NIGHTWISH The new download single 'Eva'

NIGHTWISH - Special News Page Now Online

Nuclear Blast Records report:

"NIGHTWISH Fans all over the world can't wait to get the final information oN the new singer, which cover artwork will be used, what the new album will be called… etc.

For all these important questions we have launched a special Nightwish online newspage! Check it here for brand new information!

The new download single 'Eva' will be released on May 30th – get it then at the Nuclear Blast Musicshop."

30 mai, date de sortie du single, et où on connaitra la nouvelle chanteuse, en attendant, voici l'artwork de ce single, titré Eva :

and the winner is :

Anette Olzon

a noter sa participation sur conspirancy de Bormann

Musical background:
I was raised in a musical family and I've been singing since childhood. My mom also forced me to play the oboe for 8 years! I toured constantly with my mom and her band in my childhood, sometimes I even sang on stage with them.

After I turned 13, I started competing in several talent shows. I joined my first real band when I was 17, it was a cover band and all the other musicians were older than me. After playing cover songs, I joined a band called Alyson Avenue, first just as a studio singer, later as their leading lady. We've released 2 albums since 2000.

At the age of 21, I played the leading role in a rock opera/musical called "Gränsland" in Helsingborg. After that I got in to the Balettakademien in Gothenburg. In addition to the already mentioned, I've been in several other bands over the years, I've sung in choirs, done studio work for various projects and I've even occasionally been a wedding singer. Recently I sang a duet with Michael Bormann (ex-Jaded Heart-singer) on his album "Conspiracy". During my singing career I've sung nearly every kind of music that there is!

In my earlier days I took singing lessons at the Copenhagen Music Conservatorie, in Helsingör, Denmark with a private teacher. Nowadays, when its needed, I take lessons from a private teacher at the Malmö Music University.

Chanteuse de ALYSON AVENUE Anette Olzon.


les 2 albums de Alyson Avenue...

http://www.tce.se/~thomas/ site d'Alyson Avenue

la photo d'Anette :



belle métamorphose pour le passage à Nightwish, voici la photo :

NIGHTWISH - BW&BK Photo Gallery Of New Singer Available

As reported earlier today, Finnish metallers NIGHTWISH have revealed that their new singer is Swedish beauty Anette Olzon. She was chosen from over 2000 applications as the replacement for former singer TARJA TURUNEN.

According to a band press release, "Anette grew up in a very musical family, and she's been performing and singing all her life. She has also studied music and performing at the Göteborg Balettakademie, Copenhagen Conservatory and Malmö Music University. Anette lives in Katrineholm, Sweden."

A video message from Anette can be viewed here.

Nightwish's new single, 'Eva' - featuring Anette Olzon - will be released in Finland via online retailer NetAnttila.com tomorrow (Friday, May 25th). Click here for more info.

To view new photos of Nightwish with Anette Olzon head to the BW&BK Photo Gallery here.

NIGHTWISH Unleash More Audio Samples

NIGHTWISH have issued the following brief update:

"In addition to the 'Eva' sample, you can now listen to three more samples from the upcoming Nightwish album."

Check out samples of the tracks '7 Days To The Wolves', 'Master Passion Greed', 'Amaranth' and 'Eva' at this location.

As previously reported, Nightwish revealed their new vocalist, Anette Olzon, to the world yesterday (May 24th). An interview with Olzon, issued, can be found here.

NIGHTWISH - New Single 'Eva' Now Available For Purchase

NIGHTWISH's new single, 'Eva', is now available for purchase via Nuclear Blast's online shop. Go to this location to buy it.

'Eva' is a download-only single. All European download income of this single will go the Child Charity Foundation (Die Arche - www.kinderprojekt-arche.de).

Samples of the tracks '7 Days To The Wolves', 'Master Passion Greed' and 'Amaranth' from Nightwish's forthcoming as-yet-untitled new album are available at this location.

As previously reported, Nightwish revealed their new vocalist, Anette Olzon, to the world on May 24th. An interview with Olzon, issued, can be found here.

NIGHTWISH - New Singer ANETTE OLZON's Fact File Online

NIGHTWISH have issued a fact file on new vocalist Anette Olzon. Go to this location to check it out.

As previously reported, an interview with Olzon, issued, can be found here.

Nightwish's new single, 'Eva', is now available for purchase via Nuclear Blast's online shop. Go to this location to buy it.

'Eva' is a download-only single. All European download income of this single will go the Child Charity Foundation (Die Arche - www.kinderprojekt-arche.de).

Samples of the tracks '7 Days To The Wolves', 'Master Passion Greed' and 'Amaranth' from Nightwish's forthcoming as-yet-untitled new album are available at this location.

NIGHTWISH - "We Finished Mixing The Album Last Friday"




NIGHTWISH's new singer Anette Olzon and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen talked to Metal-Rules.com recently about their forthcoming album, the 'Eva' -single, upcoming world tour and more. Here's an excerpt from the interview:

Metal-Rules.com: What are your uppermost feelings right now when it´s finally been officially announced about a week ago that Anette is the new singer of Nightwish? I mean, it must have been kinda hard to keep her name under a rock for this long…

Tuomas: "The uppermost feeling that I have at the moment, is relief because we don´t have to hide her anymore. And it must be a huge relief for her as well because like keeping her in a cave all the time, wasn't that much fun. But it was something that needed to be done. And now, we finished mixing the album last Friday, so we have the album ready. She's out, so in that sense I feel really, really good. Also, the people, the band and the media have welcomed her in a really nice way. I personally expected 'the barbeque' to be much worse! (*laughs*) So, everything's looking good; it's really looking good…

Metal-Rules.com: In order to keep her name under cover for this long period of time (about four months), I suppose you simply must have had a really well thought-out, sort of masterplan how to keep her name unrevealed until 24th of May 2007. Do you have any funny stories to tell what kind of things you had to do along the way to keep it quiet?

Tuomas: "Well, we almost needed to blind date, but I lost the bet to our technicians, so I owe them… well, whatever! Who cares! I'm actually quite surprised myself how we managed to keep her in secret this long."

Metal-Rules.com: When did it actually become crystal clear for the band that Anette would be a perfect choice to step in Nightwish as the new vocalist of the band? I mean, you did receive well over 2000 demos from all around the whole world, so going through all that massive pile of demos must have been a hard task already in itself - just to pick up that one final candidate and eventually ask her to join the band…

Tuomas: "It's was in the end of January 2007. We had a very long discussion within the band members about our final decision for the new vocalist because we just wanted to go thoroughly through everything really, like you know, turn every rock. But I mean, she was one of the very first ones to send the demo to us. I think she was amongst the 1st twenty ones or so, and she sang “Ever Dream” - just this one song, and made a huge impression on us by even that song already. I think she really managed to set the scale for the rest to come. So, she was the present, like from the very beginning of this process."

Metal-Rules.com: What were your ultimate feelings and thoughts when Tuomas made this one important phone call to you on 30th January 2007 and announced that you would be their choice for the new singer of Nightwish? Were you first like, “Oh God, Tuomas you must be joking with me, right…?!”

Anette: "Ha-ha… I think he was so calm and saying it like that. I was like: 'WHAT?! What did you say a couple of seconds ago…?' I really didn't quite get his message first that I will have lots to do in Nightwish. Actually it took some weeks from me to understand that I really got the job."

Metal-Rules.com: Have you ever dreamt about being a vocalist of Nightwish, like when you heard the news Tarja (Turunen) was out of the band in the end of 2005?

Anette: "No, I didn´t because when I applied I didn't think that they would even get back to me since I didn´t have this opera type of voice and stuff. So, no - I never dreamt of it. But of course when the process went further and further, I thought I really would like to get this job."

Metal-Rules.com: But I assume you still knew Nightwish´s music from their albums before how they are musically…?

Anette: "No, actually I just heard them a couple of months before. I had always heard the name of Nightwish, but never their music. I had heard other bands, but never Nightwish. So, I just heard them a couple of months before, and then I bought their compilation-CD, and after that got to hear Once. So Once and that compilation CD were the first Nightwish things for me personally that I heard from them."


