Year: 2024
Total Time: 71.07
Label: Nuclear Blast

One of the metal bands that always raises dust when they release new album or when there is a change in the line up is undoubtedly the top Symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH. And with a good reason since there were some member changes like Tarja or Anette that came with a heavy background.  Or due to the persistence of the mastermind Tuomas Holopainen to follow his own dream and direction and ignor all the “experts” who demand a new “Once” or a new “Oceanborn”.

“Yesterwynde” is an album that took almost 3,5 years to be completed and essentially closes the anthropocentric trilogy of “Endless Forms Most Beautiful” (2015) and “Human.:||: Nature” (2020) which lyrically deals with the environment, science, time and perhaps the futility of human existence. “Yesterwynde” is a heavy album full of deep meaning and rich compositions to an extent that might discomfort the average listener. It could easily be 10-15 minutes less in duration since there are a couple of fillers (such as the ballad “Sway”) especially during the second half where the intensity drops noticeably anyway. Nevertheless, I understand the will of the creator-narrator to tell his story the way he sees fit and for this reason “Yesterwynde” is an album that must be heard in its entirety. This is the only way some of the songs find their place. As Troy Donockley has stated, the listener must be locked in a room with no outside interference. But who does that nowadays…?

There are several songs that stand out for different reasons. My highlight is “The Antikythera Mechanism”, which is one of the heaviest songs of the album, as well as “The Day of”, where the children’s choir stands out in the chorus. The opening “An Ocean Of Strange Lands” is also a very strong moment with the drums standing out. There isn’t much to say about the vocals. I feel that “Yesterwynde” is the album where NIGHTWISH manage to take full advantage of their superb and top class singer Floor Jansen since she really gives in every song an identity and her voice is the perfect means to create the atmosphere that Tuomas has in his mind. Marko Hietala is certainly missing, although Donockley replaces him adequately.

I really can’t decide whether it’s the best album of the trilogy. I’d say it’s the most artistically complete, the most cohesive but also the one missing 1 or 2 radio hits like the dreamy ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ from “Endless Forms Most Beautiful” or the highly radio-friendly “Noice” from the “Human. :||: Nature’. NIGHTWISH have announced that they won’t be promoting “Yesterwynde” with any touring for the next 2-3 years at least but with a contract for another 4 or 5 albums with Nuclear Blast, they’ll be back stronger. It remains to be seen if Holopainen will surprise us once again or if he will choose to return to his roots.

Rating: 7,5/10
Editor: Kostas Boudoukos
Related Link: NIGHTWISH – Official Page