Fugazi

I'm late on the news, but just found out that manager Pohjola is being investigated for assault on at least one woman during an industry event in Tampere last October.

He's still listed as part of Till Dawn They Count Ltd, the NW management team, on the Nightwish website.

Police investigate: Nightwish manager Ewo Pohjola is suspected of strangling a woman at the bar counter - Pohjola denies

https://yle.fi/a/74-20056030

(translation: https://yle-fi.translate.goog/a/74-20056030?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp)

Mari Jäntti, 27 Feb 2024

According to Yle's information, the police are investigating Ewo Pohjola, the manager of the Nightwish band, for mild assault.

The case under investigation is suspected to have happened at the Music x Media event organized in Tampere last October.

Yle tells about it because Pohjola is in a significant position in the music industry.

According to the person concerned interviewed by Yle, the suspected mild assault had sexual characteristics. A woman under the age of 30 tells Yle that Pohjola, who was previously unknown to her, came to her at the bar with another man.

- They praised me as beautiful. Pohjola was visibly drunk.

Pohjola left the counter and the woman stayed at the counter talking with another man, when she suddenly felt a tight stranglehold on her neck.

- Pohjola strangled me. The situation lasted a few seconds. After that, Pohjola said that it felt exciting.

The woman felt confused and strange about the situation.

- What happened seems particularly outrageous in the context of an opportunity for networking in the music industry: older, experienced and powerful people meet young and novice artists.

She filed a criminal complaint with the Internal Finland Police. Yle has seen the criminal report.

The police have confirmed to Yle that a criminal complaint has been filed in connection with the incident at the Music x Media event under the heading of minor assault. The police will not confirm the suspect's identity.

Another 30-year-old woman interviewed by Yle says she also experienced a similar situation. She did not file a criminal complaint.

She said that she had gone to order a drink at the counter, when Pohjola, who was also unknown to her, had pulled the woman close to him using his strength. The situation passed quickly and the woman thought that there would be no further disturbance from the person.

- I was confused by the situation, but I let it be. Soon, however, I felt someone grab me from behind by the hair and pull me closer again.

The woman says that she has asked Pohjola several times to let her go. The woman tried to get out of the situation and says that she finally managed to get hold of Pohjola.

The woman asked that Pohjola be removed from the event, and this soon happened.

- Pulling my hair was too much. It wasn't a subtle touch, the woman says.

Pohjola: "There is no smell"

Ewo Pohjola denies the claims of both women.

- I have no idea about the whole thing.

Pohjola says that he does not know that a criminal complaint has been filed against him. The police have not heard from him about it.

Pohjola says that he was at the Music x Media event organized last October.

- I've been there and that's what makes this strange. I, and no one from our company, has any idea about this. Special.

Pohjola has worked as Nightwish's manager since the beginning of the 2000s.

Pohjola runs Till Dawn They Count Management Ltd together with Nightwish's other manager Toni Peiju. The company's business is program offices and management services.

In 2016, Music Finland awarded the company a national music export award. Pohjolaa and Peiju have been titled as pioneers of Finnish management and music export .

Event organizer: "There has been inappropriate behavior"

Both of the women say that they reported the incident to the harassment contact person at the Music x Media event.

Music x Media CEO Jani Jalonen confirms that there has been inappropriate behavior at the event.

- We are aware that, unfortunately, there has been inappropriate behavior at our event. We cannot comment on the details.

Jalonen says that harassment is taken very seriously at the event, and inappropriate treatment of any kind is not accepted.

- Every participant in our event is required to commit to the event's values and respect others. We have a process for potential harassment situations, according to which we act, says Jalonen.

Floor has posted an update as her album Paragon hits the one year mark.

https://floorworld.floorjansen.com/c/announcements/paragon-anniversary

---

PARAGON Anniversary

One year ago, I flew from Amsterdam to Japan for the Nightwish tour there. Drinking champagne to celebrate the release wasn’t possible because Lucy was with me in my belly. Very very little still 🙏🏻

I had a chance to have a proper release party though, a few days before this release day, and I look back to that with warmth in my heart. Many came to join me, many who had been a part in the making of this album. Many of with whom I still work with today, to create a second album!

