Marko needs a “Floor Jansen is my back-up singer” t-shirt 🤣 Seriously, though, I love this performance, and their harmonies are ridiculous. I also love so much the pure joy on Floor’s face when the song ends and she is watching Marko walk back to the main stage. This band truly loves each other - amazing
Yes and they seem all so mutch happier together since Floor joined. Especialy since Floor seems to be the first singer, who really seems to love the songs she is singing!
hahaha okay that legitimately made me laugh. And we know Floor would take it in good faith. She's such a wonderful person, beyond her obvious godly talent.
In an interview Marco said he loved singing with Floor because for the first time he was able to sing with full intensity and not have to hold back because her voice was so powerful.
@@LordElpme Pretty much like this. This folky-tune didn't with his other band, Tarot, which is more straightforward metal. So Marko introduced this piece to Tuomas, but wanted to let Tuomas write the lyrics since it is kinda his thing. Tuomas has after all wrote every single lyric for Nightwish.
i read somewhere that Marko had the song, but I didn't think it fit with Nightwish, he showed it to Thomas who made the music and added it to their line up. looking for info on it, i found one site that said the tune and lyrics were from Marko, but i cant confirm that, it's a wiki site so not 100% sure how true that is
Regarding Poet.... 1. It revolves around Tuomas' feelings on having to boot Tarja back in 2005. It has nothing to do with Floor's taking over for Anette. The "Learn the set list in 48 hours" documentary is certainly a very good thing to watch in its own right, but has no real relevance to this particular song or its meaning. 2. I don't think there's a lot to be gained from watching an Anette version of the song first. Without making this any sort of vocalist contest, in terms of overall quality, you can't beat the 2016 Wembley version with Floor. 3. Highly recommend the lyrics version. ua-cam.com/video/iEzZRMthhXU/v-deo.html The words are important in this song, and a lot of the time very, very hard to make out without help.
What could be nice for him though is to watch an older performance with Tarja first, so he gets a feeling of what the OG Nightwish was and experience the spirit of this first formation, which essentially is what the fans have felt was taken away from them.
On point 2, I thought he meant listening to a Tarja song which I don't think he has done one yet. In that case yeah it would be a good thing to listen to something with Tarja in it, though not necessarily "mandatory". Most of the recommendations there will probably be the Phantom of the Opera which is a great one but if you just want context anything from Tarja is great. Her and Floor are both amazing singers, different in their approaches obviously, but still both are fantastic.
Nobody from nightwish army is ever angry if you stop, bo back and listen to any section again. None. Do it more. We love those parts too. You're quickly becoming my fav channel to watch.
Marko and Floor’s vocal pairing is incredible but you ain’t seen nothing yet. i just can not WAIT for you to see The Greatest Show on Earth for this exact reason. I’ve never heard a more perfectly paired duo.
The whole new album has a TON of harmonizing between not just Marko and Floor, but also Troy. The three of them together are ABSOLUTE FIRE. Just give up on the chance of any other duo or trio one-upping them. It can't be done. Absolutely heavenly.
And yes, greatest show has so many complexities, @chase, I love your work, but seriously, block A LOT of time, and I GENUINELY MEAN at least an hour for commentary plus song, you're in for an absolute treat. We'll spend the full time watching just to see your full analysis, but it WILL take time.
@@Pitchblackbones Damn COVID-19. Tuomas outdid himself, and everyone else nailed it too (of course). So much of it is just so interesting to the ear. I can't wait to start seeing some live performances of the new album.
Your words at the end about paying the song the proper respect and putting yourself in the right frame of mind for it were exactly what I've been dying to hear from one of these reaction videos, especially for such an emotional song with so much depth. You'd have earned yourself a subscriber right there if your insightful and heartfelt reaction to The Islander hadn't already convinced me that I need to see more of your content. I absolutely cannot wait for you to experience Poet & the Pendulum.
This was the first ever Nightwish song I ever heard and ever since I've been a fan of Marco Hiettala . He's very skilled and charismatic. And this song is so different from the usual arrangements Nightwish does but still very fitting to them ..
Thank you, for being the first (or at least one of the very few) who spent time to get to (try to) understand Tuomas. Nightwish exists thanks to his desire to write lyrics. Also again thanks for the details.
My favorite part of this video, and this is one of my favorite Nightwish songs, is Floor applauding Marko at the end. These guys just love and support each other so much, and it shows
This is a great performance. Marko is good as always and starts alone, like "this is my song". Plays for a while and at the end others quietly join in and all are then playing, but it is still Marko's song, others are supporting his performance and adding elements in, but not taking over his elements. Very cool.
Chase, I hope you find this write-up useful. I tried to keep it concise as well as informative. Preparing for Poet and the Pendulum (PatP), regarding your questions: Don't get confused because there have been 2 changes of vocalists in Nightwish. The first one happened in 2005, when the original singer Tarja left the band, and if you want to find and read that open letter that's probably a good idea. The aftermath of that decision is what lead Tuomas to write and compose Poet and the Pendulum. It is not necessary to listen to songs performed by Tarja to get the full effect from PatP. You just have to understand that they have been in the band together for 9 years (1996-2005) so letting Tarja go was an extremely difficult decision for Tuomas, but he felt it was necessary (complicated interpersonal relations and opinion differences with Tarja's husband/manager in the final years). So Tuomas was in a very hard situation having to make that decision and announce it, but then on top of that the reception of the news by the fans was really negative as well and there was a lot of anger, frustration and hate directed mainly towards Tuomas since he was seen as the "head" of the band. Even though all the other members agreed to let Tarja go as well, Tuomas was the one who mainly received the backlash from it. This left him in a very bad state psychologically, he even considered ending the band but that thought would make him feel even worse. It is believed or he may have even confirmed it in some interview, that in PatP he virtually commits suicide so that he wouldn't feel the need to do it in real life. You should strongly consider finding the video with subtitles/lyrics, or having them on hand to look over, there is a lot of lyrical imagery in there that can be interpreted very emotionally in the context of the situation he was in, when he wrote that song. Also good to know is that the final part/act of PatP is based on actual words which Tuomas's parents said to him. You had one more question about the documentary that's out there which explores the time when Floor was asked to step in, that happened in 2012 when the second vocalist Anette got fired in the middle of a tour. It is an interesting story, but has nothing to do with Poet and the Pendulum.
RE: Questions 3 Singers: Tarja, a childhood friend of Tuomas, and a really, really, really good singer. She still has a solo career (doing ok, I think). She left/got fired from the band (the reasons and the specifics could fill in several pages of arguments, comments, and speculation). This led to a backlash from the fans as it was handled rather clumsily, and she was/is very loved by the fans. The backlash and the breaking of the friendship got Tuomas really depressed, and he wrote this "the poet and the pendulum" to commit suicide in the song instead of in real life. For quite a while, he prefered not to play the song live. The song also alludes to works by Edgar Allan Poe, and according to various interpretations, it is about Tuomas, or about the breakage of the friendship, or about the backlash, you need to decide for yourself. A video with lyrics is available in UA-cam if you want to focus on them. Tarja was replaced by Annette. With a more pop-rock voice, Annette was a very good singer and frontwoman for 2 of Nightwish's best albums, but the fans never really embraced her like they embraced Tarja. Things eventually soured, and a less-than-amicable breakup happened in the middle of the US Tour. Floor who was a friend of the band was recruited to finish the tour, including the Wacken show everyone loves so much. After the tour and the fan's reaction to the newest singer, she became an official member and frontwoman. So, "the poet and the pendulum" was written after and about Tarja's departure, to be sung by Annette, and the best interpretation is (by far) the one performed live by Floor. You do not need to see the documentary, as it is about another incident altogether. You do not need to read the public letter, nor the reply. You do not need to see any videos of the Tarja singing, although you might wish to. She has high operatic vocals, and some songs that were written specifically for her voice sound better interpreted by her, although this is a topic hotly debated by the fans until today (and I do mean hotly). Those are pre-2005 videos though, and the quality of the video and the sound are not up to today's standards for many of the songs. Reacting to a Tarja-led song will invite the decades-long ongoing debate (and I use the term "debate" very figuratively here) into your comment section. If you do decide to delve into the Nightwish's past albums, if for nothing else to see the evolution of their songwriting, there are many songs that are interesting in writing and execution for you to choose from. Have fun. :)
I am a VERY recent fan. Just found this band a month or so ago. And am FLOORED! And bewildered. I am an old broad, and don't know why I never knew they existed! I know that there were other singers. But I am so utterly focused on THIS version of the band. There's no room in my head for anyone else.
The documentary is about the switch from Anette (2nd singer) to our current queen Floor in 2012. So it won't help you with the Poet and the Pendulum, since that's about their parting from Tarja (first singer) in 2005. I've recently watched an interview with Tuomas where he talked about the Poet and the Pendulum and I thought it was very insightful. I'll try to find it :)
@@UberNoodle Now you making assumptions that just is plainly wrong, even if i'm not a big Anette fan she certainly did a good job on the studio albums and a few lives and take thew song Scaretale she actually sing better then what Floor have managed. Offcourse she cant compare to Floor overall and specially not live but she certainly dont deserve you trying to rip her off all credit like this
@@UberNoodle Speak for yourself, don't try to generalise your opinions as those of "any Nightwish fan". I've been the band's fan since Angels Fall First, and while I absolutely adore Floor and think she's the best thing to ever happen to Nightwish, I also love Anette's performances on the two studio albums she appeared on, especially Dark Passion Play. She has a *very* beautiful, bright voice.
The wind instrument that troy is playing is called a low whistle - used alot in scottish and irish traditional music - Brings that whimsical vibe so well! Great Reaction as always - Thanks Chase!
You are my facourite reactor by far, I just love your "professionalism" and all the informaation you give to us. And it helps that you react to this best band in the world! I was lucky to be in this concert on Tampere, loved every second of it as I love every second of your reactions
“I’m not even sorry.” 🤣🤣🤣 Yeah, it’s a beautiful performance of a beautiful song. (BTW “I’m not even sorry.” reminded me to Joey in Friends and a cake/date scene.)
To get an feel for Tarja, I would recommend Phantom of the Opera, featuring Tarja and Marco. It was actually from the tour just before they fired her. The official Musci video of Sleeping Sun is beautiful and shows her a bit younger. I Wish I Had an Angel is also a great performance with Tarja and Marko. I also highly recommend your check out the official music video of The Islander. It's a magical video, with a beautiful sound and feel to it, and it features Anette, their second singer. I believe it's where they first met and worked withTroy.
This song is easily one of my favorite songs of all time. It's just so beautiful, so romantic. Marko is an absolute class act. You'll see it again and again and again, and never get tired. I live in landlocked Missouri here in the US, and it transports me to the islands in an instant, I feel the seabreeze. And in that moment, I'm home. I'm so glad you got the privilege to share in that experience. 💜
I love your reactions! Your facial expressions during this song were quite sweet. I love it when others find Nightwish and truly love the music for everything it is. You musical breakdowns are greatly appreciated!
