Yesterwynde

Yesterwynde
Studio album by Nightwish
Released	20 September 2024 (2024-09-20)
Recorded	August–November 2023
Studio	Röskö Campsite (Kitee) Paha Pajari (Kitee) Petrax (Hollola) Studio Dahl (Brastad) Troykington Castle (North Yorkshire) Abbey Road Studios (London)
Genre	Symphonic metal progressive metal [1] gothic metal [2]
Length	71:07
Label	Nuclear Blast
Producer	Tuomas Holopainen
Nightwish studio album chronology
Human. :II: Nature. (2020) Yesterwynde (2024)
Singles from Yesterwynde
"Perfume of the Timeless" Released: 21 May 2024 "The Day of..." Released: 8 August 2024 "An Ocean of Strange Islands" Released: 10 September 2024

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Blabbermouth.net	8.5/10 [3]
Classic Rock	[4]
Distorted Sound	9/10 [5]
Kerrang!	[6]
Metal Hammer	[7]
Metal Injection	9/10 [8]
Rock Hard	8.5/10 [9]

Yesterwynde is the tenth studio album by the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, released on 20 September 2024 by Nuclear Blast. This marks their first studio album since 2002's Century Child that does not feature Marko Hietala, following his departure from the band in January 2021, and the first album to feature Jukka Koskinen as the new bassist. ^{[10] [11]} It is also their first album to not feature Pip Williams as the orchestral arranger.

Background

Production

Holopainen began drafting ideas for the next Nightwish album in March and April 2021 ^[12] while also engaging with his side projects Auri and Darkwoods My Betrothed. ^[13] He confirmed that the band had booked a studio for the next album, scheduled for three months in the summer of 2023 at the Röskö campsite. ^{[14] [15]} In March 2022, Holopainen entered the studio to write demos for the upcoming Nightwish album, ^{[16] [17]} which were later completed in June 2022. ^[18]

After the band listened to the demos, ^[19] Jansen, who was at the time working on her debut solo album Paragon, commented that while the band's signature sound would remain intact, the album would take a heavier direction. ^[20] Holopainen later confirmed that the next album would serve as both a continuation of Human. :II: Nature and the third and final part of a trilogy that began with Endless Forms Most Beautiful . ^{[21] [22]} After completing the demos in July at an undisclosed location, the band began tracking the album in August. ^[23] Drummer Kai Hahto later confirmed that he had finished recording drums for eight songs. ^[24] The band completed tracking their instruments in September 2023, ^[25] with the orchestral arrangements concluding the following month. ^[26] The recording sessions were completed by the end of November 2023. Mixing and mastering commenced at Finnvox Studios in January 2024, ^[27] and was completed by the end of February. ^[28]

Composition

Themes

The title of the album is a word coined by band member Troy Donockley, which Holopainen describes as encapsulating the feelings of time, history, memory, and the connection to past generations, who have "all had their lives, their ups and downs, and they don't exist anymore, except as atoms scattered all over the universe. And we're going to be in that state pretty soon as well. So that should give you something to think about."

Holopainen has characterized the album as exploring themes of humanism, history, and their inspirations, emphasizing that the overall outlook of the album is positive and optimistic. ^[29]

Release and promotion

The album's title was announced on April 30, 2024, along with a release date of September 20, 2024. ^[30] The first single from the album, titled "Perfume of the Timeless," was released on May 21, 2024. ^[31] The second single, titled "The Day of...," was released on August 8, 2024. ^[32] The third and final single, "An Ocean of Strange Islands," was released on September 10, 2024. ^[33] A music video for the song "Lanternlight" was released on September 20, 2024, the same day the album was released. ^[34] A lyric video for the album's title track was released on January 13, 2025. ^[35]

To promote the release of the album, Nightwish partnered with four experiences on the online game platform Roblox from September 20 to September 22, allowing users to listen to the album in select experiences. ^[36]

There was no tour planned to support the album, as the band began a hiatus from touring following its release, ^{[37] [38]} which Hahto stated would last for "two or three years." ^[39]

Track listing

All music and lyrics are written by Tuomas Holopainen; ^[40] all lead vocals by Floor Jansen, except where noted.

Yesterwynde track listing

No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Yesterwynde"		2:43
2.	"An Ocean of Strange Islands"		9:26
3.	"The Antikythera Mechanism"	Jansen with Troy Donockley	5:55
4.	"The Day of..."		4:34
5.	"Perfume of the Timeless"	Jansen with Donockley	8:11
6.	"Sway"	Donockley with Jansen	4:23
7.	"The Children of 'Ata"	Jansen with Hanalee Valke	5:37
8.	"Something Whispered Follow Me"		6:39
9.	"Spider Silk"	Jansen with Donockley	6:26
10.	"Hiraeth"	Donockley with Jansen	6:14
11.	"The Weave"		4:53
12.	"Lanternlight"	Jansen with Donockley	6:06
Total length:			71:07

Streaming platforms bonus tracks ^{[41] [42]}

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Yesterwynde" (orchestral version)	3:22
14.	"An Ocean of Strange Islands" (orchestral version)	9:26
15.	"The Antikythera Mechanism" (orchestral version)	5:52
16.	"The Day of..." (orchestral version)	4:24
17.	"Perfume of the Timeless" (orchestral version)	8:13
18.	"Sway" (orchestral version)	3:26
19.	"The Children of 'Ata" (orchestral version)	5:19
20.	"Something Whispered Follow Me" (orchestral version)	6:32
21.	"Spider Silk" (orchestral version)	5:43
22.	"The Weave" (orchestral version)	4:49
23.	"Lanternlight" (orchestral version)	5:32
Total length:		133:00