‘Paragon’ was an album long in the making. The ideas of actually going solo started after the tv show ‘Beste Zangers’. (I will do a live show with them on the 10th of May!)

Soon after the success of the tv show, the pandemic hit. I got time to write, and I did. Due to the long break, an entire world tour with Nightwish came at the same time as the release of this album. The schedules are almost impossible as they all happened at the same time. And while that was going on, I got cancer, Nightwish decided on the break from live shows, and I got pregnant.

After the release I started playing live shows for both Nightwish and solo and I even got invited to open a show for Metallica!

There is so much to look back to, both crazy great and horribly bad. It is not the first time I have used the word ‘rollercoaster ride’ for my life’s stories. I was on one for sure, a fast and long one.

I am writing this to you now, a year after this wonderful album saw the light of day, with Lucy next to me. Nightwish’ break from shows has started, yet a new album is ready and will come this year. My trip to The Netherlands is booked, more shows will soon be played and more songs will soon be written. But today it’s a beautiful spring Sunday, a year after the release of my pride ‘Paragon’.

Johanna also sings on one track of this obscure new project called Himmelkraft by Tony Kakko (Sonata Artica). This post-apocalyptic concept album has only been released in a couple of countries so far, and there are audio snippets available here: https://mora.jp/package/43000002/GQCS-91449/. Johanna sings on track #9.

Many people know what Nightwish or Children of Bodom sound like, but few know that their sound is the work of Mikko Karmila

Mikko Karmila is currently mixing Nightwish's album to be released this year.

https://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/art-2000010135718.html

Helsingin Sanomat, by Mikko Mattlar February 2, 2024 (Google-translated)

Recorder-mixer Mikko Karmila had a hand in the game when Finnish metal music reached the wider world. He has been creating the sound for many bands with international careers, starting with Nightwish and Children of Bodom.

Most of my working career has been spent recording, mixing and producing domestic metal records. They still employ Karmila. He is currently mixing Nightwish's album to be released this year.

Cooperation with the band began with their second album Oceanborn in 1998, and since then Karmila has been involved in every studio album.

"When I made the first Nightwish album, I wish there were 40 tracks on it. When I opened the first song from this session, there were 500 tracks. This has become a bit wider, and of course it slows down the work", says Karmila.

His job is to mix the tracks into a whole that sounds good. The work takes place in the Finnvox studio, but most of the recordings are done elsewhere these days.

The drums for Nightwish's new album have been recorded in Hollola, the other instruments in Kitee and the vocals in the soloists' home studios in Sweden and Britain. Audio files come to Karmila on a memory stick or via the Internet.

"Recording the album in a studio with a friend was more comfortable. It had its own feel, and it's a bit of a shame that the band doesn't come to one place anymore. But that's how it is these days."

Mikko Karmila is a private entrepreneur, but he mixes Nightwish's new album at the Finnvox studios on Helsinki's Pitäjänmäki. "The variation in the amount of work is really big. Sometimes it's terribly busy and sometimes it's not."

Karmila has been watching the industry from behind the mixing desk for over forty years. His interest in music began when he got a guitar at the age of 11, and even then he wanted to record his playing. I was also interested in recording my own bands.

"I made the first recordings with my stepfather's interview recorder. Just put the microphone in the middle of the room and play. We played with my band in our living room in an apartment building, and it must have been incredibly great for the neighbor to listen to," Karmila recalls with a laugh.

"From there it slowly expanded, when my friends' bands also wanted me to record them. When I got to the first dune places, I bought a four-track tape recorder, which cost several months' salary. It caused a bit of a stir at home, but I recorded about a hundred demos with it by somewhere around 1990."

