Nightwish...

[The Walrus]

Not a bad tune for the style but I agree it gets dangerously close to Nightwish with that beginning, but not as much as Antemortem from the last Cain's Offering album. I'm looking forward to this. I like Anette and I love Jani.

[bosk1]

Not a bad tune for the style but I agree it gets dangerously close to Nightwish with that beginning...

I don't mind that at all.  I think there was good Nightwish with Anette and bad Nightwish with Anette.  Bad Nightwish with Anette fell into two categories:  (1) songs about Tarja, which were just weird; and, more relevant (2) songs that weren't really written with her voice in mind and didn't fit her voice all that well.  I thought the Nightwish Anette songs that didn't fall prey to either of those were mostly pretty good.

[The Walrus]

I just played DPP the other day - I'm not so keen on Master Passion Greed, but I'll defend Bye Bye Beautiful all day long. That song rocks. 

[cramx3]

I just played DPP the other day - I'm not so keen on Master Passion Greed, but I'll defend Bye Bye Beautiful all day long. That song rocks. 

Agreed.  Not a fan of the shots at Tarja, but Bye Bye Beautiful at least is a good song, MPG I never really liked.

[Ben_Jamin]

Meadows of heaven is lovely.

[MirrorMask]

Bye Bye Beautiful is like Never Enough, the lyrics are just enough generic that you can forget what they're actually about and pretend they're about anyone that pisses you off.

[Architeuthis]

It did sound somewhat like the Nightwish formula, but that's a good thing. I'll probably buy it just because it's something new to listen to and I like Annette's vocals.
 I'm glad Nightwish has Floor though, I hope she's there for the long haul..

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Been on a Nightwish mood lately which I haven't been in a while. Hearing The Dark Element actually made me go back and listen to some Nightwish, felt an urge for that kind of music. I know it's been said before but Floor really is the prefect fit for Nightwish. I never really had a problem with Anette other than her voice didn't hold up live like it did on the albums sadly, atleast the times I saw them live. Floor on the other hand has such an incredible power in her voice she also came into the band with tons of experience in the business.
I know it's the neverending discussion but one thing I will say though is that going back and listening to Tarja made me remember how diffrent they sounded with someone singing more like an opera singer. That's as far I will go with that discussion so... 

[cramx3]

Floor is definitely hands down the best singer for the band IMO.  While many will say they didn't use her to her max on EFMB, which seems true to me, the music also didn't call for it.  I'm not entirely sure Tuomas wants to go to a more operatic sound either.  But Floor is just soooo good live.  I can't wait to see her perform more of the old material.  I have full faith she will nail it and maybe even add to it.

As for Annette live, I never had an issue with her live.  She was fine the one time I saw them with her.  She couldn't do the old Tarja songs though and it always felt like a Blaze Bailey comparison to IM.  However, at least NW would change up the vocal melodies a bit to suite her better, which may have also turned fans off, but I always kind of dug her spin on the songs.  I know I am in the minority there.

[bosk1]

I wouldn't necessarily disagree with you on anything you've written.

Floor is amazing.  And songs don't have to be written that push her to her limits just to show that.  My problems with EFMB had nothing to do with how she was utilized.  I think her talents were utilized just fine.  And, like you, I kind of like that the band aren't locked into the operatic style for their new music.  The fact that she can just SING in a more straightforward metal manner when called for, then snap into operatic mode when called for, and back again is a big upgrade from either of their two prior singers, and that is saying a lot since both of their prior singers (yes, even Anette) were quite talented.

I do not have a super clear recollection of Anette live, but my vague recollection from the clips I saw and from Live in Hong Kong and Other Places was that she was pretty solid, even if she did have to change up some vocal melodies here and there.  As I seem to recall, she made good decisions about altering parts live so she could sing them properly instead of straining and missing notes, and it worked.  (or maybe Tuomas rewrote the parts for her to sing--not sure how that dynamic worked)  But I thought she sounded pretty good live most of the time because she was smart about how she sang the songs and used her voice.

EDIT:  Checked a few clips on YouTube, and they basically bore out what I was saying about Anette.  A few that sound pretty good:
-Full set from 2012:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCkwbVefbzE
-Nemo and TPATP:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUF7E8INwFw
-Amaranth (this almost sounds TOO perfect and may be overdubbed):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ysv9KEjo8

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I agree with ya'll, Anette had her moments live. I'm not trying to compare the two but it's interesting though hearing how diffrent they sing this part in The Poet and the Pendulum for example, even though she dosen't nail it completely Floor brings so much more life into it by singing two octaves higher imo.

Anette
Floor

[gazinwales]

Having seen all three NW vocalists live, as far back as 2000 with Tarja right up to her final show with the band.
She will always be my quintessential  NW singer, while Anette struggled a lot with the old material, she did do the DPP material full justice.
Floor of course is great and of course she can do the complete back catalogue and then some.

