English can be such a false friend sometimes. Moors can refer to Muslims, but in this case it refers to the highlands of Scotland, with mist-covered hills and mountains which also go by the same name. (edit) the final vocalist is indeed Floor. She has been singing that part at the end of their recent live shows.
My immediate thought on hearing the title was one of the purple heather and windswept wilds. I hadn't gone quite as far as Scotland, more the area of Yorkshire that is described so well in the works of the Bronte Sisters.
I think you nailed it Doug. We have been separated from Nature. Floor does some of the vocalizations in these pieces. This Moor's is referring to the lonely desolate moors of Scotland. Thus the Celtic sound. It is Floor doing the climactic vocalizations in Ad Astra. Great job Doug. I loved it so much.
@@pietheindejonge321 You're reading that at face value: what that separation from Nature meant is to convey the idea that humans live *as if* we weren't going to die. From Draconian's "The Last Hour Of Ancient Sunlight": _In rapture from nature we divorce._ Death is ingrained in Nature, and yet we live oblivious to it... _The bewildered sleep - the shadowy voyager is lurking;_ _he’s in the flesh of landscapes vaporous._ _The vacant, untiring Sovran of old_ _He’s the machinery; igniting the paralyzed soil._
Love this so much. That is Floor singing operatically in the pieces along with the choirs. She did the Ad Astra live for their virtual concert and it was glorious! You still need to listen to more Nightwish. Their other member Troy plays the Uilleann Pipes on many songs, on stage, as well as Irish Low Whistles, flutes, the Irish Mandolin, acoustic guitar, and the Electric guitar with an e-bow. You did not finish your journey yet ;) Troy ans Tuomas have another project called Auri with Tuomas' wife, singer Johanba Kurkela. Lovely.
Since no one apparently as of my writing this has mentioned it (I scrolled almost to the bottom), It is worth mentioning that "Anthropocene" contains within it Tuomas's interpretation of the oldest known substantially complete work of notated music in the world known as, "Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal", preserved on clay tablets for 3400 years and found in the 1950's in the ruins of Ugarit in Syria (northern Canaan back in the day).
At the end of Ad Astra, the vocal part resolves, the instrumental part does not. I think this could be interpreted as nature still being there when humankind has disappeared. Thanks for another great reaction. As mentioned before, would be great to see a Shoemaker reaction someday.
@@petey7692 Geologically speaking we haven't even been here a flicker of a second :) Species exist for a time and go extinct...but mammals are especially prone to rapid extinction. So for certain, that will happen to us too, no matter how we humans damage the earth. We will likely have existed much shorter time than other primates and mammals. It brings perspective to life, and what we are, seen with an outside view. We will be a brightly burning-, brilliant- but short shimmer of light in earth's history.
Now I only need you to react to Tuomas' solo work Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge and my work here will be complete. HEHE! 😉 Also if you be willing to reach out to Tuomas, I would b really interested in you doing an interview discussing his compositions. Almost forgot, not sure if anyone mentioned this to you Doug, but Nightwish has released versions of certain of their albums with the orchestral part only. The moors is this case is referring to this definition 'a tract of open uncultivated upland; a heath'. The whispering is saying "Quiet as the snow" in multiple language including French my native language and I think Swedish, but cannot figure out the others. BTW it is Floor & Troy singing and playing on the album.
@@FlyingAce1016 I know who Joana is. She's the one who does the spoken words in shoemaker but as far as I know in the second disk the spoken words were done by Geraldine James, the one in Ad Astra, and the melodic voices were Floor and the choir.
My favorite of these ”sections” is Quiet As The Snow, the wishpers are the title in different languages. Tuomas has painted with instruments all the different kind of snowy days and nights into this one piece of amazing music. I’m getting emotional every time I listen to it, this music just pulls my heartstrings the right way.
I must admit, as a long time fan of Prog, I deeply underestimated the work of Nightwish (even if I had heard and liked some of their songs). I am working on it, thanks to you Doug!
Nightwish likes to surprise, the entire last album was a bit of a surprise to many fans of the band. For me personally it was a very, very pleasant surprise. And this track which you have just listened to is a kind of completion of the first part of the album, showing by the music itself what the album is about and what its message is. It's a great album, and I think you should definitely listen to the songs from the first part as well - as a composer you would have a lot to say. (And us to listen to:-)). You used to listen to the band Epica. I think it is very worthwhile for you to go back to this band and listen to their latest album "Omega". Not only because it's also a great album, but also because every song has an orchestral version in addition to the main album version, and some have acoustic versions as well. I think I'm not the only one who would be very interested in your opinion and analysis. As always good to see you - see you soon!
Definitely, I would love to see him reacting to Kingdom of Heaven from Omega, masterpiece and great album overall. Still I believe the best composed are The Phantom Agony and Holographic Principle songs (album named), but the newest album is incredible.
Did I see you starting to well up there during ad astra? I don't know what it is but that piece of music has me in tears everytime... Everytime without fail. Floor does the vocals during the piece so wonderfully.
Must admit that I had not listened to this album right through Doug, just the singles and one or two other tracks. All good but this is quite an incredible piece of music, absolutely magical. Thanks for putting me onto it and for pointing me at the wonderful video Doug. It is beautiful, superb images, with the music so supremely evocative. Well done Nightwish and wonderful reaction as always Doug, I really can listen to your music analysis all day! Keep doing what you do!
Thanks, Doug! I'd never even heard of Nightwish and this is a wonderful intro to this remarkable band. For the most part, I cannot get into anything proggy since 1979; it all sounds derivative of the creative masterminds of the 70's, much as the musicianship is usually strong. But this is new and innovative, while melodic and unabashedly beautiful. Love it!
I'd recommend checking out this modern prog piece: Ayreon - The Day That The World Breaks Down - The Source (2017) ua-cam.com/video/oFuMKdrzPqU/v-deo.html
You can add "Star One" to that as well, since Arjen is releasing another album next month -- and two musicians are already confirmed: Brittney Slayes of Unleash the Archers, as well as Michael Romeo: ua-cam.com/video/vn7P3oVMnys/v-deo.html
And let's not forget to send a big thank you to Sensei Music Videos for the awesome unofficial video visualisation. It adds so much to the experience of this composition.
That ending, Doug, is like life itself. There's so much going on, so many sounds and experiences then, all of a sudden, is all quiet again, just like before we were born.
I’ve been avoiding watching reactions to this piece. Mainly because I don’t want to watch sapiens mindlessly nod along to it and pretend that they are knowing what’s going on…or pretending that they don’t hate it because it’s not heavy. This one I watched because I know Doug will both love and understand it. It was a pleasure. Thank you.
