Tuomas was 22 years old when he composed this piece. That's impressive!

Double kick is meant to be experienced live with a proper setup. Not sure how much oomph your headphones give, but the tone of the bass guitar is also quite present. Combined with solid double bass and Floor's awesome high notes makes for a terrific assault on the senses.

I find it interesting that Floor choose to sing this pretty much in Tarja's style. She usually put's her own take on old Nightwish songs but this is pretty close to the original. Love both versions.

Pretty good poetry for someone whose first language is NOT English, isn't it? Tuomas' word skills are immense, as is his "general" knowldege - not to mention his awesome musical skills. Thanks for the reaction, Doug.

Concerning the "third vagrant" lyric, vagrant also means wanderer. And the word "planet" is derived from a Greek word that means wanderer.

Oceanborn is one of the best album in whole genre. Love it

In old astronomy texts, "vagrants" were the planets as they seemed to wander the sky. "3rd vagrant" is of course, the Earth.

Oh ,so much nostalgia with this song and whole album

Double kick is always twice as effective as the single kick

It's really nice to see Metal, of all types, getting it's due recognition on channels like this. Many are brilliant lyricists and musicians.

I was just checking out a Mike Nagoda reaction. He was recommending everyone to go check out your channel. This is not my first time here. I totally agree with him. you know your musical theory and so much more. Perfect pitch? Back in the early days Nightwish was more of a power metal band. Thus the double bass in this song, which is very common in power metal. Love your insights both musically and lyrically. Hope you are doing great my friend.

Always remember…. This was written for Tarja. Written with her voice in Tuomas’ head. Floor walks out and simply OWNS that song. Just crushes it. She is the greatest female vocalist of our time…… 💙💙💙All Hail Floor !! 💙💙💙 Infantryman-Nightwish Army. US Regiment. Kentucky Battalion RIP Ann Waychoff-Commanding General-Nightwish Army

My take on a couple of the lines in this song: Quiet Hydrogen lakes = stars are big balls of hydrogen, and there is no sound in the vacuum of space. Ambrosial merry-go-round = planets orbiting stars. Ephemeral life touched by a billion year show = Earth only had single-celled life a billion years ago ("ephemeral" life), and one billion years later there are millions of multicellular species (animals, plants, fungi) on earth. I love this band because they understand evolution and turn it into poetry.

This song was my first encounter with Nightwish. And as for the double kick, I had a period around my highschool in 90's when I listened to metal only using these double kick carpets - Helloween, Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, Hammer fall, Manowar, Runnig willd and many many others speed and powermetal ... and I didn't think if it is good or bad ... I just liked it. And I don't mind listening to it today - as I have this song fixed to 90's I find this just correct.

I really enjoyed this one because of the additional analysis of the lyrics. As to the double kick, I'm not sure what your problem is. Double kick is standard in metal. It might be double bass drums, or a single bass drum with left and right beaters.

"Shudder Before the Beautiful" from the Endless Forms Most Beautiful album 2015 is about the Earth as well. And us, the voyagers. "The music of this awe Deep silence between the notes Deafens me with endless love This vagrant island Earth A pilgrim shining bright We are shuddering Before the beautiful Before the plentiful We, the voyagers"

This is a marvelous song, but I'm constantly intrigued by how Tuomas's writing has evolved. Counterpoint has become more complex, and the same goes for the orchestration...both for the band and for the backing tracks (I know he works with someone else on the orchestral orchestration, but still....).

This probably represents the band in its power metal mood. There the say floating vocal melodies are typical over fast playing with double bass drum kick. Early Sonata Arctica is a great example of that style for example.

Surely you've learned by now that Tuomas is an amazing lyricist and composer. And I saw how you sneaked a short Carl Sagan quote in there.

Oceanborn blew my mind when I listened to it as I was first getting into metal many years ago. It was something so special and so different, a mixture of metal and classical music unlike any other I had found before. To this day, I very much prefer Nightwish's early stuff to their current stuff (which, while very good from a compositive and production point of view, appeals to me far less). Out of this album, I'm very, very curious what you'd think of The Pharaoh sails to Orion, especially the live version in From wishes to eternity with Tapio Wilska.

