Fugazi

Minor change of plans: the upcoming Helsinki show has been moved by one day, from August 15 to August 14. @Ocean Soul Hope you can still make it?

There was an interview recently where Tuomas mentioned a treasure map with goals or dreams drawn as islands. This was mentioned before, in a rare insight into in his personal life, from back in 2016. https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/tuomas-holopainen-raottaa-uutuuskirjassa-avioliittoaan-johanna-kurkelan-kanssa-paljastaa-parin-yhteisen-haaveen/6150136#gs.613q3m Tuomas Holopainen tells about his marriage to Johanna Kurkela in a new book - reveals a couple's shared dream Published 11/3/2016 Nightwish's leader Tuomas Holopainen has never talked about his life with the popular singer star Johanna Kurkela before. Nightwish's keyboardist and songwriter, Tuomas Holopainen, who turns 40 next Christmas, has rarely spoken in public about his marriage to singer Johanna Kurkela, 31. The couple married in October 2015. Holopainen talks about Kurkela and the boundaries of publicity in the new book "Rock Stars - life behind the scenes" written by Heta Hyttinen (Readme.fi, 2016). - Yes, being publicly known can influence one's life a lot. When my marriage with Johanna came to light we were contacted by the press, but we told them politely that we will not comment on our private lives. That has happened, but let it be left to it. And no one has written anything about it since, Holopainen states in the book. - But the fact that this job involves giving interviews is a lot of fun for me - talking about the band and the music and where the songs came from. Whenever I do interviews, I think about the reader and what it would be interesting to know about it. It’s a pin to tell some new facts that I didn’t talk about or throw in even the fact that we’ve bought a horse, Holopainen says. In the book, Holopainen defines where his boundaries go. - My absolute limit is that no one ever comes to our house to do an interview or take pictures of our house. We never give joint interviews and don’t talk about our relationship in any magazine. In the book, the Nightwish front man tells about one of his and Kurkela's New Year's traditions. - Every four years, Johanna and I have been making a treasure map on our bedroom wall for four years. It has a continent to start from and then there are different islands to reach. Once upon a time there was a Scrooge McDuck record, there was an island about having Richard Dawkins on a record, then there was our own movie... These islands have disappeared, they have been conquered, Holopainen says. Holopainen's future plans include writing his own book. - Now, for example, my own book is on this year's map, and in fact a contract has already been offered for it. It will come with short fictional short stories, a dozen of which are now ready, and the publisher said they are very viable. There are even deeper islands on the map of Holopainen and Kurkela. - There are islands on that map that are a little deeper, such as finding mental balance, and there was the horse we have now. With it, you now have to learn to do all sorts of fun, like at Christmas a sleigh ride from the stable home and back. And one island was conquered again when we bought a motorhome that we have been dreaming of for a long time. It is intended to travel around Europe and Scandinavia. The couple also dreams of making music together. - And we both have a big dream that we would make a record together sometime. With the McDuck project, we realized that making music together was really nice and it was a really fruitful project. Holopainen and Kurkela have hardly commented on their relationship. In February 2014, Holopainen told an interview with the French magazine Nightwish about the album, which was born as part of his project The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, with which Kurkela sings. - I have lived at the same address as her for five years, so it was natural to ask her. She is also a big Don Rosa fan, Holopainen explained Kurkela's presence on the record at the time. Kurkela's voice is heard on the song Song of Myself from Nightwish's Imaginaerum album (2011). Holopainen, in turn, wrote for Kurkela's album "Hyvästi Dolores Haze" (2010), a song called "Satojen merien näkijä". --- Except for the last one, all the quotes from Heta Hyttinen's Rock Stars - Life Behind the Scenes (Readme.fi, 2016).

From Wishes To Eternity (2001) Recorded at Pakkahuone, Tampere Finland on December 29 2000 during the Wishmaster World Tour (2000-2001). Track list (with relevant threads when available) Live performance (CD/DVD) The Kinslayer (with Ike Vil) (Note 1) She Is My Sin Deep Silent Complete The Pharaoh Sails To Orion (with Tapio Wilska) Come Cover Me Wanderlust Crimson Tide/Deep Blue Sea (instrumental medley, from the soundtrack of Crimson Tide by Hans Zimmer and Deep Blue Sea by Trevor Rabin) Swanheart Elvenpath FantasMic (Part 3) Dead Boy's Poem Sacrament Of Wilderness Walking In The Air Beauty And The Beast (with Tony Kakko) Wishmaster Extra material (DVD) The Carpenter (official video) Sleeping Sun (official 1998 video) The Kinslayer (live video) (Note 2) Walking In The Air (live video) (Note 3) Interview with Tarja (filmed before and after the Tampere performance on December 29 2000) Interview with Tuomas (filmed during the South American tour) "Deleted scenes" (tour documentary) (YouTube) Notes: "The Kinslayer" was actually played after "She Is My Sin" and "Gethsemane" during the concert. "Gethsemane" is absent from the DVD. Live performance recorded in Buenos Aires Argentina on July 22 2000, mixed with audio from studio track. Live performance recorded in Montreal Canada on November 25-26 2000. From the band: Emppu (in the official biography): "It was nerve-wracking to know that everything had to be perfect, that we just couldn't screw it up. We also agreed that if we made some drastic mistakes, they could be fixed later. We ended up touching a few drum beats, Karmila probably added some keyboards, and I think Tarja re-recorded the vocals for the "Snowman" ["Walking In The Air"], but the bass and guitar tracks were left as they were."

End Of An Era (2006) Recorded at Hartwall Arena Helsinki October 21 2005 during the Once World Tour (2004-2005). Last show with Tarja. Track list (with relevant threads when available) Live performance (CD/DVD/BR) Intro: Red Warrior (from "The Last Samurai" soundtrack by Hans Zimmer) Dark Chest Of Wonders Planet Hell Ever Dream The Kinslayer Phantom Of The Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber cover) The Siren Sleeping Sun High Hopes (Pink Floyd cover) Bless The Child Wishmaster (including the intro to "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden) Slaying The Dreamer Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan Nemo Ghost Love Score Stone People (by John Two-Hawks) Creek Mary's Blood (with John Two-Hawks) Over The Hills And Far Away (Gary Moore cover) Wish I Had An Angel Outro: All Of Them (from the "King Arthur" soundtrack by Hans Zimmer) Extra material (DVD/BR) A Day Before Tomorrow (tour documentary) YouTube Photo Gallery From the band: (from Nuclear Blast) October 21st 2005 is a historic date for every NIGHTWISH fan – many tears flowed, yet the foundation was laid for a new beginning and the ongoing continuity of the band. What subsequently appeared as the DVD titled "End Of An Era" was not only the final show of their mega-selling "Once" tour, but also the very last joint performance with their singer Tarja Turunen. Due to all of these facets and more, the DVD will give you goose bumps many times over, yet it crowns the end of the Tarja chapter with a unique show that could hardly have been better or more spectacular. The setlist is stunning and contains 18 hymns, such as the opening 'Dark Chest Of Wonders', 'Nemo' and 'Bless The Child' through to the final 'Wish I Had An Angel'. If you do not already own this live masterpiece, you can now look forward to the extensive new edition.

