Their tenth studio album, Yesterwynde, despite a lot of rumour and conjecture will not be the final Nightwish record. They have plenty more to come on Nuclear Blast Records, however chances to see them perform live will be further and far between, for personal reasons they will not go on a world tour, but they still want to create music and when the music you create not only founded but transcended an entire genre, you’d be hard pressed not to encourage them.
But what about Yesterwynde? The title coming from a feeling that is unknown; a memory, mortality, time, band leader Tuomas Holopainen puts it as a word not in the English language that describes this collection of feelings, if you’re a Welsh speaker you may say Hiraeth (they actually have a song called this).
The conclusion of the trilogy that began with Endless Forms Most Beautiful, singer Floor Jansen’s debut with the band, each record with her behind the mic becoming more progressive, more expansive, more lyrical, more personal. Through, turmoil, change, personal growth, families and sheer bloody-mindedness to make sure the album was 100% ready (it was mastered seven times!).
The conclusion of the trilogy that began with Endless Forms Most Beautiful, singer Floor Jansen’s debut with the band, each record with her behind the mic becoming more progressive, more expansive, more lyrical, more personal. Through, turmoil, change, personal growth, families and sheer bloody-mindedness to make sure the album was 100% ready (it was mastered seven times!).
After 3 years Yesterwynde makes its way into the public consciousness with two preceding singles, but much like both previous parts of this more expansive Nightwish, you have to listen the album as whole to get the full effect of Floor’s impassioned classical vocals, Tuomas’ cinematic keys/orchestrations, Emppu Vuorinen’s metallic guitars, Kai Hahto’s expressive drumming, Jukka Koskinen’s anchored bass playing and the secret weapon of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Troy Donockley, his impression on the band felt with a song such as Sway.
The additions of the latter have allowed Nightwish to take their music far beyond the standard symphonic metal trappings though on Yesterwynde, An Ocean Of Strange Lands begins the record with a nine minute epic which pulls both early Nightwish and early After Forever, this song alone will capture the imagination of those who have been here from the start but it’s so much more established.
The additions of the latter have allowed Nightwish to take their music far beyond the standard symphonic metal trappings though on Yesterwynde, An Ocean Of Strange Lands begins the record with a nine minute epic which pulls both early Nightwish and early After Forever, this song alone will capture the imagination of those who have been here from the start but it’s so much more established.
The sound is huge, crafted like soundtrack to awaken all your sense, (you can smell the sea air), the Uilleann Pipes that lead to a fade out, are evocative as the gothic tendencies and the riffs are increased for The Antikythera Mechanism, as on The Day Of… and The Children Of 'Ata they manage to put electronic synthwave-isms with choirs as Perfume Of The Timeless returns to the grandiloquent, orchestral style they pioneered.
I’m not going into the songs themselves too much as like with all Nightwish albums you need you need to hear the album yourself in full, like you would see a film or an opera, it’s creative media that has been meticulously perfected and as such needs to be devoured with the same reverence, a fantastical journey filled with creative wonder, you need to experience Yesterwynde for yourself. 10/10
Alunah - Fever Dream (Heavy Psych Sounds)
All things must pass and every era must end. When Siân Greenaway joined Birmingham doomsters for Velvet Hour in 2019, she became their second frontwoman, and that record was their fifth as a band, but their first on Heavy Psych Sounds, seeing them adding more stoner and psych influences.
They then released Strange Machine in 2022, again channelling the history of their home cities heritage in heavy. With Siân launching her solo Bobbie Dazzle project earlier this year it maybe doesn't come as surprise that Fever Dream will be her last with Alunah. It's a shame as Alunah seemed to have hit on something special with Greenaway behind the mic, the right mix of UK doom rock and throwback retroisms.
But as I said all things much last so what is the final album to feature the foursome of Siân on vocals, Jake Mason on drums, Dan Burchmore on bass and Matt Noble on guitar. Recorded in home of riffs that is Foel Studios, the record was crafted out of extended jams in the studio, Fever Dream is like snippets of a long, hallucinogenic infused journey.
