NIGHTWISH BassistVocalist On New Album: 'These Songs Need Some Really Serious Explosives'

Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH entered the studio in October to begin recording the follow-up to 2007's "Dark Passion Play".

Commented bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala: "At the moment I have most of the bass tracks for the new album recorded. I started already a few weeks back, but I've been taking my time with the recordings. It's the luxury of having your own equipment and a former job as studio engineer. For now I've been taking it pretty easy for the last two weeks. The holiday season and all that goes with it, you know...

"Right now I'm collecting my inner plutonium for the critical mass again. I always do that before recording something. After all, we're not a pop band, and these songs need some really serious explosives. Too bad you can't hear them yet...

"I just had to twist the knife here. I'm a sadist also.

"The songs are really good, by the way...

"Of course we all would like to see this project finished, released and out for all the world to hear.

"The success we've been blessed or cursed with is demanding in its own ways. Everything has to be planned in long term. All the parts of releasing albums, videos and tours have to match carefully when you get to this stage of things. And so we all get fed up with the waiting.

"Try to be patient and we'll do our best to reward you later on."

According to NIGHTWISH, "Emppu [Vuorinen] is nearly done with his guitar recordings, having done four comp tracks to all the songs plus half of all the leads. (The solos and acoustics are best left to record AFTER the orchestral and choir sessions). Marco is also finished with his bass recordings so now we basically just wait for [arranger] Pip [Williams] and Tuomas [Holopainen, keyboards] to get the orchestral arrangements sorted out for the London sessions in February."

Check out new photos from the studio at this location.

Regarding the musical direction of the forthcoming album, NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon recently wrote on her official blog, "I think it's a great and varied CD. The feelings in it are great and there are a lot of elements in it, so I am sure it will have many different favorite songs for the listeners since the songs are so different in styles and sound. 'Dark Passion Play' is a great album and this one, too, so I don't know yet which one I like more, but, of course, for me personally, this one feels better to do since the songs are more adjusted to my voice and my style."

The pre-production sessions for the new NIGHTWISH CD took place in "the deepest countryside of Finland," where most of the band spent several weeks finalizing the song arrangements and recording their instrumental parts.

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.