Look, I was there. That night. At Wacken Open Air 2013. When this DVD/Blu-Ray recording was made. It was a grand experience, it really was. And in a way, I'm really happy that Nightwish and the good people at Nuclear Blast have decided to issue 'Showtime, Storytime'. It proves that I wasn't on drugs or in any other way incapable of perceiving the sonic attack from the Finns + one Dutch woman.

I'm well aware that there's probably been tweaked, cut, harmonized and all that in post-production, but even if that is the case, this recording is another testimony that the current Nightwish line-up is superb and one I'd be willing to bet my money on for years to come.

Floor Jansen is the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow for Nightwish, I have little doubt about that. She's so more rock'n'roll than Tarja, and she's a welcome notch closer to opera than Anette Olzon. She not only treats the Nightwish material with great respect and professionalism - I think Jansen endows it with a personal touch which in effect benefits many of the tracks. The way she handles Nemo, for one, is amazing. The duets with bassist Marco also work really well, for example in the imminent I Want My Tears Back.

All in all, 'Showtime, Storytime' is a great and worthy snapshot of Nightwish anno 2013/2014. They're truly a force to be reckoned with. A must for fans, this one.