What also is not just a positive result the production is per se. I have the impression that "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" was mixed relatively quiet, the sound does not come off too powerful and unbalanced and not come the guitars partly advantage. This has the consequence that the album with a few exceptions do not want to really ignite. Just FYI: since yesterday is my "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" in the double CD version before, so I am not talking about the sound quality of some MP3s but from the "real" album.
Here is an overview of each song:
Shudder Before The Beautiful whether it would have taken the rather short held by Richard Dawkins speech passage at the beginning was even debatable, at first listen, I found the song in any case in total average. This is probably due to the weak production whereby "Shudder Before The Beautiful" relatively unspectacular comes across in the beginning, only after repeated listening of the song can convince then however. Meanwhile heard "Shudder Before The Beautiful" for me even though one of the highlights, the driving instrumental passages and the cool middle part carrying the song and ensure that it grows with each listen. Recalls the basic riff ago "Shudder Before The Beautiful" to "Dark Chest Of Wonders" or even to "Storytime", characterized now arises once the impression to have the whole thing earlier heard that before, to what extent this is now good or bad everyone is for themselves judge ... A pity, I find it in any case that Floor Jansen vocally hardly comes in the verses to bear, until the chorus sings a bit more powerful but with what they showed earlier in Aufter Forever you can not really compare ... more dignity in "Shudder Before The Beautiful" tend to 4 of 5 stars.
Weak Fantasy quite progressive, interlaced song also sounds quite aggressive and has lived by the great chorus. Only the short folk Part from minute 3 fits for me in not so really, on the other hand is "Weak Fantasy" one of the few songs where floor may indicate a more aggressive style of singing (only in the verses she holds still something back) and Marco a short vocal part contributes. On the whole album Marco is otherwise rarely and then only make out discreetly in the background. "Weak Fantasy" is certainly definitely one of the strongest songs, as I said the folk part fits in my opinion not really pure -> 4 out of 5
Elan - the total failure per se, the problem is at that the more I hear the song the more bugs me the unbearable "Come taste the wine ..." Chorus. Regarding the lyrical side is the song arg warbles on the kitsch border and Floor in "Anette Olzon style" instead of setting own vocal accents. With the soft folk / Popausrichtung "Elan" goes between the two harder "Weak Fantasy" and "Yours Is An Empty Hope", which are among the few highlights on "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", anyway completely under and is in this position of Albums misplaced .... -> 1 of 5
Yours Is An Empty Hope - like "Weak Fantasy" a harder song once more on "Dark Chest Of Wonders" is reminiscent, all with a cool middle part and Marco may again contribute some vocals. Floors voice is still the most powerful way, unfortunately, will also here the unnecessarily protracted instrumental and backed by choirs Part from about 3:10 minutes in my opinion not quite fit with the rest of Song, characterized as "Weak Fantasy" a Rating 4 out of 5
Our Decades In The Sun - although very nice ballad, the part of minute 2:10 to 3:15 still seems quite opulent but otherwise the song ripples rather to himself, and some guitar passages remind somehow more Dire Straits as to Nightwish (I am Dire Straits fan but how to fit a band like Nightwish that was once undecided ...). Floor can hardly develop their vocal potential, especially with such a ballad would be at a Floor Jansen vocally actually been more indoors. Nightwish a total average ballad, there was already much better -> 3 of 5
My Walden - difficult to judge the first part of the song I find with similar folk pop orientation of "Elan" (the folk melody was here clearly taken from "I Want My Tears Back"), a one must almost say "Säuselstimme "from Floor and exaggerated kitschy chorus (" weaving my wings from many-colored yarns Flying Higher, higher, higher, into the wild, weaving my world into tapestry of life, its golden fire, in my Walden "...) pretty cruel, the second part is convincing through the worn and opulent formative instrumental part but halfway. The first song Part 1 of 5, the second 3 of 5 would, therefore, be the total number 2 of 5.
