Endless Forms Most Beautiful (album)

Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Studio album by Nightwish
Released March 25, 2015 (Japan)
March 27, 2015 (EU), (ARG)
March 30, 2015 (UK)
March 31, 2015 (USA[1])
April 10, 2015 (rest of world)
Recorded August–September 28, 2014 at Röskö Campsite in Eno, Finland[2][3]
October 2014 at Petrax Studio in Hollala[3]
October 2014 in London, UK[4]
Genre Symphonic metal, power metal, folk metal, Celtic metal
Length 78:36[5]
Label Nuclear Blast, Roadrunner
Producer Tuomas Holopainen
Nightwish chronology

Imaginaerum
(2011)		 Endless Forms Most Beautiful
(2015)
Singles from Endless Forms Most Beautiful
  1. "Élan"
    Released: February 13, 2015
  2. "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"
    Released: May 8, 2015

Endless Forms Most Beautiful is the eighth album by Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish. It was released on March 27, 2015 in the EU and Argentina, and was released on March 30 in the UK (although pre-orders made via the Nightwish official site were released on 27 March 2015) and on March 31 in the USA.[6][7] It is the band's first album with new singer Floor Jansen, as well as the first to feature Troy Donockley, who played uillean pipes and various other instruments on Dark Passion Play and Imaginaerum, as a full-time member.

It is also their first album without drummer Jukka Nevalainen, who had to take a temporary break from the band due to suffering of strong insomnia, leading him to step away from both the album and its subsequent tour. All the drum parts on the album were played by Kai Hahto from Wintersun and Swallow the Sun.[8] Due to this, the album features only five Nightwish members, despite being their first album released with the band being a sextet.

The first single from the album, titled "Élan", was leaked on February 9,[9] four days before its planned release date of February 13, 2015.[10]

Production

Concept

The album was primarily inspired by the work of naturalist Charles Darwin. According to Nightwish's main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen, the album found its main inspiration from a famous quote from Darwin's 1859 highly influential book On the Origin of Species. This quote included the words "endless forms most beautiful", used by Darwin to describe the evolution from one common ancestor to all living organisms, that were subsequently chosen as the title of the album:[11][12]

There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.

“
”

Other titles, such as "Élan" and "The Greatest Show on Earth" were considered for the title of the album, but Tuomas felt the latter was too "pompous", so the band eventually opted for "Endless Forms Most Beautiful".[13]

Tuomas said he would like fans to listen to the album from beginning to the end, like they do when they watch a movie, instead of listening to songs on a random basis.[14] He also said there is a "very loose" concept in the album: "It's all about beauty of life, the beauty of existence, nature, science".[14] Comparing it with Imaginaerum, he said: "The previous album was a tribute to the power of imagination. Endless Forms Most Beautiful would be an equal tribute to science and the power of reason".[14]

Songwriting

As with every Nightwish album, Endless Forms Most Beautiful was mainly written and composed by Tuomas Holopainen. However, in the same way since 2002, singer and bassist Marco Hietala acted as secondary songwriter. This time, he even had some of his lyrics used on the album.[15] Commenting on the songs after recording a first demo, Holopainen said "It's still too early to analyze the material more closely, but the album will once again explore all the ends of the spectrum, bringing the very best out of the newcomers Floor [Jansen] and Troy [Donockley]. And stealthily the album ended up having a theme running through it."[2] Holopainen composed the songs of the new album at the same time he was composing the songs for his first solo album, Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge; he mainly worked on the songs in late night and in the morning, stating "I think I haven't written a song after 6 PM for this album".[16]

Endless Forms Most Beautiful is the first Nightwish album featuring Floor Jansen.

New members Jansen and Donockley both discussed their roles in the new album; Jansen stated "[Holopainen's] style didn't change of course, but there are things that he hears me singing as well as for example Troy and Marco, and you can just feel that those parts really fit, and at the same time he's triggering me to do new things, so I'm gonna also find new, you know, sounds and borders within my sound, and 'Let's just try this!', and usually, you know, it just fits."[17] She said Holopainen "challenged me using everything I have to offer. High, low, soft, whatever, but definitely lower stuff and very soft and intimate things. Something that more by coincidence was something that I kind of missed doing. Something I haven't explored much and Tuomas wrote parts where I have to use this completely, where I have to go into it entirely. I'm very happy with what came out there." When asked if there would be operatic singing in the album, she answered "yes, but not so much" and that the band experimented with lots of different styles, with some occasional operatic backing vocals.[18] Tuomas later confirmed he did challenge her for he thought her voice could fit both heavier and softer songs.[14] In yet another interview, he said the band tried operatic vocals in some of the songs, but "it just didn't feel right. We felt that these stories, these songs, don't really require that style of singing. It felt like the right approach to all of us, including Floor, that we should get rid of it mostly. It's very important to be humble before the songs so that you don't do things just because you can – or just to show off when it comes to singing, solos or whatever."[19]