It will be interesting to hear what NW come up with next, although it's a long way off I am sure TH has a fair idea of where the band is going.

[Adami]

Here's hoping the next album has better lyrics.

[The Walrus]

I hope Floor is used to her full potential on the next album. She's capable of so much more and I think the time off the band has had could probably do them some good. I really hope she gets to let loose.

My biggest problem is that a lot of the songs on EFMB felt derivative of earlier Nightwish works, like Tuomas was trying to capture lightning in a bottle again with songs like Shudder... emulating Dark Chest of Wonders, and there's another song later on that sounds uncomfortably close to Sahara. Also not a fan of Edema Ruh, I had no idea what it was about until I looked it up and it's a bit too on the nose; I tend to like songs inspired by fantasy that don't confuse the listener with its terminology if they aren't familiar.

[Ben_Jamin]

They better play The Siren this upcoming tour. Listening to that full set gets me all pumped wondering how good those old songs will be with Floor.

Floor has the perfect balance between Anette and Tarja. She knows when to use her rock in and operatic styles.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Really like the heavy part that follows and onwards in TGSOE:

https://youtu.be/aTAaEHiGjvU?t=11m54s

Love when Marco and Floor sings together. Also which dosen't get adressed that often, the fact that they have a frontwoman that does the windmill is just awesome! 

Btw the band que at 14:29, I wonder if that's done with clicktrack because I can't hear Kai counting in or something, everyone just starts together. Love small stuff like that.

[Tyrias]

pretty sure aol of their live show is done with a clicktrack, since they need to keep in sync with all the orchestral backing tracks they can't reproduce live

[Adami]

Oh yea. Their whole show is to a click.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Yea that makes sense. I guess every band member has it, maybe not Floor though.

[gazinwales]

This is stunning, I love Tarja singing in this style.
https://youtu.be/spJlqZIHK24

[bosk1]

I know this is old, but after forgetting about it for years, I was having a conversation the other day where Van Canto came up, and I had forgotten just how awesome their cover of Wishmaster is, so:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCGQiGEYl4Y

And while we're on the subject of Wishmaster, this misheard lyrics video is my favorite of those:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg5_mlQOsUQ

[Adami]

This is stunning, I love Tarja singing in this style.
https://youtu.be/spJlqZIHK24

That was really great. I didn’t love her recent solo releases cause they felt super forced and like mediocre Noghtwish rip offs. This is much better for her style.

[gazinwales]

I'm totally with you on this, I said as the time it all sounds just a little too forced and unnatural, that album and EP are just mediocre at best.
Once again she proves what a great classical singer she is and as I have said many times before, I prefer her soprano classic stuff to the heavier material.

[Zook]

I'm watching Showtime, Storytime right now. The banter is still cheesy and a tad embarrassing, but the performance is incredible. Floor is so awesome.

[Adami]

I'm watching Showtime, Storytime right now. The banter is still cheesy and a tad embarrassing, but the performance is incredible. Floor is so awesome.

I LOVE SAUSAGES!

[Zook]

I'm watching Showtime, Storytime right now. The banter is still cheesy and a tad embarrassing, but the performance is incredible. Floor is so awesome.

I LOVE SAUSAGES!

I'm not quite there yet. Speaking of sausage, breakfast sausage is ok in small doses, but I hate sausage on pizza. Fucking gross.

[Adami]

That's..........Romanticide.

[Ben_Jamin]

Listening to The Poet and The Pendulum from Vehicle of Spirit cd and wish they included the bonus version from Mexico city. She sings way better.

[Cool Chris]

Sausage on pizza is amazing, especially spicy sausage. I would even go as far to say as that might be my preferred pizza meat topping.

[Zook]

Sausage on pizza is amazing, especially spicy sausage. I would even go as far to say as that might be my preferred pizza meat topping.

That is not cool, Chris.

[cramx3]

I LOVE SAUSAGES!

That's..........Romanticide.

 

[The Walrus]

But sausage is the ultimate pizza topping...

[Ben_Jamin]

You know what would be awesome to hear this coming tour....Creek Mary's Blood.

[The Walrus]

You know what would be awesome to hear this coming tour....Creek Mary's Blood.

You know, that's a song I've never really appreciated as much as I should. According to setlist.fm they've only played it 13 times (maybe more, just going off their stats). I saw them play it once back in '09, when Anette had blonde hair. John Two-Hawks came on the stage and played with them. It was really cool. Extremely obscure pick for them though, would be odd hearing it so many years later on tour. Diehards would love it

[cramx3]

I thought they would only play it if John Two-Hawks was there to perform it with them hence the low amount of times played.  Maybe I am wrong, I'd love to see it.