Endless Forms Most Beautiful

Without question, this album hits you squarely in the face with perhaps a bit too much of everything upon first listen. The more timid will probably run to hide in their Justin Beeber or Britney spears or the nearest troll cave. It takes some patience, almost a learning curve, and then more of it opens up as standout moments. It is first and foremost an album lover's album. By that I want to differentiate from the mass segment of the population that rarely, if ever, buys actual cds but gets songs one at a time piecemeal. There are no real radio friendly songs here, no dance hits, no bubble gum Idiot's Guide to Music type tracks. That being said, what I wouldn't give to have a song like Weak Fantasy forced onto American mainstream radio and the hilarious fits of reaction that would follow. Endless Forms Most Beautiful is not dumbed down to meet modern suitable levels and does not talk (sing?) down to its audience...it lifts them up. If you are brave and if your heart is true, then this work of genius will have many wonders in store for you. Floor Jansen achieves her coronation as Queen with the grace one could only wish to expect from musical royalty. Something much lacking in several other recently dethroned lyrical monarchs. By the way, Sasha is taught what fierce actually is by the time track 4, Yours is an Empty Hope ends. Floor, the Amazonian Wonder Woman then removes her boot heel from the throat and proceeds to graciously help Sasha, Rhihaha and the rest of us up, dust us off and treat us kindly with an emotional tear jerker in track 5's Our Decades in the Sun. As powerful a moment as that is, it is actually one of the weakest songs (my opinion) on this variety packed album. To spare the length of my review describing each track, as others have already done so well here, I will skip ahead to talk about track 11 and The Greatest Show on Earth. This is the song where Nightwish becomes the best band in the world. It is a 24 minute epic journey through time, as indeed much of the album is an epic journey just to get to this final epic journey. Too many distinctive moments to mention them all but Floor basically runs the gamut of vocal styles within this one song alone. Also includes powerful use of narrator Richard Dawkins in one of the most beautiful endings of a song/closure of an album that I've ever heard. Just remember "we were here" to experience this endlessly beautiful work of musical art. Like them or hate them, their power cannot be denied and it is only growing. Nightwish is currently in the US on the first leg of their world tour and from the reviews and you tube vids, it was nearly flawless from the very first show and this continues well into 2016. Try to find their show if you can. I, for one, have never looked forward more to seeing a band live in concert. I am certainly no nightwish stalker fan, nor am I a fan of any one genre, rock, metal, pop, nothing. I always latch onto quality as I see it and hear it, wherever it may rise. This album benefits all, but most particularly the explorer, the seeker of truths...and the musician in all of us.. Perhaps that is my highest recommendation.

Among the best CDs ever produced. If you like the genera of Symphonic Metal, you will LOVE this CD. And get this, it is 10 years old. One of the first with Floor Jansen