Double kick drum strikes again! On the nature theme, I think you would love "Ice Queen" or "Mother Earth" by Within Temptation, a band you haven't given a listen yet Doug. They're one of the big figures in symphonic metal, along with Nightwish and Epica.

Congratulations on 150K subscribers, you bring so much joy to so many folks.

Doug: "I REALLY love those double bass drums!" . . . . . Me: *wakes up

Such poetic storytelling! What perspective! I especially love the concept "eyes of the night". I only discovered Nightwish about 3 weeks ago, drawn to their technical expertise and captivated by the lyrical use of 'ocean' in Ghost Love Score. Now 72, I confess to avoiding an introduction to metal - give me my rock & roll & blues - until hearing an acoustic ballad version of Alice in Chains' Nutshell about a year ago. So now whenever a friend recommends checking out a band or song, I do it. And here I am, a huge fan searching out Nightwish's entire catalogue. There are so many aspects of this band's musical expertise that I want to comment on but as I've gone on too long already, I'll save them til later except to say compositions based on the wonders of our natural world get me every time.

A wild tune indeed, little keyboard solo in groovy 80's tone, absolute favorite 🤟

Always appreciate your thoroughness Doug. Have some catching up to do on your recent videos, but Nightwish takes precedence for me ;)

"Oceanborn" is the album that got me into Nightwish in 98'...BTW, one of my all-time favorite bands and Oceanborn is still my favorite album by them. Nothing against Floor, she is an incredible singer, but I HIGHLY recommend listening to the original version sung by Tarja. I love Floor's version...but I love Tarja's even more.

Great reaction as usual , TY

Written for Tarja's voice - yet Floor nails it effortlessly. (She gives Tuomas a whole new instrument to work with, and boy does he run with it!)

First! Great to have Nightwish back Doug! Keep up the good work... We love it!

Its an amazing song, thanks for promoting it.

The "dew-spangled cobweb" is the universe as a whole. Superclusters of galaxies tend to fall together into weird strands that look a lot like attic cobwebs that nobody's dealt with in a while.

Doug, you really need to check out some of their earlier ballads as well, like Sleeping Sun or Walking in The Air. Tarja does a magnificent job!

Wow they are good...AND foreign! AND Finnish! Hei. Kiitos! Mitä kuuluu? (Hello. Thanks. How are you?) It is one of my favorite languages, and it is so great that they are so great. What a performance! What a show! Gonna hafta roll up for that one! Peace, Love and Progressive 12-tone serialism!

Hey Doug! Your Nightwish vids are great, the compositional, chords, key change insights are the KZfaq's best. I became a fan; by accident, some 20 years ago with Tarja as the singer. Back then Tuomas was a short haired teen, not sure whether he should keep going with this rock and roll stuff. He essentially came up with these lyrics as a - small town Finnish, on the Russian border - teen doubting if he should continue! Your original doubts in the Ghost Score was kind of funny to watch, yet seeing you really getting 'it' is a true thrill for me. Plus educational as a musician, writer myself. Thank you!

I love your good explanation. I can still learn something from this. Thank You for that. I think it's a Fantastic song, with the voice of FLOOR. Of course, the other Band members are also great 😍 Love from the Netherlands ❤️ 🤍 💙 🇳🇱 🙋🏼‍♀️

Somehow I'm not really sure Doug is really getting, how the double kick drum is used in power metal. At least to my ear its not so much precussive or rythm element, as much more an additional bass layer populating the lower registers, as foundation for the melody. If Doug into the poetic Nightwish songs, I would think 'Song Of Myself' would be a must to check out.

Actually, the most famous oracle was the one in Delphi.

WOW! A really old Nightwish song!

Annette didn't had the voice for this song. So that's why it wasn't on their setlist for 10 years. I've used this as my 'wake up song' so often. It energizes me.

Beautiful song for a great band !! Ohhh Nightwish I miss you

Oh, this is old Nightwish, always a treat with some nostalgia :)

I wish Stargazers had been reviewed with Tarja on vocals.... "Dead Boy’s Poem” next time maybe? Also, I would like to see review of "Phantom Of The Opera" from "End of an Era" DVD

Would love to see a reaction to Epica's Kingdom of Heaven Part 3 - Omega Alive. Also a great example of how more sparingly used double kick can really boost those climactic moments.

