NIGHTWISH: 'Imaginaerum' Cover Artwork, Track Listing Unveiled

Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH will release their new album, "Imaginaerum", in Finland on Wednesday, November 30 and the rest of Europe on Friday, December 2 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD will be made available in North America through Roadrunner Records.

"Imaginaerum" track listing:

01. Taikatalvi
02. Storytime
03. Ghost River
04. Slow, Love, Slow
05. I Want My Tears Back
06. Scaretale
07. Arabesque
08. Turn Loose The Mermaids
09. Rest Calm
10. The Crow, The Owl And The Dove
11. Last Ride Of The Day
12. Song Of Myself
13. Imaginaerum

Regarding the "Imaginaerum" cover artwork, which can be seen below, NIGHTWISH keyboardist/mainman Tuomas Holopainen said, "Originally, this was supposed to be the centerfold image of the album, but once I and some mates saw the final image, we immediately knew that the hunt for the actual cover artwork was over. I believe this is Toxic Angel's finest piece of work yet, capturing the deepest essence of what 'Imaginaerum' is all about. The power of imagination and places of wordless wonders, magic and awe, of longing and the surreal.

"I emphasized from the start that not a single living thing should be seen in the picture, and Toxic was able to create that sublime but desolate, 'all this waiting for you, and you only' feeling.

"All you need is the courage to enter."

Short "Imaginaerum" track-by-track commentary from Tuomas:

01. Taikatalvi

"This world is but a canvas for our imagination."

02. Storytime

"How would it feel to take a midnight flight with a snowman through the most wondrous landscapes, like in the classic animated 'Yuletide' film? The meaning of our very existence is created though stories, tales and imagination. They are at the very core of humanity."

03. Ghost River

"Life is the ultimate privilege; a river filled with wonders and horrors. Love, sorrow, beauty, evil and temptation. And we need them all to survive and enjoy the journey. Good, Evil, Pain and Pleasure members one of another."

04. Slow, Love, Slow

"Truest love needs no words, demands or promises. It is wordless territory, and thoroughly unconditional."

05. I Want My Tears Back

"Longing for things long gone, but still possible to bring back."

06. Scaretale

"Monsters in the closet, squealing pigs, hordes of spiders and flesh-ripping harpies. A peek into childhood's unforgettable nightmares- a vivid and twisted circus sideshow."

07. Arabesque

"A catharsis to a nightmare. Giving birth through a death-dance."

08. Turn Loose The Mermaids

"We quietly witness as her dying loved one takes his last journey...forever now, a haunting moment of beauty and comfort."

09. Rest Calm

"Memories and hope are two things no-one can ever take away from you. The sweetness of my own past is a bottomless chest of comfort and inspiration."

10. The Crow, The Owl And The Dove

"Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me Truth" - Henry David Thoreau. Love is everything, and only Truth is our guide to a deeper state.

11. Last Ride Of The Day

"The theme park is just about to close, but the rollercoaster runs one more time and you get to take the last ride by yourself. It`s dark and the fireworks have just started. Moments such as these are portals to infinite dreams, of deep realisation, and ultimately the thrilling awareness of being a speck of dust in this vast swirling cosmos."

12. Song Of Myself

"Our homage and version of Walt Whitman`s transcendental celebration of life and existence, delving deep into a personal catharsis."

13. Imaginaerum

"Thank you for sharing the ride and we hope to welcome you back soon. The stage is lit, and the Magnificent Play is beginning..."

NIGHTWISH recently spent time not only putting finishing touches to the "Imaginaerum" album, but also planning a movie of the same name.

"Imaginaerum" is one of the projects which recently received grants from the Finnish government institution called the Finnish Film Foundation. The movie, directed by Stobe Harju, about an old man on his deathbed who glimpses a childhood dream in which he refuses to grow old, and fights aging with his imagination, will get $575,000 toward its $3.7 million budget.

NIGHTWISH's new single, "Storytime", will be released on Friday, November 11 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Regarding the musical direction of the forthcoming album, NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon wrote on her official blog, "I think it's a great and varied CD. The feelings in it are great and there are a lot of elements in it, so I am sure it will have many different favorite songs for the listeners since the songs are so different in styles and sound. [2007's] 'Dark Passion Play' is a great album and this one, too, so I don't know yet which one I like more, but, of course, for me personally, this one feels better to do since the songs are more adjusted to my voice and my style."

NIGHTWISH will kick off the "Imaginaerum" world tour in Los Angeles. The very first show of the trek will take place at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California on Saturday, January 21. This will be the biggest NIGHTWISH show production ever on North American soil and strictly a one-off there will be no U.S. tour until later in 2012.