The good news is Nightwish is working on the followup to their 2020 album Human :ll: Nature. The bad news is that Nightwish has zero plans to play shows after its release. According to a statement from the band, their reasons are personal and have nothing to do with vocalist Floor Jansen's pregnancy or solo career.
"As the Human :ll: Nature – World Tour is drawing to a close, we feel now is the time to tell you of our plans for the next phase in our journey," wrote the band.
"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!"
Nightwish is working on a "pretty heavy" follow-up to their 2020 album Human. :II: Nature. According to Nightwish vocalist Floor Jansen in an interview with Metal Hammer, the heaviness is only one aspect of the new music, but it's certainly there.
"I would say it's a pretty heavy album, but once again, it's the multicolour diversity that is Nightwish," said Jansen. "It's all there. It's going to once again take you by the hand through beautiful stories – whether they are stories from this Earth or stories about this Earth. They're beautiful."
On the topic of the new album, Jansen said in a recent interview "I would say it's a pretty heavy album, but once again, it's the multicolour diversity that is Nightwish. It's all there. It's going to once again take you by the hand through beautiful stories – whether they are stories from this Earth or stories about this Earth. They're beautiful."
In a previous interview, Nightwish keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said the new record will feature some "major surprises" and is the end of the trilogy featuring Endless Forms Most Beautiful from 2015 and Human. :II: Nature.
"I immediately knew after getting [Endless Forms Most Beautiful] done that, 'Okay, we have to do more songs about this, because there's so much more to explore and tell the world. We're not done with this.'"
"And the same thing happened after Human. :II: Nature.; we're still not done. So let's do one more. At least one more. In a way, [the next album] is the third part of a trilogy, which started with Endless Forms… and then Human. :II: Nature. There are some major surprises there again, but it feels like a natural continuation to Human. :II: Nature."