I always saw this performance as an example of showmanship, force of personality and audience interaction more than the obvious musical complexity and genius of a fully instrumented nightwish. You just gave me an appreciation for the detail and breadth that he gets out of the guitar while doing all that. A microcosm of nightwish, condensed into a seemingly simple guitar-voice style.
I always thought that a band, an orchestra, any musician and Singer playing together is something magical. A group of musicians spontaneous jamming together moved me nearly to tears, because they just were sitting there, on a mediaval market, with acoustic guitars, some simple, relaxing instruments and created a calming, beautiful flow of music, which filled the whole space and gave me goosbumps all over my body. they seemed so relaxed, in a trancelike state of mind, riding the tides of the music. Nightwish is creating magic in highest form, soothing, uplifting, uprising, makes you smiling, sobbing, headbanging however they want it. I think its a ride, a trip, a journey a collective high for all together, the musicians and the audience . To be there, that must be an unbelievable experience. I envy musicians and singers for they abilities to express and experience emotions on this way.
Isn't this song a gem? I could see just by your face alone that you agree. I always love your reactions. I actually learn something every time. Looking forward to more.
Thank you for being so sensitive about us fans and doing Nightwish the way the Nightwish Army asks you to do. It means so much for us. Much love from Funland (Finland)! Stay safe & stay healthy
Oh Chase! Thank you thank you for this one! I love this live version of the song! It's truly re-Marko-ble, I couldn't agree with you more😂! And we all love Marko, don't we? Regarding The Poet and the Pendulum: 1.yes you need to have the lyrics at hand 2. Tarja was a friend of Tuomas for many years and then became his muse when he asked her to be in the band with them. The fact that they had that fall out the way they did and with that open letter that draw a lot of attention and caused extreme reactions through the fans had as a result for Tuomas to fall into severe depression. He lost his muse his friend the direction that he had for the band in his mind and on top of that many fans blamed him for all of it. So it was a lot to take. He decided to write this amazing piece ( inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's "The Pit and The Pendulum") so that he can commit suicide there than in real life and then actually start anew in real life! When I first heard this my world just shifted! It is my favourite Nightwish song! Oh keep in mind the last verse in supposedly what his mother said to him when he was struggling! It is so personal and emotional! 3. I would recommend you watch The phantom of the opera live version with Tarya to get a glimpse of what was like. Plus Marko is amazing in that as phantom! And it was the last live the did together. A couple of hours later that open letter was handed and all hell broke loose. 4. There is another documentary that follows the band at the last few shows with Tarya through the End of an era tour. I don't seem to remember the title (Nightwish Army please help us here?) You can see clearly the tension in the band and Tuomas getting sadder as they are approaching the last show. That's all from me. Take care my friend! 🌷
I think if you want to understand the context regarding Tarja (the very first Nightwish singer), yes reading the letter is a good idea and understanding Tuomas journey after it as well. If you want to grasp how much of an impact she left on Nightwish and on their history, I think watching the Nightwish version of Phantom of the Opera will really speak for itself. If I'm not mistaken, she was fired immediately after that concert. I remember when I first watched it (the perfomance, I mean) at like 13 years old and it's still ingrained on my brain 10 years later.
Chase: I really appreciate that you are going out of your way to approach Poet and the Pendulum with such respect to the band and the fans. You're going to get a deeper connection to not only the song but how the band members behave on stage as they play it. Knowing that Tuomas removes his in-ear monitor during the song because the emotions it stirs up in him adds to the connection to their performance, even though Tuomas has more recently explained that he is over the worst of the feelings now that he is over a decade past the events that inspired him to write it. One of the most important aspects of Nightwish, at least for me, is that all the members feel like family. To each other and to the fans. They connect to each other and to us at some visceral level. We root for them, we share their joys and sorrows. I think somewhere down the line, you may want to listen and react to the version of Poet with Anette just to see the contrast between the lighter color of her voice as compared to Floor's, which is warmer. To me, the song takes on a slightly different tone because if it. You'll see. Anyway, thanks for all of your work here. I always look forward to your videos.
Thank you, Chase! You did it again. You shared the information related to the playing technique and structure of the song in such an elegant way. You really understand and love music.
Just some facts to know before The Poet and the Pendulum: First of all, they had 3 singers : 1- Tarja, 2- Annette and 3 - Floor The Poet and the Pendulum was written for Annette singing range after Tarja was ejected of the band. Elyze and Alissa was there for only one show in Denver. The important fact about this song: In my opinion, is about Tuomas, Emppu and Tarja relations through time. They have been close friends and partner in Nightwish since almost High School. The band was supposed to play really smoother and not metal style music at all but they wanted to have Tarja to sing in the band and her voice was too powerfull for the style of music they were writing so they switch to symphonic metal to fit the voice of Tarja. So letting her go was a big and hard move to do cause they adapted the music to her voice skills. It was a big clash for the band and the fans cause Nightwish without Tarja is not Nightwish anymore (that is exactly what I tought at the moment) and you are able to see how close to the band and passionate are the Nightwish fans. I think the letter was written to explain the situation and to take care of the fans in those dark and weird moments ... Some say the wedding of Tarja with the guy from Argentina left Tuomas with a broken heart and it has changed her and took her away from the band and there is many rumours about many other things too but the basic point, i think, is the fact they have to fired a really close friend and put The band into a deep unsecure situation vs the fans and themself. Sorry for my bad english, i'm a french Canadian guy so i do my best lol Nightwish Army you can ajust or comment about everything in my comment cause this is my own feeling and comprehension of the situation... P.S. you don't have to see the documentary cause it's about the moment when Annette left the band and not Tarja. For the Tarja songs, you have to watch the "End of an Era" concert but you don't have to do it before The poet and the Pendulum. Phantom of the opera is amazing with Marco !!! Some songs will never be the same without Tarja ....
You are a treasure to the Nightwish community I swear! This also may be my favorite reaction you've done to a song of theirs thus far, aside from Ghost Love Score. As for Poet: I definitely think you should listen to some of the stuff with Tarja still in the band, her era is what most of us grew up with and what got us into Nightwish in the first place. Not because of her specifically, even though she is a phenomenal singer, but she was there from the beginning and some of their most iconic songs feature her a as the lead singer. Her relationship with the band before Nightwish was even a thing is what makes the whole situation of her departing, that much more painful for them, her and alot of fans. "Please learn the setlist in 48 hours" is pretty much a staple at this point. While I wouldn't say it's necessary to increase your enjoyment of the music, it will provide a lot of context as to why we've come to accept Floor with open arms and why we support this band so passionately in general. To avoid some confusion, you'll hear the name Anette a lot and that's because she was the original replacement for Tarja, but her time with the band wasn't a lot of people's cup of tea. We liked the music, not so much the vocals, not that she was a bad singer but to many of us, she didn't really fit in. The letter isn't something I can comment on. I've always held off on looking it up. It never felt right to me to read it for some reason. Hope this is helpful in some way. Thank you again, for the great analysis and the entertaining reactions!
I love your commentary, im learning so much about music! Ive been a fan for 17 years and i enjoy listening to their songs with new insight ☺️ great job, keep em coming :)
I'm listening for a few months now to Nightwish...i got to The poet and the pendulum yesterday :) . Could not find the backstory at first so i asked on Facebook. Finaly got it... What a song! I was not disapointed !!! Glad i did the same approach as you did
i would love to see your reaction to the greatest show on earth live at tampere. imo its the best show of everyones skill in the band. they all have their moments in the song where they have the lead and its brilliant to see how it is all weaved together. my favorite nightwish song after the islander
The documentary is very worth the watch, though it is about the departure of Annette from the group near the end of their US tour. Older videos with Tarja will definitely give you more context of the band than of any troubles or strife within. The history and evolution of the band. There are also insights from some of the comments, particularly from Tuomas, in the documentary that lend more context of the evolution of their sound.
15:24 - 15:43 [you summarizing your "role" and the true value of a channel like this] I love this -- You've hit it directly on the spot. It's one thing to hear 20 react channels go "AAH FLOORGASM!!" and just repeat what we all know, and it can be entertaining in its own right when the listener is riding the same wave of amazement. But I think it's another, infinitely more valuable thing entirely to watch someone like you, Tank the Tech, or Julia Nilon / The Charismatic Voice who can deeply analyze the detailed aspects of what makes a Nightwish performance great, through the lenses of your respective experience. I'm happily subbed and looking forward to more, and not just Nightwish!
Excellent reaction, as always. Many reactors to this song have mentioned Marko’s “cool guitar technique,” but you actually explained that technique. I always appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience. One of my favorite parts of that video actually occurs after the song is over. As Marko is walking back to the main stage, the camera cuts to Floor and she has this huge smile and you can tell she’s so happy for Marko and so happy to have been a part of that. Regarding Poet and the Pendulum: yes, I’d recommend reading the letter. As far as listening to Tarja...there is one song ( and this is the only song) where I actually prefer Tarja’s studio version to Floor’s live version: “Nemo.” I’d recommend watching the official video of that song. The documentary you mentioned (Please Learn the Setlist in 48 Hours) is definitely worth watching, not only for Floor’s experience, but also for the insight it provides into the band as a whole. Also, don’t forget that between those two events (Tarja’s dismissal and Floor joining the band) there was a second vocalist (Anette), with whom they made two albums, so there is quite a bit of distance between Tarja leaving and Floor joining.
Listen to the Phantom of the Opera cover from them live at End of an Era. In that song both Tarja and Marco shine with sublime vocals and also it is from their last show together. After that show they split and Tuomas had a lot of trouble clearing his mind, was very depressed and almost broke the band altogether. But then came the second singer Anette, which is regarded as a singer with most pop voice out of the three, however those albums are where Tuomas really started creating his own musical identity. The new album Human Nature takes very very interesting songwriting ideas. I guess what for me makes Nightwish stand out is that they are not prog, or symphonic or folk for the sake of it, hell they aren't even a "true metal" band at this point. Songwriting always comes first with instruments being used as tools to convey emotions not just because of the genre. Every song has a purpose, every song and every vocal melody have been written on an instrument beforehand. Their songs are not dream theater 24 minutes solos or blatant dishonest money grabs. Every note counts, and more notes does not mean a better written song. I know someone who has a different favorite band would say the same but I have never heard more honest and unique music(as a musician) then from these guys. Especially if you know what you are looking at and you can notice the small things, the things in the background, the key changes and so on. This band is fueled by love for music and they make music for people who feel the same. Sorry for the long answer, just my two cents. You as a reviewer have to give positive reviews if you want to maintain an audience. But as long as you keep giving a critical insight you are wonderful to watch.
In 13:20 you say a real piece of fact as well as your other comments in general here. Glad that you also note drummer Kai in this song... even though this is a great MARCO song. In the end you ask about the previous singer...maybe you know that she was Anette. The first and original singer also being one of the founding members of this band is really worth of checking not only because she created this whole NW sound together with Tuomas and during her Era this band developed into world fame and known everywhere as a top band. She actually did the most emotional songs being a teenage school time friend of Tuomas and they shared the same local small circles in Kitee both from there. This is also one reason of the deepness of that wound which emerged in 2005 finally...and later "Poet and Pendulum" etc. See the concert "From Wishes to Eternity in 2000" when all is well still.