Great stuff. I know zero about the technicalities of music yet find your analyses fascinating!! And of course Nightwish are the best band in world right now imo. I'd love to see you react to their tribute to Pink Floyd's High Hopes (live End of an Era).... Not sure how much of Pink Floyd you know, but it may be worth listening to Floyd's Pulse Remastered version before you tackle Nightwish's version). All the best Doug

Doug, great musical and lyrical breakdown. Floor is an awesome singer, operatic I'd say.

I'm a simple soul, and have loved the music of Nightwish since I discovered them back in 2000. Watching Dr. Doug go scientific on the music, telling me it's really complex and intelligent is kinda fun.

Brilliant stuff

Favourite Nightiwsh album, favourite Nightwish song

fascinating reaction!

Hey Doug, great video! I’ve recently watched Sabaton’s new video “Christmas Truce” and I think you should react to this amazing song and video. Sabaton’s drummer Hannes is Floor’s husband and this song is about one of the greatest examples of humanity in modern history. The Christmas truce of 1914. I know you probably have a list of songs to react to, but this video should be put at the top of the list. Anyway, I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season!

Thanks for this Doug. Can never get enough of Floor Jansen. She is one of the best metal vocalists regardless of gender. Another couple great prog tunes to check out are Seventh Wonder’s epic track “The Great Escape” and also Circus Maximus’s “Architect of Fortune”. As always, thanks so much for all the great information.

Blackmores Night - child in time

I love double kicks, I was raised on them with Helloween. :)

Hey Doug, Delfian does not mean what you think it means. Delfian in this context is of Delphs, they're talking about the old greek oracle from the city.

double kick might not be your thing, but for me that rhythm with the snare accenting the 3rd and 7th give that high octane, energy driving beat that drives these concerts (agreed if you use it exclusively it loses its momentum).

Basically the double kick is kinda to be taken as a second guitar going. Its not to be as upfront as most percussion. Depending on how you might have your sound setting it could make them more standoutish than they should be which can make them annoying. I think its mostly you are trying to analyze the song more closely that might give a bit of a different view of them than most as they are normally put into powermetal songs as a listen and go with the song. Most other songs can be like a trolley ride where you take in the sounds, where as powermetal is the rollercoaster where the vocals and guitar is the main focus or the dips and curves in the track.

This shows quite well what the initial idea for Nightwish was - a Power Metal band (fast, lots of constant hard beats and rythms, and easily gettable melody guitar lines) paired with the operatc vocals that Tarja was studying originally. Literally the nucleus of the Symphonic Metal genre, but (at least to my ears) without a lot of the sophistication and grandeur it would soon embody. This is quite direct and obvious in its use of musical tools.

Double bass is required. It drives the songs, brings the necessary power to the songs.

Great video as always, Doug. A few more classic Nightwish: Beauty and the Beast (from "Angels Fall First", 1996) Wanderlust (from "Wishmaster", 2000) Dead Boy's Poem (also from "Wishmaster", 2000) Bless the Child (from "Century Child", 2002) Slaying the Dreamer (from "Century Child", 2002) Beauty of the Beast (from "Century Child", 2002) And you already did "Ghost Love Score" from "Once" so that's fine, then. I've tried to pick songs that have at least a key change, dabble with modes, or have sections that are different from other sections.

My husband agrees with you on the double kick. I like it, but to each their own.

So the Tarja vs Floor for Nightwish fans go as deep as the Fish vs Hogarth for Marillion?

Doug and Megan's only Nightwish is to be a stargazer.

Next Nightwish song, Beauty and the beast, from the first album called Angels fall first. It was so super song that I've been listening Nightwish ever since. It was the song that did get media interested with this new band, back in the day, here in Finland. And the rest is history.

Thanks for the explanation of certain words. Thomas repeats himself by using them. It's another layer in the music of NW. You have to be eclectic to know all the details. Nerdic fun!

This double kick is driving me crazy.. hahaha!

Floor is crazy. The entire Nightwish is crazy.

Doug, don't be worried about backing up when pausing or whenever you're hearing something special. It actually helps us when you go into detailed breakdowns.