Despite the fact she was an active composer and lyricist in both her former band After Forever and her current other band ReVamp, Jansen was not a part of the songwriting process of her first Nightwish album. She commented "I don't feel the necessity of me being an active songwriting member, because the music is so good. It's about the songs and the music that goes first and not about my ego wanting to join like that. But if I can participate or add something with my creative input, of course I would love that. Of course, I have creative energy in me that needs to come out one way or another, but that's where ReVamp comes in."[20] Holopainen commented that, however, "she will bring a lot of interpretations, some arrangements and positive energy for sure."[21]

Donockley said about his parts: "[Tuomas] writes with challenging parts, you know, especially for the pipes, because the pipes are very much a part of a style and a tradition, so it's always nice for me to really push the boundaries of the instrument. But it's not to saturation point, you know, it's not pipes over every song."[22]

The style of the album has been described by the members as "more band-focused".[18][23] Guitarist Emppu Vuorinen stated shortly after the beginning of rehearsals "I don't know if it has something to do with age – but the need to show off has diminished even more. It's more like you want to do justice to the song and not strut your stuff."[24] Tuomas said it is heavier than its two predecessors, citing "Weak Fantasy", "Yours Is an Empty Hope" and the title song as examples,[14] and also said it is has more prominent bass and guitars. Jansen called it a "100% Nightwish" album.[18]

Recording

Holopainen, Hietala and audio engineer Tero "TeeCee" Kinnunen first recorded a demo of 12 songs from late April to May 14, 2014.[2][21] The band subsequently begun rehearsals and recordings in the following months in Eno, Finland, in a "cabin" in the middle of a semi-deserted land of snow and trees that the band rented, and loosely referred by them as the "summer camp".[25] The band went straight from rehearsals to the recording,[15] "so that whole band-vibe was also put into the recordings", as Jansen put it.[18]

Talking about their work environment, Donockley said "It's hard to describe, the peace, the stillness, the geology, the biology of the place. [...] I've never seen anything like this. It's a wondrous place". Jansen stated "I am very sensitive about environment. Don't put me in the middle of a city and maybe super shiny, fantastic studio and keep me inspired for weeks. But a place like this does. I love nature and I love calm. We can work for hours and then you can relax."[26] Discussing both the advantages and disavantages of the "summer camp" compared to an actual studio, Hietala said "It's nice, everything set up and we can record whenever we want. When we have something ready, we can just record it and listen to it. [...] Actual studios are safer in the way that they are soundproofed. You don't have to worry about outside noise. [Here], if there's a thunderclap, you can hear it on the vocal track, too.[22] Jansen also commented: "We all had our little cabin where we could sleep and have some privacy if we wanted to, which also allowed us to have our spouses, children, friends or whatever just coming around. In one of the main houses we built a rehearsal studio, and upstairs from that the recording studio. In the beginning of July we started rehearsing, and even though first they wanted to start with the instrumental base, I visited just out of curiosity. It was just so cool that I just stayed, which gave us even more time to go into details in regards to the vocals, something relatively new for Nightwish to do during the rehearsals."[18]

During the last month, it has become evident for me that due to my insomnia, I can't fulfill my duties as a musician in the way that I'd want and with the precision that the music deserves. Thus I have decided to step aside from my duties as the drummer of Nightwish during the recording of the forthcoming album and the subsequent tour.

“
”
Jukka Nevalainen, announcing his temporary break from Nightwish.