I received an email from amazon.com recommending this album. I was a fan for years, since discovering "Once" and then backtracking their albums. After the band got their second singer, I was still in love with the band despite the turmoil. I have found something to love about each of their albums though fans will always argue over which ones are better. Well, I didn't want to give this band a try again. They fired their second singer, and that just made me lose faith in the band. "The THIRD official lead singer? Are you kidding me?!" I previewed this album. I was not "pleasantly surprised". That would be a major understatement. This album took me from behind and pile-drived me off of a cliff. Why? I will tell you. First of all, Floor is an incredibly capable vocalist. Let nothing bad be said about Nightwish' previous singers. They are all powerful, extremely talented front-women. Floor is no exception. She has tons of range, and more importantly, personality. Annette really started to shine on her second album with Nightwish, and it's a sad loss, but Floor takes the band and makes it her own regardless. She can belt out a soprano like Tarja, but her "standard" lead style is excellent as well. Not only does she handle vocals well, but she brings something neither of the previous singers could do: grit. She growls and howls with emotion. She doesn't feel like Tuomas' current hired gun. In fact, she feels like she is leading the pack, as she sings with conviction and isn't afraid to break into a growl much like the band's bassist does when he hits the mic. Floor rules. That's not all though. The other members sound reinvigorated: Impu's guitar is as heavy as ever on this album. In fact, his sound is downright brutal, and there haven't been as many ripping solos on a Nightwish album since "Wishmaster". It is awesome to take in, as his solos are smoldering this go-round, while his heavy power-chord attack continues to drive the songs. Jukka sadly missed out on the recording of this album (and has since returned to the band after recovering from health issues), but the session drummer did an excellent job with the band. The drums are crisp and clear and powerful. (still, welcome back Jukka!). Marco Hietala's bass is not as prevalent on this album as he has been on some albums. It is audible and you can hear almost all the time, so it's not like an early Metallica album. But there aren't as many "woah" moments from him. Fortunately, he brings his beautiful, rich vocals on most of the tracks. Oddly enough, there aren't many songs where he dominates or shares roughly one half of the lyrics. This isn't so bad since Floor brings it. When the two of them cross vocals, it is so awesome...if you haven't heard, then you are missing out big-time. The band has also brought in their touring multi-instrumentalist, who handles woodwinds and additional vocals, as a full member. He rounds out the sound for the band and gives some real, authentic vibes for the band wile giving Tuomas more freedom behind his keys. And of course, one should not forget the excellent orchestra tying it all together - I don't know who they hired this time, but they do an awesome job, providing that extra layer of atmosphere only a full orchestra can bring. Another thing that has been amped up is the song-writing. The past few albums were good. They may have not been the best Nightwish albums, but to hell with it - they were certainly good. Well, this album, if not great, is ridiculously good. The first track rips with confidence. It's heavy, fast, and strong. The chorus is catchier than a Disney song covered in cotton candy, while the band surprises with speed and confidence not seen in roughly ten years. After the first track closed, I expected another one of those slow-grind ballads. It didn't happen - The second track was less catchy and borderline brutal, something I don't normally say about a Nightwish song. The chorus isn't even something I wanted to sing along to. I was just drawn in by the song as a whole. The third song, "Elan", the single, is that typical on-every-Nightwish-album song. It's not a bad song. In fact, if you've never heard the band before, it might get you into them. I understand the band has to release the songs every now and then to draw in an audience and please casual fans, so it's all fair-game. It's not a bad tune by any means. After that, the fourth song hits. "Yours is an empty hope". This song is another heavy song. This was a shock to me, as I was only four songs in and the album has three rather heavy/fast songs going so far... I'm not going to tell you about the rest of the tracks. I will say that the album continues to surprise. There are a few ballads here and there that seem to serve as moment of rest between the controlled chaos. There are definitely more heavy, fast songs as well as a number of mid-tempo songs with catchy choruses. There are less ballads, fortunately, and though I often rip ballads, there is one on here that I really liked. Anyway, this album just feels altogether "more real" than the last two. It's like the band is really clicking together. The songs overall are just stronger, and the albums flows with more consistency than the last two. Before wrapping up the review, I'd like to acknowledge the lyrical matter: Like past albums, there are allusions to nature and the beauty of life. The band continues this trend, but in a different way: It acknowledges the beauty of life from a scientific and historical perspective. For anyone who is into finding out the nature of the universe or looking at life for what it is in scientific terms, you may love the new lyrical direction. It's definitely more outward and much less inward. This may disappoint fans who look to the band for fantasy - but then again they are still able to draw various awesome imagery through the lyrics. It's really cool to see this band get experimental again, both musically and lyrically. Endless Forms Most Beautiful - it may disappoint some, but to me I see the band once again embracing elements that made them so good in the first place while keeping a few good tricks they learned from recent releases. Floor really brings a powerful performance and the returning crew have all dialed it up a few notches. Fans looking for an operatic style like Tarja's may be disappointed. Floor lets her operatic soprano loose here and there, but this is not a recreation - This is a new form for the band and if you embrace it, you may fall in love. I certainly did.

