That was an interpretation of the 3 minutes that I have not yet heard.Toumas wants listeners to come up with their own interpretations anyway, so kudos for that. As for the score you gave, very fair. So sad that the fandom has you having to try to justify yourself before you give it. I know you realize that most of us appreciate the time and effort you put in to do these reactions and analysis. So whether you disagree with me about a song, I still respect and enjoy what you do (especially putting up with youtube copyright issues). Keep up the high quality work David; from a non-musician, Peace!

My opinion on your score of 9.7: You produced a 1h19m video, you explained your reasoning, you read out the names of all 115 people who requested it, you dropped a Michael Rosen meme into your edit... You have the right to score songs however you damn well please, and you deserve everyone's blessing. Personally, I'm just happy to see you get a kick out of this music in the same way the rest of us do. Looking forward to The Greatest Show On Earth when it comes!

"3 minutes counting" you are not wrong with your interpretation. But it's also the timing in the song. Exactly after 3 minutes, the pendulum in the song drops and Tuomas dies (with his hand movement). The whole section where Marko sings and the boy recites the second part of his text lasts a total of 3 minutes. That's what everyone wanted to get at with their tip. The timing to time the part compositionally so that it fits exactly. Btw. The fans who knocked Down Tuomas were less Nightwish fans, but more Tarja fans. That's a difference.

Ahh, Mr. Heretic. What comes in handy with this is going back to, say, 9th grade English class, and remembering the short story "The Pit and the Pendulum", by Edgar Allen Poe. In that story, a guy is strapped to an altar, and is recounting his life as the blade from the pendulum swings lower and lower until it kills him. Tuomas inserted himself into that story in this song, which is where The Poet and the Pendulum comes from. As far as killing himself in the song, As you noticed, the song starts out with the end in mind. The songwriter is dead. However, throughout the song until the blade "kills" Tuomas, it is recounting his life from when he gave Tarja the letter, and took on the backlash. But it goes to being more than that; it could be interpreted that instead of it only being just Tuomas, it is the killing of the old Nightwish at that time. If you listen closely, the last words of the song are "the beginning". that could be the beginning of a new Tuomas and a different muse for his songwriting, as well as the beginning of a new Nightwish, as at this time, Anette Olzon became their new singer, which took Nightwish into a new direction. As for the "3 minutes and counting", as everyone said, the big deal about it is that Tuomas wrote his actual "killing" into the song, and timed it exactly to the song. When the boy whispers "3 minutes and counting", in exactly 3 minutes of track time in the song, the blade kills Tuomas. It takes sheer genius and a phenomenal sense of timing to get that and get that RIGHT. Fourth. The voice at the beginning of the song was a choir boy, whose name I can not remember. He also sang the middle part that Floor sings on the album version of the track. Floor wanted to sing the midsection here, so the boy's verse was taken out of the backing track so Floor could sing that. Finally, this was one of the 3 songs that dealt with the separation of Tarja from Nightwish. If this song was Tuomas' message to the fans and how he dealt with the situation, then the second song dealing with this was "Bye Bye Beautiful", which was his goodbye message to Tarja. The 3rd song, which I would love and request for you to react to, is MASTER PASSION GREED. This is directed at Tarja's husband, whom the band blamed for the change in Tarja's demeanor to the band. You will find only a music video for Bye Bye, Beautiful, as Floor refuses to sing that song, because she is good friends with Tarja. Master Passion Greed will never be played live, so you'll have to go off the album track for that. I think you'd love to hear that one, especially if you are like me, and play guitar, bass, and LOW BRASS!

Nightwish fans are doing something wrong if a man needs to spend 5 minutes justifying a 97% score for a song, or any score for that matter. Don’t be that way…nice reaction DH I’d encourage you to watch this again someday with no pauses and no concern for anything other than the emotion and the lyrics. A few things that strike me: - the frantic swinging pendulums slow to a stop between the 2nd and 4th movement, as Tuomas reaches his fateful moment - the slight swell and the cymbal crash as Floor whispers “tuck me in” (instant watery eyes for me, every time) - yes that brass, so damn epic - “you have such oceans within” as said from a mother to her depressed son, beautiful - when Tuomas throws his head back and you see him singing “try to save them all” like he’s exercising a demon right on stage, wow - The positioning of the band all sitting close together near the end, literally showing Tuomas as being cast out from the group I personally like Ghost Love Score better as well, overall, but when this one does hit it hits different for me

