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Nightwish  

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Nightwish are a Finnish metal band, who infuse their heavy-hitting sound with symphonic cutaways and choral backing vocals. They are known as much for their gaudy aesthetic as for their progressive, new age fusion of neoclassical and power metal.

Onstage, they adorn themselves with satin and red velvet, black, shin-length leather coats and silver trinkets, mascara and long, warlock-like locks.

Vocalist and keyboard player, Thomas Holopainen is frequently seen in his cabaret-esque top hat, and vocalist/bassist Marco Hietala is equally impressive, with a meticulously maintained double-platted beard.

Lead female vocalist, Floor Jansen, is partial to the odd bit of studded leather and, being classically trained as a soprano at the Dutch Rock Academy, can belt out operatic wails and death growls interchangeably.

Nightwish are some of the pioneers of the symphonic metal sub-genre, alongside Sweden’s Therion, the Netherlands’ Epica and Norway’s Theatre of Tragedy. They formed back in 1996 and lay the foundation for a new, classically-gilt sound that would take off in Scandinavia and across Europe in the 90s and into the 2000s with a new swathe of Nightwish-inspired bands appearing including the likes of Epica out of the Netherlands, Haggard out of Germany and Norwegian Leaves’ Eyes.

Typically of symphonic metal, their influences are expansive and literary, ranging from cinematic musical scores to nursery rhymes and fantasy novels by CS Lewis, JRR Tolkein and Steven King.

Their songwriting draws strongly on fantastical and mythological themes. “Elvenpath” off their debut, Angels Fall First (1997), and “Wishmaster”, the title track of their 2000 album contain an array of references to Tolkien and other fantasy writers, the latter also taking its title from the 1997 horror film directed by Robert Kurtzman and produced by Wes Craven. “FantasMic”, also off “Wishmaster”, is a tribute to Walt Disney and the animations to come out of Walt Disney Studios, amongst the broad list of references being Fantasia, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, The Lion King and Mulan, and the classic Mickey Mouse, Scrooge McDuck and Donald Duck.

Other songs touch on darker, perhaps more mature, themes. “She is My Sin” is about frustrated desire and lust, “The Kinslayer” refers to the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and “10th Man Down” deals with civil war.

Lyrically rich, classically trained and nerdily fulfilled, for those that aren’t diehard fans, Nightwish are much to be discovered. They are luminaries of symphonic metal with an impressive gambit of intriguing songs.

Live reviews

When seeing Nightwish live, you are expecting to see the classic female vocals accompanied by the sweet gentle sounds of the orchestra with the soft piano notes in contrast with the heavily distorted guitars and the fast metal drum beats. The sound of all these instruments combined together creates the gothic atmosphere that everyone sees at a Nightwish concert. Strobe lighting with the fire shooting up and down followed by all the firework explosions is certain as the artists are trying to get the fans energetic and fired up ready for a spectacular show ahead of them. When going to a symphonic metal concert, judging by what I have seen of Epica, Withtin Temptation and Nightwish, the fans are energetically jumping around really enjoying themselves and learning to appreciate the music. Nightwish performs symphonic metal with grandiose female vocals. The string instruments and keyboard create the gothic atmosphere. Their music is known to be complex and layered and their approach is theatrical and operatic. It is “always very melodic with memorable choruses” says critic Chad Bowar. The music of Nightwish had been distinguished by the operatic vocals of Tarja Turunen but when she left Nightwish, they left behind their signature soprano or operatic sound. Now their style of vocals have changed as heard by their current vocalist Floor Jansen. Even though Nightwish’s music is centred around a female lead vocalist, they have done some form of variation by featuring some male vocals on their albums throughout all of their history. Something interesting about the experience I had at the Wacken Open Air Festival 2013 was that there was one unusual part where the bassist spoke about a letter that he or the band received about their anniversary and that they said something funny about that they liked sausages meaning romanticism because they were in Germany. The show itself was just simply outstanding and the highlight of the show was Floor Jansen’s supreme vocals that blew the roof off the stage. It was not just Jansen’s incredible singing ability but the entire line up and the way that the band played was astonishing and really rocked the place. They played with confidence and desire to impress the crowd and they succeeded in doing so with style and perfection. You could just see that they were true professionals with tons of experience when it came to playing with enormous crowds. All 82,000 fans would go ballistic whenever the bassist joined in with the singing which proved to be a great combination. They really knew how to get the fans up on their feet and scream and shout, especially with the melodies that they played. They were so beautiful and breath-taking that everyone’s jaws dropped and they were speechless by the end of the show including me because they were that amazing. Considering that this was my first time ever at a metal festival outside of England, this was an extremely unforgettable first experience and it will live long in the memory. I had always dreamed of seeing Nightwish ever since I first listened to them and this will go down as one of the best concerts that I have ever been to in my life. I really recommend other fans that have never seen them live before to check them out because they will never fail to impress with music of such quality. Symphonic metal lovers will all be amazed by how much of a superb show Nightwish can perform and how Floor Jansen’s vocals flatten all of you with shock of how talented and unbelievably awesome she is at singing. When the string instruments and the keyboard join in, it creates that marvellous gothic atmosphere which all gothic or symphonic metal lovers will adore. The entire ensemble itself is just a master class and they play so mouth wateringly well that it will wow anyone during a live concert of theirs. The special effects will add the extra boost of energy to the fans. The band are so good at doing what the special effects can do that no one could ignore their encouragement, it is almost like an order but a pleasant one.

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In a way, it’s important to go to a Nightwish concert with a different frame of mind and a very different set of expectations to what one would normally go to a gig with. When one goes to a rock show they’re usually expecting an event that prioritises atmosphere over a note-perfect recreation over what was on the record. This isn’t the case with Finland’s finest and countless other symphonic metal bands, and this isn’t because they’re playing it safe or that they don’t care about playing live, it means quite the opposite. The music that they have on the record is so intense, complex, and epic in the traditional sense of the word, that playing it live exactly as it is on record makes what was on the record sound even more exciting. They need a choir for some songs? They’ll get a choir for some songs. There’s a famous actor reading a monologue during the outro of their latest album opener? They’ll film the actor reading it and play it on the massive screens they have. They have moments of galloping, film-score inspired excitement, with dazzling heavy metal solos, operatic vocals and lyrics about battles between orcs and men? They’ll be perfectly recreated live, except louder and with pyrotechnics, and pyrotechnics make everything better. Yes, it sounds similar to the record, but that’s because, unlike The Libertines, these cats can actually play their songs. So no, a Nightwish gig is not your average rock show, in fact it has more in common with a Classical music concert, where a decent proportion of the show is spent marvelling at the technical ability of the people on stage. Of course, what’s also encouraged at a Nightwish show is singing, dancing, moshing and pyrotechnics, and all of those things, as we discussed earlier, make everything better. Even if you’re not a fan of symphonic metal, Nightwish are a band that anyone who likes the idea of music with an outrageous sense of scale can spend an evening with and love every moment of it.