Yet to see any hate - you need to check out more reactions - it will raise your opinion of the human race in general and NW fans in particular. Tankthetech would be a good place to start.
@@themajor743 ahh ok yeah no I remember. I didn’t watch it because it was a live stream. They tend to be a bit chaotic. However! I will probably check it out at some point. Love Tank’s stuff.
Moors are undulating uplands with low growing plant life, heathers, grasses, shrubs, etc. Probably the best known are the ones in England, but they're common around the world. The changes in the music during the "Moors" reflects the changing weather that is typical of moors. The soloist was Floor. She is capable of so many voices, it's sometimes hard to recognize her at times, for example, the siren calls in her cover of "Into the Unknown" don't quite sound like her at first. And finally, "Ad Astra" played live recently as their show closer: ua-cam.com/video/tDr7LwlvEYQ/v-deo.html. As you can hear, the soloist is most definitely Floor. That sustained note at the end is epic.
In "Moors" the piano is playing "The Great-est Show On Earth" in 6 notes. Tuomas does this often: In The Greatest Show On Earth he added other names of songs via instrumental notes.
I've really been looking forward to you digging into this masterpiece. I love that its not been compressed to hell and back There is a genuine dynamic range to the piece from quiet as the snow to the ending. After listening to this piece the Cello was cemented as my favourite orchestral instrument (tied maybe with the french horn ). You're right that its a brave decision to include it in the album. It has divided people slightly (I love it and would happily buy more of Tuomas classical stuff), but to my its Tuomas ultimate reminder that Nightwish is just *good music*. Yes its the uillean pipes (actually pronounced "ill-ee-an" apparently) A MOOR is a flat plain at the top of hills (also a GLEN). Not sure how far that work has travelled, but its common in the british isles. Yes, the final vocalist is Floor. She does this bit live now. As usual Tuomas will add tension or anger with the arrival of humanity in his works (anthropacene). If it was a metal track, it would be time to get super heavy. Here I love the use of the tremolo to bring that tension. Interesting comments on lack of a fast moment. I think that's fair. I love the 30 mins as is, because its chilled and beautiful. Maybe next time he'll add something faster. The conclusion of the piece is typicially Tuomas (its the same as the main part of Greatest Show on Earth), an explosion / timpani hit. Either its "Blast off" or a monumental explosion. I Dare say that Tuomas is challenging us to affect which one of these it turns out to be. The future is yet unwritten...
The best word I can use to describe this album is "brave". It's a divisive album in the NW fandom, with a lot of people saying "this is the end of Nightwish", and it's not just Disc 2 - Disc 1 is equally as divisive. Nonetheless, Tuomas proposed it to the band, they went along with it, and then Nuclear Blast released it. Brave on so many levels.
I completely agree with this. I'm a huge NW fan and it took some time for me to appreciate Human Nature. But brave it is, and I can appreciate it for that alone. And there are some real gems on it, that's for sure
People who want the same musical ideas, reiterated in different ways, are stagnant people, afraid of change. If Tuomas has shown me anything with his musical genius, it is that it is only right that change is good, otherwise we never grow and learn. To stop learning and growing is to begin dying -- and Tuomas has given us many, many variations and "stories" throughout the Nightwish journey, and beyond, showing us how he had changed and grown, as well as Floor, and others. This is not the end of Nightwish, merely a different chapter in the Nightwish story.
It's the end of Nightwish... as those fans would prefer them. I say it's their loss. Staying the same is anathema to progress. The idea applies to music in more ways than one.
Human :II: Nature's not my favorite of theirs, but I'm glad they did something different. Since Once, the band has really adhered to that formula going all the way up to EFMB. But H:II:N does have some great songs on it, and Disc 2 is wonderful to use as writing music.
That is indeed the Uillean pipes on Moors. The piper is Troy Donockley, a member of Nightwish and also of Tuomas' other band, Auri. It's an extraordinarily difficult instrument to play, with seven reeds to manage and (as I understand it) anything outside the key of D requiring the player to bend the notes artificially. Troy is one of a very small number of people worldwide who can play the Uillean pipes to a high standard. In Nightwish he also plays the whistles and the bazouki, as well as providing backing vocals and some lovely Dave Gilmour-esque guitar. You might remember the intro to The Greatest Show on Earth with the guitar line played using an e-bow? That's Troy.
I have binge watched most of your Nightwish reactions. There is so many reactions out there which are great but yours stand out for me as you manage to explain how the emotions the music creates are achieved musically. I have a tiny bit of music theory training but would not be able to identify these things in the music clearly and name them. You explaining them is a great help. Thanks and keep going!
Thank you! This is the piece I most wanted to get your reaction to. I love how intertwined All the Works of Nature is. The end theme of Moors is the same as Floor’s vocal in Ad Astra, Quiet as the Snow reprises the cello from Vista as well as using a very similar pattern of harps and strings from The Green, and the mechanical (Sorcerer’s Apprentice) passage from Anthropocene is the theme from The Blue. I think that’s why the tempo is the same throughout. In fact, I’m pretty sure the entire suite hovers right around 100 BPM and the entire thing is 4/4. This feels very intentional to me since Tuomas is usually not shy about changing up tempo and time signature. It makes the piece as a whole a little same-y, but also contributes to the continuity and the sense that the piece is meant to be listened to without breaking it up. I think it also makes a statement that nature has a constant presence and rhythm even when overlaid by the tension and tremolo of the anthropocene and when we look beyond to the stars.
If you have even been in the Scottish or Welsh moors, you know that the weather can change within half an hour. I personally experienced it in Dartmoor (Devon, England). From sunny to fog whithin half an hour. You couldn't see more than 10 paces ahead. 'Follow a stream to get to a valley, otherwise you may get lost', was the advice. A unique experience. Especially as somewhat later we heard the sounds of horses (Sniffing, breathing), but we couldn't see them. And then they loomed up from the fog! Spooky, majestic and magic. And I think this kind of atmoshere was captured by Tuomas.
You almost got it right. It is indeed the musical sign for repeat. Indeed it separates human from nature, but in a slightly different way than you mentioned. As you mentioned it is a double album and the first disc contains all songs which all in some way have humans as a subject. So the first disc is about humans. The instrumental part on disc 2 is Tuomas’s homage to Nature, so the second disc is Nature.
Doug the Moors have very unpredictable weather patterns the strings that you liked represented the wind blowing across the open moors it is remarkable how much they sound like the wind whistling through them The music really represents the changing weather pattern on the Moors
Apart from the magnificent compositions credit to the fan who did this video to go with the music. Toumas has seen it and loved it so much that he included it in the official Nightwish exhibition at their museum in Kitee, Finland.