This was always one of my favorite songs from them and I'm glad I got to see it live a couple times. I never knew about this video, so this is a nice discovery for me. As usual, great reaction and analysis!
Yes, I am so here for all the pausing and the commentary! I learn so much. :) I don't know that you can get more out of Poet and the Pendulum by watching anything with Tarja first. For many of us, Tarja was THE voice of Nightwish and felt doubt that there could be a Nightwish without her (and Tuomas felt this too), but you already know a Nightwish without Tarja, so you won't have that feeling. You could read the letter; it was written mostly to the fans, as a reassurance that Nightwish would keep going. But the band did NOT expect it to become a national incident, such that the Finnish president felt a need to comment on it. The documentary is a whole nother thing, when Anette, the vocalist hired to replace Tarja, quit mid-tour in a very unprofessional fit, and they asked Floor to step in (hence, "Please Learn the Setlist in 48 Hours").
As for the questions in the end I agree with most people The documentary is not needed since it's from the time Floor replaced Annette. The Poet... was the first song after Tarja 5 years before that. Instead do a song or two with Tarja to get to know her and yeah, I guess read the letter although I particularly don't like to get involved in that drama and having to take sides and all. I love the current iteration of the band but have no idea what really happened about Tarja at that time and it doesn't really matter anymore. For what it's worth she was a great singer in Nightwish, I think Phantom of the Opera from End of an Era is fantastic to show her skills and another good one might be The Siren, from the same concert.
I think you should maybe check out Tarot'! It's Marko's first band, which had a sort of comeback right after he joined Nightwish. It hasn't been active since maybe the mid 2010s far as I know, but the full gamut of what Marko's brought in to Nightwish is apparent in songs like Ghosts of Me, Painless, I Rule, Midwinter Nights, Things That Crawl At Night, Sleepless, Rider of the Last Day... well, the list goes on. There's a live DVD called Undead Indeed from the mid-late 2000s as well, which MIGHT be on UA-cam.
I absolutely love this performance. It is so beautiful it takes my breath away. And it also showcases more than any other song, how much better Nightwish is on a stage than in a studio. Don't get me wrong, I love their albums, but nothing compares to them performing live. And this song... originally, the studio version, I've always like it but it never really blew me away. But this... they turned it into a masterpiece there.
So happy you enjoyed it. Such a great "minimalistic" song. Yet there are so many little things going on. You really found a lot of great insights even I had not noticed after all the listens. Great stuff! Keep up the good work, regards from a long time fan from finland :)
You're quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite reactors! Thank you for doing these and I love the input you have to offer with every video! I think it's important you also relax a little when going into P&P. Yes, the song has a strong, deep and dark meaning, but allow yourself to feel it (and pay attention to Tuomas throughout the performance). Floor didn't join the band after Tarja, she joined after Anette, years after Tarja had left. Anette joined the band after Tarja, she is the original singer of P&P, so you can leave the documentary for another time. The only things I'll point out that are sorta missed in the whole "study the song first" thing is: just listen to this song with the knowledge that this is a portrayal of what Tuomas went through after the split. He took most of the heat from the media and the fans, and there was a whole lot of rage against him. So the song shows his struggle with his feelings, his decision but also the backlash of said decision. Also, please check out Sahara live at Tampa from them :D
I have been waiting so long for this reaction. You hit all the nails on all their heads. I'm so grateful to hear you put into words what I feel when I hear this song. And even though you expect something unique, you are still surprised until the very end. As for Poet and the Pendulum, I think you are totally ready for it, but IMO, you MUST have read the lyrics, or have them ready during the song. You will have a level of appreciation of the subject more than just the surface beauty of the song composition (which might be the most amazingly layered composition of all their songs, but i am biased). However, reading the letter, listening to the Tarja era music, watching the documentary, etc. won't hurt either. As always, fantastic reaction! And never apologize for puns!
If you feel like reacting to any song from the "Tarja's era" to get more insight on the evolution of the band, I'd like to suggest the live cover of The Phantom of the Opera they did for End of an Era (also, Marco truly stands out!), but in all honesty, I am sure that whatever song you decide reacting to will be great, because your reactions are a bliss to watch!
I’m not usually a fan of Reactors who pause slot during songs however you bring something a lot of the others don’t. Also 10 out of 10 for doing your journey lead by the fans and show them as well as the band a lot of respect. I’m following your trip through Nightwish land with you.
Chase, your reaction videos to the Nightwish songs we, Nightwish fans, love and cherish, are a joy to watch! And I really enjoy learning from you how brilliantly composed and also performed the Nightwish songs are. The technical details you point out really enhance my love for Nightwish even further!
I'm a musician myself. I have truly enjoyed your quick ear, take, and understanding of the complexities of the compositions. Thank you for the sensitivity to get the background work done before Poet & The Pendulum. It will help you understand the complexity and how the band supports Tuomas through this emotional journey. The sheer guts it takes to release that much vulnerability is staggering. Please note on just how much attention to detail this man gives to his music... When the comment about "3 minutes and counting" is presented. Keep that in mind with the length of the song. That is the only give away I will say. I can't wait to hear your reaction. Thank you!
I absolutely love the GIANT grin on Marco's face as the band joins in with him. You can just see he's like "How awesome are my best friends in the world right now you people? I *know* you are loving this!". I know I love it. I've watched it, just for that moment 100 times. lol You oughtta check out Ave Maria with Marco and Floor. Pretty friggin' touching, and you get to hear some really interesting vocals from Marco, and some operatic/musical/floor from Floor.
*Since you already reacted to this live version, it would be still nice to see your reaction to "The Islander" [Official Music Video]. There are 3 reasons "why?": 1. In that music video you will hear the full album version. 2. The album version is from the "Anette"- era. 3. The video reinforces the folk character of the song. It's maybe the band's best music video. [Not counting the official live videos.] Greetings from the south of Germany.*
First was Tarja. Then came Anette and then Floor. Anette sings Poet And The Pendulum on the album. But Floor singing it later.... She really sings with such an emotion. I have seen it many times. I cry every time. It's a really special song for me. Not just cause it's so heavy for Tuomas. It's just personal for me. I find myself in the lyrics too. Tuomas got so much hate mail etc due to the Tarjas kicking off the band. She was their friend. She and the boys are from the same small town. Tuomas and she were in same music classroom together etc. They were really close. Then she married her husband. Don't remember his name. He changed her. He wanted her to be a single act and she was going to leave the band for her solo career. She had already told them that. Tuomas made the decision, with the others of course, to let her go after End of An Era called tour ended. If I remember correctly it was the last show that they handed her the letter. Master Passion Creed from the same album is written to her husband. He was the manager and trying to get more money for him and her etc. The lyrics say it all. And well other songs are relevant to this I recommend you listen to Bye Bye Beautiful. The lyrics say it all too. The feeling of Tarja being their friend and then turning her back on her friends. Some say that they don't play it live anymore cause Tuomas is ashamed of it.. I don't think that. I just think he is passed those feelings and moved on. It's a really powerful song. The lyrics are on point. I personally love the album Dark Passion Play. It's the first that I really found the band. So the album is really special to me. Hearing Floor singing those songs makes them even more amazing. Even though Anette sung them well in the album. The documentary is about Anette leaving the band so not relevant to Tarja 🙊
Thank you so much chase, I was just clicking through youtube and watching some reactions to Nightwish and it's nice to see someone be considerate and actually thinking about how other people might value a specific song and actually putting work into it beyond the (also not as easy as it seems) work for the video itself by looking up stuff beyond a quick glance over a wikipedia page. I'm happy that I found your channel and I guess I'm here to stay. So thanks again and have a damn good day yourself!
The best part of this song is that the original sounds nothing like this. And the original is one of my favourite nightwish songs to unwind to. Marko fronted songs are all such a joy. I can't wait for Kiss while your lips are still red. Again where the original differs from the live version. Mainly because Tuomas takes a bit of a backseat, as you've pointed out. You've touched upon the vocal harmonies, and you're absolutely right. Nightwish found out in their 2018 tour that they have three vocalists who harmonise so beautifully together, that the newest album is centered around it. Troy joins in with the pulled back "flat" vocals that you were touching upon. Nice early call there. This has given rise to some of the most complex and mature nightwish music that I've come across in their latest album. Poet and the Pendulum, you won't please everyone, that's for sure. More than a decade and a half and people still fight over who's the best singer. Tuomas wrote the 5 parts like the 5 stages of grief. My only advice would be to make sure you get the video that has the subtitles and parts mentioned, or you'll end up wondering what part the song is instead of focusing on the actual song itself. This is hands down the most emotionally charged nightwish song and performance. Buckle up! P.S: The jokes are re-marko-ble. Gave me a laugh.
I had heard some Nightwish before and enjoyed it, but largely I am going on this Nightwish journey with you through your videos. I think they have quickly gone to near the top of my list of who I would like to see live.
I definitely think it would be helpful for context to listen to some of the Tarja-era stuff to understand how her very unique vocal was so central to Nightwish's identity as a band in those early years. It will give you an idea of how important she was to the band's sound/image and to the fans who discovered Nightwish with her as the frontwoman. That should give you some context for the emotional turmoil in Poet and the Pendulum. It's also worth listening to a few songs with Anette on vocals (either the original recording of TPATP or some other tracks from Dark Passion Play) to give you a sense of the contrast between the two. At least for me, an added layer to Poet and the Pendulum's emotional resonance is the stark difference in the female vocal, especially since in a way (if going from one album to another and ignoring pre-released singles and the like) it's also the introduction of Anette into the Nightwish canon. The letter is also worth a read, maybe even after watching some of the End of an Era DVD so it hits even harder when you find out that they handed Tarja the letter right after that show. For a timeline context, Tarja was with the band from its fouding (1996 or so) to 2005. The first album with Anette was released in 2007, and she left in 2012 in the middle of their US tour, which is when they asked Floor to fill in (which is what the documentary is about). Floor (along with Troy) joined the band permanently in 2013, I believe, so Floor has been with them now longer than Anette has and almost as long as Tarja.
