NIGHTWISH's TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN On Former Drummer JUKKA NEVALAINEN: 'He's Doing Brilliant'

In a recent interview with United Rock Nations, NIGHTWISH keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen spoke about the status of the band's longtime drummer Jukka Nevalainen, who stepped away from NIGHTWISH's touring and recording activities six years ago due to severe insomnia.

Tuomas said: "He's doing brilliant. I just saw him about three weeks ago. Because we live pretty close to each other so we see each other pretty often. So he came in and we had a real 'man cave' evening, playing poker and watching 'Rambo[: Last Blood]'. [Laughs]

"He's in such good spirits these days — he's in a very good place — but touring with the band is out of the question, 'cause that's when the insomnia would most likely hit him again. It's a terrible, terrible illness. I have suffered from insomnia for a few months at best, and the feeling is indescribable. And he went through that for years and years. So I understand his decision completely."

"He's a brilliant drummer," Tuomas added. "I think he's almost an underrated drummer as well, because he puts such passion and punch into his playing. It's very different from [current NIGHTWISH drummer] Kai [Hahto], actually. They're both brilliant musicians, but at the very other end of the spectrum. I'm just glad that Kai was there to save the band."

Last July, Nevalainen confirmed his permanent exit from NIGHTWISH. At the time, he called his decision to leave the band "the right thing to do" and said that he would "continue to take care of the band's businesses in the background."

NIGHTWISH's new album "Human. :II: Nature.", will be released on April 10 via Nuclear Blast. The long-awaited follow-up to 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" is a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters on CD 2.

"Human. :II: Nature." was recorded from August to October 2019 at Röskö campsite, Petrax Studios and Troykington castle, as well as Finnvox Studios, by Tero Kinnunen, Mikko Karmila and Troy Donockley. The mixing was done by Mikko Karmila at Finnvox, with Tuomas Holopainen and Tero Kinnunen. Mastering was done by Mika Jussila at Finnvox.