Human. :II: Nature.

Human. :II: Nature. (stylized as HVMAN. :||: NATVRE.) is the ninth studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was released internationally on April 10, 2020 through Nuclear Blast. It is the band's first double album, with the second CD complete with orchestral music rather than metal.[1][2]

Human. :II: Nature.
Studio album by
Nightwish
ReleasedApril 10, 2020 (2020-04-10)
RecordedAugust–October 2019
Studio
Genre
Length81:31
LabelNuclear Blast
ProducerTuomas Holopainen
Nightwish studio album chronology
Endless Forms Most Beautiful
(2015)		 Human. :II: Nature.
(2020)
Singles from Human. :II: Nature.
  1. "Noise"
    Released: February 7, 2020
  2. "Harvest"
    Released: March 6, 2020

Following the departure of original drummer Jukka Nevalainen the previous year, this is the first album to feature Kai Hahto as official band member, although he had already acted as Nevalainen's replacement on the band's previous album, Endless Forms Most Beautiful.[3] It is the sixth and final album to feature bassist/vocalist Marko Hietala before his departure in January 2021.[4]

Background and recording

Production

Following a tour in support of the band's previous album, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, the band took a year-long break in which Jansen was focusing on her first child. Holopainen said in a 2016 interview that the band would continue between the years of 2018 and 2020, with another album that will continue the themes explored in Endless Forms Most Beautiful.[5]

According to Tuomas Holopainen, after the creation of the previous album, which he described as "the band's best so far", he could not write new material for the next album because of his lack of inspiration, which was "emptied". In 2017, Holopainen, along with the singer and his wife Johanna Kurkela and the band's member Troy Donockley, formed the trio-band Auri to create a self-titled album. After the release of the album, Tuomas said that "all the flood gates opened" and he started to write new material for Nightwish.[6][7]

In July 2018 while the band was out on tour, Holopainen stated that he had written "80 or 90%" of the material for Nightwish's next album, which would consist of ten or eleven songs. Recording would start in July 2019, for a planned Spring 2020 release. The band would "use the [orchestral] instrumentation in a different way than before", with Holopainen stating, "You want to search for some new ways of using it so that it doesn't end up sounding the same as before."[8]

Jansen stated in November that she believed the recording process would be similar to Endless Forms Most Beautiful's, for which the band went through lengthy rehearsals before starting to record.[9]

On October 31, 2019, Floor Jansen confirmed that recording for the new album had been completed, stating that she was "very, very happy" with it.[10] Tuomas Holopainen was confirmed on December 18, 2019, to be at Finnvox Studios mixing Nightwish's upcoming studio album, set for release in the first quarter of 2020.[11]

The mixing was done by Holopainen, Tero Kinnunen and Mikko Karmila, and mastering by Mika Jussila, at Finnvox Studios. On January 10, 2020, it was confirmed by Holopainen that the production was finished, and the album was ready for release. The album title, cover and other details were released on January 16, 2020, including the release date of April 10, 2020.[12][13][14][15][16]

Composition

Influences, style and themes

The album features a wide vocal collaboration between Jansen, Marko Hietala and Troy Donockley, which "brings a whole new sound in the band", according to Jansen. It can be reflected for example in first song in the album, "Music", which describes the history of music, "from the first rudimentary sounds to the music as we know today". This song starts with a long intro and described as very harmonic and melodic.[17]

The second track, "Noise", has been described as a commentary on modern society. Following the release of the song's music video, when asked if the video was criticism towards technology or cell phones, Holopainen responded:

"This video is not a criticism about technology or cell phones. Me, all the band members, we love technology. We wouldn't ever have done this record without technology. We love our cell phones, the Internet and all that, but it's a criticism for the addiction that these things cause in human beings. 'Addiction' is the word. It's such a shame that we have all these wonderful tools that we can for the good, to spread true information and to be connected to the world. I love the idea of social media, I like Twitter, that everybody in the world suddenly has a voice; we have a voice. We can immediately get our opinions and views out there. It's just a matter of what you put out there. And that's what the video is all about."[18]

"Shoemaker" is about Eugene Shoemaker, whose biography inspired Holopainen to write a song. According to Jansen, the song lacks a typical structure. Consisting of operatic voices, the song was a challenge to Jansen to sing, and it took several times to record until the desired result.[19] Johanna Kurkela, Holopainen's wife, took part in this song, performing a spoken part before Jansen's ending operatic part.

