NIGHTWISH: Four Songs Mixed For New Album

NIGHTWISH leader Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards) has reportedly told Finland's Soundi magazine that the band has finished mixing four songs for the group's upcoming album — the band's first to feature its new singer, whose identity has not yet been revealed. Only 30 people (all of whom have personal and business ties to NIGHTWISH) have been told the name of NIGHTWISH's new vocalist and have been sworn to secrecy in order to maintain the element of surprise when the new lineup is officially unveiled on May 30.

According to Holopainen, the upcoming NIGHTWISH album, which is due in September, will feature a 14-minute song entitled "The Poet and the Pendulum" featuring the following lyrics in the chorus: I cannot cry / 'Cause the shoulder cries more / I cannot die / I, the whore for the cold world."

NIGHTWISH will release a new single, entitled "Eva", on May 30. "Eva" will be an Internet-only single release, all profits from which shall be donated to charity. In Finland, the single will be available exclusively from NetAnttila. The new singer's identity will be revealed simultaneously in a press statement and on the band's web site, www.nightwish.com, on Wednesday, May 30. A radio promo of the Internet single will ship on the same day.

The sixth NIGHTWISH album will be released on September 26, preceded by a second, regular single release in August.

NIGHTWISH fired its original singer, Tarja Turunen, via an "open letter," which was given to the singer immediately following their final concert together, which took place on October 21, 2005 at the Hartwall arena in Helsinki, Finland. The Helsinki show was filmed and recorded for the "End of an Era" DVD and CD, which entered the German chart at a No. 3 and has been certified gold for sales in excess of 25,000 copies.

(Thanks: Nightwish France / Claude Lizotte)