Fugazi

In case you're missing The Islander -- it's probably not going to retire anytime soon! 😁 Marko is opening for Tarja in South America and curiously he sings mostly covers (Black Sabbath, Dio, Ozzy Osbourne...) but very few of his own songs. I wonder why. Later he joins Tarja and they sing either Tarja or Nightwish songs.

Hot on the heels of the new album, a new single 'A Fool's Parade' is coming April 5, 2024 - featuring Ukrainian artist Alex Yarmak. Also the Q-Music Sessions, a compilation of covers recorded in 2013, is re-released again on CD. https://www.within-temptation.com/collections/frontpage/products/q-music-sessions-on-cd

👀👀👀 I'm overdue for a trip back to Edinburgh (having lived there for many years)... It's a long shot but I will be keeping an eye on the tour dates. 😮

From Dianne van Giersbergen's socials: From Dianne:

Any of those 4 in Scotland?

Well I'm not surprised that they wouldn't come to North America -- for now! I do look forward to hear what they sound like live. At some point Troy mentioned wanting to play in churches and other quaint places, I wonder if in the end they went for more traditional venues.

I tend to forget that Johanna has what... two Christmas albums? Anyway I remember that a couple of years ago -- I can't find the quote right now -- Tuomas said that Johanna quit touring because it was getting too expensive, it's good to see that things have turned around.

I kind of like 'Left On Mars', it's in line with Marko's previous sci-fi rock-metal album, and it's pretty catchy. Tarja's singing blends in smoothly with Marko's for the most part, and they seem to have good complicity in the video. I hope this is not a one-off collaboration, I like this better than Tarja's own stuff! 😁 More info about the new song: https://www.facebook.com/nuclearblastrecords/videos/1251406782913302/ Marko Hietala has released a brand new single ‘Left On Mars’ featuring Tarja Turunen! 'Left On Mars' is, in his own words, “A love song to my wife which ends up uniting two old friends. Even if the song itself sucked, I would be pleased about the result!” Tuomas Wäinölä, guitarist and producer, adds: ”It was a strong one immediately. I think Marko had the idea of it being a duet too, straight from the beginning. After that it was just a matter of grinding and demoing it well. The fun part was taking the song to Switzerland on an USB drive, like proper agents! We had this secret meeting when we had a Pratteln Outdoor gig with Tarja, both playing our own sets. And yeah, it was great to see them together on stage and finally singing the same tune again!”

News from Troy -- plus the usual weird Troy story. 😆 https://www.facebook.com/troydonockleyofficial/posts/pfbid0LtahUZgLsBMMM4Qt2F5gpBS5nPpDyrQexDmeuXidrGHZmjRim4Ef2XeouDwdKhMVl Do you think the photo has something to do with the shooting of a Nightwish video?

Hi Edemah Ruh, welcome to the forum! Thanks for your insight, it's nice to hear that there are no hard feelings or any intention to break up the band in the near future. That and the 'multi-album' deal with Nuclear Blast will allay any fears of the band calling it quits. So in 2025 it almost looks like a combined Auri+Altamullan Road tour! By that time the third Auri album will possibly have been released, so they will have plenty of material to pick from. I don't think that Auri will cross the pond to tour the US, unless as a support act for another group. Delain perhaps? Martijn Westerholt seems to be in very good terms with the Holopainen-Kurkela family.

The video for 'Left On Mars' is now available, and it's directed by well-known Nightwish collaborator Ville Lipiäinen ('Élan', 'Endless Forms Most Beautiful', 'Ad Astra', and of course 'Please Learn The Setlist In 48 Hours'). Lyrics: There was a child climbing a hill on a winter's night Face up to space above and taken by the sight Time slowed down under the blessing of the skies Of dying stars and their billion years of light I flew across the void of space in a waking dream Astride a fusion flame I'm finally redeemed To find the wonders that transcend the bounds of time To hear the heavens sing and reach the other side Do you know that my heart still holds the rage, no And I’ve turned page after page I never chose to be an alien, no I'm just looking for a home I know I’m better left on Mars I see the star that gave us life in the rusted sky The hills turn crimson as I take your hand in mine I always thought this place was safe and I was wrong You chose to cross the void for me I was made strong Do you know that my heart still holds the rage, no And I’ve turned page after page I never chose to be an alien, no I’m just looking for a home I think you know that my heart still holds the rage, no But you still believe in me And I choose the mercy of your heart I'm just looking for a home There together we'll find home Alone together left on Mars

I forgot to mention, but recently Floor posted a surprising update on social media: I assume she still lives in the Sweden countryside, but so far no other details are available.

