Nightwish were founded in 1996. They were pioneers of symphonic rock—the fusion of classical-style composition with rock instrumentation. Their epic sound was built around their classically trained vocalist, Tarja Turunen. Tuomas Holopainen, the band founder and main composer, specifically wrote music tailored for Turunen’s capabilities, resulting in a unique and instantly recognizable sound. Nightwish became Finland’s biggest musical export and to this day are one of the biggest bands in Europe.
In 2005, at the height of their power and popularity, the band had a bitter breakup with Turunen and nearly disbanded completely. They eventually hired a new singer, Anette Olzon, in 2007, and released two successful albums with her. However, the band’s physically exhausting touring schedule, and the stress of constantly being compared to Turunen, wore on her, and in the middle of their 2012 Americas tour, she broke down and was unable to continue. Faced with the prospect of cancelling the rest of the tour, Holopainen called Floor Jansen, with whom he was acquainted from the European metal scene, and asked if she would be willing to step in. He knew that she could handle big, challenging songs, but it was still a huge risk for all of them.
Jansen flew to the U.S. with two days to learn the set list. Both she and the band were apprehensive that the turmoil in the lineup would not go over well with the fans, but they soldiered on and played the remaining U.S. dates, mostly in small venues, allowing Jansen to establish her chemistry with the band. Then they headed to South America, where they have a bigger and more committed fan-base. At each stop, they had to face the fans’ skepticism. The fans still idolized Turunen, but each time, Jansen won them over.
This is “Ghost Love Score”, from the final concert of
the tour, in Buenos Aires. It is the band's signature song, a ten-minute, six-movement epic which
calls for extreme vocal agility, power and endurance. Their performance a year later at Wacken Open Air in 2013 would be more polished, but this one
captures the moment when Jansen took full ownership of the song, and the band realized that
they were going to be all right. Jansen not only nailed it, but she rewrote
the ending, adding a spectacular vocal climax which fans have since dubbed the “Floorgasm”. It has become a hallmark of their performances ever since.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V_eoR6r1Tw
If you want to check out the 2013 performance at Wacken, here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYjIlHWBAVo
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