Rafael Assis

Definitely exceeded my expectations after listening to some of the singles released before the album, I would say this is one of the best 2 NW albuns in the last 15 years of the band. Before commenting on the standout points, I must say that in Yesterwynde I identify the same behaviour that lies in some of the songs of EFMB, which is the ambition of being everything at once, embracing an excess of elements that make the song sound confusing. There's also a kind of despair to sound monumental and with grandeur from start to end - "Perfume" and "Strange Islands" are good examples - I miss some "less is more" practical thinking here. (Maybe next album it's a good time to go back to roots without orchestra and children choir, I think) I dare to say that if every song of Yesterwynde was split into 2 separate songs or if they were cropped from 1 to 2 minutes of instrumental preludes, bridges, or finales, this album would sound much more cohesive and stronger. Personally, the highlights of the album are "The Day Of", "Children of 'Ata", "Something Whispered" and "Spider Silk". That last one brings a piano introduction with an evolution of chords that reminds of some nostalgic vampiresque time between the 20s or the 30s era which I never lived but I still miss it dearly, you know? And that style of nostalgic and eerie evolution of chords makes appearances in many songs of Yesterwynde - maybe this is the best original feature of this album and of the way that the band sounds now. Another feature I enjoy very much is the way the drums, Floor and the guitar cavalgade and ride together in the bridge of many "Spin Away's", very unique/ unusual for Nightwish to sound this way. Talking of unusual way of sounding, the entire song "The Day Of" is an experimental mix of features that works well and original (the beat and the children choir reminds me of Another Brick in The Wall and that's awesome). "Children of 'Ata" takes a sip from the fountain of "Tribal" bringing some interesting ethnic chants. I dont think the 80's keyboard riff (Another unusual fresh feature for Nightwish) works well mixed with the ethnic concept since they evoke different sceneries, but I like them both, they are interesting in their own. Also props to the spooky melody that opens "The Weave" and reapears in the end of the song, and to the powerful riff in the end of "Hiraeth". Well, Yesterwynde definitely surprised me in a positive way (otherwise I wouldnt waste my time writing all those paragraphs for strangers on the internet :P) and I think the album illustrates a new band that has been taking shape since EFMB (2015) - It would be ok for me If they decided to abandon the name Nightwish and choose a new one, cause the way that they evolved musically has nothing else to do with the tipical finnish accent of Wishmaster or Century Child anymore.