Nightwish...

[cramx3]

I plan on getting it this week, really was looking forward to it.  Loved the singles.

[Grappler]

I was expecting something heavier, given the last Pagan's Mind album that came out so many years ago, but this is a really refreshing disc.  Floor does sound very happy and she's singing in a lot of ways that she doesn't really get to do in Nightwish or her other symphonic metal bands of the past.

Definitely a great record!

[Adami]

Downloaded it but haven't heard it beyond the singles.

I am just hoping for some good fun rock. Nothing too much like their other stuff.

[ProfessorPeart]

I was expecting something heavier, given the last Pagan's Mind album that came out so many years ago, but this is a really refreshing disc.  Floor does sound very happy and she's singing in a lot of ways that she doesn't really get to do in Nightwish or her other symphonic metal bands of the past.

Definitely a great record!

Bolded the key there. I was going to put almost that exact same thing in my post but didn't. She has so much range and it was really nice to hear her on this. This is her 'fun' record.

I ordered the cd from Amazon last week for $10 without hearing a single note. Floor was good enough for me.

[Cool Chris]

Heard a couple songs, nothing that blew my socks off. Will give anything with Floor a solid listen, but so far this isn't worth a purchase.

[cramx3]

I went on a spree and got Northward's album this morning along with Haken, Leprous, and Amaranthe.  I've got a lot of music to listen to and while I enjoyed the Northward's singles, I'm not as quick to get into the album just because that Haken/Leprous show is next week so I'm focusing on them. 

In actual Nightwish news

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/nightwishs-end-of-an-era-to-be-re-released-in-december/

On December 7, "End Of An Era" will be re-released as 3LP and Earbook formats including Blu-ray, 2CD and 3LP.

Kind of interesting they are doing this re-release since I would have felt the band wouldn't want to revist that time period, but a blu-ray version of this concert is really tempting.

[bosk1]

It's a great album.  But I would not repurchase it just to get it on BR.  The DVD is fine.

[Grappler]

I have the DVD, and my only complaint is that it's in 4:3 and not widescreen.  But I already own the CD's too, so I'm not going to re-buy it just to get a widescreen blu ray of the show. 

[cramx3]

I'd upgrade if they sold it just as a blu-ray, but with the LP and CDs, which I have no use for, would likely make the price not worth it just for the upgrade.  But if they sold it at $15 bucks for the blu-ray like some new concerts are priced at, I would buy it.

[bosk1]

Oh, wow.  The original is 4:3?  I forgot about that.  It's been a long time since I've watched it I guess. 

[Grappler]

Oh, wow.  The original is 4:3?  I forgot about that.  It's been a long time since I've watched it I guess. 

I think I'm wrong actually - there are some widescreen videos on youtube.  I have some older concert DVD's that are 4:3 that I watched recently so I may be confusing them.   I do remember that the last time I watched End of an Era that I felt that the picture was really grainy compared to more recent live dvd's. 

Either way - I have the DVD and have no interest in upgrading.

[bosk1]

Well, now that you mention it and having me thinking back, I haven't watched it since I upgraded from a 4:3 tv!  So it's quite possible.  I don't recall offhand whether there were two different DVD versions depending on which aspect ratio you wanted to buy (like movie DVDs used to be), or if you could select which on the DVD. 

[cramx3]

It's not 4:3, if I remember its widescreen but at a lower resolution like you will see black panels along the top and bottom and also left and right (if I remember correctly, their from wishes to eternity DVD also was like this). I remember I had to adjust to stretch the picture to make it look proper widescreen and that would make it grainier than it already was.

[Adami]

Yea, it's a fine DVD. But as much as I loved Tarja on the records, I wasn't a big fan of her live. Her voice just seemed a bit too...uncontrolled and her vowels annoyed me. So I'm fine with the DVD, no need for a blu ray.

[Cool Chris]

I borrowed/rented End of an Era a long, long time ago. I do not remember much about it, but do recall there was something about the visual presentation I did not care for. Not sure if it was lighting, editing, cinematography, or what.

[jingle.boy]

One of my fave concert DVDs.  I might entertain buying it to get a BR quality video.

Still stayin classy though... their PR includes a sentence from the firing letter.  Fuck why can't Tuomas just drop it?  It's like he has to throw out a little jab every few years to stoke those fires.

[Adami]

One of my fave concert DVDs.  I might entertain buying it to get a BR quality video.

Still stayin classy though... their PR includes a sentence from the firing letter.  Fuck why can't Tuomas just drop it?  It's like he has to throw out a little jab every few years to stoke those fires.

SHE BROKE THE MAN'S HEART!

[Zook]

One of my fave concert DVDs.  I might entertain buying it to get a BR quality video.

Still stayin classy though... their PR includes a sentence from the firing letter.  Fuck why can't Tuomas just drop it?  It's like he has to throw out a little jab every few years to stoke those fires.

SHE BROKE THE MAN'S HEART!

Was there an affair going on?

[Adami]

One of my fave concert DVDs.  I might entertain buying it to get a BR quality video.