Less than a week away from Floor resuming her solo shows. I thought I would recap her tour so far: Netherlands-Nijmegen-Doornroosje-January 23 2020 Netherlands-Groningen-De Oosterpoort-January 24 2020 Netherlands-Hilversum-Podium De Vorstin-January 25 2020 Netherlands-Heerlen-Parkstad Limburg Theaters-January 26 2020 Netherlands-Heerlen-Parkstad Limburg Theaters-January 26 2020 Netherlands-Amsterdam-Melkweg The Max-January 28 2020 Netherlands-Utrecht-TivoliVredenburg Grote Zaal-January 29 2020 Netherlands-Tilburg-Poppodium 013-January 30 2020 Netherlands-Tilburg-Poppodium 013-January 31 2020 Netherlands-The Hague-Paard van Troje-February 1 2020 and the upcoming shows (edited 2022-01): Netherlands-'s-Hertogenbosch-Het Zomertheater-July 15 2021 Netherlands-Amsterdam-AFAS Live-September 1 2021 Netherlands-Amsterdam-AFAS Live-September 1 2021 Netherlands-Amsterdam-AFAS Live-September 2 2021 Netherlands-Amsterdam-AFAS Live-September 2 2021 Netherlands-Amsterdam-AFAS Live-September 3 2021 (recorded) Netherlands-Amsterdam-AFAS Live-September 3 2021 Netherlands-Schijndel-Paaspop-September 4 2021 (cancelled) One of the Amsterdam shows will be professionally recorded with the help of crowdfunding money and freely made available on (presumably) YouTube and/or other platforms. Typical setlist for the first leg of her tour: Ever Dream (Nightwish) Vilja Lied (Beste Zangers) Storm In A Glass (Northward) Nemo (Nightwish) Mama (Beste Zangers) I Don't Know A Thing About Love (Beste Zangers) Slow, Love, Slow (Nightwish) Sweet Curse (ReVamp) Face Your Demons (After Forever) Winner (Beste Zangers) Shallow (Beste Zangers) Strong (After Forever) Élan (Nightwish) Energize Me (After Forever) Qué Se Siente (Beste Zangers) Bridle Passion (Northward) Our Decades In The Sun (Nightwish) The Sound Of Silence (Beste Zangers) Wolf And Dog (ReVamp) The Phantom Of The Opera (Beste Zangers) Sample show:

This is an interview that I thought deserved reposting, in the light of Marko's withdrawal from the musical scene. Enter Ratkind: An Interview With Marco Hietala By J Salmeron - 28/04/2015 https://www.metalblast.net/interviews/enter-ratkind-an-interview-with-marco-hietala/

I bought it before reading forums and finding out about the problem! 🥺 Actually I should probably add a mention in the top post about this issue.

I agree! It was my first NW album purchase and... well it's still in my car, 6 years later! 😁 It's a wonderful recording of a moment in time when everyone in the band was in their groove, totally killing it. I wish though one day they would fix that silly issue with the Blue-Ray playing slower that the DVD or CD. I must admit I haven't watched my Blue-Ray very often, given that everything is available on YouTube at the proper speed, but it's still a poor treatment of arguably one of their best recordings.

Showtime, Storytime (2013) recorded on August 3 2013 at Wacken Open Air Germany during the Imaginaerum World Tour (2012-2013) Track list (with relevant threads when available) Live performance (CD/DVD/BR*) Dark Chest Of Wonders Wish I Had An Angel She Is My Sin Ghost River Ever Dream Storytime I Want My Tears Back Nemo Last Of The Wilds Bless The Child Romanticide Amaranth Ghost Love Score Song Of Myself Last Ride Of The Day Outro: Imaginaerum Bonus Tracks (DVD/BR) I Want My Tears Back (live from Tuska Open Air Helsinki June 30 2013) Ghost Love Score (live from El Teatro Flores Buenos Aires December 14-15 2012) Please Learn The Setlist In 48 Hours (tour documentary) YouTube Nightwish Table Hockey Tournament Christmas Song For A Lonely Documentarist (YouTube) Note: * Take note that the Blu-Ray transfer of this recording is slightly (but noticeably) slower that the CD/DVD recording. If you're thinking about buying this album, do consider choosing the DVD over the Blu-Ray version. Here's a review I found on Amazon that will explain the issue better than I could: From the band: (from Nuclear Blast) What better way to conclude the year as to recapture one of its outstanding highlights by revisiting Finnish Symphonic Metal legends NIGHTWISH taking the likewise legendary Wacken Open Air by storm? After being decorated with triple platinum status in Finland as well as gold status in numerous European countries (Germany, Switzerland, Poland, among others) for their most current studio masterpiece »Imaginaerum« and following the highly successful release of their very own fantasy motion picture »Imaginaerum by Nightwish«, the band is closing in its cycle of the `Imaginaerum World Tour´ with a festival triple – Wacken Open Air being the first of those final shows. The `Imaginaerum World Tour´ 2012-2013 visited in 34 countries, consisted of 104 shows with total audience attendance of over 1,5 million fans. And what would be a better way to celebrate the grand finale as to capture the entire show at Wacken Open Air – the world’s biggest heavy metal festival – for a live DVD/Blu-ray? The live show in the front of 85 000 screaming metalheads was directed by Ville Lipiäinen, filmed with seventeen cameras and has a total duration of 85 minutes. Mastermind and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen states: “The time has come soon to wrap up the magical & memorable one-and-a-half year `Imaginaerum World Tour´ 2012-2013! We still have three shows left, one of them being at the legendary Wacken Open Air Metal Festival on the 3rd of August. This show will be something extra special, since it will be released later this year on DVD/Blu-ray, together with a massive `Imaginaerum World Tour´ 2012-2013 documentary. Our darling flying Dutchwoman, Floor Jansen, has been nothing but incredible during her time in Nightwish on this tour, so this is a perfect opportunity to immortalize the current vibe of the band on film! “ The second disc consists of 120-minute tour documentary ‘Please Learn The Setlist in 48 Hours’, with no short of drama or overall madness. Also, there is a 16-minute NIGHTWISH Table Hockey Tournament, filmed on tour. On top of this there are two music clips: ‘I want my tears back’ (Live at Hartwall Arena) and ‘Ghost Love Score’ (Live in Buenos Aires). Trailer #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_czsLPig_0s Trailer #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnKe1-8hVus (Tuomas tells about inviting Floor and Troy to join the band officially) Trailer #3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18zFzKQXEmU (promoting the tour documentary) Trailer #4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSS2QSagqMU (Tuomas talking about the decision to show more about the serious side of touring in the documentary) Trailer #5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT7zi_fbs5A Trailer #6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7pgFw_C2V4 (the band reflects on the Imaginerum tour -- excerpts from interviews that were not included in the documentary)

Decades Live In Buenos Aires (2019) recorded on September 30 2018 in Buenos Aires during the Decades World Tour (2018) Track list (with relevant threads when available) Live performance (DVD/BR) Swanheart End Of All Hope Wish I Had An Angel 10th Man Down Come Cover Me Gethsemane Élan Sacrament Of Wilderness Deep Silent Complete Dead's Boy Poem Elvenjig (Note 1) Elvenpath I Want My Tears Back Amaranth The Carpenter The Kinslayer Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean Nemo Slaying The Dreamer The Greatest Show On Earth Ghost Love Score Note: "Elvenjig" is a previously unreleased folk-sounding instrumental piece serving as an introduction to "Elvenpath". From the band: I can find very little label promotion or interviews related to this release.

Alright, I've finished copying the DPP track-by-track comments by Tuomas from a dead web page. Some interesting thoughts about the meaning and origin of the lyrics of Dark Passion Play, all worth preserving.

Kai Hahto on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kai.hahto.96/posts/10222685247712465

It would seem that the band management have completely forgotten about this project, as the fan page hasn't been updated in months. In the mean time, news items are still being posted on their main FB page.

Wow, you Finns are in for a great tour start this summer! Glad to see the cover band back in action! Unfortunate though that Marek "Markko-Tarot" Russlanov is still stuck in Ulan Bator. 🤔 Meanwhile the South American tour is postponed again. No updates so far about the Russian and North American dates.

From Within Temptation's Facebook account:

Ok let's do this! Well this one was much harder! 🤘😈 Looking forward to the answers! Yeah, let's aim for 9 more Nightwish albums in the next 25 years! 😁

I have updated this page to include the Tour Edition of the album, released in late 2015. Now I have a few questions, does anyone know during which Imaginaerum show(s) the audio tracks of the Planet Hell, Last Of The Wilds, Storytime and Last Ride Of The Day special clips were recorded? The album liner is of no help. Last Ride of The Day might be easier to figure out, as the images seem to match the audio and appear to be recorded at the same gig.

Thanks for the special trivia! Some difficult questions, especially the dates and Finnish names! I'll give it a fair try later today! 👍

Another similar interview with Tuomas about their 25th anniversary. Tuomas Holopainen wrote down a big dream: a year later everything crumbled On Tuesday, 25-year-old Nightwish’s journey has not avoided knocks. However, in the eyes of Tuomas Holopainen, the future is bright even in his uncertainty. https://www.iltalehti.fi/viihdeuutiset/a/532d4b9e-5f32-46b0-9bf7-ad942d594191 Sanna Salo 2021-07-06 Nightwish head man Tuomas Holopainen and singer wife Johanna Kurkela have an annual New Year's tradition. The couple draws a large treasure map full of islands of different sizes. Each island reflects a goal or dream that is desired to be achieved. Over the years, both the Scrooge McDuck-themed album and his own horse have been lost on the map. On New Year's Day 2020, Holopainen wrote the following goal on his treasure map: "Keep the band together with this line-up until the end." In December 2020, bassist-singer Marko Hietala announced to his Nightwish comrades that he would leave the band after almost two decades. - It was a huge island, a huge dream, and it crumbled right away, Holopainen recalls in an interview with Iltalehti. Hietala's departure came as a shock not only to the audience, but also to the band. Holopainen admits that Nightwish's breakup was not far off. In the end, the joint fire of the members to continue creating music together took the victory. - It happened a bit that the others, right up to the management, tricked me into getting over the bad pitfalls here before. Now there is another such bump. There have been bumps for the trip, for a quarter of a century. The 25th anniversary of the founding of Nightwish on Tuesday, July 6th. Nightwish was born out of a whim That summer evening in 1996, 19-year-old Tuomas Holopainen was spending a cottage weekend with a group of friends when he got an idea for his own project band. Holopainen, who dreamed of a career as a biologist, had not even thought of music as a career option before. - It came from a complete whim. It was never a dream of any kind. Pretty soon I realized that this is the thing I want to do in life, Holopainen, 44, recalls. A few days later, Holopainen left to perform his military service for the Kontiolahti garrison's military orchestra. The first Nightwish songs were composed with the orchestra’s keyboard player. Holopainen founded the band together with guitarist Emppu Vuorinen . Next he had to find a female singer, like in all of their favorite bands of the time. Tarja Turunen, known through the school's jazz band, came to mind . - I remember walking to Tarja's house in Kitee with Empu, ringing the doorbell and announcing the matter. “We have an acoustic project like this, it’s called Nightwish, and we’d need a singer for three songs. This will probably not be any stranger, but it would be nice to do such a project. ” In April 1997, Holopainen escaped from the army, and the snowball began to roll on the project. The band, which has grown to four with drummer Jukka Nevalainen, entered the studio in the same month, and a two-record record deal was signed in May. The debut album Angels Fall First was released in November 1997, followed by Oceanborn just 13 months later. - The passion of youth, such an ambitious desire to show. There was nothing in our lives other than Nightwish, Holopainen explains the rapid pace of the beginning. In twenty-five years, Nightwish has, among other things, released nine studio albums, which have sold more than eight million copies worldwide and collected a record 16 Emma awards. - I often hear people say that I live my dream. But this is not the case. I live a happy fairy tale. Turnover is relevant The fairy tale can also accommodate drama and gloom. The bottom mud has become familiar to Nightwish as time and time again the roads with the members have parted. Bassist Sami Vänskä left in 2001, Tarja Turunen in 2005 and singer Anette Olzon in 2012 . Jukka Nevalainen dropped out due to insomnia in 2013, Kai Hahto was established as a drummer in 2019. It has always continued and ascended into a new flourish. However, one has to ask: what would be the thing that would eventually break up Nightwish completely? - I'm not really afraid to answer anything. If you had asked a few years ago that if Marko leaves, if the band has a sequel, I would probably have answered that it is not, Holopainen ponders. - It is quite certain that Floor (Jansen) is our last singer, no one can replace her. - Yes, this humbles me, for better or worse. A lot of amazing stuff has been experienced in twenty-five years, and a few times it has come to the fore really drastically. Always music and being together have kept the surface. I hope it will last longer, Holopainen sums up. Holopainen hopes that the band will be remembered for their music instead of the drama floating around. There is not even anything new in the turnover of band members per se. Holopainen, for example, mentions Black Sabbath, one of the pioneers of metal music, who has seen both seven singers and nine drummers in its more than 50-year history. - The most important thing is what is heard from the speakers and what emotions they evoke. It shouldn’t matter who or who is behind its music. Holopainen has severely criticized the cult of personality associated with pop culture. - Art must touch and arouse great passions. There is something dangerous about it if you go to glorify the people behind the art. No big parties In the summer of 2016, Nightwish celebrated its 20th anniversary with an exceptional gig in Jämsän Himos, when ex-members Jukka Nevalainen and Sami Vänskä took the stage to visit. No similar festivities are planned this time. Nightwish has three domestic gigs planned for the summer season in Kuopio, Oulu and Helsinki , but at the moment the hopes are only that the performances will be realized. The world tour, which was postponed for more than a year, got its unusual start in May in the form of two virtual gigs. However, the longing for the right stage and the contact of the crowd is hard. The virtual gigs were exceptionally a wonderful experience, in which the band managed to excel. The second time, however, will hardly come again. - I think this could have been a unique one-time experience, Holopainen ponders. Marko's successor The virtual gigs were special in another sense as well. At that time, Jukka Koskinen, who had joined Marko Hietala to play for the first time, played alongside the band . - At no point have we even thought of replacing Marko. It was clear from the beginning, Holopainen opens Koskinen's choice. - Now let's see the upcoming round, whether he came to stay. There is definitely potential, Holopainen says. Before the announcement of Hietala's replacement, there was a lot of speculation as to who would fill the demanding boots of the singing bassist. Jukka Koskinen only heard bass at virtual gigs, the vocal melodies were performed by Jansen and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley . Holopainen confirms that the band will continue with two singers in the future. So Hietala's roaring rock sound is not looking for a successor. - It's part of the band's evolution. Marko’s time lasted a handsome twenty years. It’s pointless to start imitating him when it comes to singing. The band has achieved a lot during the quarter of a century: symphony orchestras have been included on the record, a film has been made and Wembley sold out, and even world-renowned evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins has been attracted to the record and stage. Alongside these, Holopainen’s next big goal may even sound modest: to make the next Nightwish album, tenth in a row. The studio is reserved for 2023 and half-a-dozen songs are getting ready. There are still big dreams for Nightwish, too. The treasure map has a small island of performance along with a symphony orchestra and choir. This has been what fans have been hoping for for years. Logistical challenges and finding the much-needed new angle have so far become obstacles. However, Holopainen considers it very possible that such a project would sometimes be presented to the people. A band with his wife During the Covid year, Holopainen has also been kept busy with other projects: the second album of the band Auri, formed together with Johanna Kurkela and Troy Donockley, and the revived high school black metal project Darkwoods My Betrothed, whose last record goes back a meager 23 years. Each project combines a fire to make a specific group with music, the dynamics just vary. In Nightwish, Holopainen is responsible for almost all creative work, in Auri everything is done in three parts. In Darkwoods My Betrothed, Holopainen plays and arranges, other songs are written. - The balance of these three feeds each other handsomely. The uneven distribution of responsibilities has not become a problem at Nightwish. The band members trust Holopainen's vision, but also offer their help when requested. - The band is a full democracy in certain matters, but someone must have decision-making power. According to Holopainen, working with Johanna in Auri, on the other hand, works great. Spouses ball each other with ideas from their own rooms. No worries about Donockley remaining third. - It's hard to imagine that we would ever have any kind of conflict, Holopainen laughs. In addition to music, the couple's hobbies include making crossword puzzles. Holopainen develops words and the majority of clues, Kurkela is responsible for the visual side and technology-intensive matters. A good puzzle includes fun insights and a balance between different levels and styles of clues. All in all, there is good in the life of a couple of musicians. The next island to be conquered from the treasure map is a roadtrip across the United States. An uncertain future The near future of Nightwish, which is celebrating its anniversaries, is also bright. Admittedly, the latest stick hit the stroller just a month before the virtual gigs, when Floor Jansen was rushed from the first workouts to the first aid and on the operating table due to pancreatitis and gallstones . - This Murphy's Law is starting to laugh a little, Holopainen updates. Since then, the singer has recovered power perfectly. However, Holopainen’s Nightwish plans sound tinted with uncertainty. Let's try again, make another record. What would life be like if Nightwish one day didn’t exist anymore? At least the music would survive, be it other bands or solo material, Holopainen assures. - Let's do something as long as we can make music.

