The rest ... was good, no question. But my expectations were probably too ambitious I thought. But then I thought back to the published before the album Shudder song Before The beautiful, I had to hear three or four times, until I suddenly thought to myself, damn it, the song is really, really good.
And so I gave the album of course yet another chance and lo and behold, just through listening the second time around, I suddenly realized much better the whole meaning behind the album. Not much more I paid attention to the insane variety of Floor's voice that is reflected here in many quarters, and I'm sure there's more to come in the future.
While I thought the first time, I am now surprised how I could ever have these thoughts "Not me really nothing really new skin from the stool,". Nightwish here shows some new pages of this album, not only musically, even the text. Especially lyrically maybe. Weak Fantasy and Yours Is An Empty Hope example unusually grim. Our Decades In The Sun goes immensely under the skin, definitely one of my favorites from the album, even though I have never really appreciated Nightwish for the quiet side.
My Walden I think is the weakest song from the disc, not bad, so strums to himself, sets in the second half but again properly to, so I can thoroughly recommend the whole album actually. But perhaps the album simply needs a little time to unfold fully. For me it worked.
Whether this is the best Nightwish album for me here, I will not judge. But it's, again, a great new direction that Nightwish has chosen. Of course it's nice when an album directly the sparks can fly, but it is at least still room for improvement for the next album.
The Greatest Show on Earth by the way ... I have never heard such a thing. Phenomenal. The half an hour should just take each time.