To read the entire interview head to this location.

la pochette du nouvel album, intitulé Dark Passion Play et prévu pour le 28 septembre:

NIGHTWISH video While Your Lips Are Still Red
la video du titre "While Your Lips Are Still Red", écrite par le claviériste Tuomas Holopainen pour le futur film finlandais : "Lieksa!" est en ligne sur YouTube. Jouent aussi : le bassiste/vocaliste Marco Hietala , Tuomas et le 3eme NIGHTWISH : "Julius" Nevalainen à la batterie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwTtDr5JPz4

Voici la pochette du nouvelle album de NIGHTWISH DARK PASSION PLAY

TRACKLIST:
01. The Poet And The Pendulum
02. Bye Bye Beautiful
03. Amaranth
04. Cadence Of Her Last Breath
05. Master Passion Greed
06. Eva
07. Sahara
08. Whoever Brings The Night
09. For The Heart I Once Had
10. The Islander
11. Last Of The Wilds
12. 7 Days To The Wolves
13. Meadows Of Heaven

SORTIE PREVUE LE 28 SEPTEMBRE 2007

Et la pochette du premier single AMARANTH

NIGHTWISH - Dark Passion Play Is The Most Expensive Finnish Album So Far

NIGHTWISH has completed their new album which ended up being the most expensive album made in Finland. Dark Passion Play which will be released worldwide at the end of September was a production where no expenses were saved.

"Final costs for the album was around 500,000 euros. Cause of money we didn't make any compromises. Nothing was held back so there is nothing we could've done better," said Tuomas HOlopainen

All in all Dark Passion Play ended up costing twice as much as their previous album Once did.

The majority of expenses went to the famous Abbey Road studios in London where the band recorded Dark Passion Play. Also no expenses were saved with the videos. The band just returned from Los Angeles where Antti Jokinen directed their both single-release videos.

"Videos costed total of 270,000 euros. We saved in the expenses and time by doing two videos in the same session.", Tuomas said.

The total sum for Dark Passion Play considering also the marketing expenses is almost 800,000 euros but it doesn't concern Tuomas. "I am not scared. We have done the best we could. There was absolutely nothing we could've done better so it has to be enough."

(Thanks Iltasanomat.fi, Metalfromfinland.com)

NIGHTWISH - Listening Session Report

Along with several other regional music publications, Finnish magazine Imperiumi (www.imperiumi.net ) was at the listening session at Finnvox Studio in Helsinki and has posted a cursory look into the much anticipated Dark Passion Play, the first NIGHTWISH record with new vocalist Annette Olzon (Sept 28th release is anticipated, via Roadrunner, in North America).

Finnish text by Kari Helenius translated by "Anssi" at the Nightwish Forum.

"We are on the way to Finnvox studios where NW’s new album’s listening session will start shortly. There are many thoughts in my head: is the album harder, darker than the previous ones? How big do the orchestras sound now? How will Anette succeed? I do know that the band has thought thoroughly about what kind of singer they want to have and Anette surely fulfills these requirements. Before listening I have heard the samples on the net, but I don’t want to make any presumptions based on those short 128k Mp3 samples.

In my opinion, NW’s every album has been better than the previous ones and soon I can hear how they have managed this time around. The versatility, technical realization and the personal skills of the band members has gone forward all the time and they never have stuck in one place, let alone that they would have regressed. The band have grown out of their shells and is at the moment one of the brightest stars in the Finnish metal heaven.

There about 20 media people in the studio, plus record company staff. The whole band, save for Jukka, is present and as usual, Tuomas is nervous about the reception the album will get among the journalists. The album is called Dark Passion Play, it is 75 minutes long and has 13 songs in it.
Before I start to analyze the album in more detail, let it be mentioned that I have heard these songs only once, so there might be some errors in the text below.

The album starts with the mammoth-like The poet and the pendulum, 14 minutes long. The song starts with a soundtrack-like intro, soon accompanied by a boy soprano, after which the song explodes into full force as the band joins in. The it is fast and hard forward, a bit in the spirit of PANTERA. Anette starts to sing. In the refrain there is a theme of escape; “Get away, run away, fly away…” After the refrain the orchestra takes over and it’s back to the verse. After the 2nd chorus there is a more peaceful passage where the cello is prominent. The boy soprano goes on; “Tuck me in beneath the blue…” Then, Anette sings in a duet with the boy. The boy is saying something ‘beneath’ the orchestra which is hard to decipher. The orchestra gains more strength and the song gets more air beneath its wings. Emppu plays something which resembles a solo and Marco punishes that with his growling. The song comes to a halt, to continue still with one part. The war machine quiets down and tranquillity takes over. A calm flute, beautiful singing. It goes on with a piano accompaniment. Something here resembles 'Ghost Love Score'. There is a confession of love. Who
confesses? To whom? Is it a beginning or an end? There are so many parts to the song that it doesn’t open with one listening. After another listen it might be possible to say more about the song.

Before I can collect my thoughts, the next song explodes forth and it resembles WIHAA very much. The song is sung by Marco and I can say that the title 'Bye Bye Beautiful' is misleading - this is no beautiful ballad. The raw, massive guitar sound reminds one of MEGADETH at times. Is it a goodbye… or a "f**k-off"?

Amaranth starts with a piano trio after which the band and the orchestra join in with full force. When Anette sings the chorus the hair on my skin begins to stand for the first time during the album. There is a strong (hard) middle eight, after which the verse and the chorus again. For a while, there is a more peaceful piano part, after which the chorus follows with full force again.

Cadence of her Last Breath explodes fully in the beginning. The orchestra plays loud. Anette starts from a high pitch. A difficult song, after one
listening one cannot remember much of it. The chorus sounds fast.

Master Passion Greed is extremely hard. It could be a song by tarot, judging from the intro. I claim that the trash-beginning of the song is the fastest NW ever. Marco sings like radiating with anger and in the chorus the tempo gets slower, the orchestra joins in and it outright “jumps into your eyes”. Towards the end Marco rages with pathos. The end part is very massive, aggressive. For whom might this be dedicated…?

Next is Eva, a beautiful, peaceful composition, which starts with a piano and an oboe. Anette sings with a clear voice, the songs proceeds slowly. In the second verse the drums join in cautiously. After the second chorus the first actual guitar solo of the album, and the orchestra remains quiet until it joins again in the last chorus.

In the next song, the keyboards begin and this time the orchestra joins in quickly. Then it goes on with a guitar melody played by Emppu. This time the composition is of a heavy tempo and Anette has the chance to use her voice with a lot of variation. This thousand-and-one-night story has the name Sahara and at the end we can enjoy Arabic song melodies. Would this be 'The Siren' of
this album?

The next song starts heavily. There is a real horror movie feel to it, as the title also suggests: 'Whoever Brings The Night'. The singing has been processed through some filter, it sounds like it comes through a flanger. The song is dominated by a strange, slightly frightening sound. The song is however quite Nightwishy, fast as to its tempo. A guitar-lead composition. And no wonder, afterwards I hear it is all written by Emppu.

Oh Jesus. THE 69 EYES started to play? No, no, the beginning just took me by surprise. 'For The Heart I Once Had' has the most popish vocal parts in the album, accompanied by the drums and the bass. Especially the ‘meowing’ verse is interesting. In the chorus there is again more energy and the song starts to fly. After a short guitar lead by Emppu there is another verse. The chorus is HUGE. For a while after that we calm down, there is a piano, Anette and the orchestra. Is this song about Dead Boy. Childhood? Once more, the chorus and the band and the orchestra play with all the force they can.

The next song’s beginning reminds me easily of Greek Mary’s Blood. Acoustic guitar and some kind of low-register acoustic drum. Marco sings softly a mystical, even a bit folkish melody, Anette remains in the background. The song is like an irish folk song, also by its name: The islander. A violin joins in and the song becomes a duet: “This is for long forgotten light at the end of the world…” An infinitely beautiful composition by Marco ends in ocean sounds. Straight from these sounds starts the mind-bafflingly beautiful next song and it takes a while for me to realize that it is an instrumental. A beautiful one at that. There is a Scottish atmosphere and a strong Celtic theme. Last of the Wilds grows towards its end and the composition is finished by a solemnly sounding genuine Finnish kantele.

The next songs begins heavily again, massively. Big choirs in the background. Emppu punishes the guitar seriously, and Anette sings on top. In the Chorus Marco steps in. Anette remains then in the background. Back to the verse, which has a bit of a waiting atmosphere. Another chorus, big, beautiful. Emppu starts a solo straight from the second chorus. Back to Anette’s song, the song gets to ‘breathe’ a little, with only the drums and the orchestra. The sound of the orchestra grows, with a Celtic violin and Anette’s gorgeous singing. Marco also goes on. “Howl! Seven days to the wolves!” The chorus is just the best. The song is the best on the album so far!