I have experienced a lot of metal shows over the years. Experiencing Nightwish on their North American tour vaulted them near the top of my list. Their musicianship, stage presence, high energy, and dedication to the highest caliber audience experience was on full display.

They did several songs of the new album, Endless Forms Most Beautiful and several more from Imaginaerum. The Buffalo, NY crowd got warmed up by Delain and Sabaton, so by the time Nightwish took the stage the audience was fully engaged.

Shows at small venues like the Town Ballroom in Buffalo provide the setting for great sound when done right. Nightwish did the sound right. Floor's vocals were powerful, soaring; Tuomas's keyboards provide so much content in the music you may not believe it until experienced in person. Marco and Empuu's bass and guitars drive, grind, flourish, embellish, and move the musical flow. Kai's drumwork is outstanding and simply has to be seen and felt to be believed. Of course, Troy's mixture of pipes and whistles provide perfect punctuation to the driving beat.

One thing you feel is how truly heavy these guys are. Their performance epitomizes the best of what symphonic metal can be. Their songs have passages of power cords and backbeat that are relentless. Combine that with a theatrical flair, feminine lead vocals, and a tightness to envy and you've got something well worth the price of admission. Two solid hours of metal bliss.

See, hear, and feel Nightwish first hand. Make the trip. You will not be disappointed.

I last saw Nightwish in 2005 in what turned out to be original singer Tarja Turunen's last tour. Her replacement, Annette Olsen never really clicked with me although the two albums she recorded with them are pretty good. however that has all changed for me with the arrival of Floor Jansen, someone I am familiar with from one of her previous bands, After Forever.

From the fist moment Nightwish started their show at a sold-out Wembley Arena it was obvious this was going to be a very special night. From the opening song 'Shudder Before the Beautiful' to the closing 'The Greatest Show on Earth', which they performed the first three parts complete with an appearance from Professor Richard Dawkins who contributes spoken word on the album, it was simply stunning.

A very impressive, and fully utilised, moving light show was supplemented with screens, fireworks, and flames, to provide a spectacular show. Everyone in the band looked to be having the time of their lives, always something I look for as a band "going through the motions" is always easy to spot, with great interaction between them and the crowd.

Personal highlights for me were 'Ghost Love Score' and 'The Poet And The Pendulum' but overall it was as near to a perfect gig as I have ever seen.

-1 out of 10.

They changed the start time some weeks before the gig so that meant I couldn't make it in time and missed Amorphis.

Next up, despite the tickets saying we could take bottles of water in, the door staff insisted that we remove the lids from our water bottles. We had to carry two open water bottles around the arena. I can only imagine what imaginary "threat" this measure was designed to counter.

The sound for Arch Enemy was absolutely terrible. All I could hear (and feel!) was a smashing low frequency rumble. All the detail, even the kick pedal on drums, was drowned out. Vocals and guitar never had a chance of being heard. I've never heard such a complete and total fuckup on sound. I'd have walked out of it wasn't for

Nightwish's performance was good but the sound still wasn't great - lots of bass and ear splittingly loud. It's not like I'm a stranger to loud gigs but this was something else. Ear plugs helped but it was still _really_ loud. It was much better than for Arch Enemy though, so it didn't completely spoil the performance.

Overall, disappointed. I had the cheaper tickets (£40 a pop) and I'll be hassling Gigantic for a refund. I can only imagine what the £110 ticket holders were thinking.

It was my first time watching Nightwish and it will definitely not be the last! What a show! What a feeling! What an experience!

While I did not know half the songs, because I've mostly heard old Nightwish material, back form when I was 15, 16 and 17, I was not the least disappointed, because the sound - the voice - that Nightwish creates together, is simply amazing. I felt like I was in a fantasy world, both happy, sad and hopeful, and it was a beautiful combination. It wasn't too slow, or fast, just a perfect mix of powerful songs, amazing fire effects, strong pictures, wonderful animation sprinkled with hope for our world and the people living here.

When they played some of my favourites, Wishmaster and Ghost Love Score, I got so happy because they mean a lot to me, and because I recognize them. And when they played My Walden, Shudder Before The Beautiful and Storytime, I was equally enchanted, even though I didn't know these songs. Because apparently, that is something Nightwish masters. And they do it very, very well.

Nightwish, a symphonic rock experience as opposed to a simple gig. The band are one of Finland's most internationally celebrated exports as they have achieved commercial success across Europe. They also have a cult-like fan base in the UK and during their last tour the demand to see them was huge.

Beginning with an introduction by the classical Hans Zimmer, the tone is set and the audience applaud loudly as they walk onstage and take to the vast array of instruments. The classical and the conventional instruments sit well together and blend wonderfully during a melange of 'Storytime' and 'Dark Chest of Wonders'.

The audience reacts in different ways as at parts you feel like you are at a rock show and others it is like watching a classical composer. The band build a great rapport with the audience and put them at ease so the applause come more naturally during 'Ghost River' and 'Ever Dream'. By the final dreamy tones of 'Last Ride of the Day', the audience are in total awe of these talented instrumentalists.

This is the kind o concert the dreams are made of. First a support band I wanted to see as much as Nightwish: Amorphis. What I great show! Then other support band I didn't know that well because their sound is not my style but that gave a such great show that I became a fan. That band is Arch Enemy and gave a true great show. Even if much of the crowd didn't seem to understand what was going on since they were more into more slow bands.

And then Nightwish with a great sound. Not the kind of sound you have in the albuns but a true powerful and 100% metal sound, the kind of sound that is headbangable to the most.

In the end the music, the pyro, the whole atmosphere gave us a concert to remember, and to forget the less great albuns from other times. Sadly some old songs were left out of the set, mainly the hit Wishmaster.

I've been hanging out to see these guys for years. I missed the last time they were in Melbourne and had been kicking myself ever since. I even wrote to them in early 2014 to ask when they were coming back. To my surprise they answered and said to sit tight and they'd definitely be back. The wait was worth it. Almost 2 hours straight through, no bullshit encore and a kick-ass show from start to finish. The band were obviously having a great time and were equally enthusiastic to make sure everyone in the crowd did the same. It's a pity the Melbourne noise curfew meant they had to stop on the button of 11PM. Now I just have to wait til they're back again. One last thing: You can't review this show without giving the support band Taberah a huge wrap too. If they're playing in your neck of the woods don't miss them.

Seen last night in Toulouse. Wonderful show! Perfectly played, great sound but most of all, very thoughtful and supportive.

They even played an older song as a tribute to the enduring spirit we should stick to. All the song had a different meaning last night and the leitmotiv "We were here" meant far more than originally intended.

The show was intense but fun also. Musicians were obviously pleased to play for us and were enjoying it all the way. Emppu was playing tricks on everyone, even undoing the shoe laces of the drummer in the end.

