Once upon a time there was a dream.
And once upon a time, a long, long time ago – in an enchanted summer twilight – a night full of wishes – on the rocky shores of a North Karelian island. There and then, under the luminous sky and by the crackling campfire, the magic was refined: beautiful acoustic melodies and tranquil chords began to glow with the shooting stars.
No obstacle could ever stop them as they wandered the path of the elves, gazed at the stars, recited the poems of dead boys, slew dreamers and roamed the meadows of the sky – just to name a few twists and turns on their mesmerizing journey.
They were definitely there – and they are still here.
They are the Finnish/Dutch/British outfit NIGHTWISH – one of the most intriguing rock bands of recent decades, whose enigmatic paths have led from acoustic passages to symphonic heavy metal and from catchy folk to progressive majesty. If the band possesses one quality year after year, it might be this: expect something familiar, but also the unexpected. NIGHTWISH has indeed broken all kinds of boundaries – never intentionally, but quite naturally.
Now guess what? NIGHTWISH’s new studio album „Yesterwynde“ – the band’s tenth overall – is no exception to the rule. But it’s more…
Yesterwynde“ has taken more time than any previous NIGHTWISH album,“ nods keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, who once again conceived the majority of the material. „We worked intensively on the new album for 3.5 years. My ambition and devotion really skyrocketed, and I just couldn’t let go of the creative process – nor did I want to. Along the way, „Yesterwynde“ became both an intoxicating obsession and a comforting sanctuary for me. All aspects of making it – compositions, lyrics, arrangements, cover art, videos, mixing and so on – were given more attention than ever.“
The result? There’s an intriguing but inexplicable sense that NIGHTWISH have once again been able to find unprecedented nuance, spice and perspective in their new work – that’s right: after a career of nine classic albums. „“Yesterwynde“ is an experience that takes time to digest. The songs‘ pregnant content is easily recognizable, but beneath the surface lies a vast array of intriguing details and features,“ describes Holopainen.
„It’s interesting – but not surprising – that „Yesterwynde“ has attracted quite a wide range of opinions. Some have stated that it is the most ‚band-oriented‘ album to date. For some, it seems to be the heaviest and most ominous NIGHTWISH release. It’s also been called our most progressive album. And the list goes on.“
And what does Tuomas himself think about it?
„To me, „Yesterwynde“ sounds, tastes and feels very much like the true essence of NIGHTWISH – enriched with new moods and flavors.“
The lyrics of „Yesterwynde“ deal with large-scale universal themes: Memories, mortality, humanism, time and much more. „The new album is the conclusion of the trilogy – lyrically it follows in the footsteps of its predecessors „Endless Forms Most Beautiful“ and „Human. II: Nature.“, says Holopainen. „At the same time, „Yesterwynde“ is the band’s most lyrically driven album: our music has never been so ‚married‘ to the lyrics. So here’s a tip: if something in the composition confuses you, the words might clear it up.“
„For me, one of the key lines is ‚we are because of a million loves‘ – from the song „Perfume of the Timeless“. Each of us is part of an unbroken chain that stretches back billions of years. If even one of your ancestors had died too young – torn apart by a cave bear, for example – during this incredibly long period of time, you would never have been born. In other words, our existence is an incredible privilege!“
What does the term ‚yesterwynde‘ mean? „
It describes a feeling that cannot be found in any human language. That’s why we had to invent a whole new word. The album should open up this feeling to the listener.“
Without taking anything away from the solid performance of guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, drummer Kai Hahto, bassist Jukka Koskinen and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Troy Donockley, it might be worth highlighting one fact: The performance of the eloquent storyteller Floor Jansen is once again second to none. It’s simply breathtaking how the singer manages to make the songs fly with her performance.“
„Floor’s second child was just born over a month ago, and we hadn’t rehearsed together at all…. So it was a bit nerve-wracking to go to Floor’s home studio for the vocal recordings. Well, what happened? We had twelve working days booked and after six days everything was finished in style. Floor’s preparation for the sessions was a bit extreme!“
After the recording and mixing process, there was one more phase of work. The mastering. Could you perhaps guess that no shortcuts were taken here either?
„The album was mastered seven times before we reached the finish line – one hundred percent satisfied!“ Tuomas states. „When the record was finally finished, a three-year, extremely inspiring adventure came to an end. I felt very, very happy.“
NIGHTWISH’s next steps are clear. And they are not the most usual.
„NIGHTWISH will not be going on a world tour this time. That was a decision for personal reasons. But don’t worry… The contract with Nuclear Blast Records covers several albums, and there is a lot of motivation to create new music!“
May the dream continue…(NB)
Stream „Yesterwynde“ on Spotify: