NIGHTWISH Presented With Platinum, Gold Awards For German Album Sales

Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH were presented with three separate sales-certification plaques after their May 6 concert at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart, Germany:

* "Imaginaerum" (2011) gold album (signifying sales in excess of 100,000 copies in Germany)
* "Dark Passion Play" (2007) platinum album (signifying sales in excess of 200,000 copies in Germany)
* "Once" (2004) triple gold album (signifying sales in excess of 300,000 copies in Germany)

Photos of the presentation can be seen below.

Commented NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main composter Tuomas Holopainen: "These three awards from 'Once', 'Dark Passion Play' and 'Imaginaerum' represent the purity of our music making, loyalty of the fans, and hard work and trust from the record label and management. We are deeply touched and grateful, and will continue to tread the chosen path with you all."

Added Andy Siry, head of A&R and label manager of Nuclear Blast: "NIGHTWISH rightfully stand at the very top of the winner's podium, brave every trend with their music and go ahead with their style consistently with much blood, sweat and tears. Each and every NIGHTWISH album is a masterpiece and the awards substantiate that the fans acknowledge and honour the band's class and sincerity. We're very proud that we've been able to make our contribution to their success and are looking forward a lot to our shared future."

NIGHTWISH will embark on a North American headlining tour in September with support from KAMELOT.

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NIGHTWISH released a limited-edition "Trials Of Imaginaerum" 10-inch picture disc for Record Store Day (April 21). The effort includes four previously unreleased demo recordings with Marco Hietala on lead vocals. It also comes with a download of the previously unreleased track "The Heart Asks Pleasure First", a cover with lyrics from the movie "The Piano".

"Trials Of Imaginaerum" features a picture of "The Crew, The Owl And The Dove" on one side, and the "Imaginaerum" grounds on the other side.

"The Crow, The Owl And The Dove", the second single from NIGHTWISH's latest album, "Imaginaerum", entered the official chart in Finland at position No. 1. The single features the title cut in three versions — radio edit, album version and instrumental — and the previously unreleased song "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" (theme from the movie "The Piano") in two different versions.

NIGHTWISH released a special "tour edition" of "Imaginaerum", on April 13 via Nuclear Blast Records. It is a 2CD+DVD digibook in slipcase.

"Imaginaerum" sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's previous CD, 2007's "Dark Passion Play", opened with 11,000 units to land at No. 84.

"Imaginaerum" was released in North America on January 10 via Roadrunner Records.