I would suggest that you do listen to some Tarja era nightwish, maybe listen to THE END OF A ERA Nightwish concert, even if you don't necessarily react to. it at least to get a sense of Tarja's singing, she was a powerhouse in her own right, and Nightwish had a sound NO ONE ELSE had, they were right about to break into the United States Market in a big way and the time was right for a US tour, The fans loved Tarja at the time, as much as they love Floor now, imagine if you would that at the end of the Tampere concert you just listen too, and the the magic of that show, that the band fired Floor! in a letter, that was signed by the band and it was in Tuomas's back pocket during the whole concert and at the end of that epic show, it was handed to her and told to "open this on your way home" that is what was done to Tarja, that is how devastating Tarja's departure from the band was in 2005. The Nightwish army FREAKED, no, went into full REVOLT, and "we" took most of that out on Tuomas, we took sides, we were hurt, maybe as much as someone who had to fire someone he grew up with and went to high school with, it was difficult for the whole band and it was not popular with the fans at all, Now there is a lot of things leading up to her firing, and it is STILL 15 years latter controversial and painful, When you watch Poet and the Pendulum (and do it with Floor and not Annette) it is still painful, Marco and Emmpu go stand close to Tuomas at point in the song as a sign of solidarity and support, Tuomas has his monitors turned off to the lyrics during the song, the band does not play Poet and the Pendulum much anymore (the Pain) or Master, Passion, Greed ( the anger, so angry that nightwish wrote death metal!, their are quotes in Master, Passion, Greed from Tarja's Husband and manager, Marcelo Cabuli whom the band were blaming a lot of the miscommunications on that lead to the drama ), Looking back on it, we , the fans were not very fair to Annette, we never really accepted her, she was very different of a singer and the older Tarja era music she struggled with as it was written for another's capabilities even changing the songs slightly to allow Marco to help them along , never captured the magic quite right, although, Annette sounds great in studio tracks and music written by Tuomas for HER, in the end she is another casualty in this little drama. I personally think she cracked under the pressure of trying to live up to the hole that Tarja left in Denver (2016) That coupled with being sick and pregnant she left abruptly leaving Elize Ryd & Alissa White from Kamelot and the audience to complete the concert anyway after a delay of a hour or two. (The Denver Fiasco) The members of Nightwish, and the touring bands, including Epica, Sabaton, Kamelot and others are close, and remain close friends and colleagues even Floor and Tarja are friendly and talk on line even today, but there is still pain in that break up, even though all parties are trying to grow past it. In a lot of ways Poet and the Pendulum is our pain too, and it will remain that way probably until Tuomas and Tarja can forgive what happened completely, but who knows, Guns and roses managed to reunite, which means hell did freeze over once already. To summarize, I think you should listen to the end of a era concert, get to know Tarja's era of Nightwish then Poet and the pendulum can be your pain too, then afterwards, listen to master, passion, Greed, its different than most nightwish music. ua-cam.com/video/BdLdqkjjSow/v-deo.html This is a video of very early nightwish from 1999, maybe that will show how long and how far back this band was together.
Your reactions are priceless man :-). I love how you deadpan exactly what everyone else is thinking, makes my day every single time. Yeah Nightwish with 2 Vocal beasts its unfair really. BTW Troy is playing a Steel Flute I think its called. And yeah Tuomos is just...I dont know....a man out of time, he is a true master. He creates emotional waves of audio sound that wash over you. You mentioned the benefits of pausing to discuss the nuances of the "how and why" of the songs, and you may not realize how important that can be. I suffer from a form of Alexithymia, which means I dont experience, or have difficulty to describe emotion. One of the only releases I have is some music. Nightwish has always done that for me, all 3 singers. But even though I "experience" it, I often dont know why and having vocal coaches and musically talented people describe what's going on is a HUGE help to me, so rest assured you are not only entertaining people, you are indeed helping some navigate their lives. I have the artistic talent of a Garden Gnome, which is less than zero, but I appreciate beautiful music and art on a level that some people can't experience, so at least I have that, and Floor can guaranteed make me outright cry when I listen to her. Just for your own pleasure, I suggest a show called Beste Zangers that featured her in 2019. Her performances there, make even other professionals shocked in disbelief at her insane ability and control. Thank you for doing what you do, it is appreciated more widely than you may know.
Hi mate, as always: wonderful job on that video. My go for you regarding poet and the pendulum would be the following: it's about the hurtful departure from Tarja (the first singer, not the former), so the idea of yours to listen to a song of them with her and reading the letter is a good one imo. I'd recommend watching their live performance of Phantom of the opera from the "end of an era" DVD. Not because that is such a signature song of them together with Tarja, but because it's their last performance, right before they handed her the letter and it's hella epic! Later Tuomas even stated, that this very show was the best they had yet to play - which makes it even more tragic, knowing what news they had to break right after it. He also named that dvd like that, because of their departure from Tarja. However you decide to tackle this giant, I'm sure I'll be very pleased as always. :)
Thank you for the reaction, I love this performance so much! Marko looks and sounds so peaceful, and the song is beautiful. I don't think you need to listen to anything by Tarja before, though it would show that she is also an amazing singer and the decision Tuomas made was really hard. I also think the documentary is a cool way to learn more about the band but not necessary to enjoy The Poet and the Pendulum. It showcases their tour and Anette (second singer) leaving the band in the middle of it, thus forcing them to invite someone else to sing or cancel their tour.
Chase, Marko's double neck is a Warwick Infinity/Panthera and made by the Warwick custom shop, Marko has commented that it is very heavy. You'll see him always use a foot stand to raise the 6 string neck to a playable position and take the weight, both here and in Weak Fantasy. (Another absolute "banger" and you need the Tampere version and watch Floor closely at the line "The starving Crew with Show-Off toys" - especially as you rather like her stage make-up; but the lyrics are going to give you a bit of a quandary for public reactions, as you will see. . . . . . . .) Troy is playing the Low Whistle, you'll see him with the High Whistle too elsewhere, they're Irish instruments. You can Wiki them. Poet and the Pendulum, well, you have some very good background right here, but simply put, such was the backlash over the dismissal of the singer that Tuomas so nearly committed suicide but eventually wrote a song about his suicide instead, for which we are all very thankful. The lyrics are very important as has been mentioned and linked. The whole piece is written backwards too from the end to the beginning, you will note that when the boy says 3 minutes it is exactly 3 mins later that Tuomas is seen to kill himself as the pendulum falls. The final part called Mother & Father contains the words that were actually used at the time and Floors delivery here necessitates some tissues to clear up the water for me, I always end this epic piece completely out of focus. . . . . . . . ."We" generally blame this on onion ninjas. It is rarely done live, as you might imagine it is very hard for Tuomas to go back to such a desperately dark period; he does often, as he's stated, have the sound engineer cut the vocals from his IEM : ua-cam.com/video/v65-ErfUyVM/v-deo.html And you will see, as is their custom, Marko and Emppu stand with him on his podium at the end to show/give support and check all is well. Indeed, if you watch "Alpenglow" from Wembley 2016 you will see Floor go to Tuomas' podium and sing the line "Conquering the darkest places" directly at him at the end. Yet again, a really interesting analysis/reaction delivered in a captivating, concise and self-effacing way, thank you so much, I learn something every time. I have but one subscription on YT. It is here. Nuff said.
Yes! I clicked immediately! I love the insights you share with us, it's so enlightening, you're actually able to share a different light on these songs. You're one of the few reactors who actually give useful information instead of general commenting. Thank you so much!
Nightwish have had three singers, and you’ve confused the exits. The letter was given to the first singer Tarja Turenen when she was sacked in 2005. The documentary “please learn the set list in 48 hours” was made after the second singer Annette Olzen was sacked in 2012, and Floor was asked to join the band for the rest of the tour. The documentary is a definite must watch. Listening to the early songs with both Tara and Annette is also a must.
I think what Troy is playing is called an Irish low Whistle, very Celtic sounding. You are ready for Poet and the Pendulum, pause as much as you want and rewind, more the better in my opinion lol. Yeah that documentary is great. Floor was suffering from burnout and said if Nightwish asked her to join a year before she would of turned it down. But she got on a plane and started learning the setlist on the way over.
You can look for Marco and old Nightwish singer, Tarja, singing for the first time together since their split up, in a Christmas concert. I shed some tears every time I see that. They sang Ave Maria, and another grupal song.
From someone who is obsessed with music and wants to learn how to start playing, I really appreciate your thoughts and analysis. I'm super interested in understanding why I love the music I love. Also you asked about the 'learn the setlist in 48 hours' documentary. I totally recommend that. I can't remember if you've heard about Anette, their second singer, but that documentary is about the transition from Anette to Floor. At the beginning, they are at a show in Colorado where Annette couldn't perform last minute. They came out and asked the crowd if we wanted to see the show cancelled or see them wing it without her. Of course nobody wanted it cancelled. So they came out with Elize and Alyssa, who were guests for the opening band. They sang the songs they didn't know while holding lyric sheets. And Marko sang a ton. And some where straight up instrumental and they had just the crowd sing the whole song. I was at that show and it was both the most bizarre and wonderful concert I've been at and I won't forget it.
When a band can afford to have Floor Jansen as a backup-up singer...
True!
@@casztc9874 Either way round, they work. Perfectly.
The definiton of luxury, right there!
When they perform Harvest soon, Troy would have both Marko AND Floor backing him lol lucky bastard
When a band has genius guitarists like Marco on bass and Troy on mixed instruments.
Marko needs a “Floor Jansen is my back-up singer” t-shirt 🤣
Seriously, though, I love this performance, and their harmonies are ridiculous. I also love so much the pure joy on Floor’s face when the song ends and she is watching Marko walk back to the main stage. This band truly loves each other - amazing
and with Harvest off the latest album, Troy needs one as well.
Lol! That T-shirt idea :).
You know a band is doing something right when they can have Floor Jansen on back vocals.
Yes and they seem all so mutch happier together since Floor joined. Especialy since Floor seems to be the first singer, who really seems to love the songs she is singing!
hahaha okay that legitimately made me laugh. And we know Floor would take it in good faith. She's such a wonderful person, beyond her obvious godly talent.
In an interview Marco said he loved singing with Floor because for the first time he was able to sing with full intensity and not have to hold back because her voice was so powerful.
That "re-Marco-ble" pun was SO fire🔥
Hahah won't lie, was nervous about that one.
@@ChaseCarneson NEVER apologize for a great pun! (All puns are great, and one must laugh the loudest at those they make themselves!)
sometimes the cheesier a joke is, the better.
Absolutely!🔥🔥🔥🔥
Yep my kind of humour...good one 👍🏻
"Because....Marco."
Precisely. 😁 And his double necked guitar/bass is affectionately known as The Beast.
And no one ever mentions The Beast is a hollow body that gives it that wonderful old style sound.
Wasn't that also the name of Jon Lord's C3?
How about a tshirt with Marco holding Beast with the caption "Because....Marco!
Just to point it out: you mentioned Tuomas' songwriting, but this one was actually written by Marko.
Yep, music by Marko, lyrics by Tuomas
@@harleyquinn8011 Tuomas did the lyrics? Didn't know that. I thought Marko also did that. Tnx for that info.
@@black4pienus as i understand it, marko came up with the music, but it didn't fit with his other band. Might have misunderstood though
@@LordElpme Pretty much like this. This folky-tune didn't with his other band, Tarot, which is more straightforward metal. So Marko introduced this piece to Tuomas, but wanted to let Tuomas write the lyrics since it is kinda his thing. Tuomas has after all wrote every single lyric for Nightwish.
i read somewhere that Marko had the song, but I didn't think it fit with Nightwish, he showed it to Thomas who made the music and added it to their line up. looking for info on it, i found one site that said the tune and lyrics were from Marko, but i cant confirm that, it's a wiki site so not 100% sure how true that is
Regarding Poet....
1. It revolves around Tuomas' feelings on having to boot Tarja back in 2005. It has nothing to do with Floor's taking over for Anette. The "Learn the set list in 48 hours" documentary is certainly a very good thing to watch in its own right, but has no real relevance to this particular song or its meaning.
2. I don't think there's a lot to be gained from watching an Anette version of the song first. Without making this any sort of vocalist contest, in terms of overall quality, you can't beat the 2016 Wembley version with Floor.
