NewEra: Many singers claim that headbang affects vocal cords and the ability to control breathing. You headbang in tune with the music being played, ever had a problem? There is any preparation or exercise to headbanging like you? Floor: Headbanging happens with the head and neck, and affects your breathing. But if I have time, I can recover breath after headbanging. Doesn't affect vocal cords, just when you try to sing during the beats due the position of your larynx. It's good to warm the neck, spinning it slowly. NewEra: Everyone is excited to see the new era and especially the album Endless Forms Most Beautiful. What you could tell us in advance about the record, we can expect more agressive vocals, something like what you've been doing in ReVamp? And what "Find the origin" has to do with all this? Floor: I can't reveal too much, just that I used everything I have to offer vocally. "Find the origin" has to do with the album theme. Although is not a concept album. You will soon find out! NewEra: What are the main changes you would quote on the new album Endless Forms Most Beautiful in comparison with everything you have done in your career? There was a vocal maturity or you could only apply techniques you already knew and never had the chance to do? Floor: I am using my softer sounds, more than ever. Singing gently softly with a lot of emotions. A nice contrast to all agressive stuff. NewEra: When you give your masterclasses, you see yourself in the students? Your dreams, your insecurity, your performance? What is the importance of teaching programs like this? What you think to do some masterclass in South America one day? Floor: Sometimes I can relate. I think it's great to have a teacher who can give you some tools, but without studying and persist, nothing happens. I don't think my time today allow me a masterclass in Latin America, but I never say never. NewEra: What Nightwish song you would like to sing in a concert, and didn't had the opportunity? Floor: All of them! But I would like to do The Poet and the Pendulum one day. NewEra: We want to know if you as a professional already achieved all your goals? When you enter the stage, still feels those "butterflies"? Floor: I don't know what means "butterflies" (laughs), but I reached all my dreams actually. I can just continue living this dream. The only thing I hope is make it until I die of old age. NewEra: Floor, thank you so much for the interview. It was a pleasure and a honor to have this conversation with you. Please leave a message to the followers of "Nightwish: The beginning of a new era". Floor: This new album will take you on a new journey of Nighwish, which you haven't experienced yet. I am proud and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I am truly honored that you let me enter in your hearts as the new singer of Nightwish so warmly. I can't wait to start the tour and rock with you personally. Thanks for all the support and passion! With love and respect, Floor Jansen."
Two decades into their career, Nightwish's symphony curve still points upwards. If making the orchestra more gigantic is possible to be done - it is done. If pulling up the volume to twenty on choirs and guitars can be done, then that is done as well. There's more of everything, and then some. That which was once classified as opera metal has now gone through a metamorphosis and can rather be described as a musical hybrid between pop and symphony orchestra, with one or more crunching guitars.That this is probably the band's most diverse album to date, there is no doubt. There are sharp turns between calm and harmonic, epic and bombastic, heavy and sharp, and mediocre and bland. That evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkin's chanting voice gets to both begin and end the record feels like a stroke of genius. It gets sadly touching when he gets to the conclusion that we who can die are luckier than those who will never be born. In between, the quality is a constant roller coaster.Weak Fantasy is a galloping track, but which despite having an interesting melody, falls with singer Floor Jansen's too sweet and gentle voice.Likewise, the single track í‰lan, is more of a yawn than a cheerful wohoo. (Note: Yes, that's what is says...)But in contrast to this, Yours Is An Empty Hope offers an unexpected and awaited punch in the face. An instrumental middle part with raw attitude, guitar riffs with a hint of thrash metal, and on top of this a singer who finally offers some bite.Also the title track shows a more aggressive Nightwish, which more than happily gets my undivided attention.Endless Forms Most Beautiful is, as I mentioned earlier, probably the most nuanced material the band has released. Many parts are incredibly beautiful, and above all, performed with an amazing professionalism. However, I feel that there are too few songs that stays in my memory, for this one to reach the level of earlier masterworks. Even though Troy Donockley finally gets the space he deserves, his instrumental skills are not enough to raise this record above the usual.Highlight: Yours is an Empty HopeLow point: í‰lanScore: 6/10