In short: great show, musically excellent, great pyros and very emotional. Every thing you wish for in a show.

note: Floor is wonderful.

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• Helsinki (22)
• Los Angeles (LA) (14)
• London (14)
• Montreal (13)
• Budapest (13)

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• Sonata Arctica (59)
• Delain (54)
• Amorphis (45)
• Sabaton (37)
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NIGHTWISH IN CONCERT: When it comes to all-out symphonic metal spectacle, few bands hold a candle to the outsized pomp and showmanship of beloved Finnish rockers Nightwish. From the synchronized pyrotechnics and gigantic customized organ that dominate the band's stage show to the bludgeoning riffs and synth stabs that drive their music, Nightwish has all their bases covered to ensure fans are treated to a spine-tingling concert experience unlike any other. Acclaimed vocalist Floor Jansen joined the band in 2013 and her powerful vocals have become a highlight at their live shows, drawing fans out in droves for electric performances of favorites like "Amaranth" and "Nemo". BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT: Nightwish formed in Kitte, Finland in 1996 under the leadership of acclaimed singer-songwriter Tarja Turunen. The band's early releases established them as stars in their home country, but international superstardom eluded them until the '00s when albums like Century Child (2002) and Once (2004) made their way onto charts around the world. The band parted ways with Turunen in 2005 after releasing the live album and DVD End of an Era, but in 2007 they reemerged with a new lead singer -- Anette Olzon from Sweden. The band recorded two chart-topping albums with Olzon -- 2007's Dark Passion Play and 2011's Imaginaerum -- before her pregnancy led them to seek her replacement for the Imaginaerum World Tour. Floor Jansen was announced as Olzon's permanent replacement in 2013, and she quickly earned rave reviews with her impassioned performances on the road. With their 2015 album featuring Jansen already generating buzz, Nightwish have fans chomping at the bit to catch their fresher-than-ever live show in the flesh.

Reviews 398

Unbelievable..

It was everything I hoped it would be and more. They put on a fantastic show, the energy was electric, the atmosphere impeccable. It was my first ever metal concert, and I was blown away.

Nightwish is the best

Nightwish is the best band in the world. They performed unbelievably and sounded amazing. The set list was well done. They venue was awesome due to great sound system, lights, and service at the bar.

Fabulous Nightwishes finally accomplished

After many months (years actually), finally they were here and we could say “We Were Here”. With some changes in lineup and some evolution in their music, it was an unforgettable show, full of energy and amazing music. It was my second time enjoying them alive and hopefully not the last time. Definitely The Greatest Show on Earth!!!

Everything we wanted, and more

What can I say, my wife and I have been fans of Nightwish for many years and this was our first time being able to go to a concert of theirs. It was everything we wanted and more; Nightwish is extremely talented and sound just as amazing live as they do recorded. We can't wait for them to come back to the US so we can see them again!

This was my first Nightwish concert. From the moment we entered the venue, the staff was extremely welcoming and showed us where to go. The concert itself was a blast! Seeing Floor live was a whole new experience since she has a beautiful, yet powerful voice. Pretty sure the entire audience had a "Floorgasm".

Great Show! Terrible Venue.

Nightwish was fantastic! Beast in Black was a great opener! The Fillmore Silver Spring oversold the show. I bought tickets for the floor, but had to "watch" from the balcony because the floor was at max capacity. The balcony wasn't crowded, but I had to stand behind the VIP seats and could only get periodic glimpses of the stage.

Something everyone needs to experience at least once

It doesnt matter what type of music you listen to The music and instrumental composition of this band will leve you speechless and Floors voice soumds even better live than on album my wife who is into hardcore death metal said when she hit her highnotes on the song music she got chills and had to fight back tears I have been listening to nightwish for 20 years and the only band i love to see live more than them is Rammstein If nightwish comes within 300miles of me im going to be there

Great evening with Nightwish

Nightwish was incredible! It was my first time seeing them and they did not disappoint. The setlist was great and the crowd was very engaged. The venue (The Fillmore) was also excellent. The facility was very clean and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The security was even handing out free water bottles to those packed into the crowd. Thank you very much for taking care of the fans. I will definitely recommend Nightwish, Beast in Black, and the Fillmore to others!

A night with nightwish in Maryland

Parking is horrible - That is to be expected. My first show at the Filmore, nice venue! Paid for upgraded seats. Worth every penny - too bad the jerks in front of usvdidn't get the memo about being considerate of others behind them... we were courteous of folks behind us... i digress. The show - lighting, sound production, etc was good. Of course, the last time I saw Nightwish was in Baltimore for the decades tour - That show was sublime. I get that this was a short tour, but the screens from the decades tour were incredible... But with Tuomas, Empu, Troy, Floor, Kai, well it was almost all there! The Bass playing by Sami is totally on point - only good to report. Also impressed Floor and Troy, somehow almost fill the void left by Marko. I guess like NW fans of old, I will warm to Sami's character and deal with the loss of Marco, just as others had to lament the change from Tarja that eventually led to Floor. Well, great evening overall minus a couple of inconsiderate folks in front of us. Oh yeah... Battle Beast? Not bad!!! Quite good really... Nightwish does that. Opening acts such as hmmm... After Forever.... I wonder where and how tuomas and the band knew Floor was so damn good and would be a fantastic fit? Fate? Together they are a powerhouse... Always worth traveling to see when possible.

First Time @ The Fillmore

A great experience. The venue was clean and the staff were great. The concert itself was fantastic.

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Review & Photography by Manny Manson for MPM

Floor Jansen posted on her socials, only a couple of days ago, that she has been told she is now cancer free after her recent operation to remove a cancerous tumour.

The World Tour can now recommence, after its brief, 3week respite. The first show, post op, was to a sold out ‘Lotto Arena’ in Merksem, Belgium. The atmosphere was said to be electric, the love in the venue, simply overwhelming as the band of brothers and Floor fed off the energy in the room and delivered a stella performance.

The 21 st saw the tour hit the UK at the OVO Arena, Wembley, London, where once again, reports coming back say it was a stunning show. Tonight, the 22 nd I get to witness the full show at the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham. Sadly, brother Waldorf is again sitting this one out due to work commitments. Waldorf will be back for Saxon so keep an eye out for that one in a week’s time!

On the undercard we have a couple of Finnish powerhouse bands, ‘ TURMION KÄTILÖT and their spin on Industrial Disco Metal, a band I’ve not caught before and the Finnish-Greek Power Metal Band ‘ BEAST IN BLACK ’ with the amazing voice of Greek, Yiannis Papadopoulos, a band I’ve seen multiple times, and who always put on a great gig.