Huge doom riffs such as Never Too Late and Far From Reality, worship at the altar of Sabbath, via Thin Lizzy on the former. There's slow burning prog moments in the woozy title track, Celestial/The Odyssey features a bit of flute but ala Jethro Tull, Trickster Of Time has a bit of psych blues from the Jefferson Airplane/Starship.
For me though final track I've Paid The Price, the closer, which is one of the finest tracks on the record, with lyrics that carry extra weight, it ends this Fever Dream in stone cold reality. An end of this chapter, let’s hope the next is as critically acclaimed for both. 8/10
Giant Walker - Silhouettes (Church Road Records)
Silhouettes is the second album from Newcastle born, now Bristol based progressive riff slingers Giant Walker. Formed due to their love of bands with grooves such as Karnivool, Vola, Soundgarden, Deftones or countless bands who have played ArcTanGent, Tech Fest and Radar Festival (where the band kicked off the day brilliantly). Giant Walker manage to pair the start stop crushing modern prog riffs and breakdowns with a Seattle grunge atmospheres mainly coming from the lysergic vocals. Using their music as a catharsis for dealing with mental health problems, the songs are conceptually minded by all standalone from the wider record.
A track such as Make Me, has a propulsive drum beat, snarky lyrical delivery, technical guitars but is hooked on a big groove, but the title track brings a moodiness, underpinned by bubbling bass and drum patterns, it burns slowly into a huge chorus and refrain, counteracting the pace for emotion. Here and on stomper Use On You, there’s some soloing which brings more blues to their prog/grunge, the intricacy of Jamie’s playing is marvellous. So You Say changing the pace with poignant introspection.
Giant Walker for me sound a lot like Kiwi band Devilskin, especially Steff’s powerful vocals, and how they throw alt rock, nu-metal, prog and all manner of other things into their broad sound range, the rhythm section of Jordan (drums) and Alex (bass), fashioning heaviness on the Eraser, Obscurer that transcends into dreaminess at the end, Round And Round We Go, batting away any dreaminess for more headbanging riffs and snippets of psych.
There’s a complex sound from Giant Walker, modern prog infused with 90’s/2000’s heavy rock, Giant Walker remind me of Spiritbox, and with Silhouettes they will look to emulate their success. 8/10
Delilah Bon - Evil, Hate Filled Female (Self-Release)
I once again find myself as a CIS Straight White Male reviewing a feminist band so of course my opinion doesn't really matter, but I can comment on the music on this second album from Delilah Bon, the alter ego of Lauren Tate, "fully flourishing in her villain era."
Evil, Hate Filled Female is a record that is full of tongue in cheek, feminist lyrics, crossover rap metal sounds and is a very personal record, I'd describe it as sort of the mirror world Limp Bizkit, the soundscapes are similar, pumping beats, jagged guitars and fast firing vocals but from female perspective no, frat boy machismo, but brat, punk, no fucks given.
Inspired by a comment from a man on social media, Evil, Hate Filled Female is here to empower anyone who is marginalised, victimised and put in a certain box by the media or the internet. In fact on the song The Internet these things are called out loud and angrily. There's also a lot of similarities for me to an act such as D-12 where the samples, genre blurring and rap vocals all melded together as My Girlz uses that particular sound of early 2000's R&B.
Having played Download, 2000 Trees and supporting fellow anti-establishment artist Scene Queen, there's a huge upward career trajectory for Delilah Bon, using a style of music (Nu-Metal/Rap) that is very male dominated and shifting toward a feminine focus, this second album will gain her a larger army of devoted fans, who she gives a voice too. 8/10
I’m not going into the songs themselves too much as like with all Nightwish albums you need you need to hear the album yourself in full, like you would see a film or an opera, it’s creative media that has been meticulously perfected and as such needs to be devoured with the same reverence, a fantastical journey filled with creative wonder, you need to experience Yesterwynde for yourself. 10/10
Alunah - Fever Dream (Heavy Psych Sounds)
All things must pass and every era must end. When Siân Greenaway joined Birmingham doomsters for Velvet Hour in 2019, she became their second frontwoman, and that record was their fifth as a band, but their first on Heavy Psych Sounds, seeing them adding more stoner and psych influences.