"Don't like!Who was the disrespectful 'fan' that put our single out before release? We work SO hard to create something special, in high quality! And you think it's ok to steal it? Dear REAL fans: this íˆlan version is NOT official and sounds unlike the real thing!!!! Please wait for our official release next week on the 13th of February! And know that a single is one song, always impossible to cover the contents of an entire album in this one example :-) I red reactions based on this illegal spread monster and got sad to the bones with the words based on one song in poor quality illegally spread. Have patience and I have no doubt it will be rewarded â˜ºï¸ #nightwish"
Warmest greetings everyone, Some of us like to stay neutral on issues concerning internet/Facebook, but I feel it only proper to remark on a quite remarkable situation. I saw that our first single "íˆlan" was leaked on the internet today, and I was quite baffled by some of the reactions I read. I was then asked to make a short statement, and the following is what I feel about the issue. The leaking of a full album, or just a single song in advance, is a huge blow to the wonderful mystery which is surrounding the impending release of our new music. We have deliberately cultivated this so as to give our fans an event; a (hopefully) powerful surprise. The passionate posts on the bands Facebook page (which were done in the heat of the moment) were no doubt a honest reaction to the disappointment in someone deliberately spoiling a part of these efforts. To suggest that the band or the record label would do this on purpose is very "conspiracy theory" and simply not true. The very thing we care about most is the music on the album, and the impact it will have on people. With that in mind, do try to avoid listening to this "leak" and any others for that matter. Just wait to hear it as it is supposed to be - a labour of love, the fruit of dedicated hard work and of the highest quality. The way we would wish to experience it ourselves.Yours Sincerely,-Tuomas"
In how many cities will you be promoting the album?Yesterday we were in Sweden (A/N: the interview took place on Tuesday), now we’re here in the Czech Republic, in the evening we’re flying to Milan, then to Germany for three days, London for two days, to Paris, Ireland, and then back to Helsinki, so we’ll be visiting eight countries in total. Won’t you stay in Prague for a little while?Unfortunately not. We were supposed to arrive a day earlier but due to the weather we missed our flight. We had to stay at our headquarters and got here only today, and in a few hours we’ll be headed to the airport again to catch the plane to Milan. Do you like travelling?Yes, I enjoy it a lot. I must say I have a ton of fun at airports. I like flying and laughing at goofy security people. (laughs) I love getting to know new cities, countries, and their cultures. Have you been to Prague before?Yes, several times, but it’s always the same as today. We get here, do our thing, and disappear again. The last time we played here we had a little extra time that we spent walking around Prague with friends. We saw a couple nice places, but of course we didn’t have enough time to go everywhere we wanted. You don’t get to see all of this beautiful city in just a few days. But Prague made a big impression on me and I’m excited to come back as soon as I get the opportunity. Let’s talk about the album. How did you feel when you were about to start recording with Nightwish for the first time?Ready, because I’ve been with the band for some time now. We started preparing right after my last tour with my band, ReVamp, and we were at it for weeks. We had a lot of time and were full of energy. When we started recording, I felt very good and one hundred percent ready. We got everything done quickly and according to plan. Did the fact that you had been with the band for some time before that, so you didn’t just have to get there and lock yourself in a studio, help you with the recording?I think so. It’s definitely a good thing that I got to enjoy a tour first. (laughs) Is recording an album all hard work or can it also be fun at times?Fun and hard work don’t necessarily have to be all that