I look at it thusly... Tuomas takes us first, sonically, to places we've been. Next, his music transports us to places we know but have never visited, then to other places we don't know. Finally, Tuomas seemingly turns on us; but then he takes us, musically, to a place which does not yet exist but which we make with our thoughts, our Id, before we suddenly disappear, emerging onto a higher plane of existence. Then again, I might just be talking out of my hat!
Hi Doug, it seems we have the same birthday, although I have had quite a few more than you ;) In this piece I believe “Moor” refers to a kind of habitat found in upland areas, the British Isles are covered in moors, as in Exmoor and Dartmoor, the Yorkshire moors and the moors of Scotland. They are covered in low-growing vegetation as in grasses, shrubs and notably in Scotland, heather. Wikipedia has a great article on it. This music is very similar in style to Tuomas’ “soundtrack” to the graphic novel, “The Life and Times of Scrooge”, one album, ten tracks, something Tuomas wrote a few years back when Nightwish took a year off. Well worth listening to. Really loved your reaction, thank you.
The movie in 1959 starring Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes (The Hound of the Baskervilles), was shot on the Moors. It's an unrelenting, unworldly place, yet strangely captivating and beautiful all at the same time. It's such a sublime pleasure to delve further into the world of Tuomas' genius and be swept along this wonderful journey of sound and powetry in his music. It's life-giving :) Thanks Doug for an interesting as always view, into the technical aspects of his music :) It adds so much more to the listening experience.
Thanks again for a great reaction. About the ending; maybe it ended that way because our story is not at the end and future is open? And not doomed or everything will suck or whatever. Tuomas has this "positive poet" inside of him although many of his compositions are lyrically sometimes in the darker side of life. To me his message is "for some most beautiful reasons, we are here and we can decide what or future will be.
So lovely and such a great reaction. I approached the second album reluctantly because of how much I love Floor performing with Nightwish. But this instrumental album has become one of my favorites for meditation or just as background listening. Tuomas is wonderful in his creativity. Another one of his orchestral pieces that invokes similar feelings for me is "A Lifetime of Adventure", from his album "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck". Loved this.
You can also hear uillean pipes in "Easter" by Marillion, highly recommended song (though I prefer Fish-era Marillion). ua-cam.com/video/5pQ2Cr-UEF4/v-deo.html
Yes, I would love to hear a reaction to Marillion. I love both Fish and Hogarth era. Easter is a great song. Other great songs to consider for a reaction: Great Escape (live) Invisible Man (live from Out of Season) Neverland (live) Many many more, but those are a great introduction.
I enjoy this entire suite more and more, every time I listen to it. It's become one of my go-to pieces to just sit back, and lose myself in it from start to finish. So very glad that they made this, and that you did this video to appreciate it.
Such a spiritual experience, moved so many times. As you spoke the visual was amazing. I feel so blessed to have experienced this on Sunday morning. Many many Thanks.
Thank you, really enjoyed this and all the musical information you gave. I was really surprised how much negative feedback this second cd got from the public, like this is not Nightwish aso. I am too very glad Tuomas decided go ahead to put this out with Nightwish. He is one of the greatest composer's there is, and I love this cd listen to it almost everyday. If you haven't do Shoemaker by Nightwish, another great piece by Tuomas and Floors singing.
Very much liked our reaction. As you mentioned, and yes, nicely put "Magnum opus", it's courageous, even extremely courageous (IMHO) to have this piece on a metal album. Part one is exceptional, this part is exquisite. Don't think there are many NW fans who doesn't like this. For me, this is mandatory once a week
Ambitious, instead of courageous, is a more suitable term. Such things (this kind of pieces in metal albums) have existed before to an extent: it's just half an album (from a double one). I can think of (Tilo Wolff's) LACRIMOSA, regarding ambitiousness orchestral-wise... However, the one that pushed its ambitiousness the furthest that I can think of (even further than NIGHTWISH) is VIRGIN BLACK: they composed and recorded a full work ("Requiem - Mezzo Forte", "Requiem - Fortissimo" and "Requiem - Pianissimo"), intended to be released as a triple album. Issues with their record label ended up in 3 separate albums, the last one ("Pianissimo") being an orchestral one. I guess very few here already know LACRIMOSA or VIRGIN BLACK... and it's such a shame :(
Tuomas will be remembered as one of the finest composers of the modern era. I haven't heard everything from Nightwish but everything I have heard is next level genius. Tarja, Annette and Floor each bring something special to the band. Floor takes it over the top.
I have this human:||:nature album, but I hadn't listened this album yet, not before this day. I've been sort of waiting that special moment to enjoy this orchestral piece. And immediately when I saw this Doug's video, I thought this might be the occasion where I should listen to this and the decision I made, I didn't regret that. Thank you Doug for this enjoyable journey of Nature album.
You’d be surprised (as a non-metal head) at the relatively large amount of people who enjoy metal AND classical music. Also, a pretty large percentage of hardcore metal fans have played “classical” instruments themselves. I mean, there’s a reason Symphonic Metal got so popular in the first place; love metal + love classical music = Symphonic Metal :)
Sorry, can’t edit my original comment - my point is that for me, knowing Nightwish’s hardcore fans, the addition of this second classical disc is perfect and natural :)
nice one, thanks a lot! I really do love this piece, although I do sometimes feel conflicted in calling it a Nightwish track, since it only features Tuomas, Troy and Floor. But then again it works pretty well a contrasting piece to the first CD of the album. And yes Floor was in it^^ singing both in the first part (Vista) where you didn't think it sounded quite like her, and in the last part (Ad Astra) where you said it sounded like her but didn't think it was her^^. At the time of the album recording (2019) she wasn't on a break due to giving birth. The break was in 2017, which the guys in the band actually wanted to take after 20 year of work, so she and her husband decided, might as well be a good time to get a child, lol.
Brilliant reaction! As a Nightwish fan for 20 yrs this make real sence with Nature part to be the second part of human || nature...and in these times with fires and heat records all over the globe Tuomas grab it all within the album. Humans have to start respecting the nature..we have to live with it not use it
And then, they saved the tempo change for the very last movement to get us in to the hopeful vibe! Dang, you are good, Doug! And yes, it is Floor singing at the beginning and the end... What a masterful piece!
Thank you for this wonderfull reaction. Yes, it is Floor in, i mean pieces. And her singing in Ad Astra is the new Outro for her shows this year. Tuomas is awesome. The Uillean pipe is playing by Troy. The Fan Video is amazing.
What a wonderful. Tuomas is a brilliant composer. Definitely you need to hear some of the long-duration pieces from Rhapsody of Fire. You'll surely like that stuff.