Formed in 2003, by MV Raaka Pee (vocals) and DJ Vastapollo (guitar), TURMION KÄTILÖT , started out as a simple two piece, however the band quickly grew with the addition of ‘Master Bates’ on Bass Guitar, ‘Run-Q’ on Keyboard and synths, ‘DQ’ pounding the drums, and ‘Spellgoth’ a second vocalist. They signed a record deal and their debut album ‘Hoitovirhe’ was released in December 2004. In 2006 they released their Sophomore album ‘Pirun Nyrrki’. However, their deal with record company ‘Spinefarm Records’, subsidiary ‘Ranka Recordings’ hit some legal issues over income and the band decided to suit the label. The sophomore album was to be the last record on the ‘Spinefarm’ label.

The dispute was hammered out; the settlement was never revealed due to the terms of the agreement. During this time the band wrote and recorded the album ‘U.S.C.H.! ‘ this was released as a free download by the band. It was later released in physical form on ‘Raha Records’, after the settlement.

In 2009, after three albums, DJ Vastapollo left the band and was replaced by ‘Bobby Undertaker’ on guitar and backing vocals. In February 2011 the fourth album ‘Perstechnique’ was released on ‘Osasto-A Records’, it featured the catchy entitled, digitally released single, ‘IHMISIXSIXSIX’.

In 2012 lead vocalist ‘MC Raaka Pee (Petja Turunen) suffered a stroke, whereby a period of seeming inactivity followed as Turunen recovered, but behind closed doors the band had been hard at work, and in January 2013 they announced that an album would be released in the Fall. ‘Jalopiina’ was released as both a free download from their website or a purchasable 7 inch single. The album, ‘Technodiktator’ was indeed released later that year.

The sixth album, released on ‘Osasto-A Records, ‘Diskovibrator’ was preceded by the release of two singles ‘Vastanaineet’ and ‘Taiseluhuuto’ in the May of 2015, the album being released later, in the September.

Another line-up change occurred in 2017 when ‘Spellgoth’ decided he wanted to leave and follow his desire of being in a Black Metal band, he subsequently went on to form Finnish Black Metal band ‘Horna’, a bit of a change from the 80’s keyboard infused disco metal of Turmion Kätilöt.

It was at this time that ‘Shag-U’ became a full-time member of the band. He stepped into Spellgoth’s empty shoes as the second growling vocalist.

‘Dance Panique’, the bands seventh studio album was released in March of 2017, again on ‘Osasto-A Records. In 2018, the album, ‘Universal Satan’ followed, full of catchy tunes and more than a handful of earworms. ‘Shag-U’ delivers a juxtaposition with MC Raaka Pee that seems like he’s always been in the band, the critics said. It’s been critically acclaimed as being one of their stronger releases so far.

On April 17 th 2020, just 6 days before the UK Pandemic lockdown, ‘Global Warning’ was released on the bands new label, ‘Nucleur Blast Records, Here we see ‘Disco Party’ Metal taken to the next level, claimed as a “tour de Force of electro beats, metallic riffs and feel good sing along vocals”, as long as you are fluent in Finnish that is.

This brings us up to date with the announcement of the album ‘Omen-X’ to be released in January 2023. So far two singles have been released to promote it, ‘Isä Meidän’ (Our Father) on October 5 th and ‘Sormenjälki’ (Fingerprint) on November 11 th . Both are accompanied by a Music Video. Isä Meidän is a dark brooding one about a mother and daughter, eerie from the start, where’s Sormenjälki is more travelling carnival magic con-man inspired.

TURMION KÄTILÖT kicked the night off with an outrageous display of Finnish Disco Metal. As the Eurobeat’s kicked in, the band hit the stage like a horde of Beserker’s having just feasted on women and children and were now on the look-out for pudding! Clad in their Sunday best, vocalist’s, MC Raaka Pee and Shag-U took centre stage as they delivered the opening track, ‘Grand Ball’ from their 2011 album Perstechnique.

The thudding bass of MasterBates hooked tight into the fast feet of DQ provided the backbone for the distorted riffing of Bobby Undertaker, to play all over on guitar. Run Q is providing the Eurobeat’s from behind his laptop. As the song finishes, we’re asked for Christmas, do we like turkey or ham? I didn’t get the connection but with the intimidating Black Metal face paint of white, black and red glowing eerily when caught in the lights, turkey was quickly answered by the crowd.

‘Verta ja Lihaa’ carries on with a stirring guitar riff and a heavy thunderous back beat. There’s a Nintendo Gameboy sound track pumping in the background. The lyrics are dark as the boy’s growl this one from the debut 2004 album Hoitovirhe. At times there’s a passing resemblance to the industrial sound of Rammstein in its delivery. Sung in Finnish, not my first language, it makes it a bit hard to understand, but it works so it isn’t painful to listen to.

The lights flash around as this one pulses out. As this one finishes MC Raaka Pee says it feels funny to be singing in Finnish for us, but none the less they run straight into the second single released from the new album scheduled for release in 2023, ‘Sormenjälki’ from the album Omen X.

This is a bouncy Eurovision number full of pulsing beats and distorted guitars. The guys dance around the stage as they deliver this new one. They then follow it with the creepy ‘Isä Meidän’. Starting off with kids singing it then drops into a raucous verse of growls and heavy beats, the heads are nodding to this one about a young girl and her mother, watch the video for the plot twist. Full of tempo changes this one twists and pulls as it soars along to its sudden stop.

With a shout for hands up all the way to the back, we’re told this one is about love. More chanting voices and haunting cries start, the ever-present Eurobeat is bouncing around in the back ground. A glass drops and breaks which heralds the thunderous industrial cacophony to knock it up a level. The growled vocal is menacing as the double kick drum pummels your senses.

We’re again asked if anyone has heard of the band before tonight, there’s a cheer from the crowd in the positive, Shag-U says we have only one more, “We are known for our disco songs”, ‘Last one’, MC Raaka Pee say’s “this one is about everyone” “it’s called ‘Sikiö”. This is from the 2018 album Universal Satan, their 8 th album.

The Eurovision vocal flies from the stage, yes there’s a slight growl to the lyric but no denying its roots. Old’ Tel would have a field day commenting on these guys, I can already hear him crying.

Green spots dance around a stage bathed in red light as the band dance. The crowd are encouraged to make some noise as this fun tune plays out, the singers get close as they ‘madness’ centipede walk across the stage the song builds to its climax. The usual, asks for a photo is made and the crowd hit the poses! With a shouted Thank you Birmingham and a final ‘I LOVE YOU’. The band leave the stage to much cheers and applause.

TURMION KÄTILÖT are a hard hitting, disco infused metal band. The 80’s and 90’s disco beats that feature throughout each song, have the darker, heavy elements of distorted guitars, heavy drum beats and the guttural growls of the two vocalists entwined within its layers.

This fusion has your head nodding from the get go and a smile on your face as you recognise the keyboard driven 80’s disco sounds.

This is what happens when half your year is spent in the cold, and the dark, you eventually enter the twisted world of Turmion Kätilöt, crazy Finnish disco metal mayhem at its finest. Having never seen them before, I Loved it!