On August 6, 2014, the band's drummer, Jukka Nevalainen, announced he would not be a part of the upcoming album and its following tour due to suffering from strong insomnia, making it the very first Nightwish album without him.[27] He stated "I will still be involved in managing the day-to-day affairs of the band, but the dearest and the most important thing, playing, is, for the time being, not possible. Time will tell what the future holds. On a personal level, my decision obviously feels indescribably sad. Fortunately, looking at it with some distance, it is 'just' part of the constant, inevitable ebb and flow of life." He also announced that Kai Hahto, drummer of melodic death metal bands Wintersun and Swallow the Sun, long-time drum technician for Nightwish, and a good friend of his, would be his replacement on the album.[28]

On August 24, the band announced the drums recordings were done.[29] They subsequently announced the finished recordings of other instruments: bass on September 1, guitars on September 6, and Jansen and Hietala's vocals on September 26.[30][31][32] Holopainen himself was surprised of how well the recording went, finishing ahead of schedule: "I think it was because everything was so well-rehearsed this time. We've tried to work more like a band." [17] On September 28, the band announced they were leaving the "summer camp" after three months of work, to head to London in order to record the orchestra, choirs, and percussion.[33]

On October 8, they were recording with Pip Williams and the orchestra. Jansen, who had never worked with an orchestra before, said she was "stunned by the professionalism of the players, the conductor James Shearman, the studio engineers and by the amazing arrangements Pip made".[4] On October 14 they were still in London, recording various choir ensembles, including the Metro Voices, and percussion instruments.[34] Holopainen commented "“This must be the sixth or seventh time we're working with these people. We've realized what they can do during these years. So it's really not a surprise anymore but it hasn't ceased to amaze me. The level of professionalism is just unbelievable. But even more importantly, they clearly like what they're doing. The guys we've worked with for over 10 years are still up for it"[24] In the meanwhile, they also announced the same month the presence of evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins on the album as a guest.[35] Tuomas himself reached him through a hand-written letter, to which Dawkins answered two weeks later via e-mail saying he never heard of Nightwish before,[19] but became interested after listening to some of the songs on the internet.[19][13] He had his parts recorded by Michael Taylor at the Hats Off Studios in Oxford.[3]

The mixing of the album was undertaken by Holopainen and long-time collaborators Mikko Karmila and Tero Kinnunen. On October 29, 2014, the band announced the beginning of mixing.[36] On December 16, the band announced that mixing was finished.[37] It was then mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox in January 2015.[3]

Song information

The first track "Shudder Before the Beautiful" opens with a quote by Richard Dawkins and its lyrics talk about the "beauty of the world and everything it has to offer".[38] It reminded Tuomas of Once and Oceanborn and features a duel between him and Emppu for the first time in about 15 years.[38]

"Weak Fantasy" was mainly composed by Marco and it's considered by Tuomas to be maybe the heaviest song of the album.[38] Its lyrics, which criticize how some religions restrict people lives,[39] were also co-written by Marco, who contributed specifically on a originally instrumental section of the song that they felt was too long to be lacking lyrics.[39] The first single "Élan" is about "the meaning of life, which can be something different for all of us. It's important to surrender yourself to the occasional 'free fall' and not to fear the path less travelled by."[40] It was originally intended to be left out of the final tracklist, but Tuomas liked it better after the band started worked on it. Following a suggestion of Troy or Marco, he replaced "Edema Ruh" with it as the album's first single.[38]

Tuomas was initially unsure about making "Yours Is an Empty Hope" (co-written by Marco and also referred to as one of the heaviest of the album[38]), but ultimately decided to do it because the subject matter was very "inspirational".[23] He refrained from explaining the lyrics on a deep level because he didn't want to "ruin" other people's interpretations.[23][13] Marco, however, said in another interview that it deals with the idea of "living the 'here and now', not 'then'."[39]

"Our Decades in the Sun" is a ballad[38] in tribute to the band members' parents. Tuomas said it was "maybe the most difficult song to put together" due to it being delicate and intimate - indeed, the members cried while rehearsing and recording it. "My Walden" is a Celtic song with a more prominent Troy and was considered by Tuomas as a continuation to "I Want My Tears Back" from Imaginaerum.[38] The title-track is inspired by Dawkin's book The Ancestor's Tale.[38] "Edema Ruh" refers to the group of traveling musicians and actors appearing in Patrick Rothfuss's book The Name of the Wind.[38] It was the first songs to be written to the album.[13] "Alpenglow" was referred to as the "ultimate Nightwish song" by Tuomas.[38]

"The Eyes of Sharbat Gula" is an instrumental song originally planned to feature lyrics. Tuomas was inspired to write it a couple of years before when he bought an issue of National Geographic which featured a reproduction of the famous picture of Sharbat Gula.[14] Tuomas explained that the photograph "just made a huge impact on me. Those eyes, those wild, untamed and at the same time fearless and fearful eyes. I want to capture the essence of that photo in one of the songs".[14] The song was intended to be about children at war, but he was struggling with the lyrics due to the theme being too delicate. Following input by Troy, he decided not to add any lyrics at all apart from distant voices and a children choir.[14][38] He said it works as an intermission between the album and the final track.