Live performances of specific songs I thought I would share this reference tool that I have built. If you want to find out whether a song has ever been performed live, or whether it has been released on an official live CD or DVD/BR, this is the place for you. Songs are grouped chronologically by album (with distinct colours for each album). If a song name is red, like "Nymphomaniac Fantasia", then it has never been performed live by Nightwish (as far as I know, and with the help of setlist.fm). If a song name is bolded, like "Elvenpath", then not only it has been performed live, but it's also been recorded and released on an official CD (audio) or DVD/BR (video). Then my table is separated by singer eras, so for instance Tarja has sung "Elvenpath" live, Anette hasn't, and Floor has. A greyed out box means that a specific singer has never performed that song live. Moreover, the live album source is mentioned. For instance one can see that "Elvenpath" live has been released on From Wishes to Eternity (FWTE) with Tarja, and also on Decades Live (DL) with Floor. The last column denotes the year when a song has last been performed live, if it hasn't been performed during the "Floor era" (after 2012). Finally, yellow boxes stand for songs in the latest tour rotation (Human Nature). Except for the virtual show, there are unfortunately no known plans for a live DVD/BR release from this tour. Live album acronyms are: FWTE : From Wishes to Eternity EOI : End Of Innocence ONCE : Once Remastered HH : Highest Hopes Special Edition EOAE : End Of An Era MIHK : Made In Hong Kong STST : Showtime, Storytime EMFB : Endless Forms Most Beautiful Tour Edition VOS : Vehicle Of Spirit DL : Decades Live TIA : Virtual Live Show From The Islander Arms 2021 / Human :||: Nature Tour Edition Please send in any corrections-additions. Last update 2024-05