BEAST IN BLACK are another Finnish based band although they have a Greek singer and a Hungarian bassist in their midst. They were formed in 2015 by guitarist Anton Kananen. Yes, he was the guitarist in the Finnish Metal Band, ‘Battle Beast’.

To date the band have released three studio albums, all with Nucleur Blast records. The first, ‘Berserker’ being released in November 2017 to worldwide acclaim, to such a point that the band were chosen to open for Symphonic Metal giants, Nightwish on their ‘Decades World Tour’, well for the European dates anyway.

A change of who occupies the drumming throne occurred in 2018, when Atte Palokangas joined the band, replacing Sami Hänninen, who, with circumstances in his life, felt that he could no longer give the young band the dedication it deserved, as the permanent drummer, Palokangas had been touring with the band since the end of 2017.

The second album arrived in February of 2019, entitled ‘From Hell with Love’, with that, they ventured out on their first headline tour with the previously mentioned Turmion Kätilöt as support. They finished the mostly sold out tour in front of 4,500 fans in Helsinki’s Ice Hall in the December.

A third album was released in October 2021, the more sci fi twisted, Symphonic Metal inspired ‘Dark Connection’.

Throughout the bands releases there has been a nod to Anton Kananen’s love of Japanese Manga and Anime, specifically the series Berserk, and the new one is no different with tributes by way of ‘Dark New World’, ‘The Last Drop of Blood’ and ‘Broken Survivors’.

The sharp riffs, catchy chorus’s, again layered with Eurobeat sounds and Yiannis Papadopoulos’s ridiculously good vocal talent, have once more propelled this fresh band into the hearts of many a metalhead around the globe.

BEAST IN BLACK hit the stage quickly, following the simply stunning openers Turmion Kätilöt. I think the turn-around has been done in less than 15 minutes, that’s great going and shows how organised the crew are here at the Resorts World Arena.

The bass drone and keyboards riffs herald the opening to ‘Blade Runner’ from the bands latest offering Dark Connection, released in 2021. The walking bass thuds into your chest as Yiannis’s voice soars and swoops around it. the solo fills the song with 80’s cock rock runs and licks, a great opening song.

We follow this with ‘From Hell with Love’ from the sophomore album of the same name. This belter starts with an ‘Airwolf’ keyboard riff as the guitars rip in, the drums drop to a steady walking beat as Yiannis’s unbelievable voice soars once again, His held note is stunning. The harmonised vocal is sublime especially the scream that brings the next verse in. A simple but well executed song, full of 80’s cheese and some stunning guitars.

Fast feet bring in ‘Beast in Black’ from the 2017 debut album, Berserker. “Foul whores and putrid posers” and “it’s time you greet the dragon slayer”, “unleash the fury of your sword of hate” great lyrics cry out as the kick drums are pummelled, hard. A Quo style guitar rocking pose has the guitars and Yiannis in line in front of the drums rocking out. The harmonised solo is outstanding with some great speed picking thrown in, Yngwie Malmsteen isn’t the only one to nail it.

Yiannis address’s the crowd and asks how about we give you some of those ‘Sweet True Lies’. This has been added to the set since the band hit the UK shores. This is another one from the 2019 album From Hell with Love.

A keyboard flurry starts off this song as Yiannis delivers this ‘Skandi’ pop rock favourite. The crowd join in singing the chorus and the whoas! The band are spread out on the stage as they dance pointing the guitars into the crowd each time the beat drops. The horns and fists are flying as this song motors along.

Another from the same album follows, ‘Die by the Blade’, this one bounces along with its Eurobeat’s and thudding drums. Atte Palokangas is having fun on the kit, he’s bouncing sticks from the skins, his face a huge grin behind the beard. With more Quo style poses the guys rock out as Yiannis nails the vocal.

The voices cry, as the beats flow, this is ‘Moonlight Rendezvous’ from the latest album Dark Connection, shouts Yiannis before he leaves the stage. The band slam out the instrumental intro which is suddenly interrupted by a scream, an epic one of horror, slasher movie proportions, yes, Yiannis is back on the stage, his voice smashing the vocal.

The guitarists are heads down nodding in unison, and then on cue, they’re pointing their guitars to the sky. Kabanen rips a solid solo out on his bright green Ibanez guitar, the guy can shred! Yiannis, fist pumping brings the song to a finish, the crowd cheer loudly as Yiannis announces that they are a trio of Finnish bands tonight, as he introduces ‘One Night in Tokyo’ yet another from the new album.

This is full of the Eurobeat’s and metal guitar and drums that we’ve come to expect from Beast in Black. The band dance around as this one plays out, screaming guitars from Kabanen and Heikkinen play off one another as, Milnár and his cheeky imp bass dance them. Yiannis is bouncing and waving to the crowd. A Michael Jacksonesque OOH ooohs rings out as the song finishes.

‘Blind and Frozen’ is up next, this is an absolute banger of a track from the debut album. It builds slowly, the percussive drive from the drums propelling it along. The chorus soars as does Yiannis’s scream, he wanders the stage which now has purple spots dancing across it. The crowd around me are joining in with the chorus. Yiannis hits the big money note which is taken over by the guitars, he walks off the stage while they solo. Forming up as a Quo trio in front of the drums the guitars rock out to the steady beat. Yiannis returns and has the crowd singing along, his unbelievable scream has the fists punching the air as the song finishes with yet another one of his trademark, huge screams.

A quick announcement that the band will be at the merch stand after the show to meet and greet, and Feb 21 st 2023 the Beast In back will be back in Birmingham for more metal madness. He then calls for hands in the air as the final song ‘ End of the World’, again from ‘Berserker’ blasts out.

Lights strobe and flash, as the drum beats fill the venue, the band scream out the words “the End of the World is coming”. Heads down and riffing hard the band continue on as hair and sweat fly across the stage. Another shred master class from Kabanen punctuates the song, his foot up on the monitor the guitar neck pointing skywards as he does so.

Swirling keyboards pulse and throb as the lights flash and the drums build to a screaming finish! The crowd love Beast in Black as the cheers and clap show. As the taped music plays out, the band ask for hands in the air for the photo taken by drummer Atte Palokangas.

A great set full of 80’s cheese and stunning guitar work. OK so the keyboards are provided by a backing track but that didn’t matter the quality of musicianship more than made up for it, and with Kabanen being both the keyboard player and guitarist, it was the obvious choice. With the promise to be back in the UK in 2023, with a bigger and better show going down well with the crowd, the band certainly ticked all the right boxes.

