Nightwish - Human. :II: Nature.

Nightwish
Human. :II: Nature
(Nuclear Blast)
8/10

By Paul Davies

For those in the know, there’s been a gothic revival going on seemingly longer than a piece of Neolithic string recently discovered in a cave in France. Or some such yarn as that. Weaved into this dark movement of nebulous musical strands, symphonic metal has been stealthily building up a growing army of followers. And Scandinavia has, for some time, been a hotbed of gothic symphonic metal helmed by Finland’s Nightwish who have re-emerged with their latest double CD opus of their inimitable addition to this genre.

Not quite the timeless epic musical landmark created by John Miles, opener Music emerges from an initial tribal motif to take first flight as Floor Jansen’s pseudo-operatic vocal adds elegance to the storm of sonic drama shaping beneath.

As if all too ready to please their expectant fans, urgent beats, whirling, whiplashing strings and chicanes of sudden choral vocals and guitar chords abound as Noise ineloquently does what it says on its symphonic metal tin.

Self-distancing themselves from any previous musical perceptions by including Celtic folk influences, Nightwish steer a slight musical detour on this recording’s overall narrative. Shoemaker is lifted by a catchy vocal trope and verdant valleys of instrumental passages levels out the piercing sonic icy peaks. Continuing in this vein, the folky Harvest sounds as if mid-70s Fairport Convention became obsessed with Game Of Thrones inspired storytelling and joined up their musical forces with Broadsword era Jethro Tull.

And the pagan flavour follows on Pan with its oblique slashes of metal cutting across a compelling melody and urgent barrage of vocals. The jiggy riff to How’s The Heart and the cascading piano underpinning the sombre Procession betray a cultured expertise to this genre defining band.

Bringing out the heavy artillery, Tribal delivers what it portends with pounding, clattering percussion and crunchy riffs accompanied by spit laden vocals.

Any gothic metal album worth its garlic salt must end with a bombastic banger and Endlessness does just that as portentous beats, marching guitar motifs, synth saturated strings and awe-inspired vocals sally forth into a musical tempest of its own making.

But this release doesn’t end there as like a velvet caped Columbo there’s just one more thing...a second CD of instrumental musings by Tuomas Holopainen which adoring fan completists will no doubt swoon over with a tumescent glow as if blissfully captured in a soundtrack to their very own Midwinter’s Night Dream.

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