Karmila's teenage years were spent in Kerava, where there was lively band activity. The young metal band Stone played at the same training camp. Sekin wanted Karmila to record her demo, and with the band, her way into the industry opened up.

"I also mixed Stone's gigs, and we toured the whole of Finland by bus. I was even with them when they took their demo to the label. When Stone made his first album in MTV's studio in Ilmala in 1987, I was in a proper studio for the first time."

At gigs, Karmila gave people in the industry demo tapes of what she was doing, and in 1989, the band Kolmas nainen wanted her to record their album.

“I tried to educate myself as an engineer, but it seemed boring, and I dropped out of school almost as soon as The Third Woman fell for me. A really nice group, good songs and good players, that's all you can hope for."

Stratovarius's Dreamspace and Waltar's So Fine , which came out in 1994 , were published abroad. Karmila was making both albums, and his name began to appear in the world, but he did not see it as a milestone in his career.

"I just thought that it would be nice if it would do. I also went to record a couple of Stratovarius' gigs in Italy and Greece. It was exciting to go to a foreign country, and there were about 5,000–8,000 people per gig, who were digging like hell.”

The albums of Sonata Arctica, Amorphis and many other Finnish metal bands were also exported. Karmila's cooperation with many has continued since the 1990s until today.

He does not take credit for the success of the albums, even if he is listed as the producer responsible for the whole album.

"I've taken it a bit in the way that we go to the studio with friends and make a record. In that, no one terribly bosses anyone, but we work together, and from that comes what comes."

Karmila has not studied producing and recording, because in her youth there were no schools in the field in Finland. Studying in Britain or the US would have been so expensive that he had no chance of leaving.

Professional skills have been accumulated by working, and versatile music listening has also helped. Karmila does not define a clear sound ideal that she would aim for with his records. More than that, he listens to how the band sounds.

"I like both the Beatles and Metallica, and they are quite different soundscapes. I don't know if anything has to sound like anything else. As long as it sounds like itself - that's quite a lot."

That's what he tries to capture as well as possible, and maybe that's what has made him one of the most respected studio professionals in Finland.

Mikko Karmila

• Born 1964 in Lohja, grew up in Helsinki and Kerava.
• Recorder, mixer and record producer. Been making 452 records since 1988. The most famous bands, e.g. Nightwish, Children of Bodom, Amorphis, Sonata Arctica, Stone, Stratovarius, Kotitellisuus, Don Huonot, Kolmas nai and Waltari.
• As a musician in the bands Moon Cakes and East Germany.
• Lives in Helsinki. He enjoys photography and playing the guitar.
• Turns 60 on Saturday, February 3rd.

What would you tell your 20-year-old self? "You could study recording a little more. But I was 20 years old in 1984, and at that time it was still quite difficult in Finland."

Further to the above, the video for 'A Fool's Parade' has been shot in Kyiv Ukraine and an audio preview is available on Within Temptation mobile app -- yeah, artists have apps now! 🤔

And the tour with Marko will continue in Fall 2024 in Europe, according to recent postings. It's a bit complicated, but after the 'Living The Dream - The Hits tour' in South America Tarja will do a 'Living The Dream - Summer tour' playing festivals in Europe by herself, then rejoin Marko for a 'Living The Dream - Together Tour' starting in September in Spain.

https://tarjaturunen.com/language/en/living-the-dream-summer-2024/

The Eye Of Melian is not sleeping!

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What do you guys think?? Should we keep rehearsing and do live shows in the future?

As you may have noticed we've been rather quiet on social media lately, but never fear! We've been busy with some very exciting things - album #2 and the very beginning dream-infused plans of a magnificent and magical “vita nova” for EoM of playing live!!

We were thrilled to enlist the musical talent of Timo Kurkela in much of our rehearsals!