Only 9.7??? How could you! This song is worth AT LEAST a 9.7¼ :P

You know I could use a break from the news today... thanks

David: *Spends several minutes preemptively defending his score* Me: Oh no, I hope it's going to at least be an upper 8... David: *Gives his score* Me: BAHAHAHA

Of course I should have waited until the end before commenting! Tuomas. One thing that was subtle that most people don't catch, is that during the second verse of the 2nd movement, Emppu goes over to talk to Tuomas. He isn't just playing around like Emppu normally does; he is checking up on him to make sure that Tuomas is okay. Emppu was there at the beginning when Nightwish was formed, and was one of the ones that signed that letter, so he knows how this will affect Tuomas, so he's checking on him. Later, in the 5th movement, you'll notice that Tuomas took off his in-ear monitors. This is on purpose, because the lyrics being sung by Floor are the actual words his parents spoke to him when he was contemplating suicide in real life. That effectively saved his life; but it was still emotional for him to hear that he pulled off his in-ear monitors and had the vocals for them turned down so he couldn't hear them at all, otherwise he'd break down onstage. Finally, you'll notice that during that, Floor is constantly looking at him as if she's checking on him, and at the end, Marko and Emppu are standing with Tuomas, as if they were the big brothers protecting him, as well as showing solidarity. All 3 of them signed that letter as well, and they wanted everyone to know that they stood with Tuomas. Also, I believe this performance was the last time ever that they played this song. I don't think it has been played live since.

No hate here. I agree with your reason for the score. I also LOVED your interpretation of the 3 minute reference in the song. I've watched a lot of reviews of this song, and I've never heard that take on it. It makes perfect sense to me.

Sooner or later, most end up tearing up at some point or another during this amazing composition. Loved your reaction, DH! Here's what I'll mention: In the Wembley setlist, this is about in the middle, flanked by two songs that are both very uplifting. The preceding song (Alpenglow) sets us up for a sharp mood change and the trailing song (Nemo) offers a needed recovery. In fact, you can almost sense the emotional outburst and relief among the huge crowd when Nemo's opening piano intro begins. These three songs, in sequence, always get to me and I know every single note that's coming. We talk often about Tuomas' compositional skill, but the band's construction of its setlists is, in my opinion, unmatched.

Tuomas wasn't only feeling the negativity of the fans, he lost his muse. This could've been the end of Nightwish. There was no guarantee that the band would continue.

Tuomas wrote this song in a for him terrible time (deep depression), but he was so precise that after the spoken words 3 minutes and counting, it is exactely 3 minutes, that you see him slash his throat with his hand and commit suïcide in the song. So NOT the end of the concert in three minutes and delivering the open letter

Your interpretation of the "3 minutes and counting" wasn't far off.... The reference was to mark off 3 minutes from the lyric and Tuomas virtual "throat slash". Everything else...spot on. And the tears...happens all the time. Well done sir! A score is YOUR score.

The intro is a track done by an english boy soprano : Guy Elliot , Floor wanted to do the intro , but tuomas option was keep the boy .the other boy soprano in the song is Tom Williams (the spoken words in part 3 and 4), both from the Reigate St Mary's Choir School (surrey, england)

This song is one of the big three ("Ghost Love Score" given us by Tarja, "The Poet And The Pendulum" given us by Anette and "The Greatest Show On Earth" given us by Floor), and for Nightwish fans , this song is the most meaningful... I have seen plenty reactors fail to do this song justice, but you did Really good !!!! This Reaction goes to my favorite reactions list for future analysis !!!! Thank You 🤘😎🤘. NWSU.