@@eduturk9 Yeah, me too. But there are many great bands out there for him. I think he'll love Rhapsody for the orchestatred parts, but I'm not sure if he would like the double-drum thing that they have on many of their songs XD
I think he would love select Rhapsody songs. I think Lamento Eroico from their live in Montreal show would be fabulous. I also think he would really enjoy Warriors Pride by Luca Turilli! I'm pretty sure he would hate the constant double bass in most of their other songs hah.
@@timothyfunk1883 I agree on Lamento Eroico. But he said that he likes the long songs and, for the orchestra part, Symphony of Enchanted Lands, Gargoyles or Erian's Mystical Rhymes would be great choices-
Thank you for this. I enjoyed all of this and in particular the discussion of resolution in the compositions. It was 2 days ago, another reactor, MTR, went into great detail about chord changes and realized resolution (and why it works) in the Wacken performance with Floor compared to the lack of resolution in the album version of Ghost Love Score. It is quite a coincidence that both of you are discussing this issue with respect to Tuomas' compositions at the same time.
As for the whispering, I couldn't get it all but in the right ear they say "still as the snow" and in the left they say "comme la neige" (french for 'like the snow')
Congrats you did a fantastic job on this reaction. Floor has the lead with choir as backup, they finish some of the live show's with ad astra now show casing Floor
In this case moors refer to moorlands, the habitat/landscape you find in, among other places, northern Europe. I always associate it with Great Britain, but Finland got those too, if I am not mistaken.
Thanks for including the wonderful video. I hope you had the chance to subsequently listen again with the video as it is a visual feast. Moors refers to the moorlands of the UK wide open heathland with heather and gorse and broom often grazed by sheep.
That was brilliant Doug...i have a couple of Nightwish albums, but that level of creativity is something else from such a band...time to listen to more Nightwish it seems. Try to listen to some White Willow if you can too...anything from their masterpiece album, Ignis Fatuus from 1995 or their second album, Ex Tenebris...This Norwegion band are out of this world and need to be recognised by more of the world...such talent.
Amazing piece of music and also reaction. I love your work and NW's as well. I recommend you one of my fav albums "The Life and Times of Scrooge", Tuomas Holopainen solo album. It would be nice to see your reaction and notes about it.
When you think of it from a thematic point of view, it makes perfect sense that the piece doesn't resolve, because human history (which was basically the theme of the album, nature and how humans fit in it), still isn't over. Once you have explored Earth, you set off to the stars and where we go from there is yet to be written. That's why I really hope Nightwish's next album has something to do with space, sci-fi or just the future of humanity in general. It would be an incredible ending to the story they started in Endless Forms Most Beautiful :)
Interesting for Aurorae you said more American Western- to me it had a feeling of Irish Dance songs as I imagine the lights dancing through the sky. Maybe similar inspiration to Moors with the Celtic element?
You have to listen to the other tracks to fully understand everything. Also do them as Tuomas intended them to be listen from beginning to the end. You will find a new Nightwish, 3 people singing beautiful harmonies and Troy and Marco even have their own dedicated songs. Use their Music Videos and also watch and understand their visuals. It has lots of very important references to even understand more about this whole album....
English can be such a false friend sometimes. Moors can refer to Muslims, but in this case it refers to the highlands of Scotland, with mist-covered hills and mountains which also go by the same name. (edit) the final vocalist is indeed Floor. She has been singing that part at the end of their recent live shows.
Yorkshire
@@utnaturalem4379 Devon
And Ireland
Exmoor, Dartmoor, Yorkshire Moors
My immediate thought on hearing the title was one of the purple heather and windswept wilds. I hadn't gone quite as far as Scotland, more the area of Yorkshire that is described so well in the works of the Bronte Sisters.
Yours is a refreshing example of how a reaction can add, a lot, to the listener experience. Thanks. Please keep on doing them.
I think you nailed it Doug. We have been separated from Nature. Floor does some of the vocalizations in these pieces. This Moor's is referring to the lonely desolate moors of Scotland. Thus the Celtic sound. It is Floor doing the climactic vocalizations in Ad Astra. Great job Doug. I loved it so much.
We haven't separated at all: humans are animals and animals are humans.
@@pietheindejonge321 You're reading that at face value: what that separation from Nature meant is to convey the idea that humans live *as if* we weren't going to die. From Draconian's "The Last Hour Of Ancient Sunlight": _In rapture from nature we divorce._ Death is ingrained in Nature, and yet we live oblivious to it...
_The bewildered sleep - the shadowy voyager is lurking;_
_he’s in the flesh of landscapes vaporous._
_The vacant, untiring Sovran of old_
_He’s the machinery; igniting the paralyzed soil._
I'd love to hear and see your reaction to "Shoemaker", from the same album..... let's make it happen, Doug? 😃
Seconded! (And bear in mind - they ARE playing that one live though they originally thought it would be too difficult to perform live.)
@@veladarney even of I could sing/play drums it would fry my brain trying to play that live 😂
@@davidellinsworth22 I bet Nandi Bushell could do it!
Shoemaker?
The whispers you heard: "quiet as the snow" in multiple languages.
The whole story:
It is Floor in Ad Astra.
Love this so much.
That is Floor singing operatically in the pieces along with the choirs. She did the Ad Astra live for their virtual concert and it was glorious! You still need to listen to more Nightwish.
Their other member Troy plays the Uilleann Pipes on many songs, on stage, as well as Irish Low Whistles, flutes, the Irish Mandolin, acoustic guitar, and the Electric guitar with an e-bow. You did not finish your journey yet ;)
Troy ans Tuomas have another project called Auri with Tuomas' wife, singer Johanba Kurkela. Lovely.
Since no one apparently as of my writing this has mentioned it (I scrolled almost to the bottom), It is worth mentioning that "Anthropocene" contains within it Tuomas's interpretation of the oldest known substantially complete work of notated music in the world known as, "Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal", preserved on clay tablets for 3400 years and found in the 1950's in the ruins of Ugarit in Syria (northern Canaan back in the day).
Thank you I was here looking to see if anyone had mentioned this.
Wau! That was SUPER interesting! 😯
@@juharaty5449 I know, right! 😃
At the end of Ad Astra, the vocal part resolves, the instrumental part does not. I think this could be interpreted as nature still being there when humankind has disappeared.
Thanks for another great reaction. As mentioned before, would be great to see a Shoemaker reaction someday.
Yes or that we just don't know how everything will go on in the future. It's just an open end... exactly like the music here.
Like our story hasn't been told in full yet, because we are still in the process of writing it?
