NIGHTWISH Preparing To Master New Album

Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH are not only putting finishing touches to its new album, "Imaginarium", but also planning a movie of the same name. If all goes well, the CD will be released in early 2012, to be followed by the movie at some point further down the line. The first single off the album as well as the trailer for the film should arrive well before the end of 2011.

NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main composer Tuomas Holopainen has posted the following message on the band's official web site regarding the status of the upcoming album/movie:

"After three years of brainstorming and songwriting, over a year of rehearsing, arranging and studio work, this triumph of musical passion and piety is finally ready to be mastered.

"Yesterday, after a six-week mixing session in Studio C at Finnvox [studios in Helsinki], I listened the whole thing from start to finish alone for the first time, and couldn't make heads nor tails of it. It's the same old story the same feeling of bottomless emptiness that has marked the completion of all previous albums.

"We could have honed the songs 'till Armageddon, but at some point you just have to let go and start admiring the scenery. This time, the landscape consists of 13 songs totaling 75 minutes.

"I think I'll probably be able to savor the end result only after a couple of months of mixing detox, but the encouraging comments by those near to me assure that it is a decent album. One person who heard 'Imaginarium' called it 'the greatest adventure he ever heard with his two ears.'

"There's clearly more grin to the new album than on the last one, more funfair, Moomins, smoky taverns, and twisted landscapes. It equals the Milky Way in width and breath, even according to our standards. As Markus Selin put it: 'Now you've really gone and emptied the bag of tricks!'

"We're now going to get some distance to the album before mastering it later in the autumn. Meanwhile, we're going to be busy designing the cover, completing the instrumental and orchestral versions of the album, planning the upcoming tour, shooting the movie, and digesting the audio bloat. An excellent cure for the latter should be peaceful country atmosphere, fishing, and following the games of the current pespallo season. (By the way, during the home games of Kiteen Pallo, the entry music will be a remix consisting of the main riff and chorus of song number 11 off 'Imaginarium'.)

"Big thanks and bear hugs to the whole band for their patience; to Mikko Karmila and Tee Cee Kinnunen for their forbearance, craftsmanship and enormous amount of work; and in advance to Mika Jussila for the finishing touch! It's been a magnificent journey so far. Big thanks to you, too, for living with us through this process and having faith in what's to come. I'm sure you won't be disappointed."

NIGHTWISH will kick off the "Imaginarium" 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.