Nightwish Endless Forms Most Beautiful

Playlist

Endless Forms Most Beautiful is the eighth studio album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. It was released on March 27, 2015 in Argentina and most of Europe, March 30 in the UK, and March 31 in the US. The album is the band’s first featuring singer Floor Jansen and the first with Troy Donockley as a full-time member. More @ Wikipedia

Composed primarily by Tuomas Holopainen, the album takes its title from Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, signaling a thematic shift from fantasy-driven storytelling toward scientific wonder and philosophical reflection. Endless Forms Most Beautiful explores humanity’s relationship with the natural world, the beauty of life’s diversity, and the sense of awe inspired by discovery and knowledge.

Musically, the album expands Nightwish’s orchestral scope even further, incorporating full symphonic arrangements, choirs, folk instrumentation, and dynamic metal compositions. The sound balances heavy guitar riffs with cinematic atmospheres and melodic accessibility, creating a rich and immersive listening experience.

This album also marks the studio debut of Floor Jansen as Nightwish’s lead vocalist. Her versatile performance—ranging from powerful operatic passages to warm, expressive clean vocals—adds new depth and flexibility to the band’s sound. Additionally, the album features spoken-word contributions by renowned evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, reinforcing its scientific narrative.

Key tracks such as Élan, Shudder Before the Beautiful, Weak Fantasy, My Walden, and The Greatest Show on Earth highlight the album’s emotional range and conceptual ambition. The Greatest Show on Earth, an epic multi-part composition, stands as one of Nightwish’s most celebrated works, merging music, science, and philosophical reflection into a single monumental piece.

Endless Forms Most Beautiful received widespread critical acclaim and commercial success, solidifying Nightwish’s reputation as pioneers of symphonic metal who continue to evolve creatively while challenging genre boundaries.

Today, the album is considered a modern classic—an example of how metal can engage with science, humanism, and wonder without sacrificing emotional power or musical grandeur.

Tracks

All lyrics are written by Tuomas Holopainen, except where noted; all music is composed by Holopainen, except where noted.

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	“Shudder Before the Beautiful”			6:29
2.	“Weak Fantasy”	Marco Hietala Holopainen	Hietala Holopainen	5:23
3.	“Élan”			4:45
4.	“Yours Is an Empty Hope”	Marco Hietala Holopainen	Hietala Holopainen	5:34
5.	“Our Decades in the Sun”		Hietala Holopainen	6:37
6.	“My Walden”		Hietala Holopainen	4:38
7.	“Endless Forms Most Beautiful”			5:07
8.	“Edema Ruh”			5:15
9.	“Alpenglow”			4:45
10.	“The Eyes of Sharbat Gula” (instrumental)			6:03
11.	“The Greatest Show on Earth” I. “Four Point Six” (5:47) II. “Life” (5:05) III. “The Toolmaker” (6:22) IV. “The Understanding” (4:43) V. “Sea-Worn Driftwood” (2:03)		Hietala Holopainen	24:00

Album Cover