According to Donockley, the lyrics of "Harvest" consist of the meaning of the whole theme of the album and even of life.[20]

According to Holopainen, "Pan" is described as an ode to the human imagination.[21]

About "How's the Heart?", Holopainen had commented:

"Human empathy, altruism, true love. They truly are the better angels of our nature. The nature of the human kind. We have the potential to be such a great species. And in many ways we already are. It is really important to remember to ask your family, your friends, strangers and yourself the important question: How's the Heart?"[22][21]

"Tribal" is described by Hahto as heavy and very percussive. This song along with other tracks in the album demanded Hahto to upgrade his drum kit. According to Hahto, this song is an example to the variety of the different musical styles presented in the whole album.[23]

Release and promotion

The first single of the album, "Noise", with an accompanying music video, was released on February 7, 2020.[24] The second single off of the album, "Harvest", was released on March 6, 2020, with a lyric video to accompany its release.[25] On March 11, 2020, "Ad Astra", the last track of the album's second disc, was released in a video that revealed Nightwish's new partnership with World Land Trust.[26]

Nightwish stated on January 22, 2020, that they became the "first band ever to be given permission" to do a photo shoot in the "legendary Cathedral that is the Natural History Museum, London," where they had four hours to themselves during the shoot.[27]

On the day the album was released, Nightwish released lyric videos for all of the songs on the album.[28]

In an interview with Floor Jansen, she had revealed the band had originally asked natural historian David Attenborough to speak on the album. She commented:

We tried to get him to speak on the album. We wrote him a letter and he wrote one back, declining, but it was very impressive that a man of his stature would write personally to us and explain that he just didn't have the time right now.[29]

The album was nominated by the Finnish Emma Awards on January 21, 2021 for the categories of Album of the Year, and Metal Album of the Year.[30]

Tour
See also: Human. :II: Nature. World Tour

The band is set to tour in Europe, South America, Asia and North America in 2021 in promotion of the album. The tour was originally scheduled to begin in spring 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band had postponed the tour to next year.[31][32][33]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic66/100[34]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[35]
The Arts Desk[36]
Blabbermouth.net8.5/10[1]
Distorted Sound8/10[37]
Folk N' Rock9.2/10[38]
Kerrang![2]
Louder Sound[39]
Metal Storm5.7/10[40]

The album received generally positive reviews from music critics upon the album's release.

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 66 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[34] AllMusic gave the album a positive review, saying, "Though the work seems part and parcel of the Nightwish aesthetic, on its own it may not appeal to all fans. That said, it does add depth and dimension to Human. :II: Nature. which is, with one exception, a consistently and deeply satisfying outing that was worth waiting for."[35]

Distorted Sound scored the album 8 out of 10 and said: "That there is a connection between the album's two halves is by no means obvious, and if there is meant to be one, then it must be purely conceptual. NIGHTWISH have built their brand around the concoction of heavy metal and orchestral music, and straightforwardly divorcing those two elements might prove to be a step too far for all but the most ardent of fans. The risk, and it seems inevitable, is that the first half of the album is co-opted, and the second half is simply forgotten. No doubt NIGHTWISH are among the few heavy metal bands to have cultivated a fan-base willing to listen to a half-hour orchestral suite, but one has to imagine that they are very much in the minority. Just listening to Human would leave you with plenty of NIGHTWISH, fifty minutes in fact, but releasing a double album with the expectation that most people won't hear the second half more than once in spite of its quality is a brazen artistic statement, and questionable from a listener's point of view. Human is a fantastic NIGHTWISH album, and 'All The Works of Nature Which Adorn the World' is a superb orchestral suite, but Human. :||: Nature. as a whole feels somewhat disjointed."[37]

Kerrang! gave the album 3 out of 5 and stated: "At its best, Hvman:||:Natvre has the impressive magic that has made Nightwish one of Europe's biggest bands. But there's a feeling this time that for such a big concept, things haven't gone quite far enough."[2]

Louder Sound gave the album a positive review and stated: "You know a band feels pretty confident when they take liberties with the rules of the language of rock'n'roll. But however you pronounce the punctuation-incontinent title, Human. :II: Nature., Nightwish's first studio album for five years, doesn't try to confuse us any further."[39]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tuomas Holopainen[41].