A Nightwish primer (WIP) With the help of Wikipedia. Links point to other threads in this forum. Formation (1996) After playing keyboards in several heavy metal bands in the 1990s, including Darkwoods My Betrothed, Tuomas Holopainen decided to create his own project while sitting around a campfire with friends in 1996. He immediately had a clear idea of the music: experimental acoustic music he had written himself during his time in the Finnish Army, similar to the music usually played around campfires, but with a distinct sound and atmosphere and played on his keyboards. He soon invited friend and schoolmate Erno "Emppu" Vuorinen to play acoustic guitars, and the classical vocalist Tarja Turunen, who had shared the same music teacher, Plamen Dimov, a few years earlier. The three musicians recorded their self-titled acoustic demo in winter 1996. The name "Nightwish" was derived from their first song together – the demo also included the song "The Forever Moments", and an early version of "Etiäinen". Debut album and first tour (1997–1998) In early 1997, following the release of their demo, Jukka "Julius" Nevalainen joined the band, and acoustic guitar was replaced with electric guitar. The addition of heavy metal elements to the band's existing experimental style gave the band a different sound, forming the core of the Nightwish sound. The band entered the studio in April 1997 to record seven songs for their second demo, Angels Fall First. In May 1997, the demo made its way to the Finnish record label Spinefarm Records, who wanted to release it as the band's debut album of the same name. The label offered Nightwish a record deal, and the band returned to the studio to record four more songs to accompany the tracks of the demo. The full-length album was released in November 1997 and reached number 31 on the Finnish album charts, with the single "The Carpenter" reaching number 3 on the Finnish singles chart. The band made their live debut in their hometown Kitee at the Huvikeskus on December 31, 1997 in front of 400 people. The band recalled being both nervous and terrified when performing for the first time. Since they were missing a bass player, Samppa Hirvonen joined them as a sessional live member. Marianna Pellinen was also a sessional live member as an additional keyboard player and a backing vocalist for Turunen. There were plans to make Hirvonen a permanent member, but he joined the army as part of Finnish army conscription just as they began recording Oceanborn, so they asked Sami Vänskä to join instead, since Tuomas knew him from the band Nattvindens Gråt. During early 1998, the band performed, sometimes opening for bands Babylon Whores, Children of Bodom and Tarot. The band performed only seven shows because at the time, Turunen was finishing her schooling, and Nevalainen and Vuorinen were serving their obligatory Finnish military service. International success (1998–2000) Nightwish returned to the studio in August 1998 as a five-piece to record their follow-up album for Spinefarm Records. On October 7, 1998, Nightwish released their second full-length album, Oceanborn, in Finland only. Adopting a more technical and progressive sound than Angels Fall First, Oceanborn saw the band abandon much of the ambient and folk elements present on their debut release, with the exception of the song "Moondance". In contrast to the female vocals of Turunen, the album also featured guest growling vocals by Tapio Wilska (ex-Finntroll). Oceanborn was an instant success in Finland, reaching number 5 on the Finnish album charts. The album's first single, "Sacrament of Wilderness", hit number 1 on the Finnish singles charts, where it stayed for several weeks. The album's release was initially limited to Finland, but because of the success of "Sacrament of Wilderness", Spinefarm released Oceanborn internationally in the spring of 1999. In May 1999, Nightwish recorded the single "Sleeping Sun (Four Ballads of the Eclipse)", and in one month the single sold 15,000 copies in Germany alone. Following the band's first international success, Nightwish was added as the opening band for Rage's 1999 European tour. Both the album Oceanborn and the singles "Sacrament of Wilderness" and "Walking in the Air" were certified gold in Finland in August 1999. While in the studio in early 2000 working on their third album, Nightwish was accepted in the Finnish Eurovision Song Contest preselection final with the song "Sleepwalker". Despite winning the public vote, Nightwish eventually finished in third place, with the jury choosing local gospel singer Nina Åström to represent Finland. On May 19, 2000, Nightwish released their third studio album Wishmaster. This debuted at No. 1 on the Finnish album charts, and was certified gold in Finland after three weeks at number one. Critical response to the album was mixed, with Allmusic citing the album as repetitive, and saying "as a whole album, it can be a little annoying, even frustrating". However, German magazine Rock Hard declared Wishmaster "Album of the Month", despite competing against long-awaited May releases from Iron Maiden and Bon Jovi. Following the release of Wishmaster, Nightwish embarked on their first world tour, playing dates in South America, Mexico, Canada, and the first headlining European tour with Sinergy and Eternal Tears of Sorrow. In the summer, the band returned to Europe, appearing at the Wacken Open Air festival and the Biebop Metal Fest. New bassist and symphonic elements (2001–2003) In 2001, Nightwish recorded a cover of Gary Moore's "Over the Hills and Far Away" together with two new songs ("10th Man Down", unreleased from Oceanborn sessions, and "Away", unreleased from Wishmaster sessions) and a remake of "Astral Romance" (from the Angels Fall First album) with Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica) singing Tuomas' part. This new material was released as their first (and until 2009 the only) EP, Over the Hills and Far Away. The record also included guest performances by Tapio Wilska once again on "10th Man Down". Nightwish's version of "Over the Hills and Far Away" was well received by fans, becoming a frequent part of the band's live performances, but the other songs never had a great break-through and have not been re-released, with the exception of a live performance of "10th Man Down" on the End of Innocence DVD with Marko Hietala. In the same year, they also released their first live album, From Wishes to Eternity, recorded during a show in Tampere, Finland, on December 29, 2000. Soon after the release of Over the Hills and Far Away, Nightwish met what has been described as one of their hardest points as a band. The issues centered on the bassist, Sami Vänskä, who had started misbehaving towards the band, according to Holopainen, by missing appointments and failing to take gigs as seriously as the other members did. After the band discussed his behavior with Vänskä several times, without getting any change, everyone simply stopped caring and tensions grew. Meanwhile, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen had started complaining about his role in the band, feeling like "a hired gun who would only do what he's asked to". According to their music teacher, Plamen Dimov, he and Holopainen have totally different characters, and thus difficulties were expected to arise. But Vuorinen was told to stay cool and "bite the bullet", and the problem was never addressed again. Later, Holopainen confessed that, at that time, he seriously started thinking about breaking Nightwish up. After a gig in Russia, he sent a text message to fellow musician Tony Kakko of metal band Sonata Arctica, telling him that he did not think he had a band any longer, and asking him what plans he had for next year. After Nightwish's last gig for the Over the Hills and Far Away tour in 2001, Holopainen called their labels Drakkar and Spinefarm, unofficially declaring Nightwish was over. He told them he might produce another album, but he'd never perform another show with the band. The same message was also written on the band's message board. Straight after the last gig, Holopainen went on a week-long hiking trip to Lapland with Tony Kakko. During the hiking trip, they talked about the band and Holopainen decided he could not break up Nightwish that easily. When he returned from Lapland he immediately received a phone call from Ewo Pohjola, CEO of Spinefarm, offering himself to become their manager and help him straighten things up, and Holopainen agreed. To continue with Nightwish, Holopainen decided some changes were in order. Beside choosing Ewo as their new manager, he also asked Vänskä to leave the band. He would later cite musical differences as another reason for the breakup. Marko Hietala (Tarot) was asked to replace Vänskä, effectively leaving his previous band, Sinergy. In addition to playing bass guitar, Hietala would also perform male vocals. In 2002, Nightwish released Century Child, along with the singles "Ever Dream" and "Bless the Child". The main difference from previous albums is the use of a live Finnish orchestra on the tracks "Bless the Child", "Ever Dream", "Feel For You" and "The Beauty of the Beast". But an enduring favorite of fans is the band's version of "The Phantom of the Opera", from the famous musical of the same name by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. The song was repeatedly played in concerts until vocalist Tarja Turunen was replaced with Anette Olzon, whereupon the band announced that they would never play the song live again. Century Child was certified gold two hours after its release, and platinum two weeks afterwards. It set a record on the Finnish album charts as well: Never before had a first place album been so distant from the second place. After the "Bless the Child" music video, a second one was recorded, without any single support. The chosen track was "End of All Hope". The clip contains pieces from the Finnish movie, Kohtalon kirja (English: The Book of Fate). In 2003, Nightwish released their second DVD, the documentary End of Innocence. It tells the story of the band in