I guess I went with this interpretation because it ties in really well with 'Procession'
depends if we manage to damage the world enough i guess :/
@@petey7692 Geologically speaking we haven't even been here a flicker of a second :) Species exist for a time and go extinct...but mammals are especially prone to rapid extinction. So for certain, that will happen to us too, no matter how we humans damage the earth. We will likely have existed much shorter time than other primates and mammals. It brings perspective to life, and what we are, seen with an outside view. We will be a brightly burning-, brilliant- but short shimmer of light in earth's history.
Doug is THE man when it comes to orchestral stuff. It was great to listen to the record again, alongside the Professor!
Ditto
Now I only need you to react to Tuomas' solo work Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge and my work here will be complete. HEHE! 😉 Also if you be willing to reach out to Tuomas, I would b really interested in you doing an interview discussing his compositions. Almost forgot, not sure if anyone mentioned this to you Doug, but Nightwish has released versions of certain of their albums with the orchestral part only. The moors is this case is referring to this definition 'a tract of open uncultivated upland; a heath'. The whispering is saying "Quiet as the snow" in multiple language including French my native language and I think Swedish, but cannot figure out the others. BTW it is Floor & Troy singing and playing on the album.
Yes! “The Scrooge Album” doesn’t get enough love, but I feel it will be right up Doug’s alley! It’s basically an orchestral album.
@@T1hitsTheHighestNote Glasgow 1877 is one of the most beatiful pieces of music I know.
@@nocakewalk The last sled is my favorite, but the entire album is awesome!
I'll add my voice, YES PLEASE!
I like the Scrooge Album also, it has an instrumental version and one with lyrics, they are both really good.
Hey Doug…of course it’sFloor singing Ad Astra. You can watch it live now. Last month in Oulu. Amazing Floor. Greetings from The Netherlands
Floor is singing in Ad Astra. In fact this is the outro in the live performances now.
tuomas's wife also sings in some of this if I remember right (shes the lead in his other band Auri)
@@FlyingAce1016 I know who Joana is. She's the one who does the spoken words in shoemaker but as far as I know in the second disk the spoken words were done by Geraldine James, the one in Ad Astra, and the melodic voices were Floor and the choir.
@@marcelofarah8657 gotcha thanks! been a while since I heard the album and this song until now again.
My favorite of these ”sections” is Quiet As The Snow, the wishpers are the title in different languages. Tuomas has painted with instruments all the different kind of snowy days and nights into this one piece of amazing music. I’m getting emotional every time I listen to it, this music just pulls my heartstrings the right way.
Found Nightwish around the same time you did and really have become to love their music. Toumas is a beautiful composer. Thank you for doing this!
I must admit, as a long time fan of Prog, I deeply underestimated the work of Nightwish (even if I had heard and liked some of their songs).
I am working on it, thanks to you Doug!
It is Floor singing in Ad Astra. She sings the part at the end of the concerts now when they perform!
Nightwish likes to surprise, the entire last album was a bit of a surprise to many fans of the band. For me personally it was a very, very pleasant surprise. And this track which you have just listened to is a kind of completion of the first part of the album, showing by the music itself what the album is about and what its message is. It's a great album, and I think you should definitely listen to the songs from the first part as well - as a composer you would have a lot to say. (And us to listen to:-)).
You used to listen to the band Epica. I think it is very worthwhile for you to go back to this band and listen to their latest album "Omega". Not only because it's also a great album, but also because every song has an orchestral version in addition to the main album version, and some have acoustic versions as well. I think I'm not the only one who would be very interested in your opinion and analysis.
As always good to see you - see you soon!
I agree, Doug you really should look into Epica and their most recent album Omega.
Definitely, I would love to see him reacting to Kingdom of Heaven from Omega, masterpiece and great album overall. Still I believe the best composed are The Phantom Agony and Holographic Principle songs (album named), but the newest album is incredible.
Shivers up my spine, tears in my eyes, no words. Thank you Doug
Thank you Nightwish. ❤️
Did I see you starting to well up there during ad astra? I don't know what it is but that piece of music has me in tears everytime... Everytime without fail. Floor does the vocals during the piece so wonderfully.
Must admit that I had not listened to this album right through Doug, just the singles and one or two other tracks. All good but this is quite an incredible piece of music, absolutely magical. Thanks for putting me onto it and for pointing me at the wonderful video Doug. It is beautiful, superb images, with the music so supremely evocative. Well done Nightwish and wonderful reaction as always Doug, I really can listen to your music analysis all day! Keep doing what you do!
Thanks, Doug! I'd never even heard of Nightwish and this is a wonderful intro to this remarkable band. For the most part, I cannot get into anything proggy since 1979; it all sounds derivative of the creative masterminds of the 70's, much as the musicianship is usually strong. But this is new and innovative, while melodic and unabashedly beautiful. Love it!
I'd recommend checking out this modern prog piece:
Ayreon - The Day That The World Breaks Down - The Source (2017)
ua-cam.com/video/oFuMKdrzPqU/v-deo.html
You can add "Star One" to that as well, since Arjen is releasing another album next month -- and two musicians are already confirmed: Brittney Slayes of Unleash the Archers, as well as Michael Romeo:
ua-cam.com/video/vn7P3oVMnys/v-deo.html
This album is a masterpiece!! Your reaction is a masterclass!! Thank you Doug!
And let's not forget to send a big thank you to Sensei Music Videos for the awesome unofficial video visualisation. It adds so much to the experience of this composition.
That was absolutely another magnificent piece of music from the wizard Tuomas.
I love it how the music representating nature is left unfinished but human singing, while beautiful, comes to an end.
A Tuomas and Hans Zimmer collaboration for the next David Attenborough documentary series is the dream I need to come to reality
Wonderful! Ad Astra leaves me in tears and wanting more (and that voice has to be Floor).
Nightwish: "Shoemaker". You NEED to hear this one! You will not regret it! Look for the official lyric video.
That ending, Doug, is like life itself. There's so much going on, so many sounds and experiences then, all of a sudden, is all quiet again, just like before we were born.
I’ve been avoiding watching reactions to this piece. Mainly because I don’t want to watch sapiens mindlessly nod along to it and pretend that they are knowing what’s going on…or pretending that they don’t hate it because it’s not heavy.
This one I watched because I know Doug will both love and understand it. It was a pleasure. Thank you.
Yet to see any hate - you need to check out more reactions - it will raise your opinion of the human race in general and NW fans in particular. Tankthetech would be a good place to start.
@@themajor743 Tank did it? I didn’t think he did.