Endless Before Most Beautiful - a mid-tempo song where the basic riff her to be once again gaining earlier songs recalls the impression by now arises times feel that Nightwish of himself abkupfern which does not necessarily come off positive in my eyes. Incidentally, it is just me that before the chorus somehow has something of a disco pop song ??? Somehow reminds me of ABBA, towards the end of the song sounds in the chorus of the chorus in the high notes also wrong -> 2 out of 5
Edema Ruh as "Elan" and "My Walden" a harmless (Folk) pop song, folk Part 3:25 to 3:50 acts with lyrics like "dance to the whistle, to the play, to the story, to infinite Encores; laugh at the Royalty with sad crowns and repeat the chorus once more "kind of ridiculous and out of place there in front of it Emppu at least still can contribute quite a cool guitar solo. The Folk Part does not fit directly to this guitar solo really quite to at least keep to aside from this, misplaced in my view, the remaining part song with the folk elements slightly. In the totality is "Edema Ruh" perhaps not quite as bad as "Elan", although it's a pretty trivial song and Floor Jansen comes vocally even more so not to bear -> 2 out of 5
Alpenglow - another (Folk) pop song where Troy may short time playing his flute, so just on the edge after 4 songs of this kind of nervous the rehearsed Troy Donockley Parts now ... Here's the way the impression that one Floor Jansen vocally einbremst particularly Great, in fact more aggressive Part "together we slay another fright, every bird jubjub spooks of the past, close your eyes and take a peek, The Truth Is easy to see" sounds Floor 1: 1 as Anette Olzon. I do wonder why Floor Jansen no freedoms can use her voice as a variable would be just to do with Anette Olzon on, "Alpenglow" joins at least as between "Elan" and "Edema Ruh" one, so 1.5 of 5
The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula in this 6 minute instrumental little or nothing happens, the focus is on a repetitive piano melody in the background while Troy must unpack his flute again. Otherwise the whole consists only of boring Aahh choirs can also nervous extended to 6 minutes. I have read that Tuomas wanted to write lyrics for "The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula," where it should go to the refugee Sharbat Gula girls the victims of the war in Afghanistan was and whose portrait photo in 1985 went around the world. Tuomas got no further with the lyrics to "The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula" but, "not a word appeared sufficiently important to such a misery to describe" (from the Sonic Seducer Magazine april 2015) and Troy said to him that the music speaks for itself , the song does not require a text, and Tuomas should leave it as an instrumental. This indicates to me somehow that Troy has no idea a corresponding text would "The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula" made perhaps interesting, but in the present here instrumental version of the song works just long-winded and boring. To me an unnecessary instrumental that no second can create some kind of voltage, ensuring that the following "The Greatest Show On Earth" is also first introduced by a 6 minute instrumental intro is "The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula" on the album not necessarily well placed, it somehow creates 12 minutes of boredom up in "The Greatest Show On Earth" finally something happens ... -> 1 of 5
The Greatest Show On Earth - if you dare already to so a 24 minute "mammoth song" must be transparent and the song structure, but I know hardly a structure: As mentioned earlier comes at the beginning of an eternally long calm intro where the short vocals from 3:40 ("Archaean horizon, the first sunrise, on a pristine Gaea, opus perfectum, somewhere there") is identical to the vocal melody in "Sleepwalker" chorus. After a short speech Part of Richard Dawkins it goes after 6 minutes finally going quite fast but on the whole, the whole thing moved in midtempo, Floor Jansen can only vocally here something more to show. After 10 minutes a break, followed by a middle part with animal sounds of not really want to fit in before it then goes on in the usual pace. After 16 minutes, another break and a 7-minute outro, again with speech Part of Richard Dawkins, the only unnecessary runs in the length. Intro, middle part and Outro so do not fit to the rest of the song as these parts do not really understand each other halfway pass. From "The Greatest Show On Earth," one would have to make 2 to 3 different songs, so does not sit well for me anyway together really. Here Nightwish must compete with their own past, with "Ghost Love Score" you have a 10 minute opus that this name really deserves, with the 24-minute "The Greatest Show On Earth" can not really compete, however.
Somehow the song difficult to judge "The Greatest Show On Earth" because he is too protracted. Want a result that only after 6 minutes finally what happens and even before that "The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula" hinplätschert six minutes before him wasted one whole 12 minutes before "The Greatest Show On Earth" in the meaner parts actually quite ok sounds, so really carried away this but not. What strikes me now is that the chorus somehow cruel sounds in the chorus who sings because there please, for example from 8:15 minutes / 13:20 minutes and 14:50 minutes ????? That's from the exaggerated pitch already badly at the threshold of pain, if I were brutally I would give the song because of its one star. The brisk parts sound as I said OK, really, more than 2 stars is for this so much heralded Opus but definitely not inside se ...
Overall, I would thus give rise 11 songs to 26.5 from a maximum of 55 points, which is less than half of therefore is an overall rating of 2 stars I think understandable. Not much more I can to "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" not really say, when viewed in the totality of it is just plain weak which have submitted Nightwish here.
By the way just so on the edge, my rating to "Hydra" by Within Temptation I will probably correct up to 3 stars, in direct comparison "Hydra" is better than "Endless Forms Most Beautiful," but it's been disappointing in what direction both bands have developed.
Perhaps briefly for bonus CD, this includes the same as in "Dark Passion Play" and "Imaginaerum" the whole album as an instrumental version. The extent to which you need something to everyone to decide for themselves, I was already at the "Dark Passion Play" and "Imaginaerum" rather less interested and I also do not really understand now that other band like Epica or Xandria on this (in my opinion, unnecessary) type of bonus instrumental CD release have jumped. Retrieved from "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" also appears even a Earbook with another bonus CD with Orchestralversionen the album (which are not of the entire album, "My Walden" and "Edemah Ruh" on this CD Orchestral not represented) which is not me quite the sense opens. A bonus CD with "proper" new bonus tracks and live versions seems to me frankly far more meaningful than an album resolve once with and once (or twice the Earbook) without vocals, but again that is to decide for themselves.