3. Highly recommend the lyrics version. ua-cam.com/video/iEzZRMthhXU/v-deo.html The words are important in this song, and a lot of the time very, very hard to make out without help.
100% agree with all three points, especially about watching that version, it add a lot to the whole experience.
What could be nice for him though is to watch an older performance with Tarja first, so he gets a feeling of what the OG Nightwish was and experience the spirit of this first formation, which essentially is what the fans have felt was taken away from them.
On point 2, I thought he meant listening to a Tarja song which I don't think he has done one yet. In that case yeah it would be a good thing to listen to something with Tarja in it, though not necessarily "mandatory". Most of the recommendations there will probably be the Phantom of the Opera which is a great one but if you just want context anything from Tarja is great. Her and Floor are both amazing singers, different in their approaches obviously, but still both are fantastic.
@@blackiechan25 True enough.
@@wc41284 Ah, makes sense.
Nobody from nightwish army is ever angry if you stop, bo back and listen to any section again. None. Do it more. We love those parts too.
You're quickly becoming my fav channel to watch.
Marko and Floor’s vocal pairing is incredible but you ain’t seen nothing yet. i just can not WAIT for you to see The Greatest Show on Earth for this exact reason. I’ve never heard a more perfectly paired duo.
@ Chris , there is so much to that song it will take him 2 hours to try and explain it all lol 🤘🏼💥🤘🏼
@@wangtang7768 at least 2 hours.
The whole new album has a TON of harmonizing between not just Marko and Floor, but also Troy. The three of them together are ABSOLUTE FIRE. Just give up on the chance of any other duo or trio one-upping them. It can't be done. Absolutely heavenly.
And yes, greatest show has so many complexities, @chase, I love your work, but seriously, block A LOT of time, and I GENUINELY MEAN at least an hour for commentary plus song, you're in for an absolute treat. We'll spend the full time watching just to see your full analysis, but it WILL take time.
@@Pitchblackbones Damn COVID-19. Tuomas outdid himself, and everyone else nailed it too (of course). So much of it is just so interesting to the ear. I can't wait to start seeing some live performances of the new album.
Oh and by the way Nightwish fans wouldn't mind if you went back to the beginning...
Twice
Yep, no problem at all. And your face when the band came in. . . . . . . . .priceless.
Or more....
Lol everytime I want to listen to a NW song I just use a reaction vid
Never be sorry to relisten to a part.. never apologize, I think I can speak for quite a lot here and say we understand you ;)
Marcos smile when the band joins in...
Floor backing up Marko with such obvious joy always brings tears to my eyes...
Your words at the end about paying the song the proper respect and putting yourself in the right frame of mind for it were exactly what I've been dying to hear from one of these reaction videos, especially for such an emotional song with so much depth. You'd have earned yourself a subscriber right there if your insightful and heartfelt reaction to The Islander hadn't already convinced me that I need to see more of your content.
I absolutely cannot wait for you to experience Poet & the Pendulum.
Thanks for the support and welcome to the team.
i was waiting this, Troy plays low whistle.
edit: Marko wrote this song.
Er.... No. Marko WROTE THE MUSIC, Tuomas wrote the lyrics. So is a collaboration of both amazing musicians
This was the first ever Nightwish song I ever heard and ever since I've been a fan of Marco Hiettala . He's very skilled and charismatic. And this song is so different from the usual arrangements Nightwish does but still very fitting to them ..
Thank you, for being the first (or at least one of the very few) who spent time to get to (try to) understand Tuomas. Nightwish exists thanks to his desire to write lyrics. Also again thanks for the details.
He's too important not to understand
Every single musician in this band SERVES the music and each other.
check out their cover of Pink Floyd's High Hopes
This definitely is my pick for a song also
This!!
Yeah, that's a great one!
Yeah! Even as a big fan of Floyd since 20y I LOVE this Cover, Marco nailed it! He HAS to hear it!!! :)
My favorite part of this video, and this is one of my favorite Nightwish songs, is Floor applauding Marko at the end. These guys just love and support each other so much, and it shows
This is a great performance. Marko is good as always and starts alone, like "this is my song". Plays for a while and at the end others quietly join in and all are then playing, but it is still Marko's song, others are supporting his performance and adding elements in, but not taking over his elements. Very cool.
Nightwish is not a only band or music. Its a lifestyle, its a everything 💖
Chase, I hope you find this write-up useful. I tried to keep it concise as well as informative.
Preparing for Poet and the Pendulum (PatP), regarding your questions:
Don't get confused because there have been 2 changes of vocalists in Nightwish. The first one happened in 2005, when the original singer Tarja left the band, and if you want to find and read that open letter that's probably a good idea. The aftermath of that decision is what lead Tuomas to write and compose Poet and the Pendulum. It is not necessary to listen to songs performed by Tarja to get the full effect from PatP. You just have to understand that they have been in the band together for 9 years (1996-2005) so letting Tarja go was an extremely difficult decision for Tuomas, but he felt it was necessary (complicated interpersonal relations and opinion differences with Tarja's husband/manager in the final years).
So Tuomas was in a very hard situation having to make that decision and announce it, but then on top of that the reception of the news by the fans was really negative as well and there was a lot of anger, frustration and hate directed mainly towards Tuomas since he was seen as the "head" of the band. Even though all the other members agreed to let Tarja go as well, Tuomas was the one who mainly received the backlash from it.
This left him in a very bad state psychologically, he even considered ending the band but that thought would make him feel even worse. It is believed or he may have even confirmed it in some interview, that in PatP he virtually commits suicide so that he wouldn't feel the need to do it in real life.
You should strongly consider finding the video with subtitles/lyrics, or having them on hand to look over, there is a lot of lyrical imagery in there that can be interpreted very emotionally in the context of the situation he was in, when he wrote that song. Also good to know is that the final part/act of PatP is based on actual words which Tuomas's parents said to him.
You had one more question about the documentary that's out there which explores the time when Floor was asked to step in, that happened in 2012 when the second vocalist Anette got fired in the middle of a tour. It is an interesting story, but has nothing to do with Poet and the Pendulum.
RE: Questions
3 Singers: Tarja, a childhood friend of Tuomas, and a really, really, really good singer. She still has a solo career (doing ok, I think). She left/got fired from the band (the reasons and the specifics could fill in several pages of arguments, comments, and speculation). This led to a backlash from the fans as it was handled rather clumsily, and she was/is very loved by the fans. The backlash and the breaking of the friendship got Tuomas really depressed, and he wrote this "the poet and the pendulum" to commit suicide in the song instead of in real life. For quite a while, he prefered not to play the song live. The song also alludes to works by Edgar Allan Poe, and according to various interpretations, it is about Tuomas, or about the breakage of the friendship, or about the backlash, you need to decide for yourself. A video with lyrics is available in UA-cam if you want to focus on them.
Tarja was replaced by Annette. With a more pop-rock voice, Annette was a very good singer and frontwoman for 2 of Nightwish's best albums, but the fans never really embraced her like they embraced Tarja. Things eventually soured, and a less-than-amicable breakup happened in the middle of the US Tour. Floor who was a friend of the band was recruited to finish the tour, including the Wacken show everyone loves so much. After the tour and the fan's reaction to the newest singer, she became an official member and frontwoman.
So, "the poet and the pendulum" was written after and about Tarja's departure, to be sung by Annette, and the best interpretation is (by far) the one performed live by Floor.
You do not need to see the documentary, as it is about another incident altogether.
You do not need to read the public letter, nor the reply.
You do not need to see any videos of the Tarja singing, although you might wish to. She has high operatic vocals, and some songs that were written specifically for her voice sound better interpreted by her, although this is a topic hotly debated by the fans until today (and I do mean hotly).
Those are pre-2005 videos though, and the quality of the video and the sound are not up to today's standards for many of the songs.
Reacting to a Tarja-led song will invite the decades-long ongoing debate (and I use the term "debate" very figuratively here) into your comment section.
If you do decide to delve into the Nightwish's past albums, if for nothing else to see the evolution of their songwriting, there are many songs that are interesting in writing and execution for you to choose from.
Have fun. :)
PS: This song that you just reacted to (the Islander), is written by Marko (not Tuomas) and is from one of the Annette albums.
Anette couldn't cut it live.
In short. 🤣🤣🤣
@@ChrisPage68 Sadly not, but her two studio albums are probably Nightwish's best work.
I am a VERY recent fan. Just found this band a month or so ago. And am FLOORED! And bewildered. I am an old broad, and don't know why I never knew they existed! I know that there were other singers. But I am so utterly focused on THIS version of the band. There's no room in my head for anyone else.
The documentary is about the switch from Anette (2nd singer) to our current queen Floor in 2012. So it won't help you with the Poet and the Pendulum, since that's about their parting from Tarja (first singer) in 2005. I've recently watched an interview with Tuomas where he talked about the Poet and the Pendulum and I thought it was very insightful. I'll try to find it :)
@@UberNoodle Now you making assumptions that just is plainly wrong, even if i'm not a big Anette fan she certainly did a good job on the studio albums and a few lives and take thew song Scaretale she actually sing better then what Floor have managed. Offcourse she cant compare to Floor overall and specially not live but she certainly dont deserve you trying to rip her off all credit like this
I think it was this interview, wasn't it? m.ua-cam.com/video/v65-ErfUyVM/v-deo.html ❤
@@anniekroy6719 Yes! Thank you😊
@@quitscheente95 anytime ❤❤❤
@@UberNoodle Speak for yourself, don't try to generalise your opinions as those of "any Nightwish fan". I've been the band's fan since Angels Fall First, and while I absolutely adore Floor and think she's the best thing to ever happen to Nightwish, I also love Anette's performances on the two studio albums she appeared on, especially Dark Passion Play. She has a *very* beautiful, bright voice.
The wind instrument that troy is playing is called a low whistle - used alot in scottish and irish traditional music - Brings that whimsical vibe so well!
Great Reaction as always - Thanks Chase!
But I think it is fair to call it a kind of flute. It's basically a primitive recorder.
Its totally fair- just thought I would pass on some knowledge. ✌
@@forgalzz7 funny I was thinking it sounded almost like a recorder with a lot of flute sounds. Either way, the sound is beautiful.
You are my facourite reactor by far, I just love your "professionalism" and all the informaation you give to us. And it helps that you react to this best band in the world! I was lucky to be in this concert on Tampere, loved every second of it as I love every second of your reactions
“I’m not even sorry.” 🤣🤣🤣 Yeah, it’s a beautiful performance of a beautiful song. (BTW “I’m not even sorry.” reminded me to Joey in Friends and a cake/date scene.)
I always wonder what Emppu's doing during this song.
I imagine him having a beer and a smoke backstage.
The High Hopes cover is what you really need to hear! It gives not only Marco a chance to show his incredible vocals, but Emppu gets to shine as well!
To get an feel for Tarja, I would recommend Phantom of the Opera, featuring Tarja and Marco. It was actually from the tour just before they fired her. The official Musci video of Sleeping Sun is beautiful and shows her a bit younger. I Wish I Had an Angel is also a great performance with Tarja and Marko.
