Nightwish will play in Tokaj, Hungary; Hegyalja Festival on 15. July.
Never Ending Story: Metal Hammer Interview [April 2015] Evolution? Biology? Richard Dawkins?! Nightwish’s latest adventure might surprise some, but like science itself, it’s just another chapter in their never ending story… Nightwish do not do “boringâ€. The band’s sound from the outset has been theatrical, grandiose, bombastic and generally larger than life, and the path the Finns have followed apart from their music can have similarly dramatic adjectives applied to it. The acrimonious fall-out with original singer Tarja Turunen made headlines, but by the release of last album Imaginaerum in 2011, it appeared to be a mere stumble in the band’s upward trajectory (both in terms of creative ability and popular success). That album was comfortably the band’s best, most over-the-top record to date, had a fantastical film accompanying it, and proved that Tarja’s successor, Anette Olzon, had the voice to make the role her own. Fast forward less than a year, and Anette had her own less-than-friendly split from the band in the middle of a US tour. ReVamp and former After Forever singer Floor Jansen stepped into the breach, at first temporarily, but later permanently. 2015 sees the band about to release their first album with Floor, and if convincing Nightwish’s vast, vocal fanbase that she can do on an album what she can undoubtedly achieve live was not enough of a challenge, the band have decided to make things even more attention-grabbing. Instead of the usual fantasy themes acting as metaphors and allegory for real-life experiences, Endless Forms Most Beautiful is about the real world, with most of it (60%, according to the band’s main songwriter) dedicated to the wonders of biology and natural sciences. This culminates in a 24-minute closer, The Greatest Show On Earth, which charts the history of evolution, complete with monkey calls and whale song (no, really). This, along with the album’s intro, is narrated by Professor Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist who’s made a name for himself outside of his scientific work both by debating the merits (and lack thereof) of religion with people of faith, and for sending secular liberals into apoplexy with his comments about sexual violence on social media. Dull, unsurprisingly, this is not. “We wish that people would realise the beauty and the magic of reality and science, of biology and evolution,†says the band’s leader, founder, principal composer and keyboard player, Tuomas Holopainen, as Hammer attempts to pick apart everything thrown up here. “I’ve always sort of understood evolution, and it’s a beautiful thing, but after reading the books by Dawkins, I really got into the core of it, and it was a spiritual experience. I wish everyone would get it; that we’re all cousins, that we are all made of the same stuff, that we all share a common ancestor, and some people get scared by that… I was going to say ‘thought’, but it’s a fact.†“Some people are scared of the fact that me and my morning lettuce have a common ancestor. We’re all cousins, and for me, that’s the most poetic and beautiful, humbling thought ever, and I wish people would understand evolution on that level. It would maybe make us a bit more humble as human beings. “For the past few years, I’ve been heavily immersed in this stuff,†he continues. “I watch science documentaries all the time, read these books all the time, instead of fiction or fantasy. That’s where it comes from; I just had this really strong urge to let out all the beautiful stuff that I’ve read.†A quick explanation of Tuomas’s youth makes it a little less confusing as to exactly why a man famous for embracing Tolkien and Disney as lyrical inspirations (a man who, lest we forget, just last year released a solo album based on the life and times of Scrooge McDuck) is now citing, for example, famed astronomist Carl Sagan. Tuomas’s interest in biology stems from childhood, wanting to become a scientist and even studying environmental sciences for a year at university before music came calling. And, when the vastness of the story being told – the entire history of life, from simple single-celled organism to sentient primates capable of travelling to other planets – is thought of as a narrative, it does actually fit rather well with the huge tales Nightwish specialise in. However, that doesn’t explain how in Satan’s putrid, sulphurous name Nightwish managed to convince Richard Dawkins to narrate a heavy metal record. “That’s what the studio engineer in Oxford asked me as well: ‘How the hell did you get him?’ And the answer is I have no idea!†laughs Tuomas. “He doesn’t really do anything else [artistic]. I’ve heard that many people have asked him, but all he has done is The Simpsons so far. For some reason, he agreed to collaborate with us. I wrote him a handwritten letter, telling him who we are and what we had in mind, and he replied by email saying, ‘I’ve never heard of Nightwish, but I went onto YouTube and listened to some of your stuff. I enjoyed it very much, and I would be happy to collaborate with you.’ One letter, one email, and after that, we were in contact with his personal assistant setting up the studio schedule. I sent him all the stuff he should narrate in the studio, and he was happy with that. The most polite gentleman ever, a really nice guy. Then he turned up at the studio in Oxford, did his talking, and that was it.†An hour and a half later, during which time Professor Dawkins and Tuomas apparently discussed little of weight beyond a shared love of Greek composer Vangelis, and the The Selfish Gene author joins Sir Christopher Lee, Orson Welles and Brian Blessed in the list of unexpected narrators for a metal record. Tuomas appears unconcerned by any potential controversy that may cause, too, despite the furore surrounding Dawkins’ opinions on religion (expressed in his books and lectures), or about foetuses with chromosomal abnormalities, or one form of rape being worse than others (as expressed on Twitter). “I dived deep into those issues, with the Down’s Syndrome babies, and him being a woman-hater, and all that,†Tuomas says firmly. “It’s so misunderstood, so misquoted. People love to misunderstand him, because if a person debated is a sham, nobody feels inadequate. That’s the way I see it. I wish some of these observers would read some of his books and read the whole thing, but it’s so easy to judge.†While Dawkins may be the most internationally famous new collaborator on Endless Forms Most Beautiful, singer Floor Jansen is the one whose efforts the fans are most likely to bicker about online. Unlike her predecessor, who had to come in to sing a finalised album, Floor was a part of the creative process – one that has a clear director, but is far less of a musical diktat than it might seem. “Very musical, highly intellectual and interactive,†is how Floor describes the band’s methods. “Despite Tuomas being the band leader and main writer, it is a process that makes the album sound the way it does. We’re all tapping in there, we all use our creativity and are allowed – ‘allowed’ sounds so military – we have the freedom to make it our own. I think that’s something unique, where someone who has the talent and skill of Tuomas – and also Marco [Hietala, bass/vocals] – can work with other people. As a songwriter, I know how hard it can be to work on your song and see things changed, but Tuomas is very open-minded to these things.†“The easiest ever!†Tuomas enthuses of Floor’s creative introduction to the band. “I think she did her thing in less than 10 days for the whole album. She already knew all the songs before we entered the rehearsal room. I sent her the original demo with vocal lines played on the piano with all the lyrics. Then we spent a month and a half in the rehearsal room, got all straightened out, went into the studio and did her thing beautifully, did some experimenting on the way – and that’s it. Really, really easy. She’s super-motivated, and wants to be included in all the parts of the process. You can feel the passion and motivation that she has.†Floor Jansen: in it for the long haul Much like Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, Nightwish is, quite clearly, a club where no individual is bigger than the entity itself. Any players the unit feel are upsetting the whole have been quickly moved on, even if – as is the case with both former singers – they are the most famous, recognisable member of the troupe, and their talents and style are likely to be difficult to replace. Given that, you might feel Floor might be concerned for her place in the band if things do not go well. “No,†Floor says firmly, “because we grew to an understanding amongst each other, that where things are not going well, we can actually talk like grown-ups. To let things grow into a situation where it’s beyond saving, we’ve all seen it happening in our past, and I think we’ve all learned to step up before that ever comes to pass. So I don’t think my position is threatened if I don’t do something right. ‘Floor, you f***** up, you’re out.’ It really doesn’t work that way.†To aid communication, Floor has moved from her native Netherlands to live in Finland, and is learning the notoriously difficult Finnish language – although she admits that, having had less than two years of learning so far, her aptitude at speaking it is probably no better than a three-year-old Finn’s. It is abundantly clear, however, that she wants to make this a smooth success – and, while this might appear to be a band that loves its drama, she is not alone in that. “Let’s hope that we’ll stick with this one, and that she wants to be there ’til the end as well,†says Tuomas, only half-jokingly. “Because it’s quite an energy vampire!â€
Second Nightwish single mastered today at Finnvox. Release date in May.