❤️🤘❤️🤘❤️ It's truly heartbreaking that there are enough savage members of the fandom that are forcing you to brace yourself for an onslaught. I felt your score and interpretation were excellent. The comments regarding the 3 minutes and counting line USED to specifically tell reactors to make note of the timestamp within the song due to the lyrics and actions exactly 3 minutes later (as others have commented). I once also interpreted it as 3 minutes without air, since this is a rough average for people and the death in this performance almost feels as though it is by drowning or suffocation - 3 minutes without air until death. But they all work, and THAT is to me the true brilliance. This song was actually my first exposure to the band. The first act elicited curiosity and the second HOOKED me. I, too, favor the heavier parts of the song. The high, held notes at the end are a total gut punch. The whole song until then just pushes you through mild anxiety, sadness, anger, confusion, and then almost peace... and here comes Floor to pierce whatever fragile bit is left. It's almost like after an actual suicide, sure the person no longer is suffering through their demons and has (hopefully) found the peace they sought, but the rest of their world has to deal with their own feelings of loss. I'm very grateful the copyright issue was lifted, because this truly was an amazing reaction. The song was performed by Anette on the album, and there's an all-Marko demo out there somewhere, but for a reaction this live one can't be beat, and it is almost a requirement to partake of it once you're an affirmed appreciator of the band. I do hope the pushback is minimal. Fanatics can be awful, and the NW Family used to always be known as friendly, warm, and respectful above all else. You continue to prove you deserve that from us.

Now this is called a reaction and review. Thousands of reactors just watched this, said i like it and end the video. WHAT??? This masterpiece song deserves a detailed review. Those kind of videos should be all banned immediately. Great detailed review as always, loved it. Now we all wait for that Greatest Show on Earth live reaction. Its gonna be a 2 hour video for sure haha. Take care bro

Cracks me up. The way you preface the score with the long disclaimer, it sounds like a 5 is coming, but you give it a 9.7, which is pretty elite. I get why you do it, but it still cracks me up. Thanks for the great, honest reaction and breakdown. 👍

Don’t ever feel you have to justify your score like that. Yes, We are nightwish army , But We also respect you.. and You are entitled to your opinion ( and score) ❤️ edit: i agree with the score. I don’t think This is the best They got

Great reaction. Traitors and parias feed the Crows, that is basically what happened here. I love the story telling in this song Tuomas is a genius and knowing the backlash that provoked Tuomas to write this song makes it even more emotional. He wrote about killing himself/Nightwish so he wouldn't do it in real life. The 3 mins has been explained already by everyone. 😉 I love this and GLS but for me The greatest show on earth is better. Don't worry about the score. It's spot on! Besides it's your show ! Please don't ever cater to people who want to hear THEIR opinion coming out of YOUR mouth, just ignore them. Being ignored is the worst thing for them, it makes them irrelevant. When it comes to chunky riffs and heavy bass riffs and Marko's angry voice, you have to - really have to - listen to Master Passion Greed. My favorite angry song. Thanks Insolent Umbrella !

those last sustained notes always hit me so hard, it sounds like a lament. makes me tear up every single time

This is one of my top ten favorites from Nightwish and I'd only give it a 9.5, so I think it would be unreasonable to expect more. But I get it. Lucky you weren't around to be exposed to the abuse online when the second singer Anette joined. Those wars lasted years and some are still at it now. It was less of a war when Floor joined but there are still many who hate her just because. There are a few songs they will never play live...Master Passion Greed and Bye Bye Beautiful. Both are related to the same issues behind Poet and the Pendulum. You should at least listen to the album version of Master Passion Greed at some point. One of their hardest songs and it is full Marko. 🤘

Hello David. The song "The Poet and the Pendulum" is a 13 Minute journey through the mind and turmoil of Tuomas Holopainen after the year 2005. It was in that year the band parted with their long-time singer Tarja Turunen and had a personal falling out with her. The pain of the separation was big on both sides, and shown in this song. There is guilt for what happened, there is the responsibility that the band and Holopainen had to show towards the fans,. It was the End of an Era for them, and reason for Holopainen being lost as described in these lyrics. We can only of course to a certain degree suppose how much of these are truly Holopainen's feelings, wishes and pains - but we do know that the lyrics of Nightwish have been up to then very personal. Other songs on the album also digest this separation and falling out of the members with Turunen. However personal and "real" these thoughts are, I feel like this song definitely takes us not only on a journey with Holopainen but also into ourselves. The music underlines the emotional gravity of the song extremely well. And I believe a lot of people can actually relate to a sense of guilt and being overwhelmed that all they desired for is the safety of home and innocence. While being personal, the song can still ring true to it's listener. That's a quality Nighwish possesses in many, many more songs. The emotional journey is one we can all share and very few bands know how to put that journey into song and especially into sound as well as Nightwish does. The band remains through all it's shores and Oceans, one of my main favourites and I hold special place for the band in my musical heart. I hope you have enjoyed reading my analysis and share some of my thoughts. If you do have any comments, please feel free to let me know. And remember the beauty of interpretation is that it is subjective; we can see all and feel different things in the same song and continue to love it endlessly. Lyric analysis by Annika Hausen Greetings from the Netherlands