"The Greatest Show on Earth", the ending track, is the longest Nightwish song to date and refers to "life and evolution by natural selection".[14] The title was taken from a book by Richard Dawkins.[14] Tuomas also said that the band is unlikely to play the entire song live, but there is a "band section" in the middle of it that they are willing to perform.[14] He called it "the most ambitious thing we ever did" and said it was originally even longer, with a length of over 30 minutes.[23] Tuomas consider the album to be made of "nine great support acts, [...] one intermission and then the main act", the ending track.[38]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
About.com [41]
Blabbermouth.net [42]
Dangerdog Music Reviews [43]
Metal Storm [44]
Metal Hammer (positive) [45]
The Guardian [46]

Endless Forms Most Beautiful received highly positive reviews from critics. Metal Storm called it "a sweet album of awesome songs, and doesn't try to be some over the top attempt at grandly announcing a new era for the band. It's simply a great album. And that was a smart move", highly praising Jansen's vocals and how she challenged her voice compared to her previous works, mentioning how she uses "the soft and sweet side, the lows, the hushed serenade, as well as an even harsher side."[44]

In a positive review, Metal Hammer called "The Greatest Show on Earth" "comfortably the most spectacular thing Nightwish have ever written. The album is the most metal record they have done in a decade, and Floor has no trouble cementing her place in the band."[45]

Dangerdog Music Reviews states "The new Nightwish album, Endless Forms Most Beautiful is pretty darn terrific. [...] This is the Nightwish you know and love: breathtaking arrangements paired with massive orchestration and beautiful vocals."[43]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Tuomas Holopainen except "Weak Fantasy" and "Yours Is an Empty Hope" by Holopainen and Marco Hietala, all music composed by Holopainen except where indicated.

No. Title Length
1. "Shudder Before the Beautiful"   6:29
2. "Weak Fantasy" (Hietala, Holopainen) 5:23
3. "Élan"   4:45
4. "Yours Is an Empty Hope" (Hietala, Holopainen) 5:34
5. "Our Decades in the Sun" (Hietala, Holopainen) 6:37
6. "My Walden" (Holopainen, Hietala) 4:38
7. "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"   5:07
8. "Edema Ruh"   5:15
9. "Alpenglow"   4:45
10. "The Eyes of Sharbat Gula" (Instrumental) 6:03
11. "The Greatest Show on Earth"
  • I. "Four Point Six" (5:47)
  • II. "Life" (5:05)
  • III. "The Toolmaker" (Hietala, Holopainen) (6:22)
  • IV. "The Understanding" (3:00)
  • V. "Sea-Worn Driftwood" (3:48)"  
 24:00
Total length:
 78:36[5]

Editions

Upon release across various online stores (Nuclear Blast, Mad Supply, EMP, Napalm etc.), Endless Forms Most Beautiful came in multiple editions, ready for pre-orders. Note that some of these editions are exclusive to certain websites.

To promote the album, Mad Supply released special t-shirt bundles, while Nuclear Blast exclusively sells the light blue, dark green, purple and neon orange vinyls. Mad Supply also announced that two random pre-orders for the album would receive a copy of "Showtime, Storytime", specially signed by all members of the band.

