Nightwish

Brigantium said:
Finally got hold of the album and listening now. I think it has a slightly underwhelming start, but as it's progressed, several songs have jumped out. Bit more of a folky feel in places, without the pipes becoming too much of a gimmick.
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Forostar said:
Hmm. The second listening was already a less impressive experience.
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My first listen blew me away right off the bat, I think the first five songs are amazing. If anything, the album starts treading mediocre ground on My Walden and upswings again with possibly Edema Ruh or Alpenglow. Those middle songs, however, impressed me more on the second, third, and fourth listens.

The only song that has diminished with more listens to me is TGSOE. The more I listen the more I realize it's just too bloated. The parts I like, I love, but it could have been a better 12 minute song.

Also, final webisode:

 
The title track and the two after that one, plus Our Decades in the Sun certainly belong to my four current favourites.
 
For some reason the title track has not clicked with me yet, not sure why. I was hesitant about Edema Ruh at first, but I really love it now. Could be a fun middle-of-the-set live tune. Alpenglow is amazing and Our Decades in the Sun is beautiful! Far superior to Slow, Love, Slow on the last album.
 
Alpenglow sounds like absolutely classic Nightwish. My expectations of the first, second and fourth track (I already knew Elan) were a bit higher. I was kind of expecting explosively impressive vocals, but they're understated. The vocals come across better from ...Empty Hope onwards.
 
The only (relatively) weak songs on the album are My Walden (which is too cheery) and The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula (which is just an overlong interlude). And I only listen to the full version of the last song when I listen to the whole album, otherwise I play the edited 1/2 version.
 
Alpenglow also falls down now. The beginning sounded cool at first but the rest -esp. the chorus- is meh and the song features literal parts taken from Ghost Love Score. As you might know I do not appreciate recycling, especially when it gets blatantly obvious. Also the solo (chord scheme) is terribly unimaginative.

Compare if you like: Ghost Love Score:
@5.34

Alpenglow: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2k04ee
The end is most clear @4.38 but also the main riff is derived from that part.
 
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Don't Nightwish often repeat themselves a bit? You can even hear them in Sabaton.

My Walden has now officially grown on me. I love the folky element. Also, the BF just heard this album and says 'sounds like Evanescence'.
 
I've only heard one other Nightwish album (Imaginaerum) and even I found a lot of things that sounded familiar on this new album. I get the impression that they like to stick to a certain formula. I don't mind it much though, the album as a whole was very strong and they do what they do very well. I liked the album a lot, will be coming back to it.
 
Brigantium said:
Don't Nightwish often repeat themselves a bit?
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Perhaps more often than I'd like. I have ignored the Olson albums because I didn't really like her voice (and after hearing a few songs I felt the music missed something as well), but perhaps there are more of these examples. In the Tarja era, it didn't happen, at least not as much as obvious as the example I just gave.
Mosh said:
I've only heard one other Nightwish album
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That's not much.
 
It was actually the Tarja era I was thinking of most. I'll have a good listen to them after a few days of Katatonia.
 
I've been relistening to all of Nightwish's albums and a few things have struck me:

- Tuomas should never be allowed to sing ever again.
- Marco was the best thing that ever happened to the band.
- I'm glad there is more guitar on the new album. I love Century Child, Once, and Dark Passion Play, but the lack of real guitar riffs and leads is sad.
- Nightwish are generally very bad at sequencing their albums. For as great as Once is, it has a horrible track sequence. Why are there two songs, much less two ballads after Ghost Love Score? That's clearly the end of the album. Why is there an 8 minute song in the first third of the album? It just makes no sense.
 
MrKnickerbocker said:
Why is there an 8 minute song in the first third of the album? It just makes no sense.
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Why this (self made(?)) rule? And why 8? Is (around) 7 minutes also too long?
Piece of Mind starts with two long songs: Where Eagles Dare is 6, Revelations almost 7 minutes.
Somewhere in Time starts with Caught Somewhere in time (around 7 and a half).
Fear of the Dark has Afraid to Shoot Strangers (almost 7 minutes).
The X-Factor starts with Sign of the Cross (11 minutes)
Virtual XI has The Angel and the Gambler (almost 10 minutes)
Brave New World has long 2nd, 3rd and 4th tracks (7, 6 and 7 minutes)
Dance of Death has No More Lies (around 7 and a half minutes)
A Matter of Life and Death has These Colours Don't Run and Brighter than a Thousand Suns (almost 7 and almost 9 minutes)
The Final Frontier starts with Satellite 15... The Final Frontier (almost 9 minutes) and El Dorado (almost 7 minutes)
 
I guess I'm not explaining myself correctly...

It's not completely the length of the song that makes it feel misplaced, but the pace of it. Half of the song is atmospheric and cinematic. The album builds and builds and then grinds to a halt with Creek Mary's Blood. Look, I like the song, it's one of the more effective pieces on the record, but it feels misplaced. It would be better suited for the last third.

My ideal tracklist would be:

1. Dark Chest of Wonders
2. Wish I Had an Angel
3. Nemo
4. Planet Hell
5. Higher than Hope
6. The Siren
7. Creek Mary's Blood
8. Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan
9. Romanticide
10. Ghost Love Score

*eliminating Dead Gardens because it's pure filler

Also, I find both Blaze albums to be quite poorly sequenced, as well.
 
Nightwish were excellent last night, Floor sounded great with them and looked very beautiful:D The setlist was ok, was a lot of newer stuff mostly, but they did surprise me and play "She Is My Sin", never heard that live before
 
On second look, it's actually 5 songs. And they aren't playing my current favorite from the new album - Our Decades In The Sun :(

On the other hand, they aren't coming anywhere close to Serbia on the tour, so it's not like I'm going to see this setlist anyway :p
 
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