I consider this song Floors masterpiece. Of course what Tuomas has created here is a diamond, but go ahead and listen to the album version (there is also a live recording with Anette available but that is reserved for masochists). The album version is a very good song, maybe in your 8-ish region or even a 9. It is Floor that took this rough diamond with it's deep and conflicting emotions and polished it with Tuomas to the shining, sparkling jewel that it becomes in this version. This song required her empathy, her versatility, her perfection and her knack to transfer emotions to the listener (and viewer!) to really shine. Amaranth for example is a song that works just as well and maybe even better with a singer like Anette, but this one isn't.

Man, you really know and feel music and that's why I enjoy your reactions. It's not just "wows" or technical terms, but a combination. Great stuff.

So agree with 9.7! Awesome reaction as usual, Dave! The comment from Marty Brush below explains the 3 minute thing very well. Blessings to you and the family!

LOL, score is fine. You do you! We know your rating scale. To anyone that wants to put words in your mouth or thoughts in your head, take a chill pill people! Like seriously. Thanks again, David.

Great reaction and great score too ! I'm always amazed by Nightwish, because honestly I don't know many other bands that can make you feel so many emotions with their music.

The 2nd spoken part you didn't get. 1000 pages of erased text. This refers to his music. Bear in mind that Tarja was one of the original members of the band and that all of his songs had been written for Tarja's style of singing. I am sure he felt that he would never be able to find another singer to sing his songs as Tarja did and he felt that all his life's work was for nothing. Probably a big part of his depression. The loss of his friend, muse and his life's work was a massive blow. Three minutes and counting. Time between the statement and Thomas mock cutting his own throat. The first part was Choir boy. The last part contains words from his parent who helped draw him out of depression.

76 Minutes, YES!!!

1000 pages of erased text reminds me of the old joke: A Beethoven fan went to visit the composer’s grave. When he arrived, he found Beethoven sitting up and erasing his symphonies. “What are you doing?” the fan asked. Beethoven looked at him and said, “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m decomposing.”

I'll be honest, I really thought you would cry many times, I've been listening to this song for 3 years and I always cry. I understand the score you gave. I understand that the shock of hearing nightwish for the first time made you give Ghost love score an 9.8

The poet and the pendulum Is a great masterpiece as ghost love Score, the greatest show on earth, shoemaker, because of the composition, arrangement, lyrics and performance 9.7 Is an excellent Score Great reaction David !! Greets 🤘 🤘🤘

The song starts with ‘The End’ and ends with ‘The beginning’, also it seems like you missed Tuomas gesture in which he slices his throat with his hand, exactly after the ‘3 minutes’.. It’s worth to listen (& watch) this video again by yourself without any interruptions🙂

I feel that as good as Ghost Love Score is, it wouldn't have gotten a 9.8 if you reacted to it much later in the Night Wish catalogue. The constant switching of the beat in the beginning took you so off guard and pleasantly surprised you i think it added to it. It might have gotten 9.4 - 9.6 otherwise. Now Tuomas composing talent was a novelty and somewhat a rarity. Also though the anticipation was with both songs, Ghost Love Score you knew nothing what they can deliver (or at least current Nightwish) and as such it hits wayy harder from an outsider/ newcomer stand point unless you relived a break up situation. With a slightly less score (still among the highest ever given by you) no people should be mad about 9.7 for The Poet & The Pendulum! ^^

The planet where a 9.7 is a reason for anger, nonsense... great review, great reaction, and great to see that you consider it a masterpiece (well you didn't say these words, but I think so).. I give it A 10 to this song because it got me out of depression, being a depressive song, it's weird and ironic, but that act 5 encompasses a lot, a lot of what we all need to get ahead.

