Nightwish are somehow the undisputed kings of Finnish metal (even though I personally prefer Lordi). Being in the business since the mid 1990’s, they more and more attracted a wide European audience with their symphonic metal. Songs like Wishmaster or The Carpenter gave the band wide commercial success. On 10th April 2020, the Scandinavians released their ninth album Human :||: Nature – which in fact contains two CDs.
Nightwish – About The Artist
Nightwish has been found in Kittee in East Finland (near Joensuu) in 1996. The founding members were Tuomas Holopainen, Emppu Vuorinen and Tarja Turunen, who soon added Jukka Nevalainen and Sami Vänskä, who has been quite soon replaced by Marco Hietala. They recorded their first demo, Angels Fall First. After they signed a record deal, the full length album went up to the 31st place in the charts. The single spin-off, The Carpenter, even peaked up to the third spot in the singles charts. After the 1998 album Oceanborn went up to the 5th spot in the album charts, the 2000 Wishmaster was the first one to make it to the top of the album charts. Any following Nightwish album repeated that chart placement in the home country. Germany more and more became a second base for the band, but they have also been successful in other markets, especially in Europe.
The band was also very successful in the singles’ charts in Finland, where they had 13 top placements. There were also number 1 hits in Hungary and Spain. The most well-known songs are Bless the Child and Nemo. The most prominent changes of Nightwish members have been on the vocal side: Tarja Turunen left the band on 2005, Anette Olzon took this duty over from 2007 to 2012. The current lead vocalist is the Dutch singer Floor Jansen. Human :||: Nature is the band’s ninth album.
Nightwish – Human :||: Nature – Track by Track
Human :II: Nature is a two disc album. The first disc contains nine songs and lasts 51 minutes. The second disc just contains one long track, All The Works of Nature Which Adorn The World, which has been split into eight parts. The playtime of the second CD is roughly half an hour (total album playtime: 1:21 hours)
1. Music
If the first track of your album is 7:23 minutes, you can easily spent three minutes for the intro to Music. After these three minutes, the vocals are incepting and the track, which shall reflect a wide range of musical elements turns into a typical Nightwish Symphonic Metal track.
2. Noise
Noise has been released before the album and received quite some good reviews among critics and fans. It is a combination of guitar sound and orchestral tunes. While I am a huge fan of Tarja Turunen, I have to say that Floor Jansen, does an excellent and very present job during these 5:40 minutes.
3. Shoemaker
In Shoemaker, Troy Donockley, wh is typically doing the Uileann Pipes at Nightwish, has a more present role in the vocals as well.I like that Shoemaker is more lyric, also more narrative than the first tracks. Again, Marco Hietala creates a catching plot with very different elements and sequences of the song – there is even a spoken word section in it. The Shoemaker finishes with a blasting finale.
4. Harvest
In Harvest, there is again a strong vocal part of Donockly. The song at the beginning does not feel like a Nightwish song at all, it could easily be a folk or a country rock track. After more than 2:30 minutes, the pipes, guitars and strings lead the song back to the symphonic metal road.
Join the harvest of hundred fields
Hearty and tame
All going back to one single grain
Offer light to the coming day
Inspire a child
Water the field, surrender to the earth
Arrive alive
5. Pan
Slower and more quiet passages as well as choir sections – Pan feels like a very classic Nightwish track. However, it is none of the band’s best ones – not bad as well. One of the most average encounters of Human :||: Nature.
6. How’s The Heart?
How’s The Heart is another track, which feels to be quite close to the folk and folk-pop sound. Sometimes the pipes give me a bit of a Mike Oldfield touch. May sound a bit negative – but overall, this song is maybe a bit of kitsch, but one of my favorites.
7. Procession
Nightwish is able to surprise in thiis album. Procession has very strong piano elements and feels much more than a melodic pop track than symphonic metal. There are some rock elements towards the end of track. Another musical proof that fans of the Finnish band may miss the power of opera-background Tarja Turunen, but therefore should be happy with the wider range of sounds, which Floor Jansen adds to the band.
8. Tribal
With 3:56 minutes, Tribal is the shortest track on the album and in fact the only track with a playtime less than five minutes. Tribal got a lot of metal sounds, but it feels a bit too much to me – and definitely does not remind me too much about tribal music. Not my favorite track, definitely.
9. Endlessness
In the last track, Hietala is taking over the leading role on the vocal side. The 7:11 minute epic track is one of the highlights of the album to me and features a great symphonic metal sound. I love Hietala’s vocals in here as well.
Disc 2:
All The Works Of Nature Which Adorn The World
1. Vista
2. The Blue
3. The Green
4. Moors
5. Aurorae
6. Quiet As The Snow
7. Anthropocene
8. Ad Astra
I finally decided to review the second disc and All The Works Of Nature Which Adorn The World the way it is produced: as one track, divided into eight subsections. Tuomas Holopainen, who is doing most of the songwriting for the band, called this suite a “Love Letter to the World”. The first two sections even feature narrative parts, but are apart from that quite orchestral compositions with strong choral elements.
The Green starts with piano sounds and thus feels like the introduction to a new chapter. The beauty of sounds created here just feels a bit to much, there are fairy-alike elements int his track. There is no clear separation to Moors, which then comes with more brass elements – first lighter ones, then deeper and heavier tunes. With Moors, it feels like the whole orchestra is more intensively involved. Aurorae then even introduces powerful choral elements again, before Quiet As The Snow is really a quiet section of this song, even though it introduces strings and the choir towards the end. With Anthropocene, the track finitely looses it soupy character a bit. Ad Astra comes with a strong narrative part again. This part has been pre-released before the album.
Nightwish – Human :||: Nature – Spotify
Here is the Spotify widget for Human :||: Nature:
Nightwish – Human :||: Nature – My View
Let’s start at the end of the album: to me, All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World is too much. It is too far away from Nightwish music – maybe some die-hard fans feel joy listening to it. To me, this orchestral track just has too much of a self-adulation touch. If I treat it as part of the album, I have to admit that it is a nice composition, but it is just too much of a break to the first disc, too sloppy and too much kitsch. Nightwish do not need that. If I treat is as some sort of half hour bonus track, the downgrade in rating might become a bit smaller. If you go for the physical copy, you at least can ignore it if you feel so.
The main part of the album is a good collection of songs, sometimes maybe a bit long, but still a bearable. One or two songs fall below the average line, but there are some other really good ones. The versatility of Nightwish has improved a lot, so that Human :||: Nature is a surprisingly multi-faceted album. Fans will love it, I am sure!
Hard Rock & Metal Album Reviews on Flyctory.com
Here are all Media Reviews of the Hard Rock and Metal genres:

