The album has been described as following a natural development from Dark Passion Play, inspired greatly by film scores. Like Dark Passion Play as well as Once and Century Child it features a live orchestra, again orchestrated by Pip Williams. The orchestrations have been described as “beautiful, twisted, tribal and cinematic”, but will not be featured on every track as it was on Dark Passion Play. Bassist Marco Hietala has emphasized that the album is heavier than the predecessor, and composer Tuomas Holopainen has called one song “a funeral march”, greatly inspired by the Death/Doom of Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride.

Holopainen has cited three major influences on the album — film director Tim Burton, author Neil Gaiman and painter Salvador Dalí. Musical influences include Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, Ennio Morricone, Christy Moore, Van Halen and Pantera, and one song especially (called a “funeral march”) is inspired by Death/Doom giants Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride. Another looks to be the longest Nightwish song yet, being close to 20 minutes and especially influenced by poet Walt Whitman. One acoustic piece is also called “a Moomin Valley Christmas carol”. One song, referenced to as “the Nukkumatti song” (nukkumatti being Finnish for sandman) is described as “a pounding, twisted and chorusless ghost train ride is sure to bring a smile to your face. At least it has done so to everyone who has heard it. Danny Elfman goes humppa”, and another is described as “something completely different from anything we've ever done. All of us need to find new ways to play our instruments and use vocals for that piece. A terrifically challenging and mind-expanding song.”