NIGHTWISH

Approaching a new NIGHTWISH album can be a daunting proposition, even for the seasoned symphonic metal fan. Over the last 28 years, the all-conquering Finns have evolved from undeniably opulent and ambitious beginnings, into one of the most adventurous and unpredictable bands in all of heavy music. In particular, the last few years have seen NIGHTWISH peel away from their supposed peers, to make albums that were as lyrically and philosophically courageous as they were musically extravagant.

"Yesterwynde" completes a trilogy of grand endeavors that began with 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", continued with the gleefully bloated "Human II Nature" (2020),  and which ends here, just as its creators embark on a prolonged hiatus from touring. The obvious irony is that NIGHTWISH have not sounded as heavy or as bombastic as this for some time. An album full of colossal, melodramatic moments and giant, irresistible melodies, their tenth full-length is the most stridently metal thing they have recorded in a long time. It absolutely cries out to be performed live, preferably in its labyrinthine entirety. Damn it.

NIGHTWISH founder and composer Tuomas Holopainen has suggested that "Yesterwynde" is a puzzle that will be easy to unpick for the truly committed, with lyrics that juggle ideas about memory, humanism, the passage of time, and the unfathomable nature of existence itself. Whether all will become clear remains to be seen, but in purely musical terms, this is a much more streamlined and focused affair than either of its predecessors. If there was any criticism to be levelled at "Human II Nature", it was that the album's orchestral second half occasionally seemed to exist separately from the grandiose song cycle that preceded it.

On "Yesterwynde", all the various elements that become signature parts of NIGHTWISH's sound, from lavish orchestral arrangements and thumping, pop-metal anthems to a near-ambient miasma of windswept and hazy atmospherics, come together to serve the same noble purpose of bringing Holopainen's latest wild ideas to life. And with Floor Jansen now firmly established as the finest singer, frontwoman and figurehead that NIGHTWISH have ever had, the band's decision to step away from live performance for a few years now seems wickedly contrary. This album will definitely leave the faithful wanting more.

The smartest move NIGHTWISH ever made was hedging their bets between progressive metal sumptuousness and punchy, precise pop-metal hooks. "Yesterwynde" may be the absolutely zenith of that collision of ideas. As evinced by two recent singles, "An Ocean of Strange Islands" and "Perfume Of The Timeless", this is an album that skillfully weaves huge melodies, heavy metal heroics, and willful complexity together. The elegant squall of an orchestra underpins all of these songs, but there is a lethally adept heavy metal band taking center stage, and non-electric embellishments never overshadow the invigorating crunch of Emppu Vuorinen's guitars.

In full flight, NIGHTWISH are still an exhilarating force to be reckoned with: "An Ocean Of Strange Islands" begins with such gusto and grit that it instantly outstrips all 11 of its predecessors, at least in terms of measurable heaviness. The same is true of "The Day Of…" — a succinct, mid-paced model of simplicity with a wonderful vocal from Jansen, it packs a weightier punch than this band's sometimes florid reputation might suggest. In contrast, the blissful, psychedelic folk flow of "Sway" gives "Yesterwynde" one of several refined moments of quiet and restraint. It is followed by "The Children of 'Ata": a mammoth, pop-adjacent mini-symphony with a dangerously catchy chorus and a sublime, cinematic coda.

Another factor that should ensure that "Yesterwynde" is consumed with more alacrity and frequency than the hugely popular "Human II Nature" is that this is a more compact expression of Holopainen's vision. Despite being little more than hour in length, it covers plenty of fresh terrain, revitalizes many well-worn elements from the past, and delivers the most satisfying riff-driven payoff that NIGHTWISH conjured since, at least, 2004's "Once". Songs like the tense and creepy "Something Whispered Follow Me", meandering gothic floor-filler "Spider Silk", and the particularly pugnacious "The Weave" each bring their own textural quirks and progressive indulgences to the table, but it is the strength of the tunes, and the woman who sings them, that maintains a righteous balance with the Finns' more exploratory urges.

Ultimately, this is another beautiful record from a band that specialize in such things. Almost magically effective when they shelve the bombast in favor of a more delicate approach, NIGHTWISH have written songs like "Hiraeth" and impossibly gorgeous closer "Lanternlight" before, but never with such mastery. "Hiraeth" leans heavily into the wistful majesty of folk melodies, as another spectacular Jansen vocal meets a fragile, plaintive turn from multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley, and acoustic guitars sparkle in a sea of reverb and regret. Meanwhile, "Lanternlight" plays the role of concluding tear-jerker, but with a sincerity and finesse that gently reinforce the humanistic thrust of this whole record, while hinting at an emotional intimacy that was seldom touched upon during the days of "Wishmaster" and "Oceanborn". It is a gorgeous, heart-breaking thing, and a truly captivating way to bring this avalanche of ideas to an end.

A pristine display of musical prowess, "Yesterwynde" tells us little that we didn't already know about NIGHTWISH, but what it does confirm is that Holopainen's vision has become more refined at the exact same point that his band have become heavier again. Symphonic metal's most ambitious trilogy is now complete, but exploring the fine details will keep the fans busy for at least the next couple of years. When our cerebral overlords do return, they will be required to play this stuff live. We are waiting.