I also highly recommend your check out the official music video of The Islander. It's a magical video, with a beautiful sound and feel to it, and it features Anette, their second singer. I believe it's where they first met and worked withTroy.
This song is easily one of my favorite songs of all time. It's just so beautiful, so romantic. Marko is an absolute class act. You'll see it again and again and again, and never get tired.
I live in landlocked Missouri here in the US, and it transports me to the islands in an instant, I feel the seabreeze.
And in that moment, I'm home.
I'm so glad you got the privilege to share in that experience. 💜
I love your reactions! Your facial expressions during this song were quite sweet. I love it when others find Nightwish and truly love the music for everything it is. You musical breakdowns are greatly appreciated!
Yes more Nightwish!!
Yes! Hey, we're quite early. Keep up the great work Chase, really appreciating your insight.
I always saw this performance as an example of showmanship, force of personality and audience interaction more than the obvious musical complexity and genius of a fully instrumented nightwish.
You just gave me an appreciation for the detail and breadth that he gets out of the guitar while doing all that.
A microcosm of nightwish, condensed into a seemingly simple guitar-voice style.
Marco the Viking!
This song should be in the soundtrack for Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
Cant believe finding AC fans here😂
I always thought that a band, an orchestra, any musician and Singer playing together is something magical.
A group of musicians spontaneous jamming together moved me nearly to tears, because they just were sitting there, on a mediaval market, with acoustic guitars, some simple, relaxing instruments and created a calming, beautiful flow of music, which filled the whole space and gave me goosbumps all over my body.
they seemed so relaxed, in a trancelike state of mind, riding the tides of the music.
Nightwish is creating magic in highest form, soothing, uplifting, uprising, makes you smiling, sobbing, headbanging however they want it.
I think its a ride, a trip, a journey a collective high for all together, the musicians and the audience .
To be there, that must be an unbelievable experience.
I envy musicians and singers for they abilities to express and experience emotions on this way.
Isn't this song a gem? I could see just by your face alone that you agree. I always love your reactions. I actually learn something every time. Looking forward to more.
Thank you for being so sensitive about us fans and doing Nightwish the way the Nightwish Army asks you to do. It means so much for us. Much love from Funland (Finland)! Stay safe & stay healthy
I appreciate you 🇫🇮
High praise indeed and every bit of it is fully deserved
And yessir way more than 100 times! That's why we love your reactions
Oh Chase! Thank you thank you for this one! I love this live version of the song! It's truly re-Marko-ble, I couldn't agree with you more😂! And we all love Marko, don't we?
Regarding The Poet and the Pendulum:
1.yes you need to have the lyrics at hand
2. Tarja was a friend of Tuomas for many years and then became his muse when he asked her to be in the band with them. The fact that they had that fall out the way they did and with that open letter that draw a lot of attention and caused extreme reactions through the fans had as a result for Tuomas to fall into severe depression. He lost his muse his friend the direction that he had for the band in his mind and on top of that many fans blamed him for all of it. So it was a lot to take. He decided to write this amazing piece ( inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's "The Pit and The Pendulum") so that he can commit suicide there than in real life and then actually start anew in real life! When I first heard this my world just shifted! It is my favourite Nightwish song!
Oh keep in mind the last verse in supposedly what his mother said to him when he was struggling! It is so personal and emotional!
3. I would recommend you watch The phantom of the opera live version with Tarya to get a glimpse of what was like. Plus Marko is amazing in that as phantom! And it was the last live the did together. A couple of hours later that open letter was handed and all hell broke loose.
4. There is another documentary that follows the band at the last few shows with Tarya through the End of an era tour. I don't seem to remember the title (Nightwish Army please help us here?) You can see clearly the tension in the band and Tuomas getting sadder as they are approaching the last show.
That's all from me. Take care my friend! 🌷
I think if you want to understand the context regarding Tarja (the very first Nightwish singer), yes reading the letter is a good idea and understanding Tuomas journey after it as well. If you want to grasp how much of an impact she left on Nightwish and on their history, I think watching the Nightwish version of Phantom of the Opera will really speak for itself.
If I'm not mistaken, she was fired immediately after that concert. I remember when I first watched it (the perfomance, I mean) at like 13 years old and it's still ingrained on my brain 10 years later.
I could cry to this, it is so wonderful. Floor backing Marko is amazing.
Chase: I really appreciate that you are going out of your way to approach Poet and the Pendulum with such respect to the band and the fans. You're going to get a deeper connection to not only the song but how the band members behave on stage as they play it. Knowing that Tuomas removes his in-ear monitor during the song because the emotions it stirs up in him adds to the connection to their performance, even though Tuomas has more recently explained that he is over the worst of the feelings now that he is over a decade past the events that inspired him to write it. One of the most important aspects of Nightwish, at least for me, is that all the members feel like family. To each other and to the fans. They connect to each other and to us at some visceral level. We root for them, we share their joys and sorrows.
I think somewhere down the line, you may want to listen and react to the version of Poet with Anette just to see the contrast between the lighter color of her voice as compared to Floor's, which is warmer. To me, the song takes on a slightly different tone because if it. You'll see. Anyway, thanks for all of your work here. I always look forward to your videos.
Thank you, Chase! You did it again. You shared the information related to the playing technique and structure of the song in such an elegant way. You really understand and love music.
Just some facts to know before The Poet and the Pendulum:
First of all, they had 3 singers : 1- Tarja, 2- Annette and 3 - Floor The Poet and the Pendulum was written for Annette singing range after Tarja was ejected of the band. Elyze and Alissa was there for only one show in Denver.
The important fact about this song:
In my opinion, is about Tuomas, Emppu and Tarja relations through time. They have been close friends and partner in Nightwish since almost High School. The band was supposed to play really smoother and not metal style music at all but they wanted to have Tarja to sing in the band and her voice was too powerfull for the style of music they were writing so they switch to symphonic metal to fit the voice of Tarja. So letting her go was a big and hard move to do cause they adapted the music to her voice skills.
It was a big clash for the band and the fans cause Nightwish without Tarja is not Nightwish anymore (that is exactly what I tought at the moment) and you are able to see how close to the band and passionate are the Nightwish fans. I think the letter was written to explain the situation and to take care of the fans in those dark and weird moments ...
Some say the wedding of Tarja with the guy from Argentina left Tuomas with a broken heart and it has changed her and took her away from the band and there is many rumours about many other things too but the basic point, i think, is the fact they have to fired a really close friend and put The band into a deep unsecure situation vs the fans and themself.
Sorry for my bad english, i'm a french Canadian guy so i do my best lol
Nightwish Army you can ajust or comment about everything in my comment cause this is my own feeling and comprehension of the situation...
P.S. you don't have to see the documentary cause it's about the moment when Annette left the band and not Tarja. For the Tarja songs, you have to watch the "End of an Era" concert but you don't have to do it before The poet and the Pendulum. Phantom of the opera is amazing with Marco !!! Some songs will never be the same without Tarja ....
This shows some of the more subtile approaches these fantastic people have. Beautiful.
You are a treasure to the Nightwish community I swear! This also may be my favorite reaction you've done to a song of theirs thus far, aside from Ghost Love Score.
As for Poet:
I definitely think you should listen to some of the stuff with Tarja still in the band, her era is what most of us grew up with and what got us into Nightwish in the first place. Not because of her specifically, even though she is a phenomenal singer, but she was there from the beginning and some of their most iconic songs feature her a as the lead singer. Her relationship with the band before Nightwish was even a thing is what makes the whole situation of her departing, that much more painful for them, her and alot of fans.
"Please learn the setlist in 48 hours" is pretty much a staple at this point. While I wouldn't say it's necessary to increase your enjoyment of the music, it will provide a lot of context as to why we've come to accept Floor with open arms and why we support this band so passionately in general.
To avoid some confusion, you'll hear the name Anette a lot and that's because she was the original replacement for Tarja, but her time with the band wasn't a lot of people's cup of tea. We liked the music, not so much the vocals, not that she was a bad singer but to many of us, she didn't really fit in.
The letter isn't something I can comment on. I've always held off on looking it up. It never felt right to me to read it for some reason.
Hope this is helpful in some way. Thank you again, for the great analysis and the entertaining reactions!
I love your joy at watching this band. It just makes me smile. Keep it up.
Troy is such an amazing inclusion in the band, I am so glad he joined full time. He adds so much texture to their music, lovely
I love your commentary, im learning so much about music! Ive been a fan for 17 years and i enjoy listening to their songs with new insight ☺️ great job, keep em coming :)
That's awesome! Lots more to come. Thank you for supporting.
I'm listening for a few months now to Nightwish...i got to The poet and the pendulum yesterday :) . Could not find the backstory at first so i asked on Facebook. Finaly got it... What a song! I was not disapointed !!! Glad i did the same approach as you did
The look of shocked joy on your face when you spotted Floor was the reason I watch these things. Never change! Thank you!
Love the appreciation for the shaker work... it's truly the little things!
i would love to see your reaction to the greatest show on earth live at tampere. imo its the best show of everyones skill in the band. they all have their moments in the song where they have the lead and its brilliant to see how it is all weaved together. my favorite nightwish song after the islander
One of my fav live performances. I do not know why. It feels intimate in a way.
The documentary is very worth the watch, though it is about the departure of Annette from the group near the end of their US tour. Older videos with Tarja will definitely give you more context of the band than of any troubles or strife within. The history and evolution of the band. There are also insights from some of the comments, particularly from Tuomas, in the documentary that lend more context of the evolution of their sound.
15:24 - 15:43 [you summarizing your "role" and the true value of a channel like this]
I love this -- You've hit it directly on the spot. It's one thing to hear 20 react channels go "AAH FLOORGASM!!" and just repeat what we all know, and it can be entertaining in its own right when the listener is riding the same wave of amazement. But I think it's another, infinitely more valuable thing entirely to watch someone like you, Tank the Tech, or Julia Nilon / The Charismatic Voice who can deeply analyze the detailed aspects of what makes a Nightwish performance great, through the lenses of your respective experience. I'm happily subbed and looking forward to more, and not just Nightwish!
If you like analyzed reactions, I recommend to check out Guylain prince OFM -channel. He analyzes the lyrics.
Excellent reaction, as always. Many reactors to this song have mentioned Marko’s “cool guitar technique,” but you actually explained that technique. I always appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience. One of my favorite parts of that video actually occurs after the song is over. As Marko is walking back to the main stage, the camera cuts to Floor and she has this huge smile and you can tell she’s so happy for Marko and so happy to have been a part of that. Regarding Poet and the Pendulum: yes, I’d recommend reading the letter. As far as listening to Tarja...there is one song ( and this is the only song) where I actually prefer Tarja’s studio version to Floor’s live version: “Nemo.” I’d recommend watching the official video of that song. The documentary you mentioned (Please Learn the Setlist in 48 Hours) is definitely worth watching, not only for Floor’s experience, but also for the insight it provides into the band as a whole. Also, don’t forget that between those two events (Tarja’s dismissal and Floor joining the band) there was a second vocalist (Anette), with whom they made two albums, so there is quite a bit of distance between Tarja leaving and Floor joining.