The last song starts with a cello. Meadows of heaven. Soon joined by a piano and a violin. Anette starts to sing a peaceful, beautiful melody. The chorus has more power, after which there is a calmer verse again. A bagpipe or something like that continues with a flute. The drums join in and soon also the orchestra, Anette and a big choir. Emppu attacks in with a strong guitar solo. After the solo it’s time to calm down for a moment again when Anette sings accompanied only by a piano and a violin. The orchestra joins in we reach another chorus. Right at the end of the song there is a gospel choir and a female soul singer and every hair on my skin tries to find its way through my clothes. What a magnificent song. Even physically a strong experience, my pulse is closer to 200 at the end of the song. A great ending to a great album!

Summa summarum, after one listening it is impossible to say if this is the best NW album or no. My feeling is similar to what I felt after listening to
Once for the first time; I have to collect myself a bit and would like to hear the album again right away, so that I could understand even something of what I just heard. Anette's performance is faultless and her way to use her gorgeous voice crowns this opus. There is a tremendous wealth of different emotions on this album, from very sensitive to exploding. The Celtic theme in the end part of the album was a surprise. It brought additional colour to the album and at least for me worked as an escalator of atmosphere, as I am a fan of
everything Irish.

Still, to quote Henrik from SONATA ARCTICA, writing about music is like trying to read the news with a piano: it is absurd to characterise this kind of
opus with text, and eveybody will hear things differently. It has been said that this is the most expensive Finnish album ever made. After listening, it is clear that the investment was worth it - the end result does approach perfect. There are already two videos made of songs from the album, by Antti Jokinen in LA."

NIGHTWISH - 'Amaranth' Single Pre-Sale Now Available

NIGHTWISH check in with the following:

"The Spinefarm version of new single 'Amaranth' is on pre-sale now. There's also going to be a Nuclear Blast version of the single (on pre-sale soon), so if you are not sure which version you want to have, please wait and order later.

We also want to remind that pre-sale orders won't be shipped before the pre-sale item is available, so if you order something else (shirts, other CDs) along with the new CDs you'll get the whole order when the new CD is released."

Visit the Nightwish shop at this location.

NIGHTWISH - New Nightmail Q&A Featuring Vocalist ANETTE OLZON Available

NIGHTWISH's new Nightmail Q&A session featuring fan questions answered by new vocalist Anette Olzon is now online. Following is a brief excerpt:

Q: 1) Who was the first one you told about your new job as the vocalist of Nightwish? 2) Was it hard to keep it a secret? Were you ever close to "slip up" and accidentally tell someone?

Anette: 1) "It was my big brother."

2) "Yes, it was very hard. You want to share a big thing like this and having to keep it a secret from everyone for so long is hard. Since I can't lie that good, I had to keep away from my friends for those months and just hope they would understand why after the news finally were out. And luckily they all did!"

Q: I know it sounds very stupid, but can you sing the old songs well?

Anette: "No, this is absolutely not a stupid question.. I understand that many fans are worried and wondering if I will be able to sing the old songs. We will play an equal amount of old and new songs on the tour and I will sing all the old songs in my own way. The songs will still be as before, no radical re-arranging or anything, just the difference that it's my voice on them this time. Hopefully, you all will accept my interpretation of them and continue to take the songs to your hearts."

Q: What is your worst fear about stepping in Tarja's shoes?

Anette: "I don't feel any 'fear' about this. The guys have chosen me as their vocalist and we all like each other and have a great time. That is what is important to me, that they like me and support me. As long as I know they are behind me I don't feel scared."

Go to this location to check out the full Q&A.

BW&BK EXCLUSIVE: NIGHTWISH - A Listen To The New Album

BW&BK's Mark Gromen has issued the following overview of NIGHTWISH's anxiously-anticipated forthcoming album, Dark Passion Play:

First off, the woman can sing! Verbose Toumas Holopainen is at it again, with 5 to 6 word titles, to say nothing of the 13:53 opening 'The Poet And The Pendulum' and closing duo topping 7 minutes each. the whole opus lasts 75:45.

