Nightwish guitarist Emppu Vuorinen reflects on nearly 30 years with the band: “At some point I realized the gear might not be the answer – learn how to play”

Nightwish stands as one of the greatest international success stories in Finnish music history, and guitarist Emppu Vuorinen has been part of the band’s journey practically from its very first steps. Nearly three decades later, Nightwish has grown from a small group of friends in the Finnish town of Kitee into one of the world’s most recognized metal bands. Yet according to Vuorinen, some things have remained surprisingly unchanged along the way.

Chaoszine met with Vuorinen on August 18th at Hotel Helka in Helsinki for an extensive video interview about his career. The conversation went all the way back to the earliest days of Nightwish, Vuorinen’s history with Tuomas Holopainen, how Tarja Turunen was recruited as the band’s vocalist and how a project originally envisioned as acoustic music gradually transformed into a metal band.

Vuorinen recalls knowing Holopainen since childhood, with the two even being members of the Scouts together. When Holopainen later began working on his first songs, the project needed a vocalist. In the days before mobile phones, the solution was remarkably straightforward: Holopainen and Vuorinen simply went to Tarja Turunen’s childhood home, rang the doorbell and asked if she wanted to sing with them.

The musical direction later became considerably heavier, partly through the influence of Stratovarius. For Vuorinen, the transition felt natural, as he had already been playing heavier music before Nightwish. Looking back at the band’s debut album “Angels Fall First”, he remembers above all the youthful enthusiasm and desire to create music. Modern computer-based recording tools weren’t available in the same way back then, meaning the performances simply had to be played right.

The interview also explores the breakthrough that followed with “Oceanborn”, Nightwish’s first tours and the fast-moving early years of the band. Vuorinen describes his playing during that era as being driven by youthful enthusiasm and the desire to demonstrate as much of what they could do – or at least what they were trying to do – as possible.

From wanting to show off to serving the song

Over the years, Vuorinen’s approach to playing guitar has changed considerably. When he was younger, he was constantly buying new pedals, amplifiers and other equipment in search of the perfect sound.

Eventually, he came to a much simpler realization: the answer might not be another piece of gear at all. Perhaps the most important thing was simply learning how to play.

At the same time, the desire to constantly showcase technical ability has faded. These days, Vuorinen sees the guitar primarily as one instrument among many, with its purpose being to serve the song rather than dominate it.

During the conversation, Vuorinen also looks back on Marko Hietala joining Nightwish and the experience he brought into what was still a relatively young band at the time. He also discusses his side projects and how spending nearly three decades in the same band has changed his perspective on being a musician.

Touring break has shifted Vuorinen’s focus towards studio work – and the next Nightwish album should feature plenty of guitar

During Nightwish’s current break from touring, Vuorinen has become increasingly interested in studio work and has been learning, among other things, how to mix in Dolby Atmos.

At the moment, studio work actually interests him more than touring. It allows him to work peacefully on his own schedule without the constant travelling and tightly structured daily routine that comes with life on the road.

The interview also touches on the future of Nightwish. Vuorinen says he hasn’t yet heard the new songs Tuomas Holopainen has been writing for the band’s next album. He has, however, received one piece of advance information from the composer: according to Holopainen, the upcoming material contains “a fucking shitload of guitar.”

Vuorinen jokes that he may eventually have to find out whether the riffs Holopainen has sketched out on keyboards can actually be played on a guitar in the first place.

Despite nearly 30 years having passed, Vuorinen can still identify at least two familiar elements from the original Nightwish: himself and Holopainen. The two had been sitting together in the hotel lobby bar the previous evening, and according to Vuorinen, their conversations were still much the same as they had been when they were young – even if the two men themselves have accumulated a few more years along the way.

Elsewhere in the interview, Vuorinen reflects on some of the most memorable moments of his career, his thoughts on the digitalization of the music industry and Nightwish’s three different vocalists. He also explains why he completely understands those fans for whom the Tarja Turunen era of Nightwish will always remain the most important.

One of the personal highlights of Vuorinen’s career came when Metallica frontman James Hetfield watched an entire Nightwish festival performance and then came backstage after the show to meet Vuorinen and take a closer look at his guitar gear.

You can watch Chaoszine’s full exclusive video interview with Emppu Vuorinen below. The interview was conducted in Finnish, but English subtitles are available throughout the video.

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