@@Elviolli ua-cam.com/video/oNwb2wiiiHU/v-deo.html
@@themajor743 ahh ok yeah no I remember. I didn’t watch it because it was a live stream. They tend to be a bit chaotic. However! I will probably check it out at some point. Love Tank’s stuff.
Moors are undulating uplands with low growing plant life, heathers, grasses, shrubs, etc. Probably the best known are the ones in England, but they're common around the world. The changes in the music during the "Moors" reflects the changing weather that is typical of moors.
The soloist was Floor. She is capable of so many voices, it's sometimes hard to recognize her at times, for example, the siren calls in her cover of "Into the Unknown" don't quite sound like her at first.
And finally, "Ad Astra" played live recently as their show closer: ua-cam.com/video/tDr7LwlvEYQ/v-deo.html. As you can hear, the soloist is most definitely Floor. That sustained note at the end is epic.
The whispering in "Quiet As The Snow" is the title of that piece in different languages.
I think it's french only :)
@@giacomocolturato2920 Not sure...I believe there is Dutch as well...and Swedish...
@@jamesschwarz007 didn't know, thank you
Ad Astra always hits me in the feels..
Dammit, Holopainen, you made me cry! Again.
From 29:25 -> onwards that string tremolo is a very Sibelius vibe, maybe a nod from Tuomas to our national composer? :) Loved your reaction
In "Moors" the piano is playing "The Great-est Show On Earth" in 6 notes.
Tuomas does this often: In The Greatest Show On Earth he added other names of songs via instrumental notes.
What do you mean, can you explain exactly? I'm curious
@@MichaelLoda He likes to “quote” fragments from other pieces of music. They often seem to signify a thematic connection.
@@AndreSomers Oh yeah I know about TGSOE having songs like Bach's Minuet and others. I thought he meant something else
I've really been looking forward to you digging into this masterpiece. I love that its not been compressed to hell and back There is a genuine dynamic range to the piece from quiet as the snow to the ending.
After listening to this piece the Cello was cemented as my favourite orchestral instrument (tied maybe with the french horn ). You're right that its a brave decision to include it in the album. It has divided people slightly (I love it and would happily buy more of Tuomas classical stuff), but to my its Tuomas ultimate reminder that Nightwish is just *good music*.
Yes its the uillean pipes (actually pronounced "ill-ee-an" apparently)
A MOOR is a flat plain at the top of hills (also a GLEN). Not sure how far that work has travelled, but its common in the british isles.
Yes, the final vocalist is Floor. She does this bit live now.
As usual Tuomas will add tension or anger with the arrival of humanity in his works (anthropacene). If it was a metal track, it would be time to get super heavy. Here I love the use of the tremolo to bring that tension.
Interesting comments on lack of a fast moment. I think that's fair. I love the 30 mins as is, because its chilled and beautiful. Maybe next time he'll add something faster.
The conclusion of the piece is typicially Tuomas (its the same as the main part of Greatest Show on Earth), an explosion / timpani hit. Either its "Blast off" or a monumental explosion. I Dare say that Tuomas is challenging us to affect which one of these it turns out to be. The future is yet unwritten...
The best word I can use to describe this album is "brave". It's a divisive album in the NW fandom, with a lot of people saying "this is the end of Nightwish", and it's not just Disc 2 - Disc 1 is equally as divisive. Nonetheless, Tuomas proposed it to the band, they went along with it, and then Nuclear Blast released it. Brave on so many levels.
I completely agree with this. I'm a huge NW fan and it took some time for me to appreciate Human Nature. But brave it is, and I can appreciate it for that alone. And there are some real gems on it, that's for sure
People who want the same musical ideas, reiterated in different ways, are stagnant people, afraid of change.
If Tuomas has shown me anything with his musical genius, it is that it is only right that change is good, otherwise we never grow and learn. To stop learning and growing is to begin dying -- and Tuomas has given us many, many variations and "stories" throughout the Nightwish journey, and beyond, showing us how he had changed and grown, as well as Floor, and others.
This is not the end of Nightwish, merely a different chapter in the Nightwish story.
It's the end of Nightwish... as those fans would prefer them. I say it's their loss. Staying the same is anathema to progress. The idea applies to music in more ways than one.
Human :II: Nature's not my favorite of theirs, but I'm glad they did something different. Since Once, the band has really adhered to that formula going all the way up to EFMB. But H:II:N does have some great songs on it, and Disc 2 is wonderful to use as writing music.
That is indeed the Uillean pipes on Moors. The piper is Troy Donockley, a member of Nightwish and also of Tuomas' other band, Auri. It's an extraordinarily difficult instrument to play, with seven reeds to manage and (as I understand it) anything outside the key of D requiring the player to bend the notes artificially. Troy is one of a very small number of people worldwide who can play the Uillean pipes to a high standard. In Nightwish he also plays the whistles and the bazouki, as well as providing backing vocals and some lovely Dave Gilmour-esque guitar. You might remember the intro to The Greatest Show on Earth with the guitar line played using an e-bow? That's Troy.
I have binge watched most of your Nightwish reactions. There is so many reactions out there which are great but yours stand out for me as you manage to explain how the emotions the music creates are achieved musically. I have a tiny bit of music theory training but would not be able to identify these things in the music clearly and name them. You explaining them is a great help. Thanks and keep going!
Thank you! This is the piece I most wanted to get your reaction to.
I love how intertwined All the Works of Nature is. The end theme of Moors is the same as Floor’s vocal in Ad Astra, Quiet as the Snow reprises the cello from Vista as well as using a very similar pattern of harps and strings from The Green, and the mechanical (Sorcerer’s Apprentice) passage from Anthropocene is the theme from The Blue. I think that’s why the tempo is the same throughout. In fact, I’m pretty sure the entire suite hovers right around 100 BPM and the entire thing is 4/4. This feels very intentional to me since Tuomas is usually not shy about changing up tempo and time signature. It makes the piece as a whole a little same-y, but also contributes to the continuity and the sense that the piece is meant to be listened to without breaking it up. I think it also makes a statement that nature has a constant presence and rhythm even when overlaid by the tension and tremolo of the anthropocene and when we look beyond to the stars.
If you have even been in the Scottish or Welsh moors, you know that the weather can change within half an hour. I personally experienced it in Dartmoor (Devon, England). From sunny to fog whithin half an hour. You couldn't see more than 10 paces ahead. 'Follow a stream to get to a valley, otherwise you may get lost', was the advice. A unique experience. Especially as somewhat later we heard the sounds of horses (Sniffing, breathing), but we couldn't see them. And then they loomed up from the fog! Spooky, majestic and magic. And I think this kind of atmoshere was captured by Tuomas.
