- Country: Finland
- Style: Symphonic metal
- Label: Nuclear Blast
- Release date: 27 March 2015
A Nightwish album about Charles Darwin and the wonder of evolution, with Richard Dawkins reading passages over the orchestra. On paper it sounds like a parody of itself. In practice it’s the band’s most cheerful and most focused record in years.
Floor Jansen is the obvious upgrade. She can do the operatic flourish, but on “Shudder Before the Beautiful” and “Weak Fantasy” she simply sings hard, with a rock voice that cuts through the orchestra instead of floating on top of it. “Élan” is the poppiest thing here and it’s lovely, with Troy Donockley’s pipes giving it a folk lift. “Yours Is an Empty Hope” is the heaviest song on the album and a welcome jolt. New drummer Kai Hahto, standing in for Jukka Nevalainen, plays tight and unfussy.
Then there’s “The Greatest Show on Earth”, 24 minutes of Tuomas Holopainen trying to score the whole history of life. It has wonderful passages and some that drag, especially near the end. The middle of the album also sags a little around “My Walden” and “Edema Ruh”. Even so, this is a warm, generous record, and the title track is one of the best things they’ve written.
Best tracks:
Shudder Before the Beautiful
Weak Fantasy
Élan
Yours Is an Empty Hope
Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Author’s rating: 7.9/10
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