Personnel

All information but the lead vocals track specification can be verified at the album booklet.[3]

Nightwish
Additional musicians
Production
  • Tuomas Holopainen - production, mixing
  • Tero "TeeCee" Kinuunen - co-production, engineering, mixing
  • Nightwish - co-production
  • Mikko Karmilla - engineering, mixing
  • Steve Price - orchestra engineering
  • Jeremy Murphy - orchestra engineering assistant
  • Jussi Tegelman - soundscapes and music echoes in "The Toolmaker"
  • "Sea-Worn Driftwood" features Francesco Lupica's Cosmic Beam Experience
  • Mika Jussila - mastering
  • Janne & Gina Pitkänen - cover art
  • Ville Juurikkala - band photography

Orchestre de Grandeur personnel
  • Isobel Griffiths - orchestral contractor
  • Lucy Whalley - assistant orchestral contractor
  • Violins - Perry Montague-Mason, Emlyn Singleton, Dermot Crehan, Patrick Kiernan, Mark Berrow, Rita Manning, Boguslaw Kostecki, Everton Nelson, Chris Tombling, Steve Morris, Jackie Hartley, Emil Chakalov, Pete Hanson, Jim McLeod, Sonia Slany
  • Violas - Peter Lale, Bruce White, Martin Humbey, Rachel Bolt, Andy Parker
  • Cellos - Martin Loveday, Dave Daniels, Jonathan Williams, Frank Schaefer, Paul Kegg
  • Double basses - Chris Laurence, Steve Mair, Richard Pryce
  • Flute, piccolo - Andy Findon, Anna Noakes
  • Oboe, cor anglais - David Theodore
  • Bb Clarinet - Nicholas Bucknall
  • Bb Clarinet, bass clarinet - Dave Fuest
  • Bassoon, contrabassoon - Julie Andrews
  • French horns - Richard Watkins, Philip Eastop, Nigel Black
  • Trumpets - Phil Cobb, Mike Lovatt, Kate Moore
  • Tenor trombones - Mark Nightingale, Ed Tarrant
  • Bass trombone - Andy Wood
  • Tuba - Owen Slade
  • Harp - Skaila Kanga
  • Ethnic percussion - Paul Clarvis, Stephen Henderson
  • Timpani - Stephen Henderson
  • Orchestral percussion - Frank Ricotti, Gary Kettel
Metro Voices personnel
  • Jenny O'Grady - Choirmaster
  • Alexandra Gibson, Alice Fearn, Ann de Renais, Catherine Bott, Claire Henry, Deborah Miles Johnson, Eleanor Meynell, Emma Brain Gabbott, Grace Davidson, Helen Brooks, Jacqueline Barron, Jenny O’Grady, Joanna Forbes, Jo Marshall, Kate Bishop, Mary Carewe, Morag MacKay, Rosemary Forbes Butler, Sarah Eyden, Soophia Foroughi, Andrew Playfoot, Ben Fleetwood Smyth, Callum MacIntosh, David Porter Thomas, Gabriel Vick, Gerard O’Beirne, James Mawson, Lawrence Wallington, Lawrence White, Michael Dore, Neil Bellingham, Richard Henders, Robin Bailey, Stephen Weller, Steve Trowell, Tom Pearce
The Children's Choir personnel - Young Musicians London
  • Lynda Richardson - Choirmaster
  • Omar Ait el Caid, Bertie Beaman, Delphine Christou Hill, Oliver Cripps, Eleanor Grant, Rowan Hallett, Theo Harper, Jane Jones, Asha Lincogle-Gabriel, Jenson Loake, Celine Markantonis, Kaela Simi Masek, Robert Masek, Marguerite Moriarty, Andrew Morton, Akinoluwa Olawore, Modadeogo Olawore, Christopher Sabiski, Alistair Spencer, George Webb

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[47] 16
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[48] 4
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[49] 14
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[50] 15
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[51] 13
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[52] 1
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[53] 21
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[54] 3
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[55] 1
French Albums (SNEP)[56] 12
German Albums (Official Top 100)[57] 2
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[58] 2
Irish Albums (IRMA)[59] 21
Italian Albums (FIMI)[60] 18
New Zealand Albums (Recorded Music NZ)[61] 32
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[62] 3
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[63] 10
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[64] 21
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[65] 13
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[66] 3
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[67] 2
UK Albums (OCC)[68] 12
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[69] 1
US Billboard 200[70] 34
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[71] 8
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[72] 4