You almost got it right. It is indeed the musical sign for repeat. Indeed it separates human from nature, but in a slightly different way than you mentioned. As you mentioned it is a double album and the first disc contains all songs which all in some way have humans as a subject. So the first disc is about humans. The instrumental part on disc 2 is Tuomas’s homage to Nature, so the second disc is Nature.
Doug the Moors have very unpredictable weather patterns the strings that you liked represented the wind blowing across the open moors it is remarkable how much they sound like the wind whistling through them
The music really represents the changing weather pattern on the Moors
The end section of Quiet As The Snow seems eerily reminiscent of Neptune in Holst's Planet Suite. Love this so much, thanks Doug!
To my ears, the cello theme in "Blue" reminds of "Peltoniemen Hintriikan surumarssi", which is a Finnish folk song for violin. Lyrics were added 1964.
Apart from the magnificent compositions credit to the fan who did this video to go with the music. Toumas has seen it and loved it so much that he included it in the official Nightwish exhibition at their museum in Kitee, Finland.
Whenever you think you know where you are going ....Tuomas will take you somewhere else!!
I look at it thusly... Tuomas takes us first, sonically, to places we've been. Next, his music transports us to places we know but have never visited, then to other places we don't know. Finally, Tuomas seemingly turns on us; but then he takes us, musically, to a place which does not yet exist but which we make with our thoughts, our Id, before we suddenly disappear, emerging onto a higher plane of existence.
Then again, I might just be talking out of my hat!
@@erzahler1930 Well...I was talking about the music....not the lyrics.
Hi Doug, it seems we have the same birthday, although I have had quite a few more than you ;) In this piece I believe “Moor” refers to a kind of habitat found in upland areas, the British Isles are covered in moors, as in Exmoor and Dartmoor, the Yorkshire moors and the moors of Scotland. They are covered in low-growing vegetation as in grasses, shrubs and notably in Scotland, heather. Wikipedia has a great article on it.
This music is very similar in style to Tuomas’ “soundtrack” to the graphic novel, “The Life and Times of Scrooge”, one album, ten tracks, something Tuomas wrote a few years back when Nightwish took a year off. Well worth listening to.
Really loved your reaction, thank you.
The movie in 1959 starring Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes (The Hound of the Baskervilles), was shot on the Moors. It's an unrelenting, unworldly place, yet strangely captivating and beautiful all at the same time. It's such a sublime pleasure to delve further into the world of Tuomas' genius and be swept along this wonderful journey of sound and powetry in his music. It's life-giving :) Thanks Doug for an interesting as always view, into the technical aspects of his music :) It adds so much more to the listening experience.
I keep coming back to this. In my opinion this is the best song-reactor combo in youtube.
Thanks again for a great reaction. About the ending; maybe it ended that way because our story is not at the end and future is open? And not doomed or everything will suck or whatever. Tuomas has this "positive poet" inside of him although many of his compositions are lyrically sometimes in the darker side of life. To me his message is "for some most beautiful reasons, we are here and we can decide what or future will be.
So lovely and such a great reaction. I approached the second album reluctantly because of how much I love Floor performing with Nightwish. But this instrumental album has become one of my favorites for meditation or just as background listening. Tuomas is wonderful in his creativity. Another one of his orchestral pieces that invokes similar feelings for me is "A Lifetime of Adventure", from his album "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck". Loved this.
You look so happy. This makes it even more fun.
Yes, the instrument in the beginning of "Moors" is Uillean pipes.
You can also hear uillean pipes in "Easter" by Marillion, highly recommended song (though I prefer Fish-era Marillion). ua-cam.com/video/5pQ2Cr-UEF4/v-deo.html
Yes, I would love to hear a reaction to Marillion. I love both Fish and Hogarth era.
Easter is a great song.
Other great songs to consider for a reaction:
Great Escape (live)
Invisible Man (live from Out of Season)
Neverland (live)
Many many more, but those are a great introduction.
@@keithbond9423 I'd rather hear a reaction to "Script for a jester's tear", "She cameleon", "Incubus", "Bitter suite", or "White Russian" first.
That is Floor singing that melody during Ad Astra and I love that melody. Beautiful!
Are you sure? It sounds quite different when she sings it live during the outro of the show!
I enjoy this entire suite more and more, every time I listen to it. It's become one of my go-to pieces to just sit back, and lose myself in it from start to finish. So very glad that they made this, and that you did this video to appreciate it.
Such a spiritual experience, moved so many times. As you spoke the visual was amazing. I feel so blessed to have experienced this on Sunday morning. Many many Thanks.
This has me itching to see you break down the first half of the album. In order. There’s definitely enough musically in each song to talk about!
Just watched this in whole. Doug you’re the best.
Thank you, really enjoyed this and all the musical information you gave. I was really surprised how much negative feedback this second cd got from the public, like this is not Nightwish aso. I am too very glad Tuomas decided go ahead to put this out with Nightwish. He is one of the greatest composer's there is, and I love this cd listen to it almost everyday. If you haven't do Shoemaker by Nightwish, another great piece by Tuomas and Floors singing.
Very much liked our reaction.
As you mentioned, and yes, nicely put "Magnum opus", it's courageous, even extremely courageous (IMHO) to have this piece on a metal album.
Part one is exceptional, this part is exquisite.
Don't think there are many NW fans who doesn't like this.
For me, this is mandatory once a week
Ambitious, instead of courageous, is a more suitable term. Such things (this kind of pieces in metal albums) have existed before to an extent: it's just half an album (from a double one). I can think of (Tilo Wolff's) LACRIMOSA, regarding ambitiousness orchestral-wise...
However, the one that pushed its ambitiousness the furthest that I can think of (even further than NIGHTWISH) is VIRGIN BLACK: they composed and recorded a full work ("Requiem - Mezzo Forte", "Requiem - Fortissimo" and "Requiem - Pianissimo"), intended to be released as a triple album. Issues with their record label ended up in 3 separate albums, the last one ("Pianissimo") being an orchestral one.
I guess very few here already know LACRIMOSA or VIRGIN BLACK... and it's such a shame :(
i just love your knowledge of music
I think it was about the landscape type, also called moors.
I would love to see this performed live, by them with a symphony.
Thanks a lot, Doug, for this "revelation" to me !
Tuomas will be remembered as one of the finest composers of the modern era. I haven't heard everything from Nightwish but everything I have heard is next level genius.
Tarja, Annette and Floor each bring something special to the band. Floor takes it over the top.
Thanks for making this video!
a man who enjoys his beer ... always good in my book .. thanks for this Doug . .made my day .. so soothing . .so relaxing ..