Listen to the Phantom of the Opera cover from them live at End of an Era. In that song both Tarja and Marco shine with sublime vocals and also it is from their last show together. After that show they split and Tuomas had a lot of trouble clearing his mind, was very depressed and almost broke the band altogether. But then came the second singer Anette, which is regarded as a singer with most pop voice out of the three, however those albums are where Tuomas really started creating his own musical identity. The new album Human Nature takes very very interesting songwriting ideas. I guess what for me makes Nightwish stand out is that they are not prog, or symphonic or folk for the sake of it, hell they aren't even a "true metal" band at this point. Songwriting always comes first with instruments being used as tools to convey emotions not just because of the genre. Every song has a purpose, every song and every vocal melody have been written on an instrument beforehand. Their songs are not dream theater 24 minutes solos or blatant dishonest money grabs. Every note counts, and more notes does not mean a better written song. I know someone who has a different favorite band would say the same but I have never heard more honest and unique music(as a musician) then from these guys. Especially if you know what you are looking at and you can notice the small things, the things in the background, the key changes and so on. This band is fueled by love for music and they make music for people who feel the same. Sorry for the long answer, just my two cents. You as a reviewer have to give positive reviews if you want to maintain an audience. But as long as you keep giving a critical insight you are wonderful to watch.
In 13:20 you say a real piece of fact as well as your other comments in general here. Glad that you also note drummer Kai in this song... even though this is a great MARCO song. In the end you ask about the previous singer...maybe you know that she was Anette. The first and original singer also being one of the founding members of this band is really worth of checking not only because she created this whole NW sound together with Tuomas and during her Era this band developed into world fame and known everywhere as a top band. She actually did the most emotional songs being a teenage school time friend of Tuomas and they shared the same local small circles in Kitee both from there. This is also one reason of the deepness of that wound which emerged in 2005 finally...and later "Poet and Pendulum" etc. See the concert "From Wishes to Eternity in 2000" when all is well still.
Thanks, Johannes. I do my best.
This was always one of my favorite songs from them and I'm glad I got to see it live a couple times. I never knew about this video, so this is a nice discovery for me. As usual, great reaction and analysis!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yes, I am so here for all the pausing and the commentary! I learn so much. :)
I don't know that you can get more out of Poet and the Pendulum by watching anything with Tarja first. For many of us, Tarja was THE voice of Nightwish and felt doubt that there could be a Nightwish without her (and Tuomas felt this too), but you already know a Nightwish without Tarja, so you won't have that feeling. You could read the letter; it was written mostly to the fans, as a reassurance that Nightwish would keep going. But the band did NOT expect it to become a national incident, such that the Finnish president felt a need to comment on it.
The documentary is a whole nother thing, when Anette, the vocalist hired to replace Tarja, quit mid-tour in a very unprofessional fit, and they asked Floor to step in (hence, "Please Learn the Setlist in 48 Hours").
As for the questions in the end I agree with most people
The documentary is not needed since it's from the time Floor replaced Annette. The Poet... was the first song after Tarja 5 years before that.
Instead do a song or two with Tarja to get to know her and yeah, I guess read the letter although I particularly don't like to get involved in that drama and having to take sides and all. I love the current iteration of the band but have no idea what really happened about Tarja at that time and it doesn't really matter anymore.
For what it's worth she was a great singer in Nightwish, I think Phantom of the Opera from End of an Era is fantastic to show her skills and another good one might be The Siren, from the same concert.
I think you should maybe check out Tarot'! It's Marko's first band, which had a sort of comeback right after he joined Nightwish. It hasn't been active since maybe the mid 2010s far as I know, but the full gamut of what Marko's brought in to Nightwish is apparent in songs like Ghosts of Me, Painless, I Rule, Midwinter Nights, Things That Crawl At Night, Sleepless, Rider of the Last Day... well, the list goes on. There's a live DVD called Undead Indeed from the mid-late 2000s as well, which MIGHT be on UA-cam.
I absolutely love this performance. It is so beautiful it takes my breath away. And it also showcases more than any other song, how much better Nightwish is on a stage than in a studio. Don't get me wrong, I love their albums, but nothing compares to them performing live. And this song... originally, the studio version, I've always like it but it never really blew me away. But this... they turned it into a masterpiece there.
So happy you enjoyed it. Such a great "minimalistic" song. Yet there are so many little things going on. You really found a lot of great insights even I had not noticed after all the listens. Great stuff! Keep up the good work, regards from a long time fan from finland :)
You're quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite reactors! Thank you for doing these and I love the input you have to offer with every video!
I think it's important you also relax a little when going into P&P. Yes, the song has a strong, deep and dark meaning, but allow yourself to feel it (and pay attention to Tuomas throughout the performance).
Floor didn't join the band after Tarja, she joined after Anette, years after Tarja had left. Anette joined the band after Tarja, she is the original singer of P&P, so you can leave the documentary for another time.
The only things I'll point out that are sorta missed in the whole "study the song first" thing is: just listen to this song with the knowledge that this is a portrayal of what Tuomas went through after the split. He took most of the heat from the media and the fans, and there was a whole lot of rage against him. So the song shows his struggle with his feelings, his decision but also the backlash of said decision.
Also, please check out Sahara live at Tampa from them :D
Really appreciate that. Thanks for this, it's really helpful.
At 3:20 all the weasels are back🤣🤣
The harmony is called Flarco
We'r getting closer to the greatest show on earth! Can't wait!!! Probably gonna watch your reaction at least 10 times!
I have been waiting so long for this reaction. You hit all the nails on all their heads. I'm so grateful to hear you put into words what I feel when I hear this song. And even though you expect something unique, you are still surprised until the very end.
As for Poet and the Pendulum, I think you are totally ready for it, but IMO, you MUST have read the lyrics, or have them ready during the song. You will have a level of appreciation of the subject more than just the surface beauty of the song composition (which might be the most amazingly layered composition of all their songs, but i am biased). However, reading the letter, listening to the Tarja era music, watching the documentary, etc. won't hurt either. As always, fantastic reaction!
And never apologize for puns!
If you feel like reacting to any song from the "Tarja's era" to get more insight on the evolution of the band, I'd like to suggest the live cover of The Phantom of the Opera they did for End of an Era (also, Marco truly stands out!), but in all honesty, I am sure that whatever song you decide reacting to will be great, because your reactions are a bliss to watch!
I’m not usually a fan of Reactors who pause slot during songs however you bring something a lot of the others don’t. Also 10 out of 10 for doing your journey lead by the fans and show them as well as the band a lot of respect. I’m following your trip through Nightwish land with you.
I appreciate you.
Chase, your reaction videos to the Nightwish songs we, Nightwish fans, love and cherish, are a joy to watch! And I really enjoy learning from you how brilliantly composed and also performed the Nightwish songs are. The technical details you point out really enhance my love for Nightwish even further!
I'm a musician myself. I have truly enjoyed your quick ear, take, and understanding of the complexities of the compositions. Thank you for the sensitivity to get the background work done before Poet & The Pendulum. It will help you understand the complexity and how the band supports Tuomas through this emotional journey. The sheer guts it takes to release that much vulnerability is staggering. Please note on just how much attention to detail this man gives to his music... When the comment about "3 minutes and counting" is presented. Keep that in mind with the length of the song. That is the only give away I will say. I can't wait to hear your reaction. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this. Really appreciate the kind words and support. Can't wait for P&P
I absolutely love the GIANT grin on Marco's face as the band joins in with him. You can just see he's like "How awesome are my best friends in the world right now you people? I *know* you are loving this!". I know I love it. I've watched it, just for that moment 100 times. lol
You oughtta check out Ave Maria with Marco and Floor. Pretty friggin' touching, and you get to hear some really interesting vocals from Marco, and some operatic/musical/floor from Floor.
*Since you already reacted to this live version, it would be still nice to see your reaction to "The Islander" [Official Music Video]. There are 3 reasons "why?": 1. In that music video you will hear the full album version. 2. The album version is from the "Anette"- era. 3. The video reinforces the folk character of the song. It's maybe the band's best music video. [Not counting the official live videos.] Greetings from the south of Germany.*
Yes, please!! Listen to the The Islander - Official Music Video also.
First was Tarja. Then came Anette and then Floor. Anette sings Poet And The Pendulum on the album. But Floor singing it later.... She really sings with such an emotion. I have seen it many times. I cry every time. It's a really special song for me. Not just cause it's so heavy for Tuomas. It's just personal for me. I find myself in the lyrics too. Tuomas got so much hate mail etc due to the Tarjas kicking off the band. She was their friend. She and the boys are from the same small town. Tuomas and she were in same music classroom together etc. They were really close. Then she married her husband. Don't remember his name. He changed her. He wanted her to be a single act and she was going to leave the band for her solo career. She had already told them that. Tuomas made the decision, with the others of course, to let her go after End of An Era called tour ended. If I remember correctly it was the last show that they handed her the letter. Master Passion Creed from the same album is written to her husband. He was the manager and trying to get more money for him and her etc. The lyrics say it all. And well other songs are relevant to this I recommend you listen to Bye Bye Beautiful. The lyrics say it all too. The feeling of Tarja being their friend and then turning her back on her friends. Some say that they don't play it live anymore cause Tuomas is ashamed of it.. I don't think that. I just think he is passed those feelings and moved on. It's a really powerful song. The lyrics are on point. I personally love the album Dark Passion Play. It's the first that I really found the band. So the album is really special to me. Hearing Floor singing those songs makes them even more amazing. Even though Anette sung them well in the album. The documentary is about Anette leaving the band so not relevant to Tarja 🙊
Marko killing it , NIGHTWISH is a full package LITERALLY . All the best from SERBIA
Thank you so much chase, I was just clicking through youtube and watching some reactions to Nightwish and it's nice to see someone be considerate and actually thinking about how other people might value a specific song and actually putting work into it beyond the (also not as easy as it seems) work for the video itself by looking up stuff beyond a quick glance over a wikipedia page. I'm happy that I found your channel and I guess I'm here to stay.
So thanks again and have a damn good day yourself!
🙏🙏🙏
The best part of this song is that the original sounds nothing like this. And the original is one of my favourite nightwish songs to unwind to. Marko fronted songs are all such a joy. I can't wait for Kiss while your lips are still red. Again where the original differs from the live version. Mainly because Tuomas takes a bit of a backseat, as you've pointed out.
You've touched upon the vocal harmonies, and you're absolutely right. Nightwish found out in their 2018 tour that they have three vocalists who harmonise so beautifully together, that the newest album is centered around it. Troy joins in with the pulled back "flat" vocals that you were touching upon. Nice early call there. This has given rise to some of the most complex and mature nightwish music that I've come across in their latest album.
Poet and the Pendulum, you won't please everyone, that's for sure. More than a decade and a half and people still fight over who's the best singer. Tuomas wrote the 5 parts like the 5 stages of grief. My only advice would be to make sure you get the video that has the subtitles and parts mentioned, or you'll end up wondering what part the song is instead of focusing on the actual song itself. This is hands down the most emotionally charged nightwish song and performance. Buckle up!
P.S: The jokes are re-marko-ble. Gave me a laugh.