No longer just "frilly teeny-bopper metal" (not that they ever were, just some cult elitists' sentiments). Haven't re-invented themselves as much as widened the scope of their repertoire. Should be fun to see how Anette Olzon handles the older material. Don't expect to remain in your seat for much of the show!

What follows is a verbatim transcription of my notes, as I listened to the album for the first time, in the offices of King Foo, surrounded by the numerous gold/platinum awards.

1) 'The Poet And The Pendulum'
Actually five sub-sections in one song, titled 'White Land Of Empathica', 'Home', 'The Pacific', 'Dark Passion Play' and 'Mother & Father'. Whispered voice-over starts, then drifts into high vocals, then out of nowhere, full bore band, with orchestration (no vocals), the settles into mid-tempo structures. First impression, her voice sounds like '70s OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN, clean, sultry, slightly accented English, but the further it proceeds, sounds more like ABBA (none too surprisingly), even without her Swedish heritage. Drops into sleepy symphonic strings mode, punctuated by brass bellows, then gradually builds to aggressive lyrics (Marco Hietala - bass) and swirl of orchestra.

2) 'Bye Bye Beautiful'
Just as easily COULD be about a failed love relationship, but the lyrics, especially the use of the word "we" would seem to indicate otherwise.

Did you ever hear what I told you
Did you ever read what I wrote
Did you ever listen to what we played
Did you ever let in what the world said
Did you get this far, just to feed your hate
Did we play to become only pawns in the game
How blind can you be, don't you see
You choose the long road, but we'll be waiting

Music is lively, Anette sings stanza, Marco the solo voice in chorus. Simple rhythms, bombastic break. Violin, seriously bowed, threatening to break in half, ala the cartoons. Marco eventually takes over (prophetic?)

3) 'Amaranth'
Piano begun. Female vocals at the forefront. Heavy backing, staccato underpinning.

4) 'Cadence Of Her Last Breath'
Panting female voice introduces, matched by tinkling of ivories, before full band on mid-tempo. Really different, just a rock song, practically devoid of the orchestrated bombastics inherent in Nightwish music. Panting back mid-song, accompanied by a choir. Marco's in the background, yelling "Run away, run away."

5) 'Master Passion Greed'
By contrast, bass and drums rumble out of the speakers, punctuated by sporadic guitar notes. Keyboards are the last instrument heard. Heavy, speedy, Marco barks lyrics. Very staccatto. No female vocals. Will be interesting to find out where/when, in the writing process this one was done. Quite unlike anything the band has attempted to date.

6) 'Eva'
First e-single. Disney, as Carl Begai calls it. Piano and Anette begun. Marco given this tune off. True ballad, Emppu emotive break.

7) 'Sahara'
Lively keyboard and violin quickly give way to short, upbeat blast, then launches into more labored cadence (trudging through the Sahara, in search of a thirst quenching oasis). Anette vocals above the fray. (Colorful 1001 Arabian Nights inspired drawing, veiled harem et al, in the beautifully illustrated CD booklet). Again, Marco basically missing.

'Whoever Brings The Night'
Guitar scales begin, bouncy melody. Vocals delivered in short bursts, seemingly sung only in chorus. After the second run through, changes into more chaotic.

All your love is a lie
You one night butterfly

9) 'For The Heart I Once Had'
Mid-tempo, almost bluesy guitar and piano. Lilting, childish Anette breaks through. Full band + at chorus. Watch as a possible single, down the line.

10) 'The Islander'
Pipe-flute, comparison to Creek Mary inevitable, even with the diminishing ocean sound effects. Male vocals (at first questions whether it's a guest singer, so un-Marco). Acoustic guitar, GORDON LIGHTFOOT? Eventually, two vocalists, in duet. Ends with tribal drum and violin, eventually only drum and ocean.

11) 'The Last Of The Wilds'
Segues seamlessly into this Celtic inspired pipes (tin/penny whistles). Breaks from Celtic, into the Baroque harpsichord tingling, backed-by flute/recorder, then into reprise of the lively reel/jig tempo. Been a longtime since I've heard a true (non-concept album) instrumental that I'd like to hear repeatedly. Ends with more music box tones. 5:41

12) 'Seven Days To The Wolves'
Drums introduce. Both singers involved. Titular phrase repeated frequently. Mostly mid-tempo, with quick hitting flourishes after each stanza (some fully instrumental), others feature Marco behind the music.