This is a great piece of art. Simple and clear. Great reaction and analysis. You are a special one.
So glad that you reacted to this! Thanks!
Wow! Just... wow...
I have been HOPING you would do this!!! Finally yayyy!!! I'm so excited :D had to comment even before I watched
I have this human:||:nature album, but I hadn't listened this album yet, not before this day. I've been sort of waiting that special moment to enjoy this orchestral piece. And immediately when I saw this Doug's video, I thought this might be the occasion where I should listen to this and the decision I made, I didn't regret that. Thank you Doug for this enjoyable journey of Nature album.
You’d be surprised (as a non-metal head) at the relatively large amount of people who enjoy metal AND classical music.
Also, a pretty large percentage of hardcore metal fans have played “classical” instruments themselves.
I mean, there’s a reason Symphonic Metal got so popular in the first place; love metal + love classical music = Symphonic Metal :)
Sorry, can’t edit my original comment - my point is that for me, knowing Nightwish’s hardcore fans, the addition of this second classical disc is perfect and natural :)
Oh thankyou for doing this one imho its a masterpiece.
nice one, thanks a lot! I really do love this piece, although I do sometimes feel conflicted in calling it a Nightwish track, since it only features Tuomas, Troy and Floor. But then again it works pretty well a contrasting piece to the first CD of the album.
And yes Floor was in it^^ singing both in the first part (Vista) where you didn't think it sounded quite like her, and in the last part (Ad Astra) where you said it sounded like her but didn't think it was her^^.
At the time of the album recording (2019) she wasn't on a break due to giving birth. The break was in 2017, which the guys in the band actually wanted to take after 20 year of work, so she and her husband decided, might as well be a good time to get a child, lol.
Brilliant reaction! As a Nightwish fan for 20 yrs this make real sence with Nature part to be the second part of human || nature...and in these times with fires and heat records all over the globe Tuomas grab it all within the album. Humans have to start respecting the nature..we have to live with it not use it
Enjoyed the reaction. This is just an incredible album.
And then, they saved the tempo change for the very last movement to get us in to the hopeful vibe!
Dang, you are good, Doug!
And yes, it is Floor singing at the beginning and the end... What a masterful piece!
Thank you for this wonderfull reaction. Yes, it is Floor in, i mean pieces. And her singing in Ad Astra is the new Outro for her shows this year. Tuomas is awesome. The Uillean pipe is playing by Troy. The Fan Video is amazing.
Really beautiful track, I was pleasantly surprised. Great Doug breakdown as usual.
What a wonderful. Tuomas is a brilliant composer.
Definitely you need to hear some of the long-duration pieces from Rhapsody of Fire. You'll surely like that stuff.
i have suggested Rhapsody before, "the dark tower of abyss", "the wizard's last rhymes", "gargoyles... " etc
@@eduturk9 Yeah, me too. But there are many great bands out there for him.
I think he'll love Rhapsody for the orchestatred parts, but I'm not sure if he would like the double-drum thing that they have on many of their songs XD
I think he would love select Rhapsody songs. I think Lamento Eroico from their live in Montreal show would be fabulous.
I also think he would really enjoy Warriors Pride by Luca Turilli! I'm pretty sure he would hate the constant double bass in most of their other songs hah.
@@timothyfunk1883 I agree on Lamento Eroico. But he said that he likes the long songs and, for the orchestra part, Symphony of Enchanted Lands, Gargoyles or Erian's Mystical Rhymes would be great choices-
@@MattSamma yup that's the problem with Rhapsody of fire, double-kicks everywhere. XD
Wow finally you've done the longest Nightwish song reaction.
Yes, That is Floor in the main female vocal parts with a backing choir
Thank you for this. I enjoyed all of this and in particular the discussion of resolution in the compositions.
It was 2 days ago, another reactor, MTR, went into great detail about chord changes and realized resolution (and why it works) in the Wacken performance with Floor compared to the lack of resolution in the album version of Ghost Love Score. It is quite a coincidence that both of you are discussing this issue with respect to Tuomas' compositions at the same time.
As for the whispering, I couldn't get it all but in the right ear they say "still as the snow" and in the left they say "comme la neige" (french for 'like the snow')
Congrats you did a fantastic job on this reaction. Floor has the lead with choir as backup, they finish some of the live show's with ad astra now show casing Floor
Excellent review. Now its time for you to review something that you have written in your career! Take us through one of your musical journeys.
In this case moors refer to moorlands, the habitat/landscape you find in, among other places, northern Europe. I always associate it with Great Britain, but Finland got those too, if I am not mistaken.
In Portugal as well... Check "Serra da Gardunha" ; "Serra da Estrela" or "Serra do Gerês".
Fantastic reaction and for me your minds eye was certainly picking up the visuals. But that is Floor!
Thanks Doug, this was so beautiful ( never heard it)! Great thoughts and reaction.
Thanks for including the wonderful video. I hope you had the chance to subsequently listen again with the video as it is a visual feast. Moors refers to the moorlands of the UK wide open heathland with heather and gorse and broom often grazed by sheep.
I can't hear that last Ad Astra part anymore, without visualizing the ending of the glorious Islander's Arms virtual concert...
Yeah Doug, it was Floor all the time
That was brilliant Doug...i have a couple of Nightwish albums, but that level of creativity is something else from such a band...time to listen to more Nightwish it seems. Try to listen to some White Willow if you can too...anything from their masterpiece album, Ignis Fatuus from 1995 or their second album, Ex Tenebris...This Norwegion band are out of this world and need to be recognised by more of the world...such talent.
Amazing piece of music and also reaction. I love your work and NW's as well. I recommend you one of my fav albums "The Life and Times of Scrooge", Tuomas Holopainen solo album. It would be nice to see your reaction and notes about it.
When you think of it from a thematic point of view, it makes perfect sense that the piece doesn't resolve, because human history (which was basically the theme of the album, nature and how humans fit in it), still isn't over. Once you have explored Earth, you set off to the stars and where we go from there is yet to be written. That's why I really hope Nightwish's next album has something to do with space, sci-fi or just the future of humanity in general. It would be an incredible ending to the story they started in Endless Forms Most Beautiful :)
Interesting for Aurorae you said more American Western- to me it had a feeling of Irish Dance songs as I imagine the lights dancing through the sky. Maybe similar inspiration to Moors with the Celtic element?
You have to listen to the other tracks to fully understand everything. Also do them as Tuomas intended them to be listen from beginning to the end. You will find a new Nightwish, 3 people singing beautiful harmonies and Troy and Marco even have their own dedicated songs. Use their Music Videos and also watch and understand their visuals. It has lots of very important references to even understand more about this whole album....