Also, on a side note... these were our very first rehearsals ever so please forgive the "raw exploration" sound. After any "exploratory" notes we simply claimed we were playing the "jazz" version of the songs! We had a blast!!

https://www.facebook.com/eyeofmelian/videos/386393910920343/

Anette has released a second single, 'Day Of Wrath'.

“I am so happy to release my second single from the upcoming album Rapture. – reveals Anette. “My new song Day of wrath is the story from the humans perspective who now has awaken and understands the disaster we have done to the world but begs for forgiveness. Despite all the signs we’ve seen, no significant changes have been done to stop it and now the apocalypse is closing in on us”.

Personally I like the first single better, this one is not as catchy as 'Heed The Call' and I don't think the growls work that well.

While after hearing the first single I thought the religious theme was tongue-in-cheek, with this second single it looks to me that Anette has gone full Christian metal. There's no real second degree in the lyrics, it's a plain 'repent or be doomed' message and I don't remember religion was very present in Anette's previous work. 👀

'Phantom Of The Opera' has been replaced in the setlist by 'Planet Hell' for the last few shows.

I have the feeling that Tarja uses a less operatic voice nowadays on Planet Hell, perhaps trying to emulate the more 'metal' performance that fans are used to by now?

Helsinki 2005 (with Marko)

Madrid 2020 (without Marko)

Chile 2024 (with Marko)

Good recording of a full show in Poland. The crowd is loud, Ronald and Ludo swap instruments to play Sleepwalker's Dream, and watch what the crowd are up to during Moth To A Flame! 🔥

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AswAWCje7ZI

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:

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𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗡𝗢𝗪 ✧ "𝘼 𝙎𝙮𝙢𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙𝙮"

"A Symphonic Tragedy", featuring Ayreon's Arjen Lucassen on solo guitar, is the third song & single from DIANNE’s waterfall release album "Soulward Bound". Produced & recorded by Joost van den Broek at Sandlane Recording Facilities.

Also featuring:

• Ferry Duijsens on rhythm guitar
• Kristoffer Gildenlöw on bass guitar
• Sander Zoer on drums

From Dianne:

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"A Symphonic Tragedy" is the most honest, heartfelt and vocally triumphant song that I have ever created! And it is.. OUT NOW!

I could not have created this song without the vision and support of DIANNE's producer and co-writer Joost van den Broek! Nor without the musicians that joined me for "A Symphonic Tragedy:" Arjen Anthony Lucassen, Ferry Duijsens, Kristoffer Gildenlöw and Sander Zoer.

I also wish to say 'Thank you' to my dear friends from Blackbriar, Rene, Zora and Robin, who worked round the clock to produce another amazing Cinebuds.nl music video.

If there is one thing I've learned through the three solo songs I've released so far, then that is that it might be my journey, but I do not walk alone.

Thank you dear team, thank you dear fans and thank you dear Patreon members, for always being there to motivate me and cheer me on. This song is for you!

Much love,

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. 😆

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Latest news from Troy - “The year is shaping up to be full of wonders. The new Nightwish album is completed and ready to be heard. Description of it is useless, suffice to say, it is more than hoped for. I am working on new ‘Auri’ music for our third album - three albums without a single live performance; a strange state of affairs to be seriously rectified in 2025. Oh, and this could be interesting… Here, for your delectation, is a recent photo of me auditioning for the role of James Bond. I was really nervous, but the word on the street is I’m in the top three. Just before the audition, I went to a Roller Disco in Sheffield with Daniel Craig and asked his advice on getting the part. He told me “all you have to do, is stand rigid with your arms stiff as planks; as if you’ve just spilled a pint of beer down your pants. That’s all I did, and look at me now?” Great advice from Danny. Let’s hope it pays off!”

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:

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Moving & A Birthday Horse

Happy birthday to Sam! This little man turned 3 years old today 🥳 Lots happened in my life on the private end. We moved! Amidst the boxes and diapers. Have a lovely Sunday!  

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/

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Happy to see you both together and so happy ✨congrats to you both 🥂

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)