Yesterwynde

Yesterwynde is the upcoming tenth studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, and is set to be released on 20 September 2024 by Nuclear Blast.

This is their first studio album since Century Child to not feature Marko Hietala following his departure from the band in January 2021, and their first to feature Jukka Koskinen as the new bassist.

Background

Production

Holopainen started sketching drafts for the next Nightwish album through March and April 2021 while he remained busy with side projects Auri and Darkwoods My Betrothed. He confirmed that the band booked a studio for the next album, which was in the summer of 2023 for three months at the Röskö campsite. In March 2022, Holopainen entered the studio, writing demos for the next Nightwish album, which were later finished in June 2022.

After the band had listened to the demos, Jansen, who was at the time, working on her debut solo album Paragon, stated on 10 June 2022 that while the sound of the band would not be lost, the upcoming album would be put in a heavier direction. Holopainen later confirmed that the next album would be both a follow-up to Human. :II: Nature. and both the third and final part of a trilogy which was started from Endless Forms Most Beautiful. After completing the demos in July in an undisclosed location, the band began tracking for the album in August. Hahto later confirmed that he had finished recording eight songs. The band finished recording their instruments in September 2023, with the orchestral arrangements wrapping up the following month. The recording sessions were finished at the end of November 2023. Mixing and mastering began for the album at Finnvox Studios in January 2024, and was later completed at the end of February.

Composition

Themes

The title of the album is a word made by band member Troy Donockley, which Holopainen describes as the feeling of time, history, memory, and being connected to past generation, 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 described the album as being about humanism, history, and the inspiration thereof, and that outlook of the album is positive and optimistic.

Release and promotion

The tenth studio album's name, Yesterwynde, was announced on 30 April 2024 along with a release date for 20 September 2024. The first single for the album, called "Perfume of the Timeless", was released on 21 May 2024.

There is no tour planned to support the album, as the band is set to go on a hiatus from touring following the album's release, which Hahto had said would last for "two or three years".

Track listing

Personnel

Nightwish

• Tuomas Holopainen – keyboards
• Emppu Vuorinen – guitars
• Floor Jansen – lead vocals
• Troy Donockley – Uilleann pipes, low whistles, guitars, bouzouki, bodhran, aerophone, male vocals
• Kai Hahto – drums, percussion
• Jukka Koskinen – bass

Additional personnel

• Tuomas Holopainen – mixing
• Troy Donockley – engineering
• Tero Kinnunen – production, engineering, mixing
• Mikko Karmila – engineering, mixing
• 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

References