Still stayin classy though... their PR includes a sentence from the firing letter.  Fuck why can't Tuomas just drop it?  It's like he has to throw out a little jab every few years to stoke those fires.

SHE BROKE THE MAN'S HEART!

Was there an affair going on?

Probably not. I was mostly just kidding, but some people think he was in love with her and then she got married and changed.

[jingle.boy]

One of my fave concert DVDs.  I might entertain buying it to get a BR quality video.

Still stayin classy though... their PR includes a sentence from the firing letter.  Fuck why can't Tuomas just drop it?  It's like he has to throw out a little jab every few years to stoke those fires.

SHE BROKE THE MAN'S HEART!

I picture Tuomas like this...

[MirrorMask]

Soooo... it was finally my turn to see Nightwish, this is like the penultimate date of the tour so I guess spoilers don't really apply.

OH MY GOD WHAT A SHOW!!! 

Kickass all the way through and, friggin finally, my first time with Floor! yep, they came three times during the EFMB tour: first time it was my birthday but in another town and on a sunday, and I couldn't take the monday off; second time in the middle of a week in Rome (I'm in Milan) and the third time in yet another distant town when I was coming back from my holidays. Geez. Nightwish' tour manager hates me.

This time around I could not miss it! I only saw Floor once, with After Forever back in Wacken 2004. And it was my fourth Nightwish show, one with Tarja and two with Annette.

Beast in Black were the openers and I'm ashamed to admit I loved them  they're like the McDonald of heavy metal, cheap and not certainly high level stuff, but hey, it's so tasty... hehe some times you need some cheese in the music as well.

Nightwish' show was impressive, with a giant screen that showed all the different animations for the songs. They started off with a Troy solo, and I was like "Oh cool, they set up some atmospheric intro to ease us into the s"WHLAM!!! HUGE FIRES WITH THE HEAT WAVE CLEARLY FELT! RED LIGHTS! DARK CHEST OF WONDERS!!! Holy friggin'fruck, they spared no expenses with the pyro! the initial one-two punch of Dark Chest of Wonders and Wish I Had an Angel was massive, I felt Floor was a bit held back at the beginning but then her awesomeness came through and she commandered the stage massively.

During Come Cover Me Marco sang the chorus in a duet and also the final slow bit, and I was like "geez, shut up, let her sing"!  she was so good that more than once I stared at the screens to see her better. Her stage presence, the way she moves and headbangs, her flawless performance.... is it just concert euphoria if I say that she's the best Nightwish singer and more generally one of the very, very best female singers of the scene period?

Setlist was glorious, I didn't know anything but by bits and pieces here and there I deluded myself into thinking that Beauty and the Beast would have been played.... it wasn't. I got Dead Boy's Poem instead which has always left me meh, but Floor made me like it. I didn't really like Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean but still the setlist was great, I'm glad I heard Oceanborn a lot lately and it was an excellent balance of classics and less played songs.

When they played The Greatest Show on Earth I was 100% sure it was the final song, and when the lights didn't come back, I thought that Wishmaster was next, after all it was the only song missing.... but no. They closed with GHOST LOVE SCORE!!! Impressive and I never saw it coming!

Really, an awesome show. I only talk about Floor because well, she's the singer and anyway not being a musician my focus is only on the one with the microphone, but the band was the usual tight and well prepared one, the pyro work was impressive (they gave Iron Maiden a run for their money when it comes to Number of the Beast fire show) and the screen backgrounds were nice and evocative. Really, I absolutely got my money's worth and I look forward to the next album and tour! 

[The Curious Orange]

I'm seeing them at Wembley on Saturday - I cannot wait!!

I saw them on the EFMB tour in 2015 (was it that long ago?) and yes, Floor is fantastic, easily the best singer NW have had. She's a true star and I hope they manage to hand on to this one! Looking forward to seeing how she manages with a Tarja-era-heavy setlist.

 

[Grappler]

is it just concert euphoria if I say that she's the best Nightwish singer and more generally one of the very, very best female singers of the scene period?

I felt the same way after seeing Floor sing.  I saw her with Revamp, not long after she became the official singer in Nightwish and was just a few feet away from her in the second or third row that night.  Then I saw Nightwish on the EMFB tour in the US and was in awe at how easy she makes it look.  You just can't take your eyes off of her.  I stood way in the back of the venue, but had a decent view of the stage for the night.

Glad you had fun - I wish I could have seen this Decades tour, but life gets in the way sometimes. 

[ErHaO]

Yeah, in metal Floor is my favourite female singer by a good margin. Very versatile in styles, distinctive voice, and she has an excellent stage presence. Super glad she found succes with Nightwish.

[cramx3]

oh yea they are so good live, it's funny how you are seeing them in such big venues yet here in the states they are still playing theaters and ballrooms. 

[MirrorMask]

Glad you had fun - I wish I could have seen this Decades tour, but life gets in the way sometimes.

You'll be able to console yourself with the DVD, they announced they wanted to immortalize this tour!

oh yea they are so good live, it's funny how you are seeing them in such big venues yet here in the states they are still playing theaters and ballrooms.