Holopainen, Nevalainen and Tapio Wilska's words for two hours. The documentary also features bits of live concerts, exclusive footage, etc. Vocalist Tarja Turunen got married during the summer of 2003, and there were rumours that the band was about to be dissolved. These rumors were, at the time, proven to be false, as the band continued to play concerts for another year and released another album. Chart-topping success of Once and Turunen's dismissal (2004–2005) A new album, Once, was released on June 7, 2004, along with its first single, "Nemo". The single topped the charts in Finland and Hungary, and reached the charts in six additional countries. "Nemo" remains the band's most successful single release to date. Once utilizes a full orchestra in nine of the eleven songs on the album. Unlike Century Child, Nightwish decided to look for an orchestra outside of Finland this time, choosing the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It is also their second album to feature a full-length song in Finnish, "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan" (English: "Death Makes an Artist"). Once has sold triple platinum in Finland, platinum in Germany, and Gold in 6 other countries, it also reached No. 1 in the Greek, Norwegian and German album charts. The following singles were: "Wish I Had an Angel" (featured on the soundtrack of the film Alone in the Dark), "Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan" (released only in Finland and Japan) and "The Siren". Besides the commercial success, Once was also well received by critics, with many positive reviewers drawing comparisons with Oceanborn. The success of the album allowed them to perform the Once World Tour, taking them to play in many countries the band had never visited before. Nightwish performed at the opening ceremony of the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, held in Helsinki, highlighting the acclaim the band had gained. A "best of" album, Highest Hopes, was released in September 2005. The compilation also featured a live cover "High Hopes" (from the Pink Floyd album The Division Bell). Besides "High Hopes", a remake of "Sleeping Sun" (from Oceanborn) was included on the album and released as a single. A video for the remake was shot, featuring a medieval battle, and can be found on the German release of the single and as a separate DVD released by Spinefarm. The four other members of Nightwish had decided that it was best to continue Nightwish without Turunen. After a concert in the Hartwall Areena (Helsinki) on October 21, 2005, recorded for the live DVD End of an Era (released June 2006), they expressed their decision through an open letter which was given to Turunen by Holopainen, and afterwards posted on the band's website. It was written by Holopainen and signed by all four band members. The main justification given in the letter for Turunen's dismissal was that the band felt that both her husband Marcelo Cabuli (an Argentine businessman) and commercial interests had changed her attitude towards the band. Turunen responded to the incident twice, during press conferences in Finland and Germany, saying that her dismissal came entirely as a shock to her, given that she had not been notified before the letter was given to her. She felt that the personal attacks on her husband were unwarranted, and that playing the issue out in public was "senselessly cruel". She expressed these feelings through her own open letter, which was published on her personal website, and through various TV, magazine, and newspaper interviews. Hiatus, arrival of Anette Olzon and Dark Passion Play (2006–2009) To find a replacement for Turunen as the female vocalist of the band, on March 17, 2006 the band allowed vocalists interested for the position to send in demo tapes as an audition for the spot. During this time, speculation began to emerge about who would eventually be chosen and the band stated on their website that fans should not believe any source other than the band itself for information regarding the new vocalist. In the end, the 35-year-old Alyson Avenue's ex-lead singer, Anette Olzon, from Sweden, was chosen. In September 2006, the band entered the studio to record their sixth studio album, Dark Passion Play. In May, next year, Anette Olzon was announced to replace Turunen. Holopainen has said in interviews that he did not wish to reveal her identity until new material was available because he did not want fans judging her by nothing more than a picture, or past work. The day after this revealing, May 25, 2007, charity single "Eva" was released for download only as the first offering from the new album, and the first featuring Olzon. On June 13, Nightwish revealed the title and artwork for the new album on their official website, as well as the name and cover of the second single (this time CD), "Amaranth"; it was released in Finland on August 22 and included a bonus track entitled "While Your Lips Are Still Red" written by Tuomas as the main theme track for the upcoming Finnish feature film "Lieksa!". The single achieved gold status in Finland after less than two days in stores. Dark Passion Play was released around Europe in the last week of September 2007, in the UK on October 1 and the United States on October 2. It was awarded double platinum in Finland the second day after its release and took the number one position on the charts of Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Hungary and Croatia and got in top 100 in other 16 countries, including the United States. "Dark Passion Play," also broke the band's previous record for Finland's most expensive recording, with the final production cost of the audio recording coming in at over 500,000 euros (twice the cost of "Once," the previous record-setter, and approximately $675,000.) On this album, male vocalist Marko Hietala had more freedom in the use of his voice: he sings back up in the songs "Cadence of Her Last Breath" and "Sahara", lead vocals in the songs "The Islander", "Master Passion Greed" and "While Your Lips Are Still Red" and chorus in the songs "Bye Bye Beautiful" and "7 Days to the Wolves". He also sings one part in "The Poet and the Pendulum", besides singing back up in the chorus. Before the band found the new singer and the album was recorded, Marko sang on all the demo versions. Holopainen also sang on the demo versions of "Bye Bye Beautiful" and "Master Passion Greed" but these songs have never been released. On September 22, 2007, the band hosted a secret concert at Rock Café in Tallinn, Estonia, disguising itself as a Nightwish cover band called "Nachtwasser". Their first official concert with Olzon was in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 6, 2007. The Dark Passion Play tour thus started, visiting the United States, Canada, most of Europe, Asia, and Australia. The third single of the album was "Erämaan viimeinen", a previously unreleased vocal version of the instrumental "Last of the Wilds". It was released in Finland only on December 5, 2007. On this song, Jonsu of the Finnish pop and rock band Indica performs the Finnish vocals. "Bye Bye Beautiful", the fourth single, was released on February 15, 2008, and concerns the 2005 dismissal of Turunen, as does one other song on the album (Master Passion Greed). The single includes yet another bonus track, "Escapist", which is also included on the Japanese version of Dark Passion Play. Within a week after the release, the fifth single was announced to be "The Islander". It was released over a month after the release of its music video, shot in late 2007 in Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. The Dark Passion Play tour turned out to be Nightwish's longest tour yet, lasting from late 2007 to September 2009 when it ended with a concert in Hartwall Arena – the band's second concert there – with the band Apocalyptica. On March 6, 2009, Nightwish released a new live EP/DVD entitled Made in Hong Kong (And in Various Other Places). The eight live tracks were recorded during the "Dark Passion Play World Tour" in 2007–2008, and the album also includes one b-side from the "Bye Bye Beautiful" single, one b-side from the "Amaranth" single, a previously unreleased demo version of "Cadence of Her Last Breath", and a bonus-DVD with three music videos as well as a 37-minute documentary called Back in the Day is Now. Imaginaerum and Olzon's dismissal (2009–2012) In the June 2009 edition of the Finnish magazine Soundi, Holopainen stated that he had started work on a new Nightwish album. Holopainen said in a 2010 interview that "[...]I can't reveal to you any more but there is going to be a big twist so to say, on the next album." On February 10, 2011 Nightwish announced on their website that the new album title would be Imaginarium. They also declared that the band had been preparing a movie based on the album, which would be released in 2012 and directed by Stobe Harju, who previously directed the music video for "The Islander". On August 31, Nightwish announced on its website the decision to change Imaginarium title to Imaginaerum "to avoid mix-ups with various things named 'Imaginarium'". On September 2, the group announced on its website that the new single called "Storytime" would be released on Friday, November 11, and on September 9, Nightwish revealed the cover and tracklist. On January 11, 2012, Nightwish announced on its website that the second single, "The Crow, the Owl and the Dove", would be released on February 29. Roadrunner Records announced that Nightwish would be releasing a 10-inch LP titled Trials of Imaginaerum in conjunction with Record Store Day (April 21, 2012). The 10-inch LP is a two-sided picture disk that contains four early demos of "Storytime", "The Crow, The Owl and The Dove", "I Want My Tears Back" and "Slow, Love, Slow". On October 1, 2012, Nightwish announced via its Facebook page that they were parting ways with Olzon. According to the press statement, "it has become increasingly obvious that the direction and the needs of the band were in conflict, and this has led to a division from which we cannot recover". This