Q: First of all, thanks for the interview. How are you doing? Marco: I'm fine, thanks. We're already very busy to promote the new album. After tomorrow, we will return home for a short rest, which will be much appreciated. I like this kind of thing, but sometimes you just need a rest. Q: About the new CD. How did the recordings go? Marco: The recordings went so well. The vibe was good from the beginning and we clicked from the word 'go', also with Floor and Troy. We've come from a difficult time (I guess he meant the departure of Anette or Jukka's insomnia - hunebedbouwer), but we're alive again and stronger than ever before. I'm very grateful for that and I'd rather never experience that kind of thing again. Q: This is the first album without Jukka Nevalainen. How did that feel? Marco: That's the only negative thing about the whole recording sessions. His illness (insomnia) did lead to his difficult decision that his health was more important than anything else. That decision was a difficult one, but one that was already taken before the beginning of the recordings, really. Ofcourse his health is more important, so we understood and supported his decision in this matter. He already tried to get rid off the insomnia, but so far nothing helped.Rest and a better structured life seems to work out better for him at the moment. And it's not that he's not part of the band anymore. He works more in the background, doing the administration for the band for example.We haven't got a clue when he wil be sittingt behind his drumkit again, so we can't give any certainty about that. We do stay in contact on a regular basis. I just answered an e-mail from him this morning. Q: I wondered which language is spoken amongst the band members, being them from Finland, the Netherlands and England? Marco: Basically English, because we all speak that language. Floor is busy learning Finnish at the moment and we like to help her, so she will be able to speak proper Finnish ultimately. Q: Do you know some Dutch words? Marco: One word : 'smakelijk' (tasty - hunebedbouwer). For the rest I will surely need some lessons (laughs). Q: Maybe you could learn some Dutch words during the concert in the Netherlands? Marco: That's possible, yes. At the moment (February 2015) I can't give you any concert dates, although concerts are already planned for North-America and the European summer festivals. But there will be certainly more concert dates in Europe. You just have to be a little patient. Q: I read this morning that you've been playing the guitar and occupied with music since you were eleven. This means that you've already had the kind of long music career that many people dream of. What does that mean to you? Marco: Well yes, you could call it a dream job. I absolutely love performing. It's a privilege to be able to say that nowadays, that you do the thing you dreamt of as a young boy! As long as I like the music and as long as I'm enjoying myself, I will keep on playing. Q: It's been 10 years now since Tarja left the band. I'm a fan of Nightwish since 2004, so I experienced all three singers, but I have to say that the choice for Floor Jansen has been the best for the band. Marco: Thanks! I agree. We've got a strong team now who is well-attuned to each other. It felt good from the start. But ofcourse, like history has proved, people can and do change. We have changed! We'd like to keep the current band vibe as it is and that's why we also try to work on our relationships with each other, which is very important for me personally. Q: Okay, now some questions about the new album EFMB. I just had the privilege to listen to it and I found it remarkable that Floor sings in such a varied way: rocking, powerful and softly. Has this been done on purpose? I mean from the beginning? Marco: No, not on purpose, but Floor likes the challenge to sing in different styles. She has a great voice, is very versatile and therefore has a lot of possibilities. By having all this talent, we were able to write different songs than before. Q: Another new member who has a substantial part on the new album is Troy Donockley....... Marco: Yes, that's right. He does play a lot of instruments, so he can be heard on a lot of songs. He also provides background vocals here and there. During the track 'My walden', you can hear him speaking Welsh! Q: Listening to the song 'Shudder before the beautiful', I did recognize the typical Nightwish-sound immediately.... Marco: Yes, I agree and because of that we wanted to be that song the opening track on EFMB. It sets the tone and creates an atmosphere which sets the tone for the rest of the album. Q: On the other hand it is a pretty long song, lasting 6 minutes. That makes it also a special choice for an opening track..... Marco: It is possible that it lasts 6 minutes.... To be honest, I have no idea about how long each song is. The advantage of producing your own album is, that you can make the songs as long as you want. The fans like our music and so do we ofcourse. As long as there are people who like our music, we will take the freedom to make the songs as we seem fit. It's very nice not to be limited in the creative process. Q: 'Elan' is the first single. Why this song? Is it, because it's shorter than the others? Marco: Hahaha. Well, it's a part of the reason, but the main reason is that people can understand the essence of 'Elan'. Easy to sing along with and easy to get stuck in your head. Q: 'Our decades in the sun' is the ballad of the new album. It's a basic song with guitar