NIGHTWISH’s Tuomas Holopainen On Endless Forms Most Beautiful – “I Would Prefer If People Listened To It On As Good A Sound System As Possible”

EMP Rock Invasion has uploaded an interview with Nightwish mainman Tuomas Holopainen and he discusses their upcoming album Endless Forms Most Beautiful.

Finland-based symphonic metal masters, Nightwish, recently released the first single “Élan” from their forthcoming studio album, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, which will be out on March 27th (Europe), 30th (UK) and 31st (North America). Today sees the release of the 12th episode from the “making of” series in which the band explain the themes and inspirations for Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Check it out below.
 

Keyboard player and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen comments: “There’s a kind of scientific approach to a lot of things on the album. Songs like “Shudder Before The Beautiful”, “Endless Forms Most Beautiful”, “The Greatest Show On Earth” or “Alpenglow” all somehow reflect the bliss of existence. It’s temporary character. Evolution…Maybe you could even talk about the poetic nature of science. Natural science and its paradigm – seem to represent something cold and boring to a lot of people. Hopefully we can illustrate with this album – that science can even be something profoundly spiritual.”

Stand-in drummer Kai Hahto adds: “It’s a perfect theme to an album. Like, how did we come to be? And when our time here is done, what kind of mark do we leave? It’s a pretty amazing theme.”

Endless Forms Most Beautiful will be available on magenta with silver splatter vinyl. This exclusive double LP vinyl pressing from Newbury Comics and Nuclear Blast is limited to only 750 pieces and can be pre-ordered here. Purchases are limited to 5 per customer.

Nightwish have posted a photo gallery from the video shoot for the single  on their official Facebook page. Check out the 27 shots by Ville Juurikkala here.

The “Élan” video, directed by Ville Lipiäinen, can be seen below along with a Making Of clip.

Tuomas Holopainen commented: “The long awaited Nightwish music video ‘Élan’ is finally here. Inspired by the untold stories of abandoned places around Finland, the video was nearly a year in the making and features some of the most loved Finnish actors and actresses. And also the legendary Nightwish symbol, a snowy owl (Bubo Scandiaca in Latin) called Urho (Braveheart).“

Endless Forms Most Beautiful will be released as follows:

Jewelcase

“Shudder Before The Beautiful”
“Weak Fantasy”
“Élan”
“Yours Is An Empty Hope”
“Our Decades In the Sun”
“My Walden”
“Endless Forms Most Beautiful”
“Edema Ruh”
“Alpenglow”
“The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula”
“The Greatest Show On Earth”

2LP black vinyl / 2LP picture vinyl as gatefold

Side A
“Shudder Before The Beautiful”
“Weak Fantasy”
“Élan”

Side B
“Yours Is An Empty Hope”
“Our Decades In the Sun”
“My Walden”

Side C
“Endless Forms Most Beautiful”
“Edema Ruh”
“Alpenglow”
“The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula”

Side D
“The Greatest Show On Earth”

Digibook incl. instrumental CD

CD1
“Shudder Before The Beautiful”
“Weak Fantasy”
“Élan”
“Yours Is An Empty Hope”
“Our Decades In the Sun”
“My Walden”
“Endless Forms Most Beautiful”
“Edema Ruh”
“Alpenglow”
“The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula”
“The Greatest Show On Earth”

CD2 (instrumental)
“Shudder Before The Beautiful”
“Weak Fantasy”
“Élan”
“Yours Is An Empty Hope”
“Our Decades In the Sun”
“My Walden”
“Endless Forms Most Beautiful”
“Edema Ruh”
“Alpenglow”
“The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula”
“The Greatest Show On Earth”

Earbook incl. instrumental & orchestral CD

CD1
“Shudder Before The Beautiful”
“Weak Fantasy”
“Élan”
“Yours Is An Empty Hope”
“Our Decades In the Sun”
“My Walden”
“Endless Forms Most Beautiful”
“Edema Ruh”
“Alpenglow”
“The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula”
“The Greatest Show On Earth”

CD2 (instrumental)
“Shudder Before The Beautiful”
“Weak Fantasy”
“Élan”
“Yours Is An Empty Hope”
“Our Decades In the Sun”
“My Walden”
“Endless Forms Most Beautiful”
“Edema Ruh”
“Alpenglow”
“The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula”
“The Greatest Show On Earth”

CD3 (orchestral)
“Shudder Before The Beautiful”
“Weak Fantasy”
“Élan”
“Yours Is An Empty Hope”
“Our Decades In the Sun”
“My Walden”
“Endless Forms Most Beautiful”
“Edema Ruh”
“Alpenglow”
“The Eyes Of Sharbat Gula”
“The Greatest Show On Earth”

Endless Forms Most Beautiful will be the first Nightwish studio album to feature Dutch vocalist Floor Jansen. Longtime drummer Jukka Nevalainen will sit out on the recording sessions due to health issues; Kai Hahto (Wintersun a.o.) will replace him.

Nightwish also revealed the famed evolutionary biologist and writer, Professor Richard Dawkins as a guest on this eighth studio album.

The detailed cover-artwork was created by longtime collaborator Toxic Angel.

Nightwish continue to roll out live dates for 2015. For their complete itinerary visit Nightwish.com.