The only things "you have to do" are keep breathing, let your heart keep beating, take a 💩 and pay taxes 🤔🤣 A 9,7 is a great score 👏🏻 thanks for that! I just want to see you enjoying Nightwish! It's impossible to LOVE every single song. Not even when Floor is singing (hahaha!) Thanks for the 9️⃣7️⃣ 🎉🤘🏻 Respect, hugs and greetings from the Netherlands 🇳🇱

This song makes me cry every time, no matter how many times I have heard it. Great reaction!

Part 1 is sung by a British boy soprano. Floor offered to sing it but Tuomas decided to go with the track. The bass rift for part 4 is really complicated and Marko is singing while playing that rift. I love the beginning of Part 3 which to me is a duet between Floor and a Bowed Double Bass.

This song/video will be the first piece I teach to my college students in my summer session writing/literature class. It's so complex, I think the students might actually be shocked to see how detailed of an analysis I can do... (Considering the content, I'll likely ask them all to watch it once, then give a trigger warning and offer an alternate assignment for students who don't feel they can engage with the content.) I guess someone mentioned this somewhere, but I didn't see it, looking through the thread. I'm often surprised that some reactors don't realize it's a child soprano at the beginning. That sound is SO distinctive (traditionally, the singer is a boy, but that's changing). I've always loved child soprano choirs. One of the most beautiful sounds you'll ever hear. I had the privilege of seeing the Vienna Boys Choir a few decades ago. One of the more amazing sonic experiences I've ever had, and I'm really a goth/rock and roll type of girl. Not usually one for most classical music.

Fair score, nobody should feel bad about it. I'm old nightwish fan and I think all your Nightwish reactions have been fair and well argued. Keep on rockin'. Greetings from Finland.

Three minutes and counting should have been made clear of "start a timer at 3 minutes and counting." Exactly three minutes after the words "three minutes and counting" is said, is the end of the spoken word section. (Essentially the spoken section was the obituary of Tuomas.) The sound effect is the pendulum slicing his neck, just like he gestures at the same moment in the video, and killing him. So lyrically it says "Now I only have three minutes and counting. I just wish the tide would catch me first, and give me a death I always hoped for." Three minutes later in the song, Tuomas "dies." I think us commenters should have given a bit more direction instead of just looking for a reference for the lyrics.

Hey David. I want to thank you for maintaining your own integrity in your scoring this (and all) songs. I don't always agree with your scores, but you justify your reasons and I respect that. I don't watch your channel to have my own opinions echoed back at me, but to hear YOUR analysis and your opinions.

This is my absolute favorite song not just by this band but my favorite of all time overall

Goodness the way you were talking I thought you were going to give it a 6 or something. I laughed when you said 9.7. Are us Nightwish fans really that demanding? Good grief.

I'll be quick . The 1st two words of the song are "THE END" representing the end of Nightwish with Tarja . The last two words of the song are "THE BEGINNING" representing the beginning of the next era of Nightwish,

I think the reason people write songs about heartbreak or sadness is because it's important to look back and remind yourself of how much those things hurt and also that you lived through it. Pain and sadness are universal and bind us together as humans just as much as joy. Negative emotions are just as important to feel and honor as the positive ones. If we can't sit with those emotions and willingly feel them, they'll stay around in the background forever and come out in unexpected ways. If we want to move past the hurt we've got to feel the hurt. I applaud artists for being willing to put themselves out there and be vulnerable with those volatile emotions. That's got to be a scary ass thing to do.

Loved seeing this through your eyes and hearing it through your ears. You did not disappoint. I anxiously await The Greatest Show On Earth!

Your analysis never disappoint at all. You might have different opinions, different taste, but you always get to the point of appreciation of the actual songwriting and it's delivery, and you have the knowledge to describe it properly. So, NO complaints at all about your 9,7. Please stay as you are, entertaining, sometimes eye-opening. Your reactions are always a treat, even if they are very long (but for a good reason) and sorry for my bad english.

