NIGHTWISH
“HUMAN.:||:NATURE.”
Album Review by Syl Pdll

9/10

Nightwish has returned to the music scene with Human.:||:Nature. This Finnish symphonic metal group led by Tuomas Holopainen has presented a different and interesting record material that fuses past, present and future playing with different musical styles like rock, folk and neo-classical.

Music is the first song on the album and invites us to take a journey through time in which the musical evolution of the band in recent years is appreciated, creating in turn an atmosphere worthy of a fairy tale. This song addresses the accumulation of sensations that occur in humans through music.

Noise is a song that ironic the use of technology in everyday life and it’s one of the promotional singles on this album whose promotional video reflects a reality close to us. Floor Jansen is a singer who can adapt to different musical styles together with the accumulation of emotions that her vocal interpretation generates.

Shoemaker marks the beginning of an experimental phase of the band to enrich its musical proposal since it is a song that presents different sound changes that keep the listener on the lookout. This song is inspired by Eugene Shoemaker, an American astrogeologist who part of his ashes was scattered in space through the Lunar Prospector space probe. Shoemaker’s instrumentation masterfully illustrates this story and the combination of Floor Jansen and Marko Hietala on vocals make this song a true gem.

Harvest is one of the most melodic songs on this album and the one that shows a different sound than what we are used to with Nightwish. Troy Donockley debuts in the vocal performance being reinforced by Floor Jansen and Marko Hietala in the vocal accompaniment. Instrumentally, it is a song that tells us about the strength and meaning of life.

Tuomas Holopainen’s keyboards introduce us to Pan, a song that allows us to reflect on the decisions that human beings make and the impact it generates for those around us. Floor Jansen shows her vocal ability by using different ranges of voice, generating in the listener a sway of emotions as the song progresses.

How’s The Heart? it is a song that provides that human warmth that we need daily. Instrumentally, it is a song that takes up the foundations of symphonic metal oriented to folk by playing flutes. The vocal performance of Floor Jansen, Marko Hietala, and Troy Dononckley create a soul-hugging harmony.

An atmosphere of mystery and suspense is present in Procession, which in the words of Tuomas Holopainen is inspired by Stranger Things. Floor Jansen’s vocal ability is again highlighted by using bass tones that combine with the musical notes of bass, keyboard and drums, these being the dominant instruments combined with the use of flutes.

Tribal is another of the songs that presents an interesting fusion, and which highlights the performance of Kai Hahto on drums recreating traditional African music, we can also hear Floor Jansen transiting between clean and guttural voices without any difficulty.

The last song is Endlessness which shows a combination between the symphonic and the darkness of doom metal. In the words of Marko Hietala it is a song that talks about the force that moves the universe. His vocal performance generates a sensation of fear and dread, although with a different style than in the past with the band coupled with the angelic voice of Floor Jansen that accompanies him in the chorus, as well as at the end of the song.

Human.:||:Nature. is an album that has allowed Nightwish to move beyond symphonic metal, since by experimenting with other musical spheres it has led to the strengthening of their identity as a band. On a lyrical level, this record material revolves around four important concepts that can be found implicitly in the songs: humanity, nature, music and art. It is a sound material that comes to give a breather in times of quarantine and that promises to be one of the best works for this year characterized by uncertainty.

TRACKLIST

Music
Noise
Shoemaker
Harvest
Pan
How’s The Heart?
Procession
Tribal
Endlessness

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