different. You can experience both at the same time. Of course it is hard work because you have to do be completely devoted to what you’re doing and give it your all. Most importantly, you have to keep up this momentum for hours and hours. Sometimes you need to sit down and recharge your batteries, but I had great fun nonetheless. Nightwish is a giant music factory. How many people are involved in the production of the album?When we started recording at our studio in Finland back in June, only about one or two people were there with us. Marco and Tuomas then went over what we recorded and gave opinions on how it sounds and what we should try or add. The final mixing fell to teams of people in London and in Finland, but we never had a large group with us because that’s not what’s important. The new album is a breath of fresh air. It’s full of energy. Is that what the mood in the studio was like when you were recording?Absolutely! What’s your favorite song?I don’t have a favorite. The album fits together as a whole and I cannot pick a single song that I would prioritize over the others. But I think the last track on the album, The Greatest Show on Earth, is special. I’ve never heard anything like it. It’s amazing. I’ve answered this question before - I think a song has to grow on you for a while in order for you to be able to call it your masterpiece. You’ve been with the band for two years, gone on a world tour, and now you’re releasing a great new album. Have your dreams come true?Definitely. (smiles) When the band first approached me to help them out on tour I had no idea they would ask me to stay. My dream came true when that happened. I have a new family. It is a great honor for me to be able to work on this level with such skilled musicians and leagues of devoted fans that we travel all over the world to see. It’s unique. Will there be another big tour in store for you when the album is released?Yes, big as always. (laughs) Not all our tour dates have been confirmed yet. We’re working on that. We start off with the North American tour in the United States and then we come back to Europe for several summer festivals. Yours, Masters of Rock, was among the first ones we confirmed (A/N: takes place in July in Vizovice)! These are our plans for the year so far with much more to come in 2016. Are your fans any different in Europe and America?I think they are. Yes and no. Fans of this type of music are thoroughly dedicated anywhere in the world and even in this day and age of downloading music they like to buy the CDs. To them it’s only natural to do so. Their loyalty and devotion is the same everywhere, but their way of thinking is different. Americans are more open to different genres than Europeans. European fans like to put labels on everything. This is black metal, this is death metal, this is symphonic metal. In America you can have a tour with bands that sound completely different but the fans are happy that they get it all served in one place. In Europe, bands that would be playing on giant stages in America play in small pubs. What can the fans look forward to in your shows this year?The whole album with all the trademark Nightwish elements they know and love. There is a song on the album called “The Greatest Show on Earth†and that’s exactly the show we want to deliver. (laughs) It will be a great, epic night for everyone.
Nightwish will headline a massive show at the Wembley SSE Arena on 19th December this year along with Arch Enemy and Amorphis as support. It will be their only UK show this year.
Radio Rock will premiere í‰lan at 4 pm (Finnish time) on Thursday!
Leave the sleep and let the springtime talkIn tongues from the time before ManListen to a daffodil tell her taleLet the guest in, walk out, be the first to greet the mornThe meadows of heaven await harvestThe cliffs unjumped, cold waters untouchedThe elsewhere creatures yet unseenFinally your number came up, free fall awaits the braveComeTaste the wineRace the blindThey will guide you from the lightWriting noughts till the end of timeComeSurf the cloudsRace the darkIt feeds from the runs undoneMeet me where the cliff greets the seaThe answer to the riddle before your eyesIs in dead leaves and fleeting skiesReturning swans and sedulous miceWriting on the gardens book, in the minute of a lover's lookBuilding a sandcasttle close to the shoreA house of cards from a worn out deckA home from the fellowship, poise and calmWrite a lyric for the song only you can understandRiding hard every shooting starCome to life, open mind, have a laugh at the orthodoxCome, drink deep let the dam of mind seepTravel with great íélan, dance a jig at the funeralCome!
