Mellow Symphonic and Folkloristic Soundtracks for Calm Moments - A Review of Nightwish's Yesterwynde

Finnish symphonic metal legends Nightwish have been on a downward spiral since the release of highly recommended creative fantasy movie Imaginaerum and its associated soundtrack twelve years ago. The last two regular studio albums have been bloated to excessive lengths, including tiresome twenty-four minute epics and thirty-one minute instrumental tracks. Yesterwynde doesn't pursue that cursed road as excessively as its two immediate predecessors. This album features twelve songs with a running time of seventy-one minutes, making for an average track length below six minutes. No song exceeds the ten-minute mark, there is no second disc with excessive instrumental tunes and the lyrics don't attempt to make this world a better place this time around. Yesterwynde is easily Nightwish's greatest studio record in twelve years in my humble opinion.

There are however several valid reasons why this record hasn't been particularly well-received thus far. First and foremost, this album reminds of a symphonic score, hearkening back to Imaginaearum - The Score. There are less metal elements on this output than on any other studio record except for the aforementioned soundtrack. Fans of the group's early years and middle years might not particularly appreciate the new album's mellow direction. Up next, this album hasn't been supported with any concert, festival appearances or tours thus far. The band has been taking a break for the sake of its members' well-beings but dedicated fans have obviously been missing the group for quite some time by now. Thirdly, this record hasn't received as much promotional support as other records in the past. Sure, there have been three singles published in advance with three music videos but there was no bonus material of any sort and the band's name has also been a lot less present on the media than it had used to be beforehand.

Still, there are several elements that make Yesterwynde a truly enjoyable record in my book. The use of symphonic music doesn't sound overloaded this time around and instead increases the specific atmosphere of each and every song. The same thing can be said about additional choirs that blend in creatively as welcome surprises without ever overstaying their welcome. The group's harmonious folk influences brighten the mood every now and then without turning entire tunes into folk ballads. Supporting male vocals by Troy Donockley have been used on a few select tunes only and add a natural, heartfelt and appeasing tone inviting listeners to dream themselves far away. This gives lead singer Floor Jansen the occasion to shine brighter than on the previous two studio records and her soothing voice fusions perfectly with the mellow musicianship. The relaxed production focuses on its craft's basics rather than sounding compressed, modern and overloaded. The entire album thus sounds enjoyably timeless as it could have been released twenty years ago or could still be released in twenty years from here.

Does this mean that everything has been improving on Yesterwynde? No, that certainly isn't the case either. The drum patterns are serviceable but fail to stand out in any way. The bass guitar is buried deep in the production and fails to add much to the overall sound of this record. The guitar work is only of an average quality as I simply can't recall any noteworthy solo on this output and that even more than three months after its release and after several spins of the entire record. Even the keyboards that always used to sound so inspiring on Nightwish records of the past sound surprisingly tame on this record. To keep it short and simple, the band's symphonic and folkloristic elements might sound greater than ever but its rock and metal soundscapes have never sounded as dull as on this release.

These observations lead me to a very simple conclusion. You should give Nightwish's Yesterwynde a chance if you are craving for symphonic and folkloristic music or an inspiring new-age soundtrack. If however you are looking for a symphonic rock or even a symphonic metal output, you should stick to the group's classics and give other bands a chance instead. I appreciate Nightwish's Yesterwynde for what it is but it's overall too forgettable to be considered one of the greatest releases of the year.