Finnish / Dutch / British symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH will release their new album, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", on March 27 in Europe and March 31 in the U.S. via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the CD was created by the band's longtime collaborator Toxic Angel. Famed evolutionary biologist and atheist writer/leader Richard Dawkins appears as a guest on the effort. Longtime NIGHTWISH drummer Jukka Nevalainen sat out the recording sessions for "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" due to health issues; Kai Hahto (WINTERSUN, SWALLOW THE SUN, TREES OF ETERNITY) replaced him. The tenth making-of trailer for "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" can be seen below. Commented NIGHTWISH keyboard player and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen: "The writing process was extremely smooth and relatively easy. I had more fun than ever during the recordings. "The Röskö summer camp was a lot of fun. The days were filled with friendship, hope and music. Obviously, the sad thing was that Jukka had to step aside but everything else has been really good." Added bassist Marco Hietala: "The songs did grow during the process. We started out with Tuomas' computer demos and my own demos. We put them together and started building the songs around those basic blocks. They really grew in depth and character along the way." "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" features eleven new songs and will be released in different formats: * Standard CD * Digibook (including instrumental CD) * 2LP (vinyl in gatefold) in different colors * Earbook (including instrumental and orchestral CD) * Earbook (deluxe version including bonus vinyl) * Download Pre-order your copy here. "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" track listing: Jewelcase 01. Shudder Before The Beautiful 02. Weak Fantasy 03. Élan 04. Yours Is An Empty Hope 05. Our Decades In the Sun 06. My Walden 07. Endless Forms Most Beautiful 08. Edema Ruh 09. Alpenglow 10. The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula 11. The Greatest Show On Earth 2LP black vinyl / 2LP picture vinyl as gatefold Side A 01. Shudder Before The Beautiful 02. Weak Fantasy 03. Élan Side B 01. Yours Is An Empty Hope 02. Our Decades In the Sun 03. My Walden Side C 01. Endless Forms Most Beautiful 02. Edema Ruh 03. Alpenglow 04. The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula Side D 01. The Greatest Show On Earth Digibook incl. instrumental CD CD1 01. Shudder Before The Beautiful 02. Weak Fantasy 03. Élan 04. Yours Is An Empty Hope 05. Our Decades In the Sun 06. My Walden 07. Endless Forms Most Beautiful 08. Edema Ruh 09. Alpenglow 10. The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula 11. The Greatest Show On Earth CD2 (instrumental) 01. Shudder Before The Beautiful 02. Weak Fantasy 03. Élan 04. Yours Is An Empty Hope 05. Our Decades In the Sun 06. My Walden 07. Endless Forms Most Beautiful 08. Edema Ruh 09. Alpenglow 10. The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula 11. The Greatest Show On Earth Earbook incl. instrumental & orchestral CD CD1 01. Shudder Before The Beautiful 02. Weak Fantasy 03. Élan 04. Yours Is An Empty Hope 05. Our Decades In the Sun 06. My Walden 07. Endless Forms Most Beautiful 08. Edema Ruh 09. Alpenglow 10. The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula 11. The Greatest Show On Earth CD2 (instrumental) 01. Shudder Before The Beautiful 02. Weak Fantasy 03. Élan 04. Yours Is An Empty Hope 05. Our Decades In the Sun 06. My Walden 07. Endless Forms Most Beautiful 08. Edema Ruh 09. Alpenglow 10. The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula 11. The Greatest Show On Earth CD3 (orchestral) 01. Shudder Before The Beautiful 02. Weak Fantasy 03. Élan 04. Yours Is An Empty Hope 05. Our Decades In the Sun 06. Endless Forms Most Beautiful 07. Alpenglow 08. The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula 09. The Greatest Show On Earth The "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" title came from Charles Darwin's "The Origin Of Species" book, where he wrote: "There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, while this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." A single called "Élan" will precede the full-length CD on February 13. The four-track single features the album version of the title cut, a radio edit and an alternate version of "Élan", as well as the non-album bonus track "Sagan". Regarding "Élan", Holopainen said: "'Oh, while I live to be the ruler of life, Not a slave. To meet life as a powerful conqueror, and nothing exterior to me will ever take command of me.' This beautiful quote from my hero Uncle Walt [Walt Whitman] was the starting point for writing 'Élan'. "The underlying theme of the song is nothing less than the meaning of life, which can be something different for all of us. "It's important to surrender yourself to the occasional 'free fall' and not to fear the path less travelled by." Singer Floor Jansen, who officially joined the band in 2013, made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington. "Élan" track listing: CD: 01. Élan (album version) 02. Élan (radio edit) 03. Élan (alternate version) 04. Sagan (non-album bonus track) Vinyl: Side A: 01. Élan (album version) 02. Élan (radio edit) Side B 01. Élan (alternate version) 02. Sagan (non-album bonus track) Pre-order your copy of "Élan" here.
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