Tuomas Holopainen's solo project out in April

Tuomas Holopainen's first solo project "The Life And Times Of Scrooge" will be released on 11th April. The whole album is based on a graphic novel called "The Life And Times Of Scrooge McDuck" written and illustrated by Don Rosa. Tuomas spent most of the year 2013 writing and producing this solo album.
The recordings took place during August - October 2013. The orchestra was recorded at Angel Studios in London. Pip Williams, who's known for his work on NW's albums "Once", "Dark Passion Play" and "Imaginaerum", did the orchestral arrangements.

Among the guest musicians are vocalists Alan Reid, Johanna Kurkela, Johanna Iivanainen and Tonny Kakko.

The author of the book, Don Rosa, did the artwork for the album.

Tracklist:

01. Glasgow 1877
02. Into The West
03. Duel & Cloudscapes
04. Dreamtime
05. Cold Heart Of The Klondike
06. The Last Sled
07. Goodbye, Papa
08. To Be Rich
09. A Lifetime Of Adventure
10. Go Slowly Now, Sands Of Time

Bonus track
11. A Lifetime Of Adventure (alternative version)

As a single for this album was chosen "A Lifetime Of Adventure" accompanied with "making of" video. Johanna Kurkela provides lead vocals and Johanna Iivanainen provides backing vocals.

Piano solos by Tuomas Holopainen

Today I came across this video on YT. There are all piano solos from albums, live gigs and DVDs.

Enjoy!

Marco & Tuomas about Imaginaerum

I am so sorry that I haven't updated any news during the week but I'm so busy with school that only today I got a bit of time to go on the Internet so it will take some time to put here all the news.

Let's start with very good news/interview. Today Nightwish puts on thier website new interview with Marco and Tuomas speaking about Imaginaerum and the process of ''making of'''. Also Tuomas is playing the ''The Hearts Ask For Pleasure First'' song a bit. But check it out to learn more news.

Tuomas Holopainen

 If you want to see and hear young Tuomas playing saxophone back in 1994 please follow this link http://www.tuomas-holopainen.com/main/sax
I can't imagine him playing saxophone now. 

Nightwish Update

Nightwish's Tuomas Holopainen spent some time with Metal Hammer Magazine over the summer during the band's summer camp where the demo was recorded for their upcoming CD. Today on Blabbermouth, I saw that Metal Hammer made a two part video of the visit.

Links to the two-part video are here. If you read German, you're in luck because the text accompanying the videos is in that language.

Die hard NW fan that I am, I have to say I really am looking forward to this album, even if it's more for curiosity's sake than anything else...

Happy Birthday Tuomas! (I'm unabashedly indulging in some fangirly behaviour - sue me!)

Ah, to be a Christmas baby. My dad's birthday is Christmas Eve, and he gets spoiled rotten. I