Thanks for the Nightwish! Much needed
Thank you. This has been the best reaction I've seen. You actually picked all the musicians apart, I really appreciate that.
You are the Nightwish of reaction channels! Flawless and level and precision of doing it like nobody else!
I had heard some Nightwish before and enjoyed it, but largely I am going on this Nightwish journey with you through your videos. I think they have quickly gone to near the top of my list of who I would like to see live.
I definitely think it would be helpful for context to listen to some of the Tarja-era stuff to understand how her very unique vocal was so central to Nightwish's identity as a band in those early years. It will give you an idea of how important she was to the band's sound/image and to the fans who discovered Nightwish with her as the frontwoman. That should give you some context for the emotional turmoil in Poet and the Pendulum. It's also worth listening to a few songs with Anette on vocals (either the original recording of TPATP or some other tracks from Dark Passion Play) to give you a sense of the contrast between the two. At least for me, an added layer to Poet and the Pendulum's emotional resonance is the stark difference in the female vocal, especially since in a way (if going from one album to another and ignoring pre-released singles and the like) it's also the introduction of Anette into the Nightwish canon.
The letter is also worth a read, maybe even after watching some of the End of an Era DVD so it hits even harder when you find out that they handed Tarja the letter right after that show.
For a timeline context, Tarja was with the band from its fouding (1996 or so) to 2005. The first album with Anette was released in 2007, and she left in 2012 in the middle of their US tour, which is when they asked Floor to fill in (which is what the documentary is about). Floor (along with Troy) joined the band permanently in 2013, I believe, so Floor has been with them now longer than Anette has and almost as long as Tarja.
I would suggest that you do listen to some Tarja era nightwish, maybe listen to THE END OF A ERA Nightwish concert, even if you don't necessarily react to. it at least to get a sense of Tarja's singing, she was a powerhouse in her own right, and Nightwish had a sound NO ONE ELSE had, they were right about to break into the United States Market in a big way and the time was right for a US tour, The fans loved Tarja at the time, as much as they love Floor now, imagine if you would that at the end of the Tampere concert you just listen too, and the the magic of that show, that the band fired Floor! in a letter, that was signed by the band and it was in Tuomas's back pocket during the whole concert and at the end of that epic show, it was handed to her and told to "open this on your way home" that is what was done to Tarja, that is how devastating Tarja's departure from the band was in 2005. The Nightwish army FREAKED, no, went into full REVOLT, and "we" took most of that out on Tuomas, we took sides, we were hurt, maybe as much as someone who had to fire someone he grew up with and went to high school with, it was difficult for the whole band and it was not popular with the fans at all, Now there is a lot of things leading up to her firing, and it is STILL 15 years latter controversial and painful, When you watch Poet and the Pendulum (and do it with Floor and not Annette) it is still painful, Marco and Emmpu go stand close to Tuomas at point in the song as a sign of solidarity and support, Tuomas has his monitors turned off to the lyrics during the song, the band does not play Poet and the Pendulum much anymore (the Pain) or Master, Passion, Greed ( the anger, so angry that nightwish wrote death metal!, their are quotes in Master, Passion, Greed from Tarja's Husband and manager, Marcelo Cabuli whom the band were blaming a lot of the miscommunications on that lead to the drama ), Looking back on it, we , the fans were not very fair to Annette, we never really accepted her, she was very different of a singer and the older Tarja era music she struggled with as it was written for another's capabilities even changing the songs slightly to allow Marco to help them along , never captured the magic quite right, although, Annette sounds great in studio tracks and music written by Tuomas for HER, in the end she is another casualty in this little drama. I personally think she cracked under the pressure of trying to live up to the hole that Tarja left in Denver (2016) That coupled with being sick and pregnant she left abruptly leaving Elize Ryd & Alissa White from Kamelot and the audience to complete the concert anyway after a delay of a hour or two. (The Denver Fiasco) The members of Nightwish, and the touring bands, including Epica, Sabaton, Kamelot and others are close, and remain close friends and colleagues even Floor and Tarja are friendly and talk on line even today, but there is still pain in that break up, even though all parties are trying to grow past it. In a lot of ways Poet and the Pendulum is our pain too, and it will remain that way probably until Tuomas and Tarja can forgive what happened completely, but who knows, Guns and roses managed to reunite, which means hell did freeze over once already. To summarize, I think you should listen to the end of a era concert, get to know Tarja's era of Nightwish then Poet and the pendulum can be your pain too, then afterwards, listen to master, passion, Greed, its different than most nightwish music. ua-cam.com/video/BdLdqkjjSow/v-deo.html This is a video of very early nightwish from 1999, maybe that will show how long and how far back this band was together.
Amazing reaction, always love watching your videos. Keep working bro, the nightwish army really appreciate it.
Your reactions are priceless man :-). I love how you deadpan exactly what everyone else is thinking, makes my day every single time.
Yeah Nightwish with 2 Vocal beasts its unfair really.
BTW Troy is playing a Steel Flute I think its called.
And yeah Tuomos is just...I dont know....a man out of time, he is a true master. He creates emotional waves of audio sound that wash over you.
You mentioned the benefits of pausing to discuss the nuances of the "how and why" of the songs, and you may not realize how important that can be.
I suffer from a form of Alexithymia, which means I dont experience, or have difficulty to describe emotion. One of the only releases I have is some music. Nightwish has always done that for me, all 3 singers. But even though I "experience" it, I often dont know why and having vocal coaches and musically talented people describe what's going on is a HUGE help to me, so rest assured you are not only entertaining people, you are indeed helping some navigate their lives.
I have the artistic talent of a Garden Gnome, which is less than zero, but I appreciate beautiful music and art on a level that some people can't experience, so at least I have that, and Floor can guaranteed make me outright cry when I listen to her. Just for your own pleasure, I suggest a show called Beste Zangers that featured her in 2019. Her performances there, make even other professionals shocked in disbelief at her insane ability and control.
Thank you for doing what you do, it is appreciated more widely than you may know.
Hi mate, as always: wonderful job on that video.
My go for you regarding poet and the pendulum would be the following: it's about the hurtful departure from Tarja (the first singer, not the former), so the idea of yours to listen to a song of them with her and reading the letter is a good one imo. I'd recommend watching their live performance of Phantom of the opera from the "end of an era" DVD. Not because that is such a signature song of them together with Tarja, but because it's their last performance, right before they handed her the letter and it's hella epic! Later Tuomas even stated, that this very show was the best they had yet to play - which makes it even more tragic, knowing what news they had to break right after it. He also named that dvd like that, because of their departure from Tarja.
However you decide to tackle this giant, I'm sure I'll be very pleased as always. :)
This reaction made me so happy! the expressions on your face says it all.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the reaction, I love this performance so much! Marko looks and sounds so peaceful, and the song is beautiful. I don't think you need to listen to anything by Tarja before, though it would show that she is also an amazing singer and the decision Tuomas made was really hard. I also think the documentary is a cool way to learn more about the band but not necessary to enjoy The Poet and the Pendulum. It showcases their tour and Anette (second singer) leaving the band in the middle of it, thus forcing them to invite someone else to sing or cancel their tour.
Chase, Marko's double neck is a Warwick Infinity/Panthera and made by the Warwick custom shop, Marko has commented that it is very heavy. You'll see him always use a foot stand to raise the 6 string neck to a playable position and take the weight, both here and in Weak Fantasy.
(Another absolute "banger" and you need the Tampere version and watch Floor closely at the line "The starving Crew with Show-Off toys" - especially as you rather like her stage make-up; but the lyrics are going to give you a bit of a quandary for public reactions, as you will see. . . . . . . .)
Troy is playing the Low Whistle, you'll see him with the High Whistle too elsewhere, they're Irish instruments. You can Wiki them.
Poet and the Pendulum, well, you have some very good background right here, but simply put, such was the backlash over the dismissal of the singer that Tuomas so nearly committed suicide but eventually wrote a song about his suicide instead, for which we are all very thankful. The lyrics are very important as has been mentioned and linked.
The whole piece is written backwards too from the end to the beginning, you will note that when the boy says 3 minutes it is exactly 3 mins later that Tuomas is seen to kill himself as the pendulum falls.
The final part called Mother & Father contains the words that were actually used at the time and Floors delivery here necessitates some tissues to clear up the water for me, I always end this epic piece completely out of focus. . . . . . . . ."We" generally blame this on onion ninjas.
It is rarely done live, as you might imagine it is very hard for Tuomas to go back to such a desperately dark period; he does often, as he's stated, have the sound engineer cut the vocals from his IEM : ua-cam.com/video/v65-ErfUyVM/v-deo.html
And you will see, as is their custom, Marko and Emppu stand with him on his podium at the end to show/give support and check all is well.
Indeed, if you watch "Alpenglow" from Wembley 2016 you will see Floor go to Tuomas' podium and sing the line "Conquering the darkest places" directly at him at the end.
Yet again, a really interesting analysis/reaction delivered in a captivating, concise and self-effacing way, thank you so much, I learn something every time.
I have but one subscription on YT. It is here. Nuff said.
Yes! I clicked immediately!
I love the insights you share with us, it's so enlightening, you're actually able to share a different light on these songs. You're one of the few reactors who actually give useful information instead of general commenting. Thank you so much!
Nightwish have had three singers, and you’ve confused the exits. The letter was given to the first singer Tarja Turenen when she was sacked in 2005. The documentary “please learn the set list in 48 hours” was made after the second singer Annette Olzen was sacked in 2012, and Floor was asked to join the band for the rest of the tour. The documentary is a definite must watch. Listening to the early songs with both Tara and Annette is also a must.
I think what Troy is playing is called an Irish low Whistle, very Celtic sounding.
You are ready for Poet and the Pendulum, pause as much as you want and rewind, more the better in my opinion lol.
Yeah that documentary is great. Floor was suffering from burnout and said if Nightwish asked her to join a year before she would of turned it down. But she got on a plane and started learning the setlist on the way over.
not a year but a month earlier
This is lovely song and you should do more from Tampere concert it is for me one of the best thank you for you really good ractions :-)
You can look for Marco and old Nightwish singer, Tarja, singing for the first time together since their split up, in a Christmas concert. I shed some tears every time I see that. They sang Ave Maria, and another grupal song.
From someone who is obsessed with music and wants to learn how to start playing, I really appreciate your thoughts and analysis. I'm super interested in understanding why I love the music I love.
Also you asked about the 'learn the setlist in 48 hours' documentary. I totally recommend that. I can't remember if you've heard about Anette, their second singer, but that documentary is about the transition from Anette to Floor. At the beginning, they are at a show in Colorado where Annette couldn't perform last minute. They came out and asked the crowd if we wanted to see the show cancelled or see them wing it without her. Of course nobody wanted it cancelled. So they came out with Elize and Alyssa, who were guests for the opening band. They sang the songs they didn't know while holding lyric sheets. And Marko sang a ton. And some where straight up instrumental and they had just the crowd sing the whole song. I was at that show and it was both the most bizarre and wonderful concert I've been at and I won't forget it.
Never clicked so fast on a vid xD (I voted for this reaction :P)
Well there you go haha.