Nightwish , considered by many to be one of the big three, alongside Evanescence and Within Temptation, are another Finnish creation. Formed in 1996 by Songwriter and Keyboard player Tuomas Holopainen, Guitarist Empu Vuorinen and the original vocalist Tarja Turuunen. In 1997 the band released its debut album ‘Angels Fall First’ after which they were joined by Jukka Nevalainen on drums and Sami Vänskä on bass, who subsequently left in 2001, being replaced by Marko Hietala on bass and male vocal duties which he inherited from Keyboardist Holopainen.

It wasn’t until after the albums ‘Oceanborn’ in 1998, ‘Wishmaster’ in 2000 and ‘Century Child’ in 2002 did the band attract a wider audience outside of Finland. ‘Once’ released in 2004 was the gateway to America and success was assured. The single ‘Wish I Had an Angel’ appeared on MTV and was included in film soundtracks. The breakthrough album had three more singles released from it.

After the concert recording and DVD ‘End of an Era’ was in the can, in 2005, singer Tarja Turuunen was released from the band. Her replacement was Annette Olzon was found after the band held auditions and received over 2000 demo tapes for singers wanting the role, she joined the band in May 2007. The sixth album ‘Dark Passion Play’ was written with no specific singer in mind, it took 10 months to record, which is said to have cost in excess of half a million Euro’s. The majority of it spent hiring the Abbey Road Studios in London, the London Session Orchestra, Metro Voices Choir, A Gospel Choir and a further two Irish Musicians all in an 8day period, Holopainen told Kerrang Magazine back in 2008. The single ‘Amaranth’ was to become the bands biggest selling single in Europe.

In October 2007, the band embarked on a World tour, this would run until September 2009. Whilst touring they released ‘Made in Hong Kong (And Various Other Places)’ in March 2009 on both audio and visual mediums.

The 7 th album ‘Imaginaerum’ followed in November 2011, less than a year later Olzon would leave the band. The Imaginaerum World tour, was finished using dep singer Floor Jansen, Floor would become a permanent fixture in October 2013. The Album ‘Endless Forms Most Beautiful’ was released in March 2015 and featured the vocals of Floor Jansen, it also included new member Troy Donockley, a uillean pipe player. And if that wasn’t enough former drummer Jukka Nevalainen took a break from the from the band prior to the recording of the album. He was suffering with severe Insomnia. The drumming was filled in by dep Kai Hahto. The first single from this album was the formidable Élan.

In 2019 Nevalainen formally quit his role as official Nightwish drummer, Hahto was then moved into the position as a full-time member of the sextet.

The new album ‘Human. :II: Nature.’ The bands first double album, was released in April 2020, Nevelainen is credited. Long time bass player Marko Hietala took this juncture as a time to leave the band after 20years. He was replaced by Jukka Koskinen who became a permanent member of the band in August 2022.

The latest tour, Human. :II: Nature. World Tour, is the 8 th World tour by Nightwish. It started on July 28 th 2021 in Oulu, Finland and travel to North America in May 2022, Europe during June, July and early August 2022, Latin America throughout October. There is a break while Floor Jansen undergoes her Cancer treatment then the tour picks up again in Europe, November 20 th in Belgium before moving onto the UK in Late November and back into Europe through out December. The band are then scheduled to go to Asia in January 2023, before a single showing in Bimini, The Bahamas at the 70000 Tons Of Metal Festival, a 5day cruise around the Caribbean before returning to Europe for a run of shows in June 2023, the final show being at Norway’s ‘Tons of Rock’ festival that runs from June 22nd to the 24 th .

A busy few months ahead to say the least.

Again, another swift set change has us waiting in the pit holding area chomping at the bit.

The NIGHTWISH banner is in place, hiding the stage set up from view. The drums kick in as the Intro tune ‘Music’ starts up. The banner drops and is collected, quickly, by the crew. The stage has small ‘fires’ fizzling away as the drums thud and crash along.

All of a sudden there is an almighty bang, lifting us off our feet and loosens my bowels. Seismologists in Edinburgh have registered it on the sensitive equipment, as the band go into opener ‘Noise’, from the new album Human :II: Nature. With lights pulsing and smoke swirling around the heads of the band, Floor Jansen makes her entrance to huge applause.

As she floats up to her microphone, the grin on her face is massive. Here is someone happy to be back playing live music. With arms out she goes about her business, effortlessly. I have shot Amy Lee, Sharon den Adel and now Floor in a week, wow! Life is good as I snap away.

The band is shrouded in shadow as the set progresses, ‘Storytime’ from 2011’s Imaginaerum follows on. The steady drum beat and tinkly keyboard sound soon gives way to a solid guitar riff. Floor’s poetic delivery is mesmerising, the trademark hair wind mills are there, fill of gusto.

The song is being sung along to by the crowd. The keys are making this song sound huge as Floor paces the stage, delivering the lyric. Guitar and bass coming together briefly to riff out but it’s simply out shadowed by Floor simply breath-taking voice.

A drone heralds the start of ‘Tribal’, a nasty guitar and double kick drum thunder across the venue as the dancing bassline shadows Floors delicate vocal, which kicks up a gear and gets nasty, with plenty of fray. The marching skeletons on the back screens are lit by the flames as they pulse from the in front of and behind the band, Floor is again wind-milling front and centre. Troy Donockley has the uillean pipes full of puff as they warble their message as the song rocks on, it builds into a round of thundering drums and crowd hand clapping along. Floor stands arms outstretched enchanting the crowd with her voice. The song finishes with a final flurry of flames!

The ivories are tickled delicately by Tuomas Holopainen as ‘Élan’ is unleashed. Floor asks Birmingham to sing along, those stood around me duly oblige. Floor is conducting the crowd in the sing-a-long. The tin whistle gives it a Celtic lilt as the song powers on.

A thud and nasty guitar fires up the flames as the steady double kick drum beats out like clockwork. ‘Dark Chest of Wonders’ bounces along, flames bubbling to the roof as the band rock out. Floor is hitting the high notes as she does so she asks if she can here us. The “Hey Hey Hey’s” start soon filled by the anthemic break down, the song is brought to a finish with more earth moving bangs and a wall of fire, behind which Floor shouts Thank you!

‘Sleeping Sun’ from Ocean Born follows on from that battle field of a song. With ocean sounds, the band are bathed in magenta lighting up front Floor stands alone and softly laments the words to this tune from 2004. There are several phones up lighting the arena, like fireflies on a Summer’s night. ‘Harvest’, from the new album follows on, after a slight delay the percussive drums kick in joined by a drone from the keys.

Troy starts the vocal to this Celtic sound, he’s ready with the Uillean pipes. Floor sings softly to Troy’s lead. The stage is bathed in orange, trees are shown on the back screen the catchy keyboard fill has to thinking of the twilight zone as the breakdown commences.

The crowd have joined in with hand clapping as the Uillean pipe rocks out. Kai Hahto is keeping great time on the kit, as the band, apart from Floor on are on the top riser locked in tight. As the lyric starts up Floor comes back on the stage and sits in front of the keys.

