Keeping Up With Nightwish

[tj_dragonblade]

I learned fairly recently that Nightwish and Anette parted ways in October. Which is too bad, but c'est la vie and all that. Nightwish isn't hiring a replacement right away, probably won't even start looking (based on a November interview) until sometime next year. In the meantime, they've brought in Dutch singer Floor Jansen to finish out their world tour and other committed engagements. I was curious, so I went looking for videos of her old and current bands to get a feel for her voice. As it turns out, however, YouTube is already well-stocked with smartphone recordings of Nightwish shows with Floor on vocals so I got a better taste of how they mesh than I'd expected. She kind of sits right in between Tarja and Anette, stylistically; I looked up performances of songs from both former singers and she pulls them off impressively, adds a tastefully-balanced bit of her own flavor. And...well. I know she's not likely to end up as the official replacement (even though the way she was introduced in an Australian show a few days ago apparently has rumors flying that she might be), that she's got her own prior committments and projects and her own band and all. But I wouldn't mind being wrong about that; my first impression is that she's a really good fit for the Nightwish sound and style. I mean, when she sings Ghost Love Score with the band and it still gives me the same massive goosebumps despite crappy bootleg sound quality and an very enthusiastic fan right next to the video-taker shouting lyrics along in an off-key monotone? Yeah. I could definitely live with this as a permanent arrangement.

...Also. The Nightwish version of 'The Heart Asks Pleasure First'? Awesome. ♥