References

  1. ↑ "News of "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"". Facebook.com. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Tuomas Holopainen (May 14, 2014). "14th May - Demo update". Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 (2015). "Endless Forms Most Beautiful liner notes". In Endless Forms Most Beautiful [CD booklet]. Nuclear Blast/Roadrunner.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "The icing on the cake!". October 8, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 待望のニュー・アルバム完成！！3月25日、日本先行発売！！. Universal Music Japan (in Japanese). 2 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  6. ↑ Jarmo Lautamki, Christian Lessner, Benedikt Deicke, Estevo Camargo. "Nightwish - The Official Website".
  7. ↑ "Lanzamiento de Endless Forms Most Beautiful en Argentina" (in español). Facebook.com. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  8. ↑ http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/nightwish-drummer-jukka-nevalainen-forced-to-take-break-from-band-due-to-health-issues/
  9. ↑ "NIGHTWISH's TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN Says Leak Of New Single 'Èlan' Is 'Huge Blow'". Blabbermouth.net. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  10. ↑ Lach, Stef (8 December 2014). "Nightwish detail Elan single". Metal Hammer. TeamRock. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  11. ↑ "NIGHTWISH – "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" comes to life!". Nightwish's official website. Nightwish. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Darwin, Charles (1859). "XIV". On The Origin of Species. p. 503. ISBN 0-8014-1319-2. Retrieved 2011-02-27.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 "Nightwish's Tuomas Holopainen On Endless Forms Most Beautiful– "The Album Is About The Diversity Of The Life, The Beauty Of The Natural World"". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 14.9 14.10 Schleutermann, Marcus (27 February 2015). "Nightwish - Food for Thought". EMP Rockinvasion (in English for the most of it and small introduction and ending in German). Köln. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "NIGHTWISH's MARCO HIETALA Says 'Endless Forms Most Beautiful' Has 'Organic Band Vibe'". Blabbermouth.net. 5 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  16. ↑ "NIGHTWISH - Making of new album 2015; Episode 3 (OFFICIAL TRAILER)". YouTube. August 20, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Get ready for the release of our seventh album trailer.". Facebook. November 12, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 "Raise the Blind: An Interview with Floor Jansen". Metal Blast. Amsterdam. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 "Tuomas and Floor on Dawkins' inspiration". Loudwire. TeamRock. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  20. ↑ Holopainen, Tuomas (November 27, 2013). "FLOOR JANSEN Doesn't Feel Need To Get Involved In Songwriting For Next NIGHTWISH Album". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Holopainen, Tuomas (May 16, 2014). "NIGHTWISH's TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN Records Demo Of 12 Songs For Next Album". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "NIGHTWISH - Making of new album 2015; Episode 5 (OFFICIAL TRAILER)". YouTube. October 2, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 "Floor and Tuomas from Nightwish on the creation of new album Endless Forms Most Beautiful". Metal Hammer. TeamRock. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Fourth "making-of" album trailer ("The beginning of the Nightwish summer camp") online!". September 11, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  25. ↑ "New album in the making, first trailer online!". July 9, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Fifth "making-of" album trailer ("More Campers") online!". October 1, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Nightwish Drummer Jukka Nevalainen Forced To Take Break From Band Due To Health Issues". Blabbermouth.net. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  28. ↑ "Nightwish news for August 2014". Nightwish official website. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  29. ↑ "The drum recordings are done and it all sounds fantastic! Onwards!". August 24, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Marco finished the bass recordings!". September 1, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  31. ↑ "The recording of the album is doing great!". September 6, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  32. ↑ "VOX done! Marco and Floor finished their vocal recording!!!". September 26, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  33. ↑ "We packed up the summer camp….and we feel the blues of saying goodbye to this beautiful place we called 'home' for the last three month". September 28, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  34. ↑ "More cherries on the pie!". October 14, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Nightwish's Next Album To Feature Guest Appearance By British Professor Richard Dawkins". Blabbermouth.net.
  36. ↑ "THE MIXING OF THE ALBUM HAS BEGUN.". October 29, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  37. ↑ "The mix of our new album is finished". October 29, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 38.5 38.6 38.7 38.8 38.9 38.10 38.11 "Nightwish: track by track di "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"!". SpazioRock. 17 March 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 "Nightwish interview - Marco (part 1)". FaceCulture. 23 February 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  40. ↑ "First Single "Élan" Announced By Nightwish, Due Out February". Metal Underground. Retrieved 4 January 2015. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  41. ↑ "NIGHTWISH "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"". About.com. Retrieved 2015-04-07.
  42. ↑ "NIGHTWISH "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 "NIGHTWISH: ENDLESS FORMS MOST BEAUTIFUL". Dangerdog.com. 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 "Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful review". Metal Storm. 2015-03-27. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
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