I have absolutely no problem with the 9.7 score, want to give you kudos for huge job on this reaction, 1.19h, wow, that's a marathon reaction :) Through the last few days I saw most of your Nightwish reactions in chronological order, I reached The Islander by now and just could not wait any longer so I skipped to The Poet And The Pendulum. And although it is 3.45am here in Croatia in Europe, now I'm going to check The Greatest Show on Earth, I simply cannot wait any longer to see what you have to say about that masterpiece, looks like I'm not going to bed before 5am 😂

Your interpretation of the "three minutes and counting" is fascinating and may well have some truth to it. But people were trying to get you to notice the time stamp. Tuomas is such a master of his craft that exactly three minutes after that comment he commits suicide on stage, apparently so that he didn't do so in real life. Loving your reaction so far. The second spoken section is Tuomas' eulogy. I don't think he was being dramatic, I think he was desperate, hurting, confused. When even your Head of State turns on you, it's a blow. Tuomas nearly wilted. The first section was a boy soprano and yes, it was a recording.

I absolutely love your videos dude! Your breakdowns and opinions (even if I don’t agree sometimes) is muchly appreciated. My ONLY gripe is when you pause right before a course! Though I understand it’s how your mind processes what you are hearing. It’s just my adhd screaming “how can you truly appreciate it fully when you disconnect the build up and the course upon first hearing?!” Haha keep it up man! 🤘

The thing so amazing about how it is written is the fact the first words are "the end" and the last ones are "the beginning"! Amazing poetry! I love this song, but no one must love it as much as I do! I am a fan of your way of reating no matter the score!

One of the greatest songs from Nightwish. From being "perfect" there are (to me) three reasons one can take for a derating: - The origin why it was written and the true, sad story within - At around 23:00 you can see one of the few times Floor really struggling. Makes her human, though. - This song has many differnt sections, transitions and styles - even genres. You can judge this as positive or as negative. Staying closer to one style increases the chance that it is liked by more listeners.

41:00 Not having skills to play bass myself but I always admire how easy Marko makes the playing to appear while it seems his whole focus is going to singing.

Perfect Score mate.. and great review ... as usual... Keep it up!

Great score, David. You're always in point and yes, it's your channel and it's YOUR grade. We respect you for that, don't mind the trolls! I really loved the reaction (as always)

You're interpretation of "3 minutes and counting" is actually a very interesting take on it. Regardless of it being right or wrong, logically thinking, anyone in that position would start feeling that tightness in their chest. And the tension, guilt, fear, and anxiety keep growing as every minute counts down. In Tuomas' mind, he could be thinking" in 3 minutes, I have fire a close friend". He may even be thinking that it may possibly be the end of Nightwish. The music he writes is a reflection of himself, and that in 3 minutes, his action might kill it off, in a sense, suicide. So technically,, your take on it could actually be right haha. Sadly, people just said "pay attention to 3 minutes and counting" leaving you confused when nothing significant actually happens at that point. Recalling the 2 spoken word(by a boy) parts in this song. This first part just before The Pacific act starts, the boy is speaking as Tuomas after the storm rained down on him from the fans. Standing at the shore where it all began(a triple entendre - where the moon chose them(members) all. for being at the "the start" of the Pacific ocean and the Pacific act) he has Nightwish's fate on his back, strapped unto the this altar for years. In basic terms, an altar is a sacred place for sacrifice, offerings, worship and prayer. Nightwish is Tuomas' altar, and being strapped to it represents that he offers his whole being to it, and has sacrificed many things for it(personal life as an example). Though it's not stated, he plunges into the ocean. He's now under water, weighted down by the altar on his back, wishing the tide would catch him and give him a quick death. But it doesn't, and now he has to bear through drowning slowly, counting down the 3 minutes it takes for the brain to finally shut down from the damage caused by oxygen starvation. Then at the end of part 4, after "the obituary is read" you hear the sound of a blade swinging, matched with the motion of Tuomas' arm, signifies his death(exactly 3 minutes after the "3 minutes and counting" was spoken).. Now my brain hurts lol correct me if I'm wrong anybody, it's 4:54am so I'm not all here haha Edit: Never be afraid to give a score. People are going to bitch, cry, kick and scream whenever their favourite song/band gets nothing less than a 10 from you. To those that don't know, the enjoyment of music is SUBJECTIVE. I feel Dave is very honest in his scoring, and really thinks about it before laying it out. Don't let Dave's score skew your opinion of him if it doesn't reflect what you would score it as. It's HIS personal preference. I'm here for his knowledge, analysis and input on the music itself. At first, I'd always hope he'd give the songs I enjoy top marks, but I knew that was unrealistic. Now, I try to guess what he'll rate a song based on his personality and past ratings. I plug in the wire, and flip the switch for my brains' "prophet mode", channel my inner DaVinci, and predict Dave's score haha His score, or anyone's score, will never affect my own personal score on any song. Appreciate his effort and honesty. Something we all need to remember is that having differing and/or opposing opinions with someone, does not make them an enemy. Life would suck and be horrible if we all thought/acted the same. There would be 0 diversity, growth, or change. Just a world full of 8 billion mindless rotting meat sacks. Don't be a meat sack. No one likes a smelly sack of meat...