Last but not least: Marko Hietala doesn’t rule out the possibility of forming new band with Tarja Turunen Arto Mäenpää - 9.3.2024 https://chaoszine.net/marko-hietala-doesnt-rule-out-the-possibility-of-forming-new-band-with-tarja-turunen/ During a recent interview with El Planeta Del Rock, Marko “Marco” Hietala, currently touring South America as part of the “Living The Dream – The Hits Tour 2024” alongside his former Nightwish bandmate Tarja Turunen, was questioned about the potential of the two musicians embarking on a new musical venture together. Hietala responded: “I won’t dismiss that possibility. We haven’t discussed putting together a band or anything of that sort. However, it appears that our connection now is different from what it used to be. In the past, there was significant division among the camps even when I joined Nightwish. It was challenging to discern the truth amidst a managerial turf war, where conflicting information was relayed from different sides, leading to a lot of confusion. But in the end, as we realized a few years ago when we reunited for Christmas shows in Finland, after all the noise and chaos subsided, we discovered that we had lost a friend. That realization was the primary motive behind us coming together again.”

So 'Left On Mars' is actually a song written by Marko (not Tarja as I first thought) and he invited Tarja to duet with him. The single will be officially released on March 13, but of course it has been played live already. Live performance in Sao Paolo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NERWhbhEw-E Link to the official video: Interestingly, Anette Olzon commented on the announcement. 👀 https://www.instagram.com/p/C4YM_rqtBu1/ In other Tarko (or it is Marja?) news, their Curitiba (Brasil) show was postponed because Tarja caught a virus. This looks like a last minute decision, as they had to announce it to a full audience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs4Cz6ZM1Ts Marko decided to sing one of his songs as token gesture to the fans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaX44Q552Yo

Drumcam of Kai playing '7 Days To The Wolves' ! (Vaasa June 2023) The finale is totally sick.

Altamullan Road will open for Delain on May 11th. https://www.facebook.com/delainmusic/posts/pfbid02QtygsgJBeRLjxMKJYq3AsnktiFVrw8NNwqp25WVPBNQKJNV1zQY3JWkJDjbe3htfl

I wonder how many albums this 'multi-album' deal involves. 👀 It's something that will probably remain confidential though. It it a coincidence that this announcement comes on the heels of the completion of the album recording and mastering? Was the label waiting for the finished album before signing a deal? Of course now that it was down to actually promoting the album and manufacturing the records, the band needed the label's resources. I have a strong feeling that the recording was paid out of pocket by the band and that they will retain all rights to the music, unlike their previous albums. And while on this topic, Delain's Martijn Westerholt has posted again from Finland and has had a chance to listen to the new album! https://www.facebook.com/groups/nightwish.family/permalink/4070136159879707/

The setlist for the first show of the Living The Dream tour with Tarja and Marko has been revealed! https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/tarja/2024/casino-magic-neuquen-argentina-63ad0e0b.html Together they sang the following songs: Dead To The World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6EiczrHi-Y (the quality is poor, no doubt a better video will surface eventually) Dark Star (Tarja song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2-oXTKL8CE Left On Mars (new Marko song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrpLF4OMFPw Dead Promises (Tarja song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T01tPeX3eAc The Phantom Of The Opera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxJfWTV9OL8 Wish I Had An Angel Over The Hills And Far Away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E98xvTTqUCI 'Dead To The World' gave me goosebumps! 😍 I must confess that I think that Marko looks a bit goofy on stage when he's not playing bass. He should always have one even if he's not playing. 😜

A few Tarja news items:

To be honest I don't see Auri touring outside Europe anytime soon, unless perhaps as a support band? If well-established bands like Delain don't draw crowds of more than a few hundred people here, I don't see how Auri can make travelling overseas worth their while. 🤔

Oh and also, Delain now have a North American online merch store. https://delain-webstore.com/ They have mentioned on FB that all of their shirt designs are hand drawn by their bass player Ludovico Cioffi. 👀

It's not an easy task ranking the Delain albums, especially since I haven't listened to all of them -- I know the singles, but I don't think that I have ever listened to We Are The Others, April Rain or The Human Contradiction in full. I'm surprised that you ranked Apocalypse & Chill so low! It's not my favourite album, but it does have some of my favourite songs, including Masters Of Destiny (ok, it was previously released on an EP), We Had Everything (I love that 'Boys Of Summer' 80s melancholic vibe!), Creatures (such a Queen rip-off!)... On the other hand, there are songs on this album that I don't like, so I wouldn't rank it first either.

Thanks for the heads up! I have watched their GLS, they're quite talented. Having a live choir up there on the stage with them is something Nightwish should try at least once! And also adding a live orchestra while they're at it. 😁

No big news, but I saw on FB a report from someone meeting Troy and learning straight from the horse's mouth that Auri will do an European tour in 2025.