Review | Nightwish – Perfume of the Timeless [video single]

Nuclear Blast Records

The cinematic musical delivery of Nightwish has stunned the masses for decades. Mastermind Tuomas Holopainen has created musical imagery that finds its way into the homes of varied audiences, captivating listeners with his visually evocative compositions. With their album `Human. :II: Nature’, Tuomas and his band deepened their sonic journey by blending their epic cinematics with rich and luxurious orchestration, their symphonic elements outlined by a special edition instrumental disc, executing their music as orchestral pieces rather than metal.

A TANTALIZING PREVIEW

The album’s title of Disc 2, `All the Works of Nature Which Adorn the World’, could well be the pitch for their new and highly anticipated album, `Yesterwynde’. This latest offering explores the boundaries of their musical expression, interwoven with a narrative that takes listeners on a voyage through time, memory, and human nature.

Setting the beacons for this ambitious endeavor is their captivating new video, ,,Perfume of the Timeless’’. Released on YouTube, this visual spectacle serves as a tantalizing preview of the musical and thematic depths that await in `Yesterwynde’.

A CAPTIVATING VISUAL JOURNEY THROUGH TIME AND NATURE

The music video for Nightwish’s new single ,,Perfume of the Timeless” is a breath-taking cinematic experience that perfectly complements the song’s epic 8.5-minute runtime. The video takes viewers on a captivating journey through different eras and natural landscapes.

From the opening shots of a dense, misty forest, the visuals immediately transport you to a realm of mystique and wonder. Morphing life as mankind is created, the camera submerges into the underwater world for scenic depth also. These graphics are as captivating as there are beautiful, blending the song’s imagery with footage of “One breath around the World” by Franck Seguin. The camera work overall is simply stunning, with sweeping aerial views giving way to intimate close-ups that capture the intricate details of the flora and fauna. A documentary and visual journey in music.

As the song builds in intensity, the video cuts between various time periods depicting the math of generations developed, each rendered with an incredible attention to detail in the costuming and set design. We see glimpses of medieval times, renaissance fairs, and what appears to be the Victorian era, all woven together perfectly. Overall, these appearances have a steampunk-type of presence that blends well with the band’s presence.

NIGHTWISH – A POWERFUL APPEARANCE

Speaking of which, the band members of Nightwish make powerful appearances throughout the video, with Floor Jansen‘s towering and commanding presence as the central figure. Her soaring vocals are given a striking visual counterpart as she traverses different environments, from dark caverns to sunlit meadows. “Something from the Earth came, something for the World” Floor Janssen belts out to later emphasize “Mosaic of broken fragile pieces”, addressing the earth’s environmental frailty.

But real true star of the video is the natural world itself. The camera lingers lovingly on ancient trees, babbling brooks, and fields of wildflowers, reminding us of the beauty and timelessness of our planet. The stills are nesting immediately, the crafted pictures as paintings of our auras. The scenes are intercut with more abstract, dreamlike sequences that add a touch of surrealism to the whole experience. There’s a striking vibrance of impressionism fading into gloomier Steampunk color patterns, more colorless and less hued visuals whenever mankind appears on the screen. I personally experience this shift like the video is enforcing the earth’s current state, caused by our presence. 

The grim skulls and Floor appearing with a growling dragon / lizard around her, sums up the recoil of earth. Tuomas’ keys are powerful and symphonic adding luster, while raining into the front powerful also. When Floor pitches her soprano vocals, the chorus towers with precise drama and power. Touching her frail tone, the imagery is aligned well, traversing the song’s visionary outcome. 

NIGHTWISH – THE CONCLUSION

The music playing brings more visuals forward, recorded at the Natural History Museum, before the song starts to erupt. Kai Hahto’s drums intensify, and the progressive bombast is unloaded over images of nature’s relentless prowlers and its survival of the fittest. With erupting volcanos Emppu’s guitars also erupt, and a comet cruises towards our earth at high velocity the catastrophic turn of events increases over the dramatizing musical score, with Floor’s towering soprano pitches atop. Her performance is rich in texture and pitch perfect, conveying the right emotions to touch on deeper levels. So much character in het delivery, it really shines in epic and Grande timelessness of the context. 

There’s a ‘lighter’ quirky note injected amidst the catastrophic events, with dancing 50s films and Fritz the Cat being chased by mice, before mankind’s DNA and neurotransmitters lit by the actions taken. Returning to its meandering ambiance, the vocalic offload settles with (Troy Donockley’s?) male vocals taking over on the narrative and bringing this song to its innate title ,,Perfume of the Timeless” ….

Overall, the ,,Perfume of the Timeless” video is a masterclass in visual storytelling that elevates the already incredible song to new heights. It’s grandness and overpowering cinematic expose is a feast for the senses that demand to be experienced again and again to fully appreciate all its nuances and layers. Nightwish has once again proven themselves as true artisans of their craft.

Release date: 21 May 2024