Pridian – Cybergnosis EP

Paradogmata – Endetid

Maelfoy – Failures, Fears and Forgiveness

Palehorse – Hunting Grounds


Cabrakaän – Aztlan


Dogma – Dogma


Wayfarer – American Gothic


Doro – Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud


Angelus Apatrida – Aftermath


Beartooth – The Surface


Atena – Subway Anthem


Rising Wings – Reach


Manntra – War of the Heathens


Danko Jones – Electric Sounds


Marduk – Memento Mori


Alice Cooper – Road


Sleazy – Back on Track


Atreyu – The Moment You Find Your Flame EP


Uncaved – Dogmatorraistes


Mammoth WVH – Mammoth II


Somnuri – Desiderium


Later Sons – Rise Up


1476 – In Exile


Mental Cruelty – Zwielicht


Green Labyrinth – Sequences


Ayron Jones – Chronicles Of The Kid


Saturnus – The Storm Within


Extreme – Six


Ray Alder – II



Omnium Gatherum – Slasher EP


Oryad – Sacred & Profane


Marathonmann – Maniac


Moor – Heavy Heart


Enforced – War Remains


Storm Seeker – Nautic Force


As Everything Unfolds – Ultraviolet


Texas Hippie Coalition – The Name Lives On


Grand Design – Rawk


Vass / Katsionis – Cynical Silence


Tribulation – Hamartia EP



Lordi – Screem Writers Guild


Black Hawk – Soulkeeper


Night Demon – Outsider


Bad Bones – Hasta El Final!


