Anyone Listen to New Nightwish?

[Batguy21784]

I've been a Nightwish fan for a while. But their latest CD "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" sounds like it might be full of evolution preaching. They've even got Richard Dawkins soundbites, apparently. For those Christians who buy into evolution, peace. I don't wish to start a fight. I'm just trying to find out if the evolutionary message is discreet or in your face. If discreet, I'll buy it because their music is that good. But if it's really direct, no thanks. Anyone heard it yet? Thoughts?

 

[Parched Earth]

I've been listening to it, though I haven't read through all of the lyrics yet. With that disclaimer, the lyrics I have read so far do not seem to be in your face with evolution. Though I haven't looked through the lyrics to the last track, which is the track with Richard Dawkins. On the flip side, there is a GK Chesterton quote in the liner notes, which I found pretty cool. You can go to www.metal-archives.com to look up the lyrics if you want to take a closer look.

As for the music, I am really loving it. Time will tell if I like it as much as the last two albums, but it's very solid so far. After just a couple listens I had the chorus of several songs floating through my head for days! Not too many bands can pull that off.

 

[Atreides]

Ginormous Nightwish fan here. Christian who believes in evolution. No desire to start a fight either, just laying my cards out.

The final track is the one you might have the most problems with. If you can sink into the narrative than its a masterpiece, but it sounds like you might have some problems with that. It is a five-movement song that (respectively) deals with the origin of the universe (big bang and formation of earth, no lyrics but the musical story is pretty clear), the origin of life, the history of mankind, the meaning of it all, and the beauty of it all. In the fourth act Dawkins recites a quote from one of his works that, while not expressly anti-Christian, reflects a rather different perspective on death.

Overall, evolution is only really dealt with in the final track, with the others being more just about the wonder and mystery of the world around us. Dawkins' narrations do not contain any of his trademark religion-bashing, but are simply quotes from his works of popular science that inspired Holopainen in the direction of the album. In the U.S.A. Dawkins may be known as "that athiest" but it is important to remember that he is primarily a respected evolutionary biologist and has done a lot of work in presenting science to ordinary folks.

The other thing you should know about, is the second track, "Weak Fantasy." Nightwish has never written anything this blatantly anti-religious. There's just no misinterpreting the intent here. It was co-written by Marco, and is in my opinion their best aggressive track ever, but the lyrics may be a serious hindrance to some, and even I must admit in some places they are quite over the top.

 

[labarum]

Also a huge NW fan. They (along with Sonata Arctica) were what got me into metal.

Musically, the album is in the same vein as Imaginaerum, with the massive orchestrations and being a little light on the heaviness.
Most of the songs are, as said before, on a positive swing about the beauty of life and enjoying living it to the fullest.

The last track is pretty epic, although if you take out the spoken word, the musical interludes, is only like 8 minutes of song. It really is an awesome song; Though it touches on the big bang, it is not of the same stuff that we would expect from the normally-a-huge-toolbag-to-religion Richard Dawkins

The other thing you should know about, is the second track, "Weak Fantasy." Nightwish has never written anything this blatantly anti-religious. There's just no misinterpreting the intent here.

I did not pick up that this song has an anti-religious meaning, so I guess it is open to misinterpretation , or its pretty well hidden.... Though after consulting wikipedia, Marco did say something to the effect that it was about religion being too strict. There are some pretty heavy things said in the song, though.

I'd still say the CD is worth a listen. As a hardcore Christian and Nightwisher, I have no problem keeping the two separate. And seriously, its not like all NW songs are always controversey free. Think about some of their old stuff, which I adore. There are themes about sin, lust, hatred, you name it! Tuomas is just still such a BRILLIANT songwriter, and I'm still a fan.

There are some great songs on there too. My Walden and Our Decades in the Sun are really great.

AWESOME SIDE NOTE: At the Nightwish concert in Charlotte, NC recently, I bumped into/was right beside the one and only Matt Smith! We talked about their recent Progpower performance (which was the best concert of my life, hands down) and what he thought of the new direction of Nightwish. Headbanging the night away (Delain and Sabaton as openers too, woooo!) next to my musical hero was nothing short of awesome!!! Nighwish played some of their old songs, too (She is my sin, Stargazers, Ghost Love Score) which made me absolutely go bizonkers with happiness. I think they should re-record all their stuff with Floor.
Pic for proof!

 

[labarum]

Bumping so the conversation gets started again and to make people mad jealous.

 

[Parched Earth]

Jealous, indeed! On meeting Matt and seeing Nightwish and Delain. Must have been an awesome night!

 

[Arcticspiderwolf]

Imaginaerum was a great album IMO. Don't know much about EFMB, but from what I've heard it sounds like they gave Dawkins the most pretentious/cheesy lines ever.