Roadrunner Records have set a January 10, 2012 release date for Nightwish's new album Imaginaerum. Nightwish will also play a one-off show at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles on Jan. 21 and the band will then set sail on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise, which heads for the high seas on Jan. 23 in Miami, Fla.
Here is the background Roadrunner sent over for the album: The band examined its catalog when sitting down to write what would become Imaginaerum. The songs for the album were written between 2008 and 2010, after the Dark Passion Play tour cycle ended.
At that point, Nightwish knew they wanted to do something different, new and unique, which is exceptional for a band whose career has been defined by words like different, new and unique!
The band consciously wanted to do something so big, crossover, detailed, innovative and, well, "nuts," that it would leave the band, and hopefully the people experiencing it, completely awestruck. It would be a situation where fans and/or critics would either love it or hate it, but they'd be left awestruck nonetheless. That's when the band realized another dimension, namely video, was necessary for the project.
Instead of a concept album, the band set the album to a film.
"The original idea I had was to film 13 short stories related to the songs with a connected storyline, shot by Stobe Harju," keyboardist/songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said. It was Harju's idea to turn the 13 stories and visions into more of a connected cinematic piece �essentially, a film. It would have a clear plot, script, dialogue and real actors in an ambitious effort to create something wholly unique.The film was shot in September of this year.
The movie is based on the album and its 13 tracks, honoring the original ideas, but having evolved radically from the initial plan. Holopainen said," Still, it was important from the very beginning that the album would work as its own individual piece of art, as well. It is a thematic album about life itself, about imagination, love, goodness and beauty, with a touch of darkness and melancholy, which are strongly included in all of those things mentioned." As if we could expect anything less from Nightwish!
The band will have but a small part in the film. A 2012 premiere date is being eyed.
Imaginaerum: an audiovisual testament of what Nightwish have always been about.
The track listing for Imaginaerum is as follows; note that track 12 is broken down into four parts.
01. Taikatalvi
02. Storytime
03. Ghost River
04. Slow, Love, Slow
05. I Want My Tears Back
06. Scaretale
07. Arabesque
08. Turn Loose the Mermaids
09. Rest Calm
10. The Crow, the Owl and the Dove
11. Last Ride of the Day
12. Song Of Myself
Song 1: From A Dusty Bookshelf
Song 2: All That Great Heart Lying Still
Song 3: Piano Black
Song 4: Love
13. Imaginaerum
