HUMAN. :ǁ: NATURE.

I've known about NIGHTWISH at some fleeting capacity for over a decade now. My ears pricked by some of their music, but low on my list of musical journey priorities so to speak. I distinctly remember a high school buddy and band mate, who was a straight metal-head (not a prog nerd like me) a fan of In Flames and Children of Bodom, making fun of this weird lame band called NIGHTWISH and scoffing at the idea of a vocally female lead operatic metal group. That is about the time they got on my radar, but I didn't consider them much at the time. That conversation was back in 2005 or so. This week NIGHTWISH founds its' way into my rotating playlist once again, and my god do they sound good lately! So many bands seem to lose steam over the years, which is a shame and frankly unacceptable, when like any professional a band should be improving their craft over time! Clearly NIGHTWISH have had the support of their home country to improve upon not only their musicianship, but their production values, and pump some of those fan dollars into the overall quality of their brand. With this latest album, I've become a fan of NIGHTWISH, there is a clear evolution of their sound and fine tuning. Although NIGHTWISH had some really catchy and fun symphonic music before, it is with this album (and the previous) that show they aren't just a one trick. Not too technically impressive, not really all too progressive, but this is just a wonderful piece of musical art with direction and purpose. Now, yes, this album clearly takes an approach and inspiration from orchestrated movie scores. I don't find that a detractor at all, in fact, it elevates this music from a production standpoint to a tier far beyond most of the competition. For a band with home country absolutely in love with them, it is great to see that NIGHTWISH move in a musical direction that pays homage to the sounds of their homeland. At least that's what I think of what I hear the instrumentation used. Most importantly, we hear not one note out of place. I've been, possibly, overly critical of music where-as the fat was not cut where it should have been. Sure, I like a good jam session like the rest, but without direction and thematic purpose a meandering 8 minute jerk-off with no rhyme or reason doesn't cut it for me as a final product. This is one of the biggest problems I have with progressive music in general, the temptation for bands to play overlong unnecessary self-congratulating pieces and ruin the 'flow' of the artistic vision they've created. Not here, this is a piece of musical art with purpose. I'm not going to be the one to argue if this is progressive rock or not. I really don't care anyway. Musically concise, high quality production, and a value and respect for the time and dedication that their fans have given them over the years, that is what I hear with this latest 2020 album from NIGHTWISH.