Finalmente il nuovo disco dei Nightwish è nelle nostre mani ma soprattutto pronto per deliziare nuovamente le nostre orecchie, con più di una novità; come tutti già sapranno e soprattutto avranno avuto modo di ascoltare nell'ultimo loro disco live ufficiale, dietro al microfono non troviamo più la bellissima Anette Olzon ma la statuaria ed altrettanto bella e a mio parere decisamente più brava Floor Jansen (ex After Forever, Revamp), il già presente anch'egli nel live sopra citato polistrumentista Troy Donockley ai vari flauti, cori e strumenti celtici e soprattutto novità dell'ultima ora la batteria non è stata suonata dal batterista storico Jukka Nevalainen ma da Kai Hahto. Nevalainen anche se non compare nelle foto ufficiali rimane comunque nella band, sostituito momentaneamente per motivi familiari non precisati. Dopo questa breve introduzione sulle ultime novità della band finlandese, passiamo a questo nuovo attesissimo "Endless forms most beautifull", che era già stato anticipato dal singolo "Elan", a mio avviso un buon brano ma fin troppo catchy e che non sfruttava completamente le capacità interpretative e tecniche della nuova singer; questo purtroppo sarà l'unica pecca di questo bellissimo album che proprio per questo motivo non raggiunge il titolo di capolavoro assoluto! Floor Jansen a mio modesto parere è la miglior frontwoman in circolazione, come ha dimostrato nel cd/dvd live "Showtime, Storytime" surclassando le due precedenti cantanti Tarja Turunen e Anette Olzon, interpretando e migliorando alla grande i loro due stili, anni luce lontani, lirico e operistico per la Turunen e melodico quasi pop per la Olzon! Il primo brano "Shudder before the beautifull" sulla falsariga di "Dark Chest of Wonder" dell'album "Once" è un ottimo inizio con le tastiere e l'orchestra a condire alla grande questo bel brano! Anche qui Floor canta in modo quasi normale (a paragone con le sue immense capacità) per poi finalmente esplodere nel finale con una interpretazione operistica da brividi. "Weak Fantasy" è un'altra bella canzone molto simile alla precedente, dove tutti gli strumenti svolgono un ruolo determinante e in evidenza! "Elan" è probabilmente il brano più commeriale ma che si fa scoltare con vero piacere. "Your is an Empty hope" è il primo gioiellino vero e proprio della band, che prosegue il discorso bombastico dell'album precedente, con delle chitarre ritmiche sugli scudi e la Jansen coadiuvata da un ottimo Hietala ai cori. "Our decades in the sun" è un ottimo lento, dove la Jansen fa il verso alla Olzon e dove la sua interpretazione decolla alla grande! "My Walden" è un'altra ottima canzone dove troviamo in evidenza il nuovo acquisto Troy Donockley, anche qui troviamo tantissimi riferimenti ad "Imaginaerum" La title track ricorda da vicino quello che la band ha fatto nell'ultimo periodo con la Turunen, "Edema Ruh" è un altro gran bel pezzo ma nulla di che in confronto ai successivi ed ultimi brani; "Alpenglow" che descrive appieno tutta la musica dei Nightwish, "The eyes of Sharbat Gula", che ricorda decisamente il disco solista di Holopainen, con il suo incedere magnetico e magico, a creare una bellissima atmosfera, sembra di stare circondati dalla bellezza della natura e allo stesso tempo dal silenzio ed una pace solare; un piccolo grande capolavoro. Ma è con la successiva ed ultimo brano che la creatività del tastierista raggiunge la perfezione; una suite di circa 20 minuti divisa in cinque movimenti; non stò neanche a descriverla, bisogna ascoltarla e godere a pieno tutte le emozioni che è in grado di trasmettere! Considero questo nuovo disco dei Nightwish un quasi capolavoro, dico quasi in quanto come ho scritto all'inizio Floor Jansen poteva essere utilizzata in modo migliore, le sue capacità sono immense, basti ascoltare solo la prima parte cantata dell'ultima suite per capire cosa la cantante olandese sia in grado di fare, ma da un'altra parte penso anche che sia normale, d'altronde è appena entrata nella band, questo è il suo primo disco in studio con loro, e malgrado siano tutti ottimi musicisti già affermati, non è mai facile sostituire il singer e amalgamare immediatamente la band! in ogni caso io alla Jansen do un bel 9, contando che lei è una cantante che può raggiungere e superare il 10 e lode! Per quanto riguarda la musica, nulla da dire, sempre perfetta, in continua evoluzione e dove anche il nuovo batterista non fa rimpiangere Jukka!!! Come sempre grandissimi Nightwish!!! P.S: In questa limited edition troviamo un secondo cd con la versione strumentale dell'album.

A loja entregou rápido e em ordem, além do CD ser ótimo.