and vocals..... Marco: I agree that's it's basic, but also with a full sound. I've written the guitar solo which you will hear halfway through the song. It sounds maybe like a relaxed ballad, but accompanied by guitars and drums, it gets a very full sound. I think it's a well balanced track, both with the used instruments and vocals. Q: 'Endless forms, most beautiful', the title song, is the heaviest track on the album. I think that one will be very nice to hear during the concerts? Marco: I think that too. It's a flowing, well structured song and the catchy refrain makes it even nicer. Can't wait to play it live for the first time. Q: Why is this title also chosen for the album's name? Marco: Wel, originally it would have been called 'Elan', but then Tuomas googled that name and wasn't happy with what he read about it, so to say. That led to another brainstorming session with 'EFMB' as final result. We think it translates what this album is all about perfectly. The word 'forms' does mean something like 'shadow'. Apart from that, it's also a very poetic title and refers to life on all planets for example. Q: The last song 'The greatest show on earth' lasts an astonishing 24 minutes...... Marco: Yes, it is a long track, but it handles the origin of our world. If you look it at that way, it's not hat long at all ! (laughs). It consists of many elements, but you have to listen to it a couple of times before you get everything. Q: In general, I think soundwise, this album has a lot of resemblances with 'Imaginaerum' from 2011. Do you agree with that? Marco: You could say that we did continue on the style of that album. We think this style suits the band and the fans seem to agree, so why spent hours and hours on changing the sound? All these hours can be spend on the contents of each song instead. Ofcourse there are differences and new influences: for example the role of Troy on the new album. EFMB is absolutely no copy of 'Imaginaerum', but it is certainly influenced by that album. Q: Do you have anything to say to your Dutch fans? Marco: Oh boy!! (laughs) Well, really to all fans all over the world; it has been a very long journey and tomorrow (13-2-2015) our new single 'Elan' will be released, which will start a whole new chapter for Nightwish. We would never have come so far without our fans, so respect for you all. Q: You are most famous being the guitarist of Nightwish, but how do you combine that with your own band Tarot? Marco: It has always been the case that, if Nightwish had a rest period, I could concentrate on Tarot. I did already write some new songs, but we haven't recorded anything yet. I hope for a new release at the end of 2016, but you'll never know. Q: Nightwish and Tarot are quite time consuming. Do you still have some time to relax? Maro: It may not look that way, but I sure do. More important, I have to watch THAT I do, because it is very important for both body and mind. So no reality TV-shows on my part! Sorry ladies....hahaha. Q: Marco, thanks for your time and I really enjoyed this interview and apologies for my bad English. Marco: (laughs) It wasn't that bad. Hope you understood my English as well. *After the interview it was very kind of Marco to give me an extra thirty minutes listening time, so I could hear the last song of EFMB as well. It's very good by the way! (Irma Ploeger)
Jarmontieto just announced on the finnish forum, that we should be awake early tomorrow morning, there will be pleasant news about the new album.
And here's the promised translation: Everytime a new NW chapter begins, we are accustomed to great fanfares and trumpet announcements. At the beginning, it was Tarja's departure, then the ambitious idea of a whole movie based on their songs and lastly the choice of Floor as new singer of the band. Being so under the spotlight, Nightwish ought to pull a rabbit out of a hat now…. And they did it! As the cover art, this album needs to be appreciated slowly, in every single detail, so that we can really perceive that ‘endless beautiful’ of the title. 01. Shudder Before The Beauty (06:29) During the promo day here in Italy, Tuomas said that the intention of this album was to be more ‘band oriented’, and this first track is a perfect example. The beginning is a blast, with a power metal style coming from Oceanborn or Wishmaster. Our ears are immediately captured by Floor’s voice but we can’t give a judgement right now: for sure she is really into the track, but the ‘approach’ is really different from the previous singers. The refrain is striking, with its Blind Guardian like chorus. The general impression is that we have here a new ‘Dark Chest of Wonders’. Great opener. 02. Weak Fantasy (05:25)Another heavy song, but not in a ‘canonical’ way: it’s dark and gloomy, more than expected. Floor is the keystone of the song, based on the heavy metal side on the band rather than on their typical orchestrations. The focus is, as mentioned above, on the vocals,but mainly from Marco. Another song in which we haven’t heard anything poignant from Emppu: here, indeed, it’s all about Troy and the chorus. A very atypical song… 03. Elan (04:47)The first single, freshly released, it’s catchy and radio friendly, not far from Amaranth and Nemo. For sure it will be a great success for the band. The folk part is dominant (more than the previous tracks), but it doesn’t come as a surprise. It’s a good track, as every NW single, though we know that their masterpieces are found elsewhere and not in the singles range. 04 .Yours Is And Empty Hope (05:39) The heaviness of the first song is here again, adorned with a cinematographic and orchestral approach. The sound is really bombastic, almost hard to digest after one single listening. We are close to songs like Dark Chest of Wonders, with thrash riffs and pompous orchestra, as in Imaginaerum. Another atypical song, a real bridge between old NW and new NW. 05 . Our Decades In The Sun (06:39) This song shows that EFMB is very variegated: the pace abruptly slows down. We are still drunk on the previous’ song orchestration, so the atmosphere (I would say ‘elegiac atmosphere’) here seems taken from another album. Anyway, we must appreciate Tuomas’ love for details. Floor is a little bit different… but always herself!! Here’s the main difference, in my honest opinion: Tarja didn’t need to change her vocal extension to give expression to a song, whilst Anette could give a good faceting. Floor stands in the middle: she has a wide vocal range but she doesn’t change her personality. 06 . My Walden (04:39) Troy already showed his skills with Elan and YIAEH, but in this mid-tempo he also sings. The general atmosphere of the track comes directly from Imaginaerum, see for instance I Want My Tears Back. Floor tries again to be a little more spontaneous. Troy’s celtic features are now fully integrated into NW’s sound. 07. Endless Forms Most Beautiful (05:08) The title track is one of the songs I loved the most after this single listening. It has three shining diamonds: firstly, the immediacy of the sound reminds us of the previous album; secondly, the richness of the structure with an alternation between melancholic and power temptations. Last but not least, the importance of the orchestra. A real jewel, rich and majestic. 08. Edema Ruh (05:16)A soft intro and mysterious atmospheres for a difficult song to categorize. Near the refrain the melody is more ‘wide’ and open, but pipes and flutes are almost suffocating. The song is fluid and Emppu is able to show his skills: he is not just a background now, he is the real master of this song (something that rarely happens, let me say that). Towards the end, Tuomas unleashes again some heavy stuff. 09. Alpenglow (04:49) Directly from Century Child. The rock part and the orchestra are well opposed: the first one are the pillars of the song, while the second ones depicts the background. It’s simple, strong and catchy: a perfect ‘’filler’’ before the final firework of the albums. 10. The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula (06:04)The ‘band oriented’ concept ends here. We still have 30 minutes to listen, but the ‘direct’ part of the album ‘dies’. Tuomas is the center of the sound here, absorbing everything, from sound to structure. We can hear a orchestra, a sitar, a cello and a ‘a cappella’ chorus. It reminds me of his solo project about Scrooge McDuck. There is no intro in this song: in these six minutes we are struck into a symphonic vortex. For sure it is rich and full of shades. Some oriental echoes are presents due to the title. It is an Holopainen track, not a Nightwish track, so it has to be understood… this song will be loved or hated. 11. The Greatest Show On Earth (25:58)Yes, the time is correct. 25 minutes. We already understand from this that this song is the real heart of the album. It’s a little bit disturbing: we may think that the focus was on the title track and we perceive that the good song we listen were just a ‘sidedish’. We need to listen to this track forgetting about the critical acclaim around the presence of Professor Dawkins.The track is pretentious and stodgy. The piano intro is really long and Floor appears among a pompous orchestral part. We were expecting a metal base, but nope. The structure is interrupted by a narration and then again a strong power part: Floor here is gracious and deals perfectly with Marco’s voice. The verses are power metal at its peak, while the refrain ‘normalize’ the song. It is a highly enjoyable crescendo that ends up with a Vulcan-like explosion. After seconds of silence, the piano strikes back as well as the narration and the orchestra. I can again hear some Scrooge McDuck reminiscences. The songs shows NW exceptional ability in composing without boundaries. We really need a lot of listening to soak up everything: sometimes it may seems boring but sometimes all you think is ‘that’s brilliant’
Download 'Shudder Before The Beautiful' from the upcoming Nightwish album "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" for FREE: http://bit.ly/NIGHTWISH-FreeSong
Nightwish mainman Tuomas Holopainen has admitted the band were reduced to tears while recording a tracks for their eighth album.He's explained why working on Our Decades In The Sun, the fifth song on Endless Forms Most Beautiful, proved to be an emotional experience.Holopainen tells SpazioRock: "It's a tribute to all of our parents. Maybe the most difficult song to put together because it's so delicate, so intimate."The subject of the lyrics is so important to all of us. So there were quite a bit of tears shed while rehearsing and recording it – but it ended up being one of the highlights of the album."He adds of the track Alpenglow: "It's the ultimate Nightwish song – it has all the elements that Nightwish has always been about. It's a nice little interlude within the album."Endless Forms Most Beautiful is released on March 30 via Nuclear Blast. In February, they issued Elan as the first single from the record. Nightwish play London’s Wembley Arena on December 19 as part of a European tour.