They play the same big arena of Dream Theater and Iron Maiden. Granted, Maiden sell it out in few days and yesterday there was quite some space in the seats and in the back of the parterre, but still it was a mostly full house.

[cramx3]

Dream Theater and Nightwish play similar venues here, but Iron Maiden play the big arenas.  I saw Nightwish recently played Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, I saw Justin Timberlake there over the summer on a work trip and that place is huge, like meant for those big acts.  I was thinking how crazy it would be to see Nightwish with that many fans. 

[MirrorMask]

The problem here in Milan is that we don't really have that many venues, at least for indoor concerts, and so there are few venues that host them all. Iron Maiden play open air festivals in summer, if they're indoor, they use the same sports palace that Dream Theater always play.

Then we have a big venue in the middle of the city, Avantasia and Blind Guardian play there, a slightly smaller one not too far from Milan where I saw Edguy and an indoor festival with Hammerfall as headliners, and then it's just small clubs for local or minor bands. So the big players, if they play indoor in Milan, all share the same arena, for whatever reason they never give the stadium to Metallica or Iron Maiden.

[Evermind]

Funny how that works here, Iron Maiden plays at a stadium where all the big bands play, like Scorpions or Deep Purple or Metallica, and the ticket prices are quite exorbitant (twice of what I paid for bands like Avantasia or Helloween on this reunion tour). Nightwish isn't quite big enough for that here, so they played a nice concert hall last time, which I think houses 6-7k people, yet the ticket prices were the same as they were for Maiden. I paid, and would pay again if they come here next time, and yet it bugs me a little.

I guess I just like seeing bands in smaller venues these days.

[cramx3]

6-7k is still much more than the US, seems they play around 1.5 - 2.5k theaters.  This tour they played the Playstation Theater in NYC which holds 2.1k and had the full curtains and seating open in the back, it looked pretty packed but not sold out.  I'm guessing it was close to 2k full which is really good for this type of music here. 

The tour before I saw them in a smaller theater in Connecticut, sold out but only holds 1.2k people.  I'm starting to think that may end up being my most intimate show with them as they are just getting so popular.

[Anguyen92]

Funny how that works here, Iron Maiden plays at a stadium where all the big bands play, like Scorpions or Deep Purple or Metallica, and the ticket prices are quite exorbitant (twice of what I paid for bands like Avantasia or Helloween on this reunion tour). Nightwish isn't quite big enough for that here, so they played a nice concert hall last time, which I think houses 6-7k people, yet the ticket prices were the same as they were for Maiden. I paid, and would pay again if they come here next time, and yet it bugs me a little.

I guess I just like seeing bands in smaller venues these days.

It's basically the case here in Los Angeles as well.  I saw the ticket prices for Nightwish for their show in Anaheim for around $70-80 and the place holds around 2,000 people or so.  The pricing for DT's two shows in LA is relatively the same price range as Nightwish for the GA seats.  I opted to pass on Nightwish because, at the time, if I'm paying $25 per show to see bands like Big Wreck and Myles Kennedy, acts that I like more than Nightwish, I feel like I'm not going to get a much enjoyment for the amount I'm spending, and that's knowing Nightwish can deliver a great show. 

For Iron Maiden, they are playing at the soccer stadium (around 22k people capacity) that is next to USC and I'm paying $70.00 for a seat at the far back in the 200 section (but at least, my viewpoint would be dead set on center stage).  I paid because it's Maiden and my thought process when it comes to spending can be inconsistent and I can be an idiot like that.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/tuomas-holopainen-on-why-nightwish-took-a-year-off-the-passion-just-wasnt-there/

On the status of drummer Jukka Nevalainen, who stepped down from the band in 2014 due to chronic insomnia:

Tuomas: "He's still very much involved with the band. He's the CEO of our company. We are in contact constantly, but when it comes to his future as a drummer, some decisions have to be made at some point next year — but more about that later. He's feeling much better, and that's the most important thing."

Got damn Kai Hahto is awesome but I want him back in Wintersun. I think it would be awesome to see Jukka back at the drums, that would be quite the comeback for him but we'll see.

[Darkstarshades]

In Mexico the ticket prices were also very high, significantly higher than for Dream Theater or even Mago de Oz, which is a band that has way more following here than Nightwish.
The prices, at least from what I saw, were higher than the Endless forms tour

[Evermind]

The prices, at least from what I saw, were higher than the Endless forms tour

Holy shit, that makes me somewhat glad they didn't come here then. As long as people are prepared to pay though. I don't see the prices going down.

[cramx3]

Yea their cost in NYC wasn't cheap and especially for only one band.  I had paid about the same or slightly less the years before and got Delain and Sonata Artico or Sabaton as openers.  Pretty solid line up to complain about the price, but for one band, it's a bit much but they are one of my favorites so I will pay it.  And they slay live so there's that. 

As for Jukka, I kind of assumed he wouldn't return.  Maybe for a one of show or something, but it seems like he's not healthy enough to tour and that it's probably best for both parties to move on from a drummer perspective.  The fact Toumas says a decision needs to be made makes me wonder about Kai and if he's under contract and they will need to figure out if he stays or they need to find a permanent replacement.