Muy buen disco, era mas de lo que esperaba

フィンランド出身シンフォニックメタル・バンドNightwishによる、2015年発売8th。前作に伴うツアーの途中でアネットを解雇(またかよ…)。元After Foreverのオランダ人シンガー、フローア・ヤンセンをヘルプ要員に迎えて残りのツアーをこなし、そのまま彼女を正式メンバーに迎えて制作された。DVD「Showtime, Storytime」(2013年)にて、身長186cmのフローア嬢による堂々たるパフォーマンスに目を奪われたという人も多いのでは。実際バンドの集合写真を見る限りでは、フローア嬢が最も長身です。 あと、バンダナがトレードマークのドラマー、ユッカ・ネヴァライネンは深刻な不眠症の治療のため、一時的にバンドを離脱。本作ではカイ・ハフトという人物が叩いている。 本作のコンセプトは「進化論」。このアルバムタイトルもチャールズ・ダーウィンの引用で、それぞれが相互に密接に影響し合う、複雑かつ美しい地球上の生態系を表している。地球の誕生から最初の生命。自然淘汰と環境適応を繰り返しながら数億年にわたって繰り広げられてきた生命の営みがドラマティックに描かれている。ちなみにツォーマスは、ミュージシャンになってなかったら海洋生物学者になっていたかもという、そっち方面の専門家でもある。 アルバム冒頭のナレーションは進化生物学者のリチャード・ドーキンス。「利己的な遺伝子」や「神は妄想である」等の著作で知られる。「利己的な遺伝子」は「寄生獣」でも引用されたので、知っている人もいるかもしれない。 まあ簡単に言うと、「地球と動植物と人間は神がお創りになった」とかいうクソみたいなファンタジーに真っ向からケンカを売る内容だということです(笑) ロックですね。ブラックメタルとはまた違ったアプローチで、ある意味反キリスト的でグッドです。 さてフローア嬢のヴォーカルは、ターヤともアネットともまた違った力強いスタイル。その体躯と相まって、いかにも「メタル・クイーン」といった出で立ち。Nightwishとしての壮大なシンフォニック路線はそのままに、さらにパワフルかつダイナミックになっている。専任の民族楽器奏者が入ったことにより、シンフォ要素に加えフォーク要素もより色濃くなり、バンドに更なる色を添えている。 本作のハイライトはやはり、地球の誕生から生命の進化の過程、増殖する人類、そして総ての終焉をドラマティックに描いた、24分に及ぶ超大作 #11 "The Greatest Show On Earth" だろう。さすがに24分というのはNightwish史上最長曲である。 本作は間違いなくNightwish史上最も壮大かつ深遠なテーマのこめられたアルバム。これをNightwishの最高傑作とするかはまあ個人個人で判断すればいいと思うが、自然淘汰と大量絶滅を繰り返しながらそれでも進化を続け、生き延びてきた総ての生命に思いを馳せるアルバムです。

Enfin un nouvel album de Nightwish, et quelle surprise ! Après l'excellent album Imaginaerum qui nous transporter vers l'imaginaire voici Endless Forms Most Beautiful qui prône la science et l'évolution. Décidément, les thèmes abordés par Nighwish restent original (Prenez exemple sur eux les chanteurs/groupes qui font 99% de chansons sur l'amour :p ) L'album est un tout petit peu répétitif et certaines musiques ont une structure légèrement similaire à certaines anciennes musiques (Shudder Before The Beautiful par exemple est construire exactement de la même façon que Storytime) Cependant l'instrumentale est toujours autant travaillé et c'est ce qui fait, pour moi, la force du groupe. Il ne fait pas qu'accompagner la voix comme dans la majorité des chansons. D'ailleurs un deuxième CD est livré avec l'album qui permet d'écouter les musiques sans la voix de Floor et son absence ne se ressent presque pas ! Dans Nighwish la voix est un instrument parmi tant d'autre! De Shudder Before The Beautiful à Eyes Of Sharbat Gula c'est donc un album bien sympa qui vaudrait trois étoiles. (Bon sans être époustouflant). Mais arrive la dernière piste, The Greatest Show on Earth. Et quelle merveille ! La musique raconte l'histoire de l'évolution de l'univers ainsi que de la terre et alterne entre passages instrumentales, chantés et narrés. C'est d'ailleurs le scientifique Richard Dawkins qui narre la chanson, sa voix colle très bien à la musique et les citations qu'il conte sont magnifiques (Ce sont d'ailleurs les siennes). The Greatest Show on Earth offre une parfaite conclusion à cet album et est un chef d'oeuvre ! Elle justifie à elle seule ma note et l'achat de cet album, à écouter en boucle !