Disc one
No.TitleLength
1."Music"7:23
2."Noise"5:40
3."Shoemaker"5:19
4."Harvest"5:13
5."Pan"5:18
6."How's the Heart?"5:02
7."Procession"5:31
8."Tribal"3:56
9."Endlessness"7:11
Total length:50:33
Disc two – "All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World"
No.TitleLength
1."Vista"3:59
2."The Blue"3:35
3."The Green"4:42
4."Moors"4:44
5."Aurorae"2:07
6."Quiet as the Snow"4:05
7."Anthropocene" (includes "Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal")3:05
8."Ad Astra"4:41
Total length:30:58

Notes
  • "All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World" is listed on the back cover of the album as a single song, split into eight chapters.
  • The earbook edition of the album includes a third disc with the instrumental version of disc one.

Personnel

Credits for Human. :II: Nature. adapted from liner notes.[41]

Nightwish

Additional personnel

  • Tero Kinnunen, Mikko Karmila – production, recording, mixing
  • Mat Bartram – orchestra engineering
  • Laura Beck – orchestra engineering assistant
  • Mika Jussila – mastering
  • Geraldine James – spoken words on "All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World" ("Vista", "Ad Astra")
  • Johanna Kurkela – spoken words on "Shoemaker"
  • Janne Pitkänen – cover art
  • Pip Williams – orchestral and choir arrangements and directing
  • Ilona Opulska – assistant to Williams
  • James Shearman – conductor
  • Martin Higgins – assistant to Shearman
  • Richard Ihnatowicz – music preparation

Metro Voices

  • Jenny O'Grady – choirmaster
  • Alexandra Gibson, Alice Fearn, Ann de Renais, Anne Marie Cullum, Caroline Fitzgerald, Claire Henry, Davina Moon, Eleanor Meynell, Heather Cairncross, Helen Brooks, Helen Parker, Jacqueline Barron, Joanna Forbes, Kate Bishop, Mary Carewe, Rachel Weston, Rosemary Forbes Butler, Sarah Ryan, Soophia Foroughi, Andrew Busher, Andrew Playfoot, David Porter Thomas, Gerard O'Beirne, Ian McLarnon, Lawrence Wallington, Lawrence White, Michael Dore, Peter Snipp, Robin Bailey, Sebastian Charlesworth, Tom Pearce