Floor Jansen from Nightwish: "I sound like a 4-year-old when I speak Finnish".The long-awaited new single from NW was released this Friday.Floor Jansen, the Dutch vocalist of the band, is really excited about the release of the single and the video í‰lan.-I am really proud of this song. I still have not read about fans' reactions, but I have received very positive feedback from the people I have met, Jansen rejoices.The release of the single had a very miserable start as the song was leaked in the Internet a week before it's official release date. Jansen says the band does not know who leaked the song, but it still upsets her.-It is really rude and things like this should not be happening. Some people say it is a normal phenomenon in 2015, but it is a crime comparable to burgling somebody's house. It was harmful for us and also for our fans, who had been awaiting the release of the single, Jansen angrily says.The shooting of the music video for í‰lan was massive in a Nightwish way. The video filming took almost a year in different deserted or abandoned locations around southern Finland.-The video shooting was really enjoyable and special. We would shoot in different locations first everybody separately for one day and then one day all together.-The video is wonderful, although the editing was hard as we had so much material, Jansen says.Also the line of actors is impressive. On the video there are Finnish veteran actors Antti Litja, Seela Sella, Vesa Vierikko, Ismo Kallio, Eeva Litmanen and Pekka Huotari.-It was fantastic to work with them. They have all been in the business for a very long time and even though I did not know their history like the Finns do, I could feel the anticipation and the special atmosphere.í‰lan gives us the first sample of the new album EFMB, which is to be released on March 27. Jansen describes the recording process long but fun.-We were first rehearsing the songs in the middle of a forest in Finland before the actual recordings in London took place.-The album is typical Nightwish, although the sound of course is different with a different vocalist. There is a lot of variation in the album, there are big sounds as well as the other extreme and softness, Jansen reveals.Last summer Jansen moved to Joensuu, Finland. She says she feels comfortable in a small town.-There we have lots of nature and lots of space. Holland is too crowded, I do not enjoy big cities. It was a good solution for me to move to Joensuu where I also have people I know near.Moving to Joensuu has also helped Jansen with her Finnish language, but she does not feel very skilled yet.-I would not be able to have a whole conversation, I sound like a 4-year-old speaking Finnish, Jansen laughs.-Especially the different dialects make it difficult to understand.Jansen joined the band on a very short notice in 2012, after the previous vocalist Anette Olzon had fallen ill. Officially, she became a member of the band in October 2013.-This has been a very natural process. The request to join the band came sooner than I had thought, but everything went so smoothly and we get along really well.According to Jansen the chemistry inside the band is good and the relationships are only growing stronger.-We spent a lot of time together this summer when rehearsing for the album recordings. It made us feel even closer than before.
The Brit Troy Donockly is therefore a good addition to the line-up of the band, as he is lord and master over various folkinstruments, including his uilleann pipes (kind of like an Irish bagpipe). But even more important: this will be the first album with singer Floor Jansen (ex-After Forever, Revamp), behind the microphone. This all makes ‘Endless Forms Most Beautiful’ an album for which the expectations are high. Composer and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, bassist Marco Hietala and new singer Floor Jansen have been on a sizable promotour through various big European cities to promote the album to the media. We from Festival Blog had also been invited to the listining session in Amsterdam. This took place in the restaurant of a fancy hotel.But first a little background information about ‘Endless Forms Most Beautiful’. The entire concept of the album is one about the evolution of humans and nature and the theory of evolution. The quote ‘For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love’ from Carl Sagan, which has been printed on the informationpage, suits this well. Carl Sagan, a astronome, cosmologist and known for his ability to explain science, has not been the only source of inspiration, as ethologist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins is also included. Literally, we might say, as Dawkins takes on the role of teller on the album, mostly in the first and last song. If this all isn’t still clear, then the coverart of the album will speak for itself as well.But how does the album sound? You could describe it as something between Oceanborn