They then released Strange Machine in 2022, again channelling the history of their home cities heritage in heavy. With Siân launching her solo Bobbie Dazzle project earlier this year it maybe doesn't come as surprise that Fever Dream will be her last with Alunah. It's a shame as Alunah seemed to have hit on something special with Greenaway behind the mic, the right mix of UK doom rock and throwback retroisms.
But as I said all things much last so what is the final album to feature the foursome of Siân on vocals, Jake Mason on drums, Dan Burchmore on bass and Matt Noble on guitar. Recorded in home of riffs that is Foel Studios, the record was crafted out of extended jams in the studio, Fever Dream is like snippets of a long, hallucinogenic infused journey.
Huge doom riffs such as Never Too Late and Far From Reality, worship at the altar of Sabbath, via Thin Lizzy on the former. There's slow burning prog moments in the woozy title track, Celestial/The Odyssey features a bit of flute but ala Jethro Tull, Trickster Of Time has a bit of psych blues from the Jefferson Airplane/Starship.
For me though final track I've Paid The Price, the closer, which is one of the finest tracks on the record, with lyrics that carry extra weight, it ends this Fever Dream in stone cold reality. An end of this chapter, let’s hope the next is as critically acclaimed for both. 8/10
Giant Walker - Silhouettes (Church Road Records)
Silhouettes is the second album from Newcastle born, now Bristol based progressive riff slingers Giant Walker. Formed due to their love of bands with grooves such as Karnivool, Vola, Soundgarden, Deftones or countless bands who have played ArcTanGent, Tech Fest and Radar Festival (where the band kicked off the day brilliantly). Giant Walker manage to pair the start stop crushing modern prog riffs and breakdowns with a Seattle grunge atmospheres mainly coming from the lysergic vocals. Using their music as a catharsis for dealing with mental health problems, the songs are conceptually minded by all standalone from the wider record.
A track such as Make Me, has a propulsive drum beat, snarky lyrical delivery, technical guitars but is hooked on a big groove, but the title track brings a moodiness, underpinned by bubbling bass and drum patterns, it burns slowly into a huge chorus and refrain, counteracting the pace for emotion. Here and on stomper Use On You, there’s some soloing which brings more blues to their prog/grunge, the intricacy of Jamie’s playing is marvellous. So You Say changing the pace with poignant introspection.
Giant Walker for me sound a lot like Kiwi band Devilskin, especially Steff’s powerful vocals, and how they throw alt rock, nu-metal, prog and all manner of other things into their broad sound range, the rhythm section of Jordan (drums) and Alex (bass), fashioning heaviness on the Eraser, Obscurer that transcends into dreaminess at the end, Round And Round We Go, batting away any dreaminess for more headbanging riffs and snippets of psych.
There’s a complex sound from Giant Walker, modern prog infused with 90’s/2000’s heavy rock, Giant Walker remind me of Spiritbox, and with Silhouettes they will look to emulate their success. 8/10
Delilah Bon - Evil, Hate Filled Female (Self-Release)
I once again find myself as a CIS Straight White Male reviewing a feminist band so of course my opinion doesn't really matter, but I can comment on the music on this second album from Delilah Bon, the alter ego of Lauren Tate, "fully flourishing in her villain era."
Evil, Hate Filled Female is a record that is full of tongue in cheek, feminist lyrics, crossover rap metal sounds and is a very personal record, I'd describe it as sort of the mirror world Limp Bizkit, the soundscapes are similar, pumping beats, jagged guitars and fast firing vocals but from female perspective no, frat boy machismo, but brat, punk, no fucks given.
Inspired by a comment from a man on social media, Evil, Hate Filled Female is here to empower anyone who is marginalised, victimised and put in a certain box by the media or the internet. In fact on the song The Internet these things are called out loud and angrily. There's also a lot of similarities for me to an act such as D-12 where the samples, genre blurring and rap vocals all melded together as My Girlz uses that particular sound of early 2000's R&B.
Having played Download, 2000 Trees and supporting fellow anti-establishment artist Scene Queen, there's a huge upward career trajectory for Delilah Bon, using a style of music (Nu-Metal/Rap) that is very male dominated and shifting toward a feminine focus, this second album will gain her a larger army of devoted fans, who she gives a voice too. 8/10
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