Nightwish Recording 'Heavy' New Album

8 August 2023 | 4:14 pm | Mary Varvaris
Originally Appeared In

"I would say it's a pretty heavy album..."

Nightwish in Sydney

Nightwish in Sydney (Credit: Britt Andrews)

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Finnish symphonic metal legends Nightwish have started recording their “heavy” tenth album, a new social media post shows.

Keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and drummer Kai Hahto were pictured in the studio on Sunday (6 August), clearly up to no good in their photo together. “Recording album 10 is underway!” the band’s Instagram caption reads. Bring it on.

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Nightwish’s tenth album follows the group’s ninth record and first-ever double album, 2020’s Human. :II: Nature. Utilising the outstanding Pale Blue Orchestra, Human. :II: Nature. debuted at #7 in Australia upon its release.

How do we know that the new Nightwish release will be heavier than the last one? Well, because they said so. “I would say it's a pretty heavy album, but once again, it's the multicolour diversity that is Nightwish,” vocalist Floor Jansen told Metal Hammer earlier this year.

In April, the band issued a statement revealing that after the mostly postponed Human :ll: Nature – World Tour finished in June, they’d take some time off touring. Assuring fans that everything is okay following Jansen’s successful breast cancer removal surgery and the time off wasn’t due to her pregnancy, they wrote on social media:

After the planned shows for June 2023 we will be ‘hanging up our spurs’ for an indeterminate time, as far as live concert performances go, and won't be touring the next album. The reasons for this decision are personal, but, we all agree, vital to the wellbeing and future of the band. Be assured that we still love working together, and this decision has nothing to do with Floor's pregnancy or our other individual projects.

“However, an album of 12 new songs will see bright daylight in 2024, as will 3 music videos! The band is positively hyped beyond words over this new upcoming musical adventure. Stay tuned for updates from our legendary Nightwish band camp & studio this summer!

In March, Jansen released her debut solo album, Paragon, and subsequently opened a few shows for Metallica in Europe on their M72 World Tour.

Last November, Jansen revealed that she was cancer-free after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis in October. While she was lucky to receive a non-aggressive diagnosis, Jansen used her platform to share that without attending her routine mammogram, the tumour would have been found later, putting her in further danger.

You can read her full post about the diagnosis and treatment here.