13) 'Meadows Of Heaven'
Low moan of cello, then piano and violin opening. Anette extended "aye." About two minutes before drums/guitar come in, but then refined, not ruining the beauty of the balladry. Think Titanic theme. Builds to include full backing choir, getting louder dynamically, but not faster. Emppu's guitar mimics a Highland theme as it falls back to violin, synth and Anette. Another blast from the choir. Closing swirl of all the aforementioned, including some soul/scat guests.

As previously reported, Dark Passion Play will be released by Nuclear Blast on September 28th, Spinefarm Records/Universal on September 26th and by Roadrunner Records on September 28th.

NIGHTWISH - North American Release Date Confirmed For Dark Passion Play

NIGHTWISH's anxiously-awaited new album - featuring new singer Anette Olzon on vocals - will be released in North America on October 2nd via Roadrunner Records.

As previously reported, Dark Passion Play will be released by Spinefarm Records/Universal in Finland on September 26th and by Nuclear Blast throughout the rest of Europe on September 28th,

The tracklist is as follows:
'The Poet And The Pendulum',
'Bye Bye Beautiful',
'Amaranth',
'Cadence Of Her Last Breath',
'Master Passion Greed',
'Eva',
'Sahara',
'Whoever Brings The Night',
'For The Heart I Once Had',
'The Islander',
'Last Of The Wilds',
'7 Days To The Wolves',
'Meadows Of Heaven'.

BW&BK scribe Mark Gromen recently checked in with an overview of the new album following a listening session in Helsinki. Go to this location to check it out.

NIGHTWISH Founder TUOMAS HOLOPAINEN - "Dark Passion Play Is The Album That Saved My Life"

Germany's Orkus Magazine recently caught up with NIGHTWISH keyboardist/founder Tuomas Holopainen to discuss the band's new album, Dark Passion Play.

Orkus: You have no doubt changed over the last couple years, having undergone some hard times. Was it hard to keep Nighwish alive during these times? Or was it the other way around: did Nightwish keep you alive?

Holopainen: "To put it simply: Dark Passion Play is the album that has saved my life. 2005 and the first months of 2006 were really very hard for me, not only concerning the band but also on a private level. Everything was hopeless. However, it was this hopelessness that made it so very easy for me to compose. I had exactly one place in the whole world to retreat to, and that place was in the songs of the new album. I would of course never have taken my life - I love life too much - but sometimes everything felt exclusively senseless and hopeless. At the beginning of 2006, there were two weeks were I simply did not leave the house. I woke up, worked on the songs for about twelve hours, watched a film, and then went back to sleep. Now and again I received a text message from my family, warning me not to go to the kiosks because the yellow press had once again dreamed up something new. So I created my own microcosm within the songs, and that was really the best thing to do in my situation."

The complete story can be found in the upcoming English language edition of Germany's goth culture magazine, Orkus. Go to this location for more information on the publication and to order.

NIGHTWISH - New Single Enters Finnish Charts At #1

NIGHTWISH's new single, 'Amaranth', has achieved entered the Finnish Singles charts at #1. The single recently achieved Gold status only two days after its release.

As previously reported, Nightwish will attend this year's Swedish Metal Expo, which is scheduled for September 1st - 2nd at Fryshuset in Stockholm. The band will be signing copies of their brand new single 'Amaranth' at 2:15 PM (CET) on September 1st.

NIghtwish's upcoming album, Dark Passion Play, is due out on October 2nd.

NIGHTWISH - 'Amaranth' Video Premier At Last.FM

Roadrunner Records reports:

"Our partners Last.FM have launched the official Roadrunner premiere of Nightwish's 'Amaranth'. The video is the first from the band's second Roadrunner release, Dark Passion Play, out on October 2nd.

Check it out here or at here.

As previously reported, the single 'Amaranth' has officialy been released in Europe. Following are the current single chart positions:

Spain - #1
Hungary - #1
Sweden - #13
Switzerland - #14
Germany - #16
Austria - #38
Netherlands - #51

Dark Passion Play is due out on October 2nd.