NIGHTWISH Singer Says New Album Is Turning Out To Be 'Something Very Special'

On Wednesday, September 8, singer Anette Olzon of Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH began laying down vocal tracks on a demo recording of the songs that will appear on the group's next studio album. The pre-production sessions for the new CD are taking place in "the deepest countryside of Finland," where most of the band spent several weeks finalizing the song arrangements and recording their instrumental parts. The actual recording process for NIGHTWISH's follow-up to 2007's "Dark Passion Play" is slated to begin on October 15 for a late 2011 release.

Commented Olzon: "Wednesday morning we started my recordings and we recorded three songs per day and two the last day. All in all, four days to record all the songs.

"Ever since I got the very first instrumental demo [NIGHTWISH keyboardist/mainman] Tuomas [Holopainen] made, I have felt that this album will be something very special. The songs and themes Tuomas has put together are really varied, interesting and there are elements that haven't been used before. Still it's NIGHTWISH and also going back to some roots from earlier albums. Vocally, for me, it's much more varied since I use my voice in more different aspects than in [2007's] 'Dark Passion Play'. Tuomas for sure knows my voice and range now.

"Now I really long to hear how the album will come together with the orchestra, choirs, etc., and already now I feel I long to do my actual vocal recordings which will be done in March next year."

On July 30 at 4:28 p.m. Swedish time, Olzon gave birth to her second child (and first with her current boyfriend, bassist Johan Husgafvel of the Swedish metal band PAIN). He was 52 centimeters tall and he weighed in at 3930 grams. Olzon, 39, also has a nine-year-old son, Seth, with her now-ex-husband.

NIGHTWISH played a special homecoming show in September 2009 at the sold-out, 11,000-capacity Hartwall Arena in Helsinki to mark the end of the band's colossal "Dark Passion Play" two-year world tour.

NIGHTWISH is not expected to play any more concerts until the release of the band's next studio album.