Live, double disc commemoration of last year’s Wacken appearance (15 songs, 95 minutes), the “final” show with then temporary/fill-in vocalist Floor Jansen (Revamp/ex-After Forever), who has since been installed as the permanent. The show can also be viewed on separate (or with this, as a box set) DVD/Blu-Ray discs. Having seen the concert in-person, as well as another seven shows from the Imaginaerum tour (half with Jansen), my opinion is a little lopsided. Since this was a culminating show, most Europeans not having had the opportunity to see Jansen with the band (few North Americans, apart from the southern tier of the USA having witnessed it firsthand, thus the CDs mark the first “professional” chance to hear how the “new” outfit sounds), the set wasn’t just about plugging the new album, but dusted off a few chestnuts for the DVD shoot.

Over the short course of her time in the band, the setlist expanded, when it became obvious Floor could adroitly handle the Tarja Turunen era (more rocking) material. Cooing and also forceful in the opening oldie ‘Dark Chest Of Wonders’, she had the massive Wacken crowd eating out of her hand. The energy remains high with ‘Wish I Had An Angel’, which adds male voice, courtesy of bassist Marco Hietala (hilarious, non sequitor intro to ‘Romanticide’), an admittedly diminishing role, with the statuesque Dutch woman now at the helm. When not in awe of the July 4th inspired onstage fireworks (accent on “fire”), the audience claps along to old school ‘Ever Dream’ and newbie ‘Storytime’ with equal fervor. ‘I Want My Tears Back’ is the first of a multi-song arc that introduces piper Troy Donockley (also elevated to permanent status, since this gig), including ‘Nemo’ (not the jazz hall cabaret version performed earlier in the tour) and the lively ‘Last Of The Wilds’ instrumental. Audience sings portion of ‘Amaranth’. Four months after the fact, still think the show ended on a down note. Could have used an one more vibrant throwback (even the oft used Gary Moore cover ‘Over The Hills And Far Away’) within the closing trio of ‘Ghost Love Score’, ‘Song Of Myself’ and robust ‘Last Ride Of The Day’. Given that title, guess it was always destined to be the finale, so maybe inserted in lieu of ‘Myself’? Probably just nit-picking, having seen them so many times already. Will be a long wait until the next live show, so enjoy.