and Once, with both older elements and melodies as well as the bombastic and orchestral that defines Nightwish this day. You could also say that it’s something for everyone. The first track Shudder Before the Beautiful begins with a few sentences from Dawkins, before immediately going full out. The album starts with a bang. Floor sings with a for her soft voice, do not expect any opera by the way, Nightwish has left that ages ago. The keyboard has a prominent role and the guitars are very heavy throughout this song, with even a first, heavy solo on this first song, chapeau. You might want to think a bit in the direction of the song Master Passion Greed. What also immediately becomes clear, is that Emppu Vuorinen has been given a lot to work with on this album, something we can only applaud. But it also gets a bit softer, almost magical, with the folk raising its head for a moment.The second track Weak Fantasy sounds even heavier and features the first real audible choir that joins in. Bassist/singer Marco Hietala also gets to join in at the chorus. ‘Fear is a choice you embrace’ is only one sentence from this very orchestral song.The single í‰lan follows, a song which has been released and discussed about seperately here. It’s the first fully fledged folk song on the album, calm but happy, in which Troy shines and Floor sings with a sugary voice.Done with the calm at Yours is an Empty Hope. It opens with a firm guitar intro (think of the Once song Dead Gardens). This song rages through from the beginning to the end thanks to tight riffs, where the percussion fully goes along with. Floor finally uses power behind her voice (for those interested: it never comes so far as grunting), which gives a fantastic effect at the end in combination with the guitar and drums. What a rousing song.Variation enough in this album, as suddenly… a ballad starts. Our Decades in the Sun comes a bit unexpected. Beautiful piano and soft drums and guitarchords with on top of that an almost sad and emotional voice from Floor make this song to what it is, almost a lovesong.You can call My Walden a special song. Folk reigns. Troy kicks of the song by singing a bit himself, his voice being soft and calming. After that you get a bit of a Last of the Wilds feeling. Floor joins in and the song gets even happier and leans at moments to I Want My Tears Back, as it creates that happy feeling: ‘flying higher, higher, higher into the wild’, you’d almost start skipping on the tones and lyrics out of pure joy. It also reminds you of the old Nightwish (Angels Fall First/Oceanborn). But there is also variation in this song because the song goes faster and is at a certain moment almost not to distinguish from a typical Eluveitie song.The title track is a complex song. Much orchestra, heavy guitarriffs and accompanying keyboard. It’s almost as if a play is being conducted thanks to the narrative singing. It goes from heavy bombastic to a happy chorus at the end.It slows down again at Edema Ruh, almost bringing us back to the Christmastime. It sounds calm, happy and warm, perfect music for those winter holidays, on which flutes and uilleann pipes play a heavy role. The entire outro consists of it. Again we here Marco here, which hasn’t been the case or that noticable that much. It’s obvious that the focus off this album lies on the singing of Floor.What follows remains calm as well. Alpenglow is a song which builds over time and which sounds very melodic and folkish. Despite that, guitarsolos aren’t avoided. There is much transition in this song. The Eyes of Sharbat Gula (yes, what a name), is a song which you can almost call instrumental. It’s mostly composed of piano, uilleann pipes, choir and orchestra, with the exception of some singing by Marco and the orchestra. Beautiful and calm.Then the moment has arrived for the longest song from Nightwish to date. The Greatest Show on Earth is 24 minutes long. It starts with a slow piano intro and then builds from that. Thunderbolts, thunder, Floor who uses her operatic voice for a moment under the sounds of a increasingly louder sounding piano… You get the impression of something big coming. Richard Dawkins narrates and then bam, all instruments seem to be used accompanied by low singing from Floor. It’s a whirlwind of tones. And then it suddenly stops. It gets creepy, spooky. All kinds of scary sounds like whispering, brulling, monsterly growling and all kinds of animal sounds, to which a heavy part follows. It gets epic for a moment, if you can even describe it with this word. It closes with rolling of thunder, piano, some narrating from Dawkins, making it almost movielike, and the swishing of the sea ends ‘Endless Forms Most Beautiful’...Did you become interested or even very interested? March 27th will be the day you can make your own opinion of it. For now it looks like Nightwish has reinvented itself by combining old and new elements and yet making it sound so tight and natural.