announcement came days after Olzon fell ill at a show in Denver, Colorado, and was unable to perform. Nightwish used replacement singers from the opening band, Kamelot, and Olzon later expressed her disappointment, saying "I was never asked if it was okay that they used Elize and Alissa in the show [Friday] night [...] I don't think it's a good decision they made and I'm sorry for those of you who came to see the whole band but got something else. But I was very ill and this decision wasn't mine." According to the statement, Dutch singer Floor Jansen (ex-After Forever, ReVamp) would sing for the remainder of the Imaginaerum World Tour. On January 11, 2013, Olzon announced on her official blog that she was pregnant with her third child, due in spring 2013, which she claimed was a contributing factor to her being dismissed. The band then released a statement on its website counterclaiming that the reason Olzon gave for her dismissal and other statements she made were untrue and that Olzon herself had agreed to help find a replacement while she was on maternity leave. Later on, Olzon gave several interviews in which she said she never agreed with a replacement, even when she was pregnant, and proposed to the band to postpone the tour, which culminated in her firing. She also added that she was against Jansen joining the band in her period of maternity, mainly because of the difference in their vocal styles. Endless Forms Most Beautiful and arrival of Floor Jansen and Troy Donockley (2013–2018) In an interview with Metal Hammer in November 2012, Tuomas Holopainen stated that they already had a rehearsal place booked from July 2014 to September 2014, but before they began rehearsing the band members would be taking a break from Nightwish for several months. On October 9, 2013, Nightwish announced Floor Jansen as the permanent replacement for Olzon. Troy Donockley was also announced as a full-time member, making the band a sextet for the first time. In a later interview, Tuomas said that Donockley's previous work with Nightwish had already made him "much a band member", so the band just "made it official". According to the band's webpage, the band would enter the studio in 2014 to record its eighth full-length album for a 2015 release. At that time, the band had already announced that it would contain Nightwish's longest song to date. At the end of November, the band released the live album Showtime, Storytime. Despite the recording happening when they were only four members, it is the first Nightwish release to feature Jansen and to have her and Donockley credited as band members. The album also carries a documentary containing the behind-the-scenes of Jansen's first days in the band and the process of replacing Olzon. On August 6, the band announced that founding member and drummer Jukka Nevalainen would not be part of the upcoming album due to his debilitating insomnia. Kai Hahto (Wintersun) would be taking his place on the album and the upcoming tour. Evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins was announced as a guest star on the album, with Holopainen stating that he had "been so enthusiastic about this kind of literature for the past few months, and will be for the upcoming months, that it's going to come out somehow." In November, the band filmed a music video for "Élan", one of the tracks of the album. On December 8, the band announced that it would be the first single from the album, which would be released on February 13, 2015. The new album's cover art and its title, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, were revealed on December 22, and the album was released on March 27, 2015, produced by Tero "TeeCee" Kinnunen. The title for Endless Forms Most Beautiful was taken from the writings of English naturalist Charles Darwin. The album features the participation of London's The Metro Voices choir group, London's Young Musicians Children's Choir, and the Orchestre De Grandeur, led by the esteemed orchestral arranger Pip Williams, who teaches music and music technology at the London College of Music. Professor Richard Dawkins not only narrates the introduction to the album's opener, "Shudder Before the Beautiful", but also the album's closer, "The Greatest Show on Earth", which takes its name from his 2009 book on evolution. In its first week, the album sold 18,342 copies in the US and debuted at 34 on the Billboard 200, making it Nightwish's third album (after Dark Passion Play and Imaginaerum) to chart in this category. In the Czech Republic, the album debuted atop the charts and received gold-status after just two days. To promote the album's release, the band embarked on an Endless Forms Most Beautiful World Tour, which started on April 9, 2015 in New York City and ended on October 9, 2016 in Saitama, Japan. In July 2015, it was announced that Sonata Arctica's vocalist Tony Kakko would replace Jukka Nevalainen as the band's special guest at the 2015 edition of Rock in Rio. In December 2015, Nightwish became the first Finnish band to headline a show at the Wembley Arena, in London. The sold-out show featured guest performer Richard Dawkins, who spoke his parts on stage. The Tampere and London shows were filmed for a live album release known as Vehicle of Spirit. On August 20, 2016, the band played a special 20th-anniversary show at Himos Areena in Finland. The show featured original bassist Sami Vänskä on the song "Stargazers" and drummer Jukka Nevalainen on the song "Last Ride of the Day". The band took a break in 2017, during which Jansen was focusing on her first child. On June 9, 2017, the band announced that March 9, 2018, would mark not only the debut of a nine-month world tour titled Decades: World Tour, which had concluded in December that same year, but also the release of a new compilation album, titled Decades. The tour featured "rarely heard material" and a special set for fans; on the North American leg of the tour, every audience member was offered the Decades album for free. During the Latin American leg of the tour, the Buenos Aires show was filmed for a live DVD known as Decades: Live in Buenos Aires which was released on December 6, 2019. Departures of Jukka Nevalainen and Marko Hietala and Human. :II: Nature. (2019–present) In July 2018, Holopainen stated that he had written "80 or 90%" of the material for Nightwish's next album, which would consist of ten or eleven songs. He stated that the inspiration for the new album came from the completion of the 2018 self-titled debut album of Auri, a band he created with Donockley and Johanna Kurkela the previous year. Recording would start in July 2019, with a planned spring 2020 release. The band would "use the [orchestral] instrumentation in a different way than before", with Holopainen stating, "You want to search for some new ways of using it so that it doesn't end up sounding the same as before". On July 15, 2019, it was announced by the band that Kai Hahto would be permanently taking over for Jukka Nevalainen as the band's drummer. In a statement, Nevalainen explained that while he was managing his insomnia very well and having few issues, he did not want to 'push his luck' by returning to the band as a full-time member. He did confirm, however, that he would continue in his role of taking care of band-related business behind the scenes. The new album's cover and tracklist, along with its title, Human. :II: Nature., were revealed on January 16, 2020, and the album was released on April 10, 2020. The first single of the album, titled "Noise" was released on February 7, 2020, with an accompanying music video. The second single from the album, "Harvest", was released on March 6, 2020, with a lyric video to accompany its release. On the day the album was released, Nightwish released lyric videos for all of the songs on the album. The album debuted in the top 10 charts as number one in Finland, Spain, Switzerland and Germany, as well as being charted in other countries including Canada, Austria, Hungary, Poland and the United States. Nightwish announced on March 11, 2020, that they had joined a partnership with an international conservation charity organization named World Land Trust. With their announcement was a video that promoted the organization, which in turn features the song "Ad Astra" from their ninth album. On January 12, 2021, Marko Hietala announced his departure from the band, citing his struggles with chronic depression and his disillusionment with the music scene in general. The band released another statement, that there will be a temporary live member to fill in for bass for the tour. The band began their world tour in support of the album in May 2021 with an interactive livestream experience in a virtual reality built tavern which featured songs from the album, as well as revealed the identity of the session bass player, Jukka Koskinen via VIP virtual session. Both of the performances had broken records with the first drawing 150,000 viewers and setting it as the most viewed virtual performance in Finland, with the box office exceeding one million in euros. The band is set to tour in Europe, South America, Asia and North America. The tour was originally scheduled to begin in spring 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band postponed the tour to the next year. In April 2021, Holopainen had said in an interview that he has already started sketching drafts for the next Nightwish album. He stated in May 2021 that he had been working on new material for "the past month or two" while he was busy with his side projects Auri and the reunited Darkwoods My Betrothed in which he became a full-time member. He confirmed that the band booked a studio for the next album, which is set to happen in 2023.

As we reach the 25th anniversary of the band, here are some archival pictures of where it all started... The original lyrics for the first demos of the forming band, in Tuomas' handwriting. Compare with the final lyrics here: Nightwish (demo) (lyrics) Beauty And The Beast (lyrics) The items themselves have an interesting story, and I wonder where they have ended up now.