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No you are not dreaming, Nightwish has awakened generations of fans by releasing a new album, three and a half years in the making. This tenth studio album, entitled ‘Yesterwynde’, came out today and takes its listeners on a 71 minute time odyssey. Approaching the themes of origins, legacy and ancestry, this new opus also walks in the footsteps of ‘Endless Forms Most Beautiful’ and ‘Human :II: Nature’, bringing the trilogy to a close. Quite a lot of expectation to live up to, isn’t it?
We are brought back in time by the intro track 'Yesterwynde' which opens on the sound of a film reel turning. It takes a turn from the dynamic built up we are used to as starters of Nightwish’s albums and sets the tone to an unusual album. Transitioning into a dark choir chant, we skip through different times, styles and spaces leading to the clear voice of Floor Jansen acting as a storyteller.
As if to link ties amidst the surprise, the choir connects us into the following song named ‘An Ocean of Strange Islands’ which brings elements instantly recognisable as Nightwish with an alliance of powerful guitar riffs, orchestra and masterful vocals. The band seems to look to its own genesis too, with a theatrical background for the song that evokes an ‘Imaginaerum’ atmosphere mixed with a heaviness we haven’t seen as much of since the ‘Once’ era. Interestingly enough, the song ends with an uilleann pipes melody that doesn’t seem to connect to the next track but correlates with the one we can hear in ‘Spider Silk’ towards the end of the album.
‘The Antikythera Mechanism’ starts a drastic change straight from its intro with an arrangement we wouldn’t associate with the band but is instead just the start. ‘The Day Of…’ seems to bring a new timeline altogether. With a strong 80s pop feel and synth background, it builds a bubble of confusion before bringing back a choir element towards the middle of the song which also melts into heaviness again that continues into the second pre-released song ‘Perfume Of The Timeless’. While all the elements for success are there, the track leaves an unfinished taste in the mouth. Its catchy chorus, chord progression and jazzy elements are very powerful and looping back to other songs. It contains one of the most impactful and impressive drums breakdown by Kai Hahto but you really need to focus to hear it. The orchestra and keyboards seem more prominent in the mix, burying other parts including the lyrical and leaving us hungry for more.
‘Sway’ comes as a soft, ethereal and epic story preparing you to an adventure we saw hinted in the intro. We can’t help but think that in retrospect this song could have been a good transition right after the intro to prepare for ‘An Ocean of Strange Islands’. Especially as ‘Children of ‘Ata’ brings new elements for the band such as the Tongan choir coming in on an earthy wave landscape before very 80s disco and synth heavy verses breaking into a more recognizable heavy chorus. ‘Something Whispered Follow Me’ keeps us in that era but switches styles by getting into the spirit of an 80s rock ballad.
The important storytelling aspect stretched by Tuomas Holopainen can especially be felt in the two following songs, ‘Spider Silk’ and ‘Hiraeth’ which feel more focused and intentional in their communication of the message. They both contain a more gentle but strong touch and edit of what gets featured and highlighted. They each manage to build a distinct universe that deserves to be explored.
As we reach the last songs, ‘The Weave’ hits with a powerful bass line by Jukka Koskinen which carries the song throughout, brings forward the drums and gritty guitar riffs. A firework before ‘Lanternlight’ which gives a feeling of outro song. The gentle piano melody and light singing from both Floor and Troy brings a sense of lullaby, of conclusion to a story before a deep slumber. The film rolls once again at the end, bring us full loop to the start. When one adventure finishes, another one starts.
We were warned that ‘Yesterwynde’ would not be not easy to digest. While bringing confusion on the first listen, it does create a spider web of cross references throughout this record and the band's whole discography that fans will appreciate. However, being mastered seven times until it reached the form you hear, it makes us question how much is too much? The storytelling may feel like it is getting lost at times under the overpowering instrumentals and chaos. While impactful, it may be taking itself too seriously to some extend and lose details in translation. As with each track and style on this album, each listener’s experience of it is bound to be unique, so hang on tight!
Words: Lysandre Pons
Photo: Tim Tronckoe
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