I just gotta say, about the dubbel kicking. Its something special to hear live. It is hard to explain, you can feel it in your chest, it gets you hyped up.These days, even at 40 years old, it gets me diving into mosh pits. It is hard to explain, but I guess you have to be receptive to it as well. Each to their own, as they say.

It'd be lovely if you could react to some more of Yngwie Malmsteen live with the Japanese orchestra, some really great pieces in there, like Cavallino Rampante and Presto Vivace.

Re: "vagrant" - The word "planet" means "wanderer"...

I'd really love to hear your analysis of Auri 1 and 2, as well as The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, both by Tuomas. In addition to more NW of course.

the merry go round could be our orbits around the sun.

Dark Moor - Dies Irae you'll love the double bass kick

I simply love "Oceanborn" era!

Can you please do a breakdown/reaction to Language I & II by The Contortionist. As a classical composer i think you'll really come to appreciate the band. They are absolutely godly when it comes to layering sounds and chords.

There is about 5000 or more people there that like the double kick, just depends on what you do or dont like

Double kick can be very effective if used in the right way. Constant double kick is pretty useless but lies in that genre. One right way for the double kick is when you have it in the climax of a song. For example, try the post-rock song GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT - SUICIDE BY STAR. There you can see (hear) what I mean.

Stargazers is from 1998... by the time of the Endless Forms Most Beautiful World Tour, it was 17 years already in the setlist.

Lo dicho, Doug se centra en las letras cuando no le interesa tanto la música. Long live to double kick X)

A real Nightwish classic. I have listened to it many times in the first Tarja edition 🙂

Double kick is as double kick does, and it works in this song.

Double kick is kind of an "acquired taste" like coffee. Some like it very bitter like an espresso (extreme) and some like it with milk (with moderation).

That's some good classical speed metal 💪

Do Epica. lol I think you'll like the operatic style of them. I love metal women! Lacuna Coil would be interesting too. Cristina Scabbia has one of the best voices ever.

Doug being bothered by double bass drums on a power metal song will never get old xd.

It would be very nice if you listen the song Estranged by Guns n' Roses. I'm sure that you will like it. It's very beautiful epic song with one of the most incredible guitar solo in the Rock history. All the electric guitar players in the world know this song. It has two parts in it and two culminations at the end. It has very classical structure I think.

Planet means wanderer in Greek. Hence vagrant.

Never been a big Nightwish fan. A friend of mine who regularly went to the Wacken festival every year lent me some albums. Tried listening but I find a lot of the songs a bit disjointed. However this one is great and even made it onto my iPod.

Why is steady flow of double kick drums different than a steady flow of single kick drums? 16th notes vs 8th notes.

Good choice, Floor is on the 2015 recording, not original studio recording.

Double kick is life!

The double bass is meant to drive the beat. Without the double bass the song would sound very flat. Ask me how I know? I was in a band and we covered a few Nightwish songs including this one and when we were learning it the drummer did it without double bass as we learned it together. Just felt so soulless and flat.

Doug, as a classical composer and keyboardist, you should check out an album Rick Wakeman (of Yes) did in the early ‘70’s entitled The Six Wives Of Henry The VIII….pretty wild

hi. there's still one really long Pink Floyd song, that you haven't reacted to; that's Shine On You Crazy Diamond. it's on the Wish You Were Here, Album, in 2 parts. the fist track, and the last track. that makes it about 25 minutes long it's one of their best, IMHO. i'd love to see what you thought about it, as i've always wanted to know what classical musicians think about their work, especially the longer songs. Echoes is my favourite PF song, especially the version you reacted to. this is certainly up there, as one of their best

Doug I'm sorry, but double kick is everything! Double kick is life and it makes everything better.

Starting to take to the lives, huh? XD This one would be hellish for most bands to try and cover, as far as I can tell.

I love Floor, she is more than awesome, and for sure I think her performers of a lot of old songs is better for me, but this particular song I love more with Tarja's performance. And it is one of my favorite songs!

Double-kick puts a driving force behind the song. As long as it's not overused, I love it. But Doug, I respect your opinion.

this take on SG is just shadow of its old glory....