The song finishes and we are straight into ‘I Want My Tears Back’. Floor tells us it’s the part of the show where we can dance and enjoy ourselves, the crowd don’t need a second telling, many have been dancing from the first note. The back screen has a broken smoked image of the band as they sing about wanting their tears back.

The crowd are cheering along as Troy remarks that Birmingham is wilder than Wembley, “it certainly looking that way” he carries on., He says “he expects Birmingham to rock as it’s the birth place of so many great bands like Duran Duran and UB40”, there’s a huge groan from the crowd which has him giggling. He quizzes the crowd as to the Latin for the word no one, the shouted response being ‘Nemo’, Co2 clouds shoot forward as Floor is bent over, arms outstretched.

This is another crowd favourite from 2004’s Once. The lights are dancing around the stage as Floors voice hangs in the air like the Low Whistle that takes over. Emppu Vuorinen lets loose with a tasty riff before more Co2 is set forth, the Amazonian figure that is Floor is unphased as she continues to belt out a stunning vocal, sweeping her hair from her face she takes it up a level to finish in a cloud of Co2that sweeps down towards the crowd.

The stage is cleared except for Floor who goes and sits next to Troy who has his acoustic guitar out. Floor says she is from the Netherlands, she is not used to sitting so high up, she is on the top riser, level with the keys and drums.

She says we do everything below sea level then realises she has said it out loud. She says “it’s a serious moment of the show” so asks “for the phone lights to light up the next song”, “it’s about someone close to you, who is with you or not who is here or has passed”. The song is ‘How’s the Heart’, with subtle lighting the pair deliver a stunning vocal to this soft ballad, again from the new album Human :II: Nature. As the song plays out the band come back on stage. A simple cymbal crash marks the end of the song and the crowd erupt.

Floor introduces the next song as “the absolute sing along from the Human :II: Nature album”. The rising inflections in her voice as she delivers give the song a buoyant feel.

The thundering bassline is pulsing ever onwards until the tempo change and Troy joins in with the lyric, only for it to pulse and thunder along again. The crowd seem to know the time signature as they are happily singing along, the breakdown has Floor wind-milling her hair again, she then air guitars to the distorted lick being played out, considering she was under the blade only a few weeks ago she has been astonishing tonight.

A taped voice rings out as Floor stands motionless at the microphone, she then let’s go an astonishing soprano section, a sound so pure it makes my neck hairs stand on edge, wow not had that happen for a while. With a furious drum crescendo, the song is brought to a close.

Floor asks “do you like rides”? there’s cheers, “Wild Rides”? more cheers, “how about last rides”? “how about ‘Last Ride of the Day”? from 2011’s Imaginaerum.

More balls of flames shoot skyward. With a Cranky Horse Carousel spinning around on the big screen, Floor climbs the riser and sings with Tuomas on Keys and Troy, again Troy joins in with the male vocal as this one gallops along full of big keyboards and thundering bass. Fire balls erupt at will as the song dies and we go into ‘Ghost Love Score’ a song of anthemic proportions from 2004’s Once album, more thundering drums and gigantic keyboards sound out as a compass spins on the back screen.

This song bounces along, in places it wouldn’t seem out of place on a big Hollywood Blockbuster Western. Scorching guitar and swirling keys lead into a section of darkness before the band strike up and the movie theme hits out hard. The song is eventually brought down with a huge flurry of drums and Floor wind-milling her hair as flames and Co2 fly through the air. The crowd are cheering like crazy as the divebomb scream of the guitar finally closes out the song.

With the Ukrainaian flag now sparkling on the giant back screen. The Uillean pipes and swirling keys provide the introduction to “The Greatest Show On earth’ from 2015’s Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Floor is front and centre enchanting us with her stunning voice before leaving the stage again. The song continues to grow as a taped voice sounds out. The drums and guitar immedietly kick in when it finishes. Smoke fills the stage as yet more flames strike up from the stage front. An almost robotic delivery, by Floor follows this.

The song is full of kick drum and tempo changes. The crowd are hanging on every note, clapping along to the huge drum riff. Floor thanks everyone for coming out and celebrating together. She shouts “I’d like to say to you” “thank You”. The music carries on with the crowd clapping in time. More pyro and flames has Floor wind-milling her hair yet again. The flames pulsing away as she does so.

The tempo has stepped up as she and Troy duet briefly, the breakdown sees more flames heading skyward. The front row will be toasty warm that’s for sure. As the song is brought down the back screen flashes up multiple portraits of people. Floor reminds us not to take anything for granted and to enjoy each day. A thunderous crack of noise and a flash of fire seals the deal and the night is done!

All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World VIII. Ad Astra plays out as we leave the arena.

What can I say, that was an epic night of Finnish Metal topped off with the Queen herself, Floor Jansen and Nightwish delivering a absolutely stunning show. If you get the chance to witness this super band then do so, it’s a night to remember. With Beast in Black and Turmion Kätilöt on the under card it certainly represents a great night out.

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NIGHTWISH Announces MARCO HIETALA's Replacement For 'Human. :II: Nature.' World Tour

NIGHTWISH has tapped Jukka Koskinen ( WINTERSUN ) as the session bassist for the band's upcoming world tour in support of the "Human. :II: Nature." album.

Koskinen joined NIGHTWISH as the replacement for Marco Hietala , who announced his departure from NIGHTWISH in January, explaining in a statement that he hadn't "been able to feel validated by this life for a quite a few years now."

NIGHTWISH said in a statement: "Finally we can share the awaited news with you all! Let's welcome Jukka Koskinen on board!"

Added Jukka : "I couldn't be more honored to be part of the vehicle of spirit of NIGHTWISH on its onward journey sharing special live moments to come on the 'Human. :II: Nature.' tour with all of you out there!"

Koskinen will make his live debut with NIGHTWISH at the first of the band's two interactive "An Evening with Nightwish In a Virtual World" concert experiences that will kick off the "Human. :II: Nature." run.

NIGHTWISH will perform in a tavern called "The Islanders Arms" built in a virtual world for two nights — Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29, 2021. On both nights, the fans will experience a one-and-a-half-hour performance, hearing songs live off "Human. :II: Nature." for the first time ever. These two nights will have their own, slightly different setlists.

Earlier this month, NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said that Hietala 's decision to leave the band "came as a bit of a surprise."

Holopainen spoke about Hietala 's exit from NIGHTWISH in an interview with Finland's Kaaos TV . He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET ): " Marco informed us in December last year [that he was leaving the band]. And even though he has been very open about his state and problems during the past years, it still came as a bit of a surprise for us. So it was a really tough pill to swallow. And for a few days, I was actually quite confident that there's no coming back, that this is it. I remember talking to Emppu [ Vuorinen ], the guitar player, and we were, like, 'You think this is it?' 'Yeah, I think this is it.' I mean, enough is enough. So much has happened in the past. Something that broke the camel's back, as they say. Then, after some time had passed — a few days — we started to think that it's been such a ride of 25 years, with so many ups also, that this is not the way to end it."

