Nightwish’s September release “Yesterwynde” is not just an album but an experience that challenges and captivates: Read our early review of the album 

There always seems to be a special kind of anticipation surrounding Nightwish‘s album releases. It’s been over four years since their last studio album, “Human :II: Nature”, but now the wait is coming to an end; “Yesterwynde”, the band’s tenth studio album, will be released on September 21st. Before this highly anticipated moment, Nightwish held a pre-listening session deep within the legendary Finnvox Studios on August 9th, where a select group of guests got to experience the album from start to finish.

As expected, “Yesterwynde” is not an easy album to digest. The band’s frontman, Tuomas Holopainen, acknowledged this during the pre-listening session but expressed his hope that the album’s central message – gratitude for the uniqueness of our existence – wouldn’t be buried too deep. “Yesterwynde” has been described as the heaviest Nightwish album yet, and while surprises were expected, I still found myself picking my jaw up off the floor time and time again. 

The album’s opening track, title track “Yesterwynde” strikes my ear as a rather atypical start for a Nightwish album – lacking the explosiveness or catchiness of previous album openers. “Yesterwynde” begins with a choir, acoustic guitar, and uilleann pipes, gradually transitioning into Floor Jansen’s ethereal vocals.

Don’t let the first track fool you, though, as the album’s second track, “An Ocean Of Strange Islands“, quickly clarifies why this album has been described as the heaviest in the band’s discography. There is a lot happening dynamically in this song, and I constantly found myself wishing the show would keep going just a tad further. The nearly 10-minute track is the album’s longest, featuring all the “textbook Nightwish” elements – massive guitar riffs, roaring orchestra, and powerful vocals. This track is definitely one of the heaviest on the album, with a theatrical soundscape that inevitably brings to mind the atmosphere of the “Imaginaerum” album.

The third track, “The Antikythera Mechanism“, picks up where its predecessor left off. What stands out most is a rather astonishing interlude that I never expected to hear from this band. Otherwise, it’s a fairly straightforward track, featuring vocal contributions from multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley. I recommend Googling the Antikythera mechanism, as it’s quite an unusual concept for a song lyric – though clearly a great one.

The pre-released singles “The Day Of…” and “Perfume Of the Timeless” are placed back-to-back on the album. Based on the two singles, the album has already been deemed as too soft, too experimental, and poorly mixed. After listening to the entire album, my perspective is that the singles successfully represent the album’s central theme, but it’s impossible to form a complete picture of the album’s musical contents based on the singles alone. “Perfume Of the Timeless” might have been an unusual choice for the first single due to its over 8-minute length, but on the album, the track surprisingly stands out as one of the more straightforward songs.

“Sway” is one of the album’s lighter tracks and allows Troy Donockley to shine with his pipes and vocals. Nightwish has a tradition of including slow, atmospheric tracks on their albums, but “Sway” brings a fresh breeze of something new to this category.

“The Children Of ‘Ata” tells the story of the Tongan castaways. The song has sort of an 80s vibe, and after the listening session, many wondered what that “disco song” was. The track came as a surprise even to a long-time Nightwish fan like myself, though the unfamiliar elements are balanced by a strong Nightwish trademark through powerful guitar riffs and impressive orchestration. The song also features a group of native singers from Tonga.

Despite its strong orchestral parts, “Yesterwynde” is a very band-driven album. In previous albums, I’ve found myself wishing guitarist Emppu Vuorinen would play a larger role, and this wish was finally fulfilled with the track “Something Whispered Follow Me“. The song isn’t  the heaviest on the album, but it carries a uniquely threatening atmosphere and a notably guitar-driven sound.

One of the album’s highlights for me is the track “Spider Silk“. It showcases a wide range, from a jazzy atmosphere to an explosive chorus, from familiar Nightwish trademarks to entirely new elements. Floor Jansen’s vocal performance is astonishingly strong throughout the album, but during this song, the chills just wouldn’t stop. I generally find myself enjoying Troy Donockley’s vocals, but in “Spider Silk” he undeniably seems to be overshadowed.

However, the very next track reminds us why Donockley is an essential element in the band’s music. “Hiraeth” – a Welsh word referring to feelings of longing and nostalgia with no direct English translation – allows Donockley’s soft vocals and hauntingly beautiful whistles to shine in their full glory.

The penultimate track, “The Weave” has a very strong essence of a Nightwish song. Perhaps it’s the diverse use of the orchestra or the use of a familiar riff pattern, but in my opinion, it’s definitely one of the highlights of the album’s second half. Bassist Jukka Koskinen, who officially joined the band in 2022, is particularly prominent in this track. And damn, his contributions sound fantastic throughout the album – especially considering this is Koskinen’s first studio effort with the band.

Unlike recent Nightwish albums, “Yesterwynde” doesn’t close with a 20-minute epic, but with the soft and beautiful “Lanternlight“, which ties the 12-track journey back to the same tranquility from which the opening track began.

At the end of the event, I had the honor of experiencing the Dolby Atmos version of the album, guided by Mika and Niklas Jussila. It was amazing to hear the incredible worlds that can be created with modern technology! The album’s mixing and mastering sound precisely considered in every detail, and the Dolby Atmos is tastefully implemented, adding the final touch to the listening experience.

“Yesterwynde” is a surprising album that challenges the listener both thematically and compositionally. It’s a testament that, after nearly 30 years, Nightwish can still reinvent itself without losing its recognizable sound. After the listening session, someone asked me about my thoughts on the album, and here’s what I would have said if I hadn’t been absolutely speechless: “The album is an astonishing entity that keeps the listener on their toes. It’s not only a demonstration of Tuomas Holopainen’s indescribable talent as a songwriter but also proof of the incredible group of musicians he is surrounded by. “Yesterwynde” requires multiple listens to fully unravel, but its core message is clear even after just one spin”.

You can also check out our video interview with Tuomas Holopainen about the upcoming album below:

Written by: Enni Lahtinen