Pale Blue Orchestra

Charts

References
  1. "CD Reviews - Human. :II: Nature. Nightwish". Blabbermouth.net. April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  2. "Album Review: Nightwish – Hvman Natvre". Kerrang!. April 9, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  3. "NIGHTWISH's JUKKA NEVALAINEN Officially Exits Band; KAI HAHTO Named Permanent Drummer". Blabbermouth. July 15, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  4. "Marko Hietala leaves Nightwish". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  5. Beebee, Steve (November 5, 2016). "Nightwish – The BIG Uber Rock Interview Exclusive". Uber Rock. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  6. Blabbermouth (July 19, 2018). "TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN Has 'Written About 80 Or 90 Percent Of The Material' For Next NIGHTWISH Album". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  7. Blabbermouth (February 18, 2018). "TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN Says New Project AURI 'Opened All The Floodgates When It Comes To Writing Songs For NIGHTWISH'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  8. "Nightwish have written up to 90% of new album". Louder. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  9. "FLOOR JANSEN On Songwriting Process For Next NIGHTWISH Album: 'It's Very Exciting'". Blabbermouth.net. November 15, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  10. "NIGHTWISH Has Completed Recording New Album: 'I'm Very, Very Happy With It,' Says FLOOR JANSEN". Blabbermouth. October 31, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  11. "NIGHTWISH Is Still Mixing New Album". Blabbermouth. December 18, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  12. "Kerromme teille nyt ilouutisen: Nightwishin uusi studioalbumi on valmis" (in Finnish). Soundi. January 10, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  13. "Nightwish Announce New Album HUMAN. :II: NATURE". Kerrang. January 16, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  14. "Nightwish detail new double studio album Human. :II: Nature". Louder. January 16, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  15. "NIGHTWISH Announces New Album, 'Human. :II: Nature.'". Blabbermouth. January 16, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  16. "Nightwish Announce New Double Album". antiMUSIC. January 16, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  17. "MUSIC - COUNTDOWN #1", Facebook, retrieved April 9, 2020
  18. "NIGHTWISH's TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN Says 'Noise' Video Is 'Not A Criticism About Technology Or Cell Phones'". Blabbermouth. 8 March 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  19. Jansen, Floor (9 April 2020). "SHOEMAKER - COUNTDOWN #8". YouTube. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  20. "NIGHTWISH's TROY DONOCKLEY Talks "Harvest" Single In New Countdown Video". BraveWords. April 5, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  21. "NIGHTWISH's TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN On 'Human. :II: Nature': 'It's A Concept Album Without Intending It To Be'". Blabbermouth. February 4, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  22. "HOW'S THE HEART - COUNTDOWN #2", Facebook, retrieved April 13, 2020
  23. "TRIBAL - COUNTDOWN #7", Facebook, retrieved April 9, 2020
  24. "Nightwish soitti Infernolle tulevan albuminsa – lue ensitunnelmat" (in Finnish). Inferno. January 21, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  25. "Nightwish launch lyric video for their new single Harvest". Louder. March 6, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  26. "NIGHTWISH Announce Partnership With World Land Trust International Conservation Charity Organization; Video Featuring New Track 'Ad Astra' Posted". BraveWords. March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  27. "NIGHTWISH Becomes First Band Ever To Be Given Permission To Hold Shoot At London's Natural History Museum". Blabbermouth. January 22, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  28. "NIGHTWISH Releases Lyric Video For Every Song On 'Human. :II: Nature.' Album". Blabbermouth. April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  29. "Metal behemoths Nightwish: "David Attenborough wrote to personally decline appearing on our album"". NME. May 13, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  30. "Nightwish has been nominated for the prestigious Finnish Emma Awards!". Nightwish. January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  31. "NIGHTWISH - RE-SCHEDULED NIGHTWISH USA 2021 DATES HERE". Nightwish. August 10, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  32. "Nightwish Announce Rescheduled Tour For 2021". Kerrang!. September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  33. "NIGHTWISH - Postponed Russian, Belarus, Ukranian Tour Dates". May 9, 2020.
  34. "Reviews and Tracks for Human. :II: Nature. by Nightwish". Metacritic. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  35. "AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek". AllMusic. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  36. "Album: Nightwish - Human II: Nature". The Arts Desk. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  37. Moar, Jack (April 9, 2020). "ALBUM REVIEW: Human. :II: Nature. - Nightwish". Distorted Sound. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  38. "Album Review: Nightwish - Human. :II: Nature". Folk N' Rock. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  39. "Nightwish's Human. :II: Nature. - theatrical and captivating". Louder Sound. April 10, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  40. "Nightwish - Human. :II: Nature. review". Metal Storm. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  41. (2020). "Human. :||: Nature. liner notes". In Human. :||: Nature. [CD booklet]. Nuclear Blast.
  42. "Australiancharts.com – Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature.". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  43. "Austriancharts.at – Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature." (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  44. "Ultratop.be – Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  45. "Ultratop.be – Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature." (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  46. "Tory Lanez Has Every Reason To Be Smiling This Week". FYIMusicNews. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  47. "Lista prodaje 17. tjedan 2020. (20.04.2020. - 26.04.2020.)". top-lista (in Croatian). Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  48. "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 202016 on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  49. "Dutchcharts.nl – Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  50. "Nightwish: Human. :II: Nature." (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  51. "Lescharts.com – Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature.". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  52. "Offiziellecharts.de – Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature." (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  53. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2020. 16. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  54. "Italiancharts.com – Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature.". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  55. "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2020-04-20" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  56. "Norwegiancharts.com – Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature.". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  57. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  58. "Portuguesecharts.com – Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature.". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  59. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  60. "Swedishcharts.com – Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature.". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  61. "Swisscharts.com – Nightwish – Human. :II: Nature.". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  62. "Top 10 des ventes d'albums et de singles en Suisse romande". Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  63. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  64. "Billboard 200: April 25, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  65. "Billboard Top Album Sales: April 25, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  66. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts 2020" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  67. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2020". hitparade.ch. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.