Forget all the rumours about a split of NIGHTWISH and the speculations of Tarja leaving the band, for they all are not true! "Nemo", the new single of Finland's most successful Metal act, is the best proof that the band is present and ambitious like never before. Recorded with the London Session Orchestra under the direction of Mr. Pip Williams – an old hand within the music business who already worked with bands like STATUS QUO, SWEET and MOODY BLUES – the song is the most intensive, orchestral and symphonic piece of work that NIGHTWISH have ever created. A bombastically preview to the band's new album "Once" which is due to show up in June.
NIGHTWISH actually had their hour of birth back in 1996 when Tuomas Holopainen and some friends were gathered around a campfire and improvised some songs that should become the band's first material. The very first three NIGHTWISH tracks were recorded between October and December 1996 with a line up consisting of Tuomas, Tarja Turunen and Emppu Vuorinen.
In May 1997, NIGHTWISH signed a record deal with Spinefarm and began, together with new entrant Jukka Nevalainen on drums, recording their debut "Angel's Fall First" which was released in following November. NIGHTWISH's trademarks – the mixture of highly melodic Metal with Tarja's soprano opera voice – brought fresh air in the scene and jockeyed them on position 31 of the Finnish album charts.
During summer 1998, bass player Sami Vänskä joined NIGHTWISH and the band entered the studio once again in August. 1999 "Oceanborn" got in stores and made NIGHTWISH the new Finnish shooting stars. The album reached position 5 in Finland's album charts and the single "Sacrament Of Wilderness" could hold the pole position of the single charts for weeks! Successful tours and appearances at almost all big European festivals followed. On time of the big German solar eclipse in August 1999, "Sleeping Sun", one of NIGHTWISH's most haunting ballads, was issued and sold more than 15.000 copies alone in Germany!
The next longplayer "Wishmaster" absolved an absolute dream start: It entered the Finnish album charts on position 1 and gained a golden record within only three weeks. Foreign hit lists got broken as well: "Wishmaster" entered the German media control charts on # 21 and France on # 66 and reaped loads of prices.
Back home after a lot of tours – including Europe and South America – NIGHTWISH filmed and recorded a concert in the Finnish city Tampere and released the material either as live CD "Over The Hills And Far Away" (plus four new songs including the Gary Moore cover 'Over The Hills And Far Away') and some time later as live CD/VHS/DVD under the name "From Wishes To Eternity" (plus the band's clips and a lot of bonus material).
In late 2001, Marco Hietala from SINERGY became NIGHTWISH's new bass player and further on the band also included male vocals in their songs which fitted the over-all sound of NIGHTWISH very well.
"Century Child" in 2002 earned double platinum in Finland for more than 60.000 sold copies and finally sealed NIGHTWISH's status as Scandinavia's metal mega stars.
The documentary DVD "End Of Innocence" with extended interviews, backstage and live footage, music videos and photo galleries was the only NIGHTWISH release in 2003, afterwards the band started off a little break to recover from all the turbulences.
"Nemo" will be available in four different versions: Two audio CD releases (due in April and May) with different track lists – each one a high class collector's item –, a DVD single with superb sound in 5.1mix and a LP single. Additionally NIGHTWISH will film an expensive video clip for the track in collaboration with Los Angeles-based director Antti Jokinen who already worked with Celine Dion, Shania Twain and Eminem.
Symphonic Metal in perfection with bombastic heights and emotional depths – "Nemo" will touch everyone's heart and take you to another dimension of feelings. A masterpiece!
Line-Up:
Tarja Turunen – vocals
Marco Hietala – bass, vocals
Erno "Emppu" Vuorinen – guitars
Tuomas Holopainen – keyboards
Jukka Nevalainen – drums
Discography:
1997 The Carpenter CDS
1997 Angels Fall First CD
1998 Sacrament Of Wilderness CDS
1999 Walking In The Air CDS
1999 Oceanborn CD
1999 Sleeping Sun CDS
2000 Deep Silent Complete CDS
2000 Wishmaster CD
2001 Over The Hills And Far Away CD
2001 From Wishes To Eternity DVD/VHS/CD
2002 1997-2001 Best Of 4-CD-Box
2002 Century Child CD
2002 Bless The Child CDS
2003 End Of Innocence DVD
2004 Nemo CDS
