Review: Nightwish Once Again Mines the Duality of 'Human:II:Nature' On New Release
Symphonic and power metal isn't a genre with a lot of notoriety in America. In Europe, bands like Within Temptation, Sabaton, and Powerwolf headline 80k capacity festivals. Here, they play clubs and theaters. One band that is proving to be the exception is Nightwish. These “overnight sensations”, who actually released their first album in 1997, have benefited greatly from social YouTube's new favorite Vlog trend, the reaction video. Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen, the band's third, is one of the most popular subjects of these videos because of her astonishing vocal range and dynamic stage presence. Now, after releasing one studio album and three live albums with Jansen, Nightwish is giving her a second shot at leaving her mark on the band's original material with the release of 'Human:II:Nature.'
Like the band's previous album, 'Endless Forms Most Beautiful', 'Human:II:Nature' continues Nightwish keyboardist, bandleader, and primary lyricist Tuomas Halopainen's obsession with nature. But where 'Endless' was a loving ode to evolutionary biology, complete with narration by Richard Dawkins, 'Human:II:Nature', at least the 'Human' album of the double set, is more of a cautionary tale about evolution, or more appropriately the march of humanity from the natural toward a virtual existence where Instagram filters, plastic surgery, and carefully managed selfies have created a reality where “social” media has created a populace less in touch with the land, the world, and each other.
If that seems like some weighty material for entertaining afternoon listening, you're probably not familiar with Nightwish. Halopainen has long mined the loss of innocence, the death of childhood wonder, and the crippling isolation of mental illness in songs like “The Poet and the Pendulum” and “Ghost Love Score.” 'Human:II:Nature' just provides a more meta musing on those same subjects.
No song is more successful at ripping the mask off manufactured reality than “Noise”, the album's first single and first video. It's also one of the album's most rocking tracks, with the band in fine form and Jansen showing off her rock vocals.
But the two songs that most reveal Jansen's range are “Shoemaker”, which careens from mid-tempo ballad to crunchy guitar metal to soaring operatic notes over its 5 minute runtime. Multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley provides the harmony vocals on this one, a much gentler accompaniment than usual Nightwish male vocalist Marco Hielta. For those looking for a more hard-edged metal style, “Tribal” is for you. With drummer Kai Hahto providing a percussive background that fits the song title, “Tribal” is the most raw track on 'Human:II: Nature' and another highlight.
What might surprise people the most is the second of the band's two-album set, the “Nature” side. A 35 minute orchestral piece divided into 8 acts, it's the “Greatest Show on Earth” epic of 'Human:II: Nature' but without vocals. For some, it will not appeal, sounding more like a soundtrack to a nature documentary. For others, it's the kind of soaring cinematic sound modern fans have come to expect.
'Human:II:Nature' is another evolution for a band whose primary identity is hinged on evolution, by defying predictability with every new release. For fans accustomed to this, it's exactly the kind of Nightwish release you want. For fans new to the band, perhaps because of the fawning reaction videos, it may take some getting used to. But for those new fans who stick with it, who allow 'Human:II:Nature' to grow on them, they will find a lot to love in the double album's joyous overindulgence.