Tuomas elaborated on NIGHTWISH 's reasons for carrying on, saying: "I think we still have something to give, and that's the main point. The music is still there. We felt that there's still so much music that needs to come out from this band that, 'Okay, let's give it one more shot.' And then finding the new bass player was really easy."

He added: "It's not like we do this just because we need to do it and there's nothing else to do. On a personal level, I feel that there's still so many stories and melodies that I want to share with the world with one lineup or another, so that's why you want to continue and keep on going.

"I've said this a million times, that a lineup change is the ultimate energy vampire, and that's how it really felt and still feels."

Holopainen also confirmed that NIGHTWISH 's future setlists will likely also be affected by Hietala 's absence from the group. "There are some songs that are so profilic [sic] to Marco that we cannot do them, I think, ever again," he said. "I'm not absolutely certain, but, for example, 'The Islander' , 'While Your Lips Are Still Red' and definitely 'Endlessness' from the new album is something that cannot be performed without Marco . But then, after spending five days in the rehearsal room, there are some songs that actually work surprisingly well without Marco , that Floor [ Jansen ] or Troy [ Donockley ] is doing [ Marco 's] parts. And I was a bit suspicious about that, but then when I heard the new arrangement for those parts, I was, like, 'Yeah, I think this actually might work.'"

In December, Hietala was crowned the winner of the fall 2020 season of "Masked Singer Suomi" — the Finnish edition of the popular masked singing contest. He was disguised as Tohtori — the Doctor.

"Human. :II: Nature." was released in April 2020. The follow-up to 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" , "Human. :II: Nature." is a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters, on CD 2.

Jukka Koskinen will be our session bass player and join us for our Human. :||: Nature. world tour! Finally we can share the awaited news with you all! Let's welcome @jukkiskoskinen on board! pic.twitter.com/vkGUiOzIIo — Nightwish (@NightwishBand) May 28, 2021

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• Consequence

Nightwish Announce 2022 North American Tour

The veteran Finnish symphonic metal band will kick off the outing in early May

Celebrated symphonic metal act Nightwish have announced a 2022 North America tour in support of their latest album, Human :||: Nature .

The Finnish band will kick off the 10-date run May 4th in Toronto, and wrap up with a two-night stint May 20th and 21st at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Beast in Black will support the full run, with tickets available here .

The dates are part of Nightwish’s Human :||: Nature world tour, so expect to hear plenty of fresh material off the new album, as well as some classics. Human :||: Nature marked the band’s ninth studio album and arrived in April 2020.

In related news, former Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon released a new solo album, Strong , last month, and will be featured in Heavy Consequence ‘s “Beyond the Boys’ Club” column later this month. Original Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen was also also recently featured in Beyond the Boys Club.

Nightwish’s current vocalist is Floor Jansen officially joined the band in 2013. Human :||: Nature  is the band’s second album with Jansen, following 2015’s Endless Forms Most Beautiful .

See the dates and promo video for Nightwish’s 2022 tour below.

Nightwish 2022 North American Tour Dates: 05/04 – Toronto, ON @ History 05/06 – Montreal, QC @ Mtelus 05/07 – Lowell, MA @ Tsongas Arena 05/08 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5 05/10 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore 05/12 – Chicago, IL @ Radius 05/13 – St. Paul, MN @ The Fillmore 05/15 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom 05/18 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield 05/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern 05/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern

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• November 30, 2022 Setlist

Nightwish Setlist at Accor Arena, Paris, France

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Tour: Human. :||: Nature. World Tour Tour statistics Add setlist

• Song played from tape Music ( Percussion Intro ) Play Video
• Noise Play Video
• Storytime Play Video
• Tribal Play Video
• Élan Play Video
• Sleeping Sun Play Video
• 7 Days to the Wolves Play Video
• Dark Chest of Wonders Play Video
• Harvest Play Video
• I Want My Tears Back Play Video
• Nemo Play Video
• How's the Heart? ( Acoustic ) Play Video
• Shoemaker Play Video
• Last Ride of the Day Play Video
• Ghost Love Score Play Video
• The Greatest Show on Earth Play Video
• Song played from tape All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World: Ⅷ. Ad Astra ( Floor sang her vocal parts live ) Play Video

Edits and Comments

6 activities (last edit by Adios234 , 1 Dec 2022, 02:09 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• How's the Heart?
• I Want My Tears Back
• Last Ride of the Day
• Dark Chest of Wonders
• Ghost Love Score
• The Greatest Show on Earth
• 7 Days to the Wolves
• Sleeping Sun

Complete Album stats

More from this Artist

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Accor Arena

• Turmion Kätilöt Start time: 6:55 PM 6:55 PM
• Beast in Black Start time: 7:30 PM 7:30 PM
• Nightwish This Setlist Start time: 8:45 PM 8:45 PM

Nightwish Gig Timeline

• Nov 27 2022 Ziggo Dome Amsterdam, Netherlands Start time: 8:45 PM 8:45 PM
• Nov 28 2022 Ziggo Dome Amsterdam, Netherlands Start time: 8:45 PM 8:45 PM
• Nov 30 2022 Accor Arena This Setlist Paris, France Start time: 8:45 PM 8:45 PM
• Dec 01 2022 PSD Bank Dome Düsseldorf, Germany Start time: 8:45 PM 8:45 PM
• Dec 02 2022 Rockhal Main Hall Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg Start time: 8:45 PM 8:45 PM

51 people were there

• Aria_Epicnight
• dorianedrums
• ErikBambacht
• Evanizblurk
• GaletixLeGob
• KnightOfChaos
• LarienSilvera
• Siria_Black
• Stephanie_Rx
• thomascorps
• Valkyrie_Witch

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Tour Update

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Upcoming Shows

Decades: World Tour

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Manhattan, New York show poster

The Decades: World Tour was the seventh world tour by Nightwish . It began on March 9th, 2018 and ended on December 15th, 2018. The tour supported their seventh compilation album, Decades .

The tour featured a special, one-time setlist that showcased “rare" songs from their past albums, each with a unique twist to them.

Setlist [ ]

The following songs were performed at the tour's opening performance at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia, but adjustments have been made since then:

• Swanheart (instrumental; opener)
• End of All Hope
• Wish I Had an Angel
• 10th Man Down
• Come Cover Me
• Sacrament of Wilderness
• Dead Boy's Poem
• Elvenjig (cover; live debut)
• I Want My Tears Back
• The Carpenter
• The Kinslayer
• Devil and the Deep Dark Ocean
• Slaying the Dreamer
• The Greatest Show on Earth (Chapters 1-3)
• Ghost Love Score

Tour Dates [ ]

• 1 The Poet and the Pendulum
• 2 Decades: Live in Buenos Aires
• 3 Floor Jansen