Pharaoh Reacts: Nightwish - An Ocean Of Strange Islands

[@jompuusi]

As Tuomas said, this song is about people we meet throughout our lifetime. Each person representing an island. Greetings of Finland 🤘🤘

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Thank you so much!! Greetings from Canada

[@user-Rockmagix]

Oh Pharaoh, great reaction! I had to smile a little about your question: Who wrote this song? Who else could it have been than our beloved Metal Mozart Tuomas who does 90% of the Nightwish songs. Well, this one might be the most nightwishy song ever written! Greetings from Germany

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Thank you so much!! Greetings from Canada

[@harrystarink4425]

It's a masterpiece 😊😊🙏🙏🤘🤘

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

AWESOME!!

[@Thorgrim247]

Tuomas Holopainen, the main composer for Nightwish. It is filled with messages regarding our journey through life and the people we meet and lose along the way.

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Thank you :)

[@PomLimey]

Who wrote this? None other than the metal Mozart himself Tuomas Holopainen. Tuomas writes all the parts including the orchestra score. There are no samples, the orchestra and choir were recorded live at the iconic Abbey Road studios. The man is a genius.

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Thank you awesome!! Thank you

[@schout33]

It is the story of our lives navigating through the 'strange' islands representing the persons and situations we encounter on our journey. It is also the story of the history of Nightwish as a band. There are some clues in the lyrics as 'quintet' (the original 5 members) and 'retiree' (the many line up changes throughout the years, in this case the latest being Marko). The ending is the calm the band is in now, preparing for the rest of their journey after having a break. They probably will get on the road again in 2026 celebrating their 30th anniversary.

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Thank you so much!

[@Mischnikvideos]

@@Paul-PharaohTV According to the last interview I saw with Tuomas, no. He only had the label's request, but no plans. He explicitly rejected a tour of European festivals. We will only find out at very short notice if and when something will happen. I don't think it will be a live performance.

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Ah ok!! Thank you :)

[@silverblack5475]

One of the best songs to come out in a Long time " SAIL N SEEK "

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Ok Excellent!

[@youaremysecretstream]

🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘❣️

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Awesome!

[@IvankaVeselinovic]

Oh man, everything I want to say as a comment, YOU SAY BEFORE ME!!!! And then what is left for me to say??? But I will say, Nightwish is Nightwish, so well known, and totally different in this song. Yes, like total chaos, but overall, everything makes complete sense and an epic story. It's true, despite the fact that it's primarily a lyrical video, it sounds like a fairy tale.

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Thank you so much Ivanka!! You're Amazing!

[@EduardOgg-z5o]

Nice reaction thanks🤘. Nightwish has a lot of great things in store😉

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Heck yeah!!

[@rnowak85]

Great reaction! Like the other releases from this album, this song took several listens for me to really start hearing everything going on. I was kind of overwhelmed the first time I heard it and lyrically, I have to admit I was kind of lost and went to the Nightwish Reddit page to see what others thought. Everyone was pretty much seeing the song as a metaphor for a person's journey through life and the strange islands are the people we meet along the way. Classic Tuomas to use the ocean as a metaphor for our life's journey. Tuomas in an interview has said "The song actually has a triple meaning. I hope people will read the lyrics and find their interpretations of the song. I do want the listeners to interpret it themselves. However, I can share a little anecdote: I remember the moment when I conceived the idea for this song and felt so excited - oh yes - this is going to be a great adventure. I took a big A4 sheet of paper and made a drawing on it. Throughout the time I was composing “An Ocean Of Strange Islands”, that drawing remained on my music stand. I won’t reveal what was in that drawing, though." Tuomas and his wife, Johanna Kurkela, have a tradition on New Years where they draw a map where each Island represents a goal or a dream that they wish to achieve. A number of people thought that one of the meaning's of the song was Tuomas's journey and experiences in Nightwish. I really liked Apple60's interpretation which I won't repeat here because of the level of detail but in summary, the islands are all the people and experiences he and Nightwish have experienced over the last 30 some years. All the monsters and hurricanes that were obstacles to the band's success. Friends and bandmates have come and gone, sometimes badly yet he doesn't regret any of those experiences. In the end don't dwell on the bad stuff or worry about what will be. Continue the journey. Continue your story. Troy's pipes at the end are that calming acceptance of who we are and our journey. It is a sense of home within ourselves and comfort in knowing that even when our story ends, it will be ok because that is what is supposed to happen. In the end we all get to find our own meaning as Tuomas has always desired of his fans!

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

WOW This is awesome!! Thank you so much for the info!

[@marinaa.6140]

My favorite from the new album👌!

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

That's AWesome!

[@michaelwanklin3580]

I absolutely love Nightwish but WOW this song is at a level that raises the bar so high it will be difficult to beat. My all time favourite Nightwish song. PERFECTION.

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

They are amazing!

[@jarnojuhani8942]

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

So good!

[@jaanaliden9837]

❤❤❤

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

❤️

[@pdutchie4924]

Love this musical journey ❤❤❤ After Lanterlight, for me the best track on the new album! Great concert opener or closer 😁 Would be awesome live with a full orchestra and choir❣️

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Yes It Would!!!

[@brewswillis9783]

It's more of the same from Nightwish, something different, thought provoking and epic! Well done sir.

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Thank you so much!

[@Mischnikvideos]

There will apparently not be an official video. The lyric video has been out for too long. Like most of the songs, the song will be written by Tuomas. He needs a band and an orchestrator for the details. Tuomas sometimes forgets that singers have to breathe or that not every player can use all 10 fingers.

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

Ok thank you!

[@glenngunnis6642]

The Metal Mozart, Tuomas Holopainen is the writer and composer.🎸🤘

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

AWESOME!

[@paulwakefield]

The Metal Mozart wrote this. Tuomas Holopainen, keyboard player

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

That's awesome!

[@Mars-is4un]

🤗🍒🤘🏻 well done But what do you mean by a video, this is a video and what a great one, right?

[@Paul-PharaohTV]

I meant an official music Video!