That ending gets to you every time, stunningly too beautiful 😭

The symbolic death is due to the issue that in firing Tarja, he is killing everything he had created, thus being able to rise from the ashes. He is also read in Thelemic studies and had woven that into his music so amazingly. !! 93's

Loved your reaction as all. Great score by the way :)

I'm fine with the score... Maybe you feel The Greatest Show on Earth deserves a 9,9... And if not all you deserve is our respect...

You gave my food a really good score. you did the right thing by respecting yourself and keeping your head, that's why I tip my hat and bow to you. (in my father's words: when you bow to one, you turn your back on the other.) This is really your show and your opinion. besides, the points now came directly from their song and performance. no extra points for the sad background. everyone has a past, but it must not remain in control of the present. that's why I've sometimes said that I don't determine which of the singers is the best. everyone has had their good and bad moments, like all of us humans. thank you for your honest response.

Only thing you "have to do" is being yourself and enjoy the music! ❤

loved the reaction man feeling you ! :-)

Her Thank you at the end always gets me...

Cheers, Dave. To me, I think Tuomas wrote this song, as an exorcism for himself, as he felt so bad for what he had to do, regarding Tarja. Each time he performs this song, he gets emotional, so never uses an earpiece during it. And a score of 9.7 is ok with me, as I thought you were going to give a 9. :o)

Always enjoy your reactions david. You know where you talking about. Your experience and honesty. The grades you give i do not find interesting. You learn me a lot about music and that is a 10 for me. Keep on the good work david. Marcel and kate Netherlands

Thank You David great score.

No hate here man, You are the best, David! Love your reaction...and rants :D

As soon as you said the score I hit like. Your honesty made me do it. I do love this song but as much as I like it because I am a long time Nightwish fan (1999) I think people think the emotions make the score higher. Thank you for your honesty.

Hey David, great reaction, brilliant explanations and discussion and you took the time to respect the song. Love it! Nothing wrong with your score at all.

Good reaction dude. Fair score too🤘

I was one of them who thought that after 9.8 for Ghost Love Score (GLS), a 9.9 would be most likely to happen. But that was after seeing just one reaction from you. After watching the following Nightwish reactions and a few others, I actually changed my mind already on that because to be honest: That score - from a Nightwish fanboy point of view - relates to the emotional aspect of the song. Not that much on the complexity of songwriting and showmanship. It´s not that much of a showmanship, big solos or - as you mentioned - delivering something completely never heard before from nightwish moments. When I started watching I was already quite sure, that the score wouldn´t even be that close to GLS but more or less in the lower nines. 9.7 was a bit of surprise actually. Especially after seeing you struggle to interprete more into the three minutes topic then there actually was. It was just that simple. From the point when that "three minutes and counting" part was over, three minutes later Tuomas cut his throat. It is still a phenomenal songwriting from him even if it is not this "complex" compared to GLS. But the advance praise and pressure makes it especially difficult to just "enjoy the show". I don´t think that anyone will be disappointed about the 9.7. I´m definitely not.

Happy, satisfied and impressed with a stellar reaction! Thanx David! Best wishes from Namibia

Just to say - great reaction! Your interpretation about the three minutes was really insightful to me. I know the relevance in the song, but your connecting it to the past event made a lot of sense within the whole and gave me pause to think more about the impact, so thank you for that.

Hi David, great reaction and great score. So far I haven’t seen so much hate comments as you were expecting 😇. I noticed you were wearing a NW t-shirt, then I checked when watching your reaction I noticed I was wearing the same shirt 👕!