Personnel

Credits for Yesterwynde adapted from liner notes. ^[40]

Nightwish

• Tuomas Holopainen  –keyboards
• Emppu Vuorinen  –guitars
• Floor Jansen  –lead vocals
• Troy Donockley  – Uilleann pipes, low whistles, acoustic guitar, bouzouki, bodhrán, aerophone, male vocals (on track 3, 5, 6, 9, 10 & 12), backing vocals (on track 1 & 8)
• Kai Hahto  –drums, percussion
• Jukka Koskinen  –bass

Additional personnel

• Hanalee Valke –vocals (on track 7)
• Tuomas Holopainen –production, mixing, orchestral and choir arrangements
• Troy Donockley –engineering
• Tero Kinnunen –production, engineering, mixing
• Mikko Karmila –engineering, mixing
• Jonathan Allen –engineering
• Neil Dawes –engineering assistant
• John Barrett –engineering (additional)
• Risto Hemmi –mixing (ATMOS version)
• Mika Jussila –mastering
• Niklas Jussila –mastering (ATMOS version)
• Pete Voutilainen –cover art, photography
• Mikko Pankasalo –layout
• James Shearman  – conductor, orchestral and choir arrangements

The Sepian Voices

• Tom Pearce –choirmaster
• Sarah Eyden, Grace Davidson, Joanna Forbes, Sarah Ryan, Katy Treharne, Caroline Clarke, Sejal Keshwala, Jacqueline Barron, Soophia Roroughi, Kirsty Hoiles, Mary Carewe, Claire Henry, Alice Fearn, Louise Marshall, Liz Swain, Helen Brookes, Sumudu Jayatilaka, Jo Marshall, Tom Pearce, Gerry O'Beirne, Philip Brown, Robin Bailey, Richard Henders, Michael Robinson, Sebastian Charlesworth, Michare Dore, Ben Goddard, Lawrence White, Scott Davies, David Porter Thomas, Andrew Playfoot, Lawrence Wallington, James Mawson, Cameron Jones

The Children of 'Ata Choir

• Hanalee Valke, Isabella Moore, Philip Rhodes, Benson Wilson, Kieran Rayner

Children's Choir

• Malakai Bayoh, William Borthwick, Daniel Catalogna, Christy Cole, Charles Deconinck, Chet Gibson, Edward Grant, Lukas Haggo, Thomas King, Victor Livert, Kieran Lund-Deely, Filippo Pignatelli, Adrian Pueyo-Blasco, Henry Scully, Benedict Sefton, Alfie Sterne, Giulio Tittoto, Davide Wernig, Toby Yates

Sepian Orchestra

Paul Edmund-Davies –flute Anna Noakes –flute, piccolo John Anderson –oboe, cor anglais Barnaby Robson –clarinet David Fuest –clarinet Gavin McNaughton –bassoon, contrabassoon Richard Watkins –french horn Nigel Black –french horn Martin Owen –french horn Michael Thompson –french horn John Thurgood –french horn Corinne Bailey –french horn Phil Woods –french horn Mike Lovatt –trumpet Jason Evans –trumpet Andy Wood –trombone Richard Edwards –trombone Ed Tarrant –trombone Barry Clements –trombone Adrian Miotti –tuba, cimbasso Bill Lockhart –timpani, percussion Paul Clarvis –percussion Frank Ricotti –percussion Chris Baron –percussion Skaila Kanga –harp Warren Zielinski –violin Jackie Shave –violin Patrick Kiernan –violin

Steve Morris –violin Magnus Johnston –violin Oscar Perks –violin Ralph De Souza –violin John Mills –violin Jonathan Evans-Jones –violin Marije Johnston –violin Paul Willey –violin Raja Halder –violin Elizabeth Cooney –violin Kathy Gowers –violin Peter Hanson –violin Dorina Markoff –violin Julian Leaper –violin Lorraine McAslan –violin Fenella Barton –violin Oli Langford –violin Sarah Sexton –violin Thomas Kemp –violin Debbie Preece –violin Bea Lovejoy –violin Ben Buckton –violin Emil Chakalov –violin Clare Thompson –violin Thomas Gould –violin Laura Melhuish –violin Bruce White –viola Peter Lale –viola

Daisy Spiers –viola Kate Musker –viola Reiad Chibah –viola Chris Pitsillides –viola Lydia Lowndes-Northcott –viola Fiona Bonds –viola Martin Humbey –viola Richard Cookson –viola Rebecca Carrington –viola Emma Sheppard –viola Ian Burdge –cello Caroline Dearnley –cello Tony Woollard –cello Sophie Harris –cello David Daniels –cello Jonathan Williams –cello Jonny Byers –cello Joely Koos –cello Rachael Lander –cello Adrian Bradbury –cello Frank Schaefer –cello Chris Laurence –double bass Stacey Watton –double bass Laurence Ungless –double bass Steve Rossell –double bass Beth Symmons –double bass Richard Pryce –double bass

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Yesterwynde Chart (2024) Peak position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [43] 2 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [44] 12 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [45] 17 Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) [46] 78 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [47] 4 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [48] 1 French Albums (SNEP) [49] 15 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [50] 2 Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ) [51] 22 Italian Albums (FIMI) [52] 47 Japanese Albums (Oricon) [53] 50 Japanese Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [54] 59 Polish Albums (ZPAV) [55] 10 Portuguese Albums (AFP) [56] 15 Scottish Albums (OCC) [57] 6 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [58] 36 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [59] 6 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [60] 2 UK Albums (OCC) [61] 20 UK Independent Albums (OCC) [62] 3 UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [63] 1

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Yesterwynde Chart (2024) Position Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [64] 90

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