John Diva & The Rockets of Love – The Big Easy


Suicide Silence – Remember… You Must Die


Endlevel – Weekend War


Steel Panther – On The Prowl


Tanzwut – Silberne Hochzeit


Those Damn Crows – Inhale/Exhale



Dark Sarah – Attack of Orym


Pristine – The Lines We Cross


Black Star Riders – Wrong Side of Paradise


Shaam Larein – Stick En Kniv I Världen


Sündflut – Basta! EP



Amberian Dawn – Take a Chance (A Metal Tribute To ABBA)


Induction – Born from Fire


Hostage – Memento Mori


Avantasia – A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society


Alter Bridge – Pawns And Kings


Orianthi – Rock Candy


Sleeping Romance – We All Are Shadows


Magical Heart – Heartsonic


Monster Truck – Warriors


Slipknot – The End, So Far


Silent Knight – Full Force


I Am – Eternal Steel


Blind Guardian – The God Machine


Fire Horse – Out of the Ashes


Megadeth – The Sick, The Dying… and The Dead!


Lugnet – Tales From The Great Beyond



Bad Baron – Ace of Hearts


Thundermother – Black And Gold


Versus Goliath – Liebe & Chaos


Manntra – Kreatura


Amon Amarth – The Great Heathen Army


H.E.A.T. – Force Majeure


Heischneida – Heischneida II


Traitor – Exiled To The Surface


Breathe Your Last – Apocalypse


RXPTRS – Living Without Death’s Permission


April Art – P.O.K.E.R.F.A.C.E.


Motionless In White – Scoring The End Of The World


Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos


Wucan – Heretic Tongues


Shameless – So Good, You Should….


Famyne – II: The Ground Below


J.B.O. – Planet Pink


Silver Dust – Lullabies


Axel Rudi Pell – Lost XXIII


DeVicious – Black Heart


Askara – Lights Of Night


Papa Roach – Ego Trip


Joe Satriani – The Elephants of Mars


Disconnected – We Are Disconnected


Circle of Friends – The Garden


Paleface – Fear & Dagger


Der To – Hand aufs Herz


Sunrunner – Sacred Arts of Navigation


Messa – Close


Crowbar – Zero and Below


Gutrectomy – Manifestation Of Human Suffering


Thunderor – Fire It Up


Corey Taylor – CMFB… Sides EP


Matt Pike – Pike vs the Automaton


Ard – Take Up My Bones


Goodbye June – See Where The Night Goes


Once Human – Scar Weaver


Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – 4


Rolo Tomassi – Where Myth Becomes Memory


Saxon – Carpe Diem


Validor – Full Triumphed


The Sleeper – Radiant


Herman Rarebell & The Hurricane Orchestra – Scorpion’s Songs Symphonic


Claus Trophobia – Space Rock Voodoo


Great American Ghost – Torture World EP


Magnum – The Monster Roars


Skillet – Dominion


Tristan Harders’ Twilight Theatre – Drifting Into Insanity


Fuer den Faehrmann – Blutmond EP


Volbeat – Servant Of The Mind


Hämatom – Die Liebe ist Tot



Lordi – Lordiversity (Full Box Review)



Lordi – Spooky Sextravaganza Spectacular (from: Lordiversity)



Lordi – Abracadaver (from: Lordiversity)



Lordi – Humanimals (from: Lordiversity)



Lordi – Abusement Park (from: Lordiversity)



Lordi – The Masterbeast From The Moon (from: Lordiversity)



Lordi – SuperFlyTrap (from: Lordiversity)



Lordi – Skelectric Dinosaur (from: Lordiversity)