Great reaction video. And we are (or should be) here to listen to your reaction. Otherwise it would be our reaction through your mouth.

Thank you for the quality, the knowledge and the honesty. 👍 You belong in the 1% club amongst reactors.

I love your interpretation of the three min theme. So unique and rings true as well. Great reaction. Loved all your points honestly. Nightwish fans are usually pretty chill so you should never get slack about your final score. We all have our own reaction to songs which is what music is supposed to do. 🤘

Great reaction thank you! :)

Thank you InsulinUmbrella (InsolentUmbrella?) for bumping up this reaction. I've been waiting to see David's reaction.

Good video once again! Thank you! Set list. This winter, Floor said that Tuomas always makes set lists. He also asks others if this is good. But no one has ever had any suggestions for change ... Floor said Tuomas is also a master at making set lists (besides composing).

“We might have a long video ahead (at 54 minutes in)” lmfao beautiful. Nice review and enjoyable

Great reaction! We are all different. Your score is your score. Keep it up!

No anger here, you scored it higher than me and I'm the Nightwish fan lol. Thank you and I can see others have explained the 3 mins so I won't waste your time with that. Have a great day and I look forwards to the next 1.

Whoa..the big one! I saw this pop up on my tablet and decided to turn on the big screen TV and surround sound. Then, when you mentioned 115 requests, I decided to have a smoke and grab myself a coffee whilst you read them all out. I was comfortable. Not gonna lie, I prefer TPATP to GLS but I'm not gonna send hate mail because you think otherwise. I actually thought you were going to attribute your preference to the changing time signature in the intro to GLS...you seem to really enjoy those changes when done well. No, no hate mail for that. A song with 115 requests sitting at below 1000 on the waiting list, however? That's a bigger issue! Great review 👍

I see..well..hear you have learned to pronounce Emppu's name 😜👍 Another good reaction as usual 👍

Hey, DH. Good job. Having been in several bands myself, I can relate to the subject matter of this masterpiece. Had to fire a singer because of an intolerable situation. Had to let members go because of Yoko type situations. It always sucks because a band is a kind of family. I've even been in bands with family. The dynamics can be tricky and heartbreaking. Anyway, this is my favorite NW song and performance. A 10 all day long from me. Peace, my brother. 🤘

David Heretic....FEELIN' YOU!!! On a scale from 1 to 10 I'm gonna give your REACTION & REVIEW a 9.4. Yep, I feel great about that score. 👍🤘😀

Thx HomeGnome and especially InsolentUmbrella :D

Hello David, please you really don't need to explain yourself over your own score for songs, I see why people can be passionate about Music but I can't see why they find the need to attack other people or be disrespectful. This is your channel, it's your show and your rules. Greetings from France 😁

Aitäh, David! Thank You, David! ❤

Great reaction. Great score

I can understand your frustration with 'teasers' in the comments, sometimes fans forget that you don't know what they know. Take this as a compliment. This is my take on the spoken word section you had problems with. Tarja was Tuomas' muse, his altar if you will, he had always written for her voice and style. The 'erased text' refers to music in composition and the back catalogue, the conscious decision to wipe the slate clean and write with a new freedom, hence the smile, pen and blank page. The metaphorical death of what came before and the promise of what that clean page could become..

Regarding the end of movement 4 with the spoken part: that's Tuomas' eulogy being read.

Loved your review of this epic song, no problem with your score either.

The intro was choir boy singing the part. Floor offered to sing that part live, too, but Tuomas preferred to keep album audio for that part.

What a great reaction and analysis. I especially appreciated the 3 minutes and counting interpretation which really could only come from a musician who has gone thru a similar experience. It really opened of the meaning of all the other lines in this section and fit perfectly. Good poetry is opened to multiple interpretations. On the score it is perfect . When you hesitated so much and for so long I thought it was going to be like in the eight's or low nine's. Which would be fine with me also. Since to me the scores reflect your opinion and doesn't diminish NW or my opinion. I am old school and don't believe a person should be attacked for something so minor as a reaction score. Ghost love score is still my top favorite though there are a lot of close 2nd's. Keep your reactions honest and interesting like this one and I will continue to keep coming back for more.