Navian – Cosmos


Running Wild – Blood on Blood


Hulkoff – Ragnarök


Bodyguerra – Fire & Soul


Alcatrazz – V


Creeping Death – The Edge of Existence EP


Naraka – In Tenebris


Rage – Resurrection Day


Iron Maiden – Senjutsu


Danko Jones – Power Trio


Freakstorm – Storm Inside My Heart


All Good Things – A Hope In Hell


Mentalist – A Journey Into The Unknown


CueStack – Diagnosis:Human


Existent – Kartenhaus EP


Buckcherry – Hellbound


Helloween – Helloween


Cleopatrick – Bummer


Anchors & Hearts – Guns Against Liberty



SILVER LAKE by Esa Holopainen – SILVER LAKE by Esa Holopainen


Mental Cruelty – A Hill To Die Upon


Pop Evil – Versatile


Manntra – Monster Mind Consuming


Evanescence – The Bitter Truth


As Everything Unfolds – Within Each Lies The Other


Burn Down Eden – Burn Down Eden


The L.A. Maybe – Dirty Damn Tricks


Silent Winter – Empire of Sins


Thunder – All The Right Noises


Heart Healer – The Metal Opera by Magnus Karlsson


Orden Ogan – Final Days


A Day To Remember – You’re Welcome


Definition of Insanity – Into The Abyss


Dreamshade – A Pale Blue Dot


Erik Cohen – Northern Soul


Flaming Wrekage – Cathedral of Bones


Damon Johnson & The Get Ready – Battle Lessons


Mentally Blind – Stage: Zero



Korpiklaani – Jylhä


Accept – Too Mean To Die


Michael Schenker Group – Immortal


Tragedian – Seven Dimensions


Wig Wam – Never Say Die


Bashdown – Pushing the Envelope


John Diva & The Rockets Of Love – American Amadeus


Majestica – A Christmas Carol


Sodom – Genesis XIX


AC/DC – Power Up


Orianthi – O



Averlanche – Life’s Phenomenon


Solstafir – Endless Twilight of Codependent Love


Paradise in Flames – Devil’s Collection


The Struts – Strange Days


Benediction – Scriptures


Artificial Eden – Artificial Eden


Ace Frehley – Origins Vol. 2


Thundermother – Heat Wave


U.D.O. & The German Armed Forces Concert Band – We Are One


Beyond the Black – Horizons


Asking Alexandria – Like a House on Fire


Paradise Lost – Obsidian


Axel Rudi Pell – Sign of The Times


Joe Satriani – Shapeshifting


Gotthard – #13 (Album Review)


Böhse Onkelz – Böhse Onkelz (2020 Album)


Ozzy Osbourne – Ordinary Man


Seven Spires – Emerald Seas


Sepultura – Quadra


Richie Kotzen – 50 for 50



Lordi – Killection


Kirk Windstein – Dream In Motion



Marko Hietala – Pyre Of The Black Heart


Skull Koraptor – Chaos Station


Shadowmass – Shadowmass (Album Review)


Project Renegade – Order of The Minus


Lacuna Coil – Black Anima


Steel Panther – Heavy Metal Rules


Black Star Riders – Another State of Grace



Tarja – In the Raw


Hammerfall – Dominion


Avantasia – Moonglow (Album Review)


Doro – Forever Warriors // Forever United (Album Review)
Finland at Flyctory.com
Here are all postings on Flyctory.com about Finland:


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 17th November 2023)



Palehorse – Hunting Grounds


Food I Had Onboard XII (Late October 2023 – Mid-November 2023)


Finnish Music Hall of Fame (Musiikkimuseo Fame)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 15 September 2023)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 25 August 2023)


Finnair Lounge Helsinki (HEL) Schengen (A22)


Helsinki Old Market Hall (Pictured Story)


Home is where the heart is – My Twelve Favorite Cities of the World


GLO Hotel Helsinki Airport


Food I Had Onboard IX (Mid-May 2023 til June 2023)


Tenhi – Valkama



Omnium Gatherum – Slasher EP


My Favorite Eurovision Song Contest Songs



Lordi – Screem Writers Guild


ISTAF Indoor Duesseldorf (29th January 2023)



Dark Sarah – Attack of Orym


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 06 January 2023)


Flyctory.com Best Ones 2022


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 16 December 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 09 December 2022)



Amberian Dawn – Take a Chance (A Metal Tribute To ABBA)


Food I Had Onboard V (September 2022 til November 2022)


Bank of Finland Museum


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 21 October 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 16 September 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 09 September 2022)


Helsinki SkyWheel



Bad Baron – Ace of Hearts


Helsinki Korkeasaari Zoo


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 05 August 2022)


Helsinki Sightseeing Cruise with Royal Line


Helsinki Tropicario


Blind Channel – Lifestyles of the Sick & Dangerous


Helsinki Design Museum


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 10 June 2022)


Oodi Helsinki – The Modern Library (Pictured Story)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 3 June 2022)


Holiday Inn Helsinki City Centre


IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships 2022 at Helsinki Ice Hall


Finnair Business Lounge Non-Schengen Helsinki Vantaa (HEL)


Food I Had Onboard II (Nov 21 til Mar 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 11 Feb 2022)


Sports Museum of Finland (Helsinki)


Flyctory.com Best Ones 2021


Flyctory.com – My Favorite Albums / EPs 2021


Flyctory.com – My Favorite Songs 2021


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 17 Dec 2021)


My Top 15 Airports Flown – With Some Brief Thoughts


Visiting Jokerit Helsinki at Hartwall Arena


Car Rental Review – Hertz Helsinki Airport (HEL)



Lordi – Lordiversity (Full Box Review)



Lordi – Spooky Sextravaganza Spectacular (from: Lordiversity)



Lordi – Abracadaver (from: Lordiversity)



Lordi – Humanimals (from: Lordiversity)



Lordi – Abusement Park (from: Lordiversity)



Lordi – The Masterbeast From The Moon (from: Lordiversity)



Lordi – SuperFlyTrap (from: Lordiversity)



Lordi – Skelectric Dinosaur (from: Lordiversity)


Watching Helsinki from the Olympic Stadium Tower


Expo 2020 Dubai – The Mobility District Pavilions


Holiday Inn Helsinki Vantaa Airport


F-Liiga Women: SB-Pro Nurmijärvi – TPS Turku 2-5 (1-3, 0-2, 1-0)


F-Liiga Women: EräViikingit – SSRA 7-2 (3-1, 1-0, 3-1)


F-Liiga Women: FBC Loisto – SB-Pro Nurmijärvi 4-6 (3-1, 0-2, 1-3)


F-Liiga Women: EräViikingit – Classic 3-1 (1-0, 1-0, 1-1)


Radisson Blu Espoo (Finland)


Davis Cup Finland vs. India – Some Practice Session Views


Davis Cup Finland vs. India, Day 2: “Suomi” advances after Doubles


Davis Cup Finland vs. India: Finland in the lead after Day 1 Singles


Davis Cup Finland vs. India: Preview



SILVER LAKE by Esa Holopainen – SILVER LAKE by Esa Holopainen


Jess And The Ancient Ones – Vertigo



Korpiklaani – Jylhä


Flyctory.com Best Ones 2020


Songs Of My Life: Lordi – Hard Rock Hallelujah



Averlanche – Life’s Phenomenon


Hotel Korpilampi (Espoo, Finland)


Finnair Airbus A350 Business Class from Helsinki to Dubai


Hilton Helsinki Airport



Lordi – Killection



Marko Hietala – Pyre Of The Black Heart


SB-Pro Nurmijärvi – Classic Tampere 4:2 (0:1, 4:1, 0:0)


SB-Pro Nurmijärvi – Koovee Tampere 7:2 (2:1, 3:1, 2:0)


Flyctory.com – My Favorite Songs 2019



Tarja – In the Raw


Finnair Platinum Wing Helsinki Airport


WFCQ 2019: Finland – Austria 37:0 (12:0, 10:0, 15:0)


WFCQ 2019: Russia – Finland 1:18 (1:2, 0:13, 0:3)


CC 2019: Men’s Final: Storvreta IBK – SC Classic 3-10 (1-3, 1-3, 1-4)


CC 2019: Women’s Place 3: SB-Pro Nurmijärvi – Piranha Chur 5-3 (2-1, 0-1, 3-1)


CC 2019: SB-Pro Nurmijärvi – 1. SC TEMPISH Vitkovice 4-5 SD (2-0, 1-4, 1-0, 0-1)


CC 2019: SC Classic – Floorball Köniz 7-1 (3-0, 1-1, 3-0)


Floorball Champions Cup 2019 – A Preview to Gävle


Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa (Hotel Review)


Finnish Aviation Museum (Suomen Ilmailumuseo)


SB-Pro Nurmijärvi – Koovee Tampere 11-3 (4-0, 3-2, 4-1)


Finnish Superfinal (Men): Classic – Happee 6:2 (0:2, 4:0, 2:0)


Finnish Superfinal (Women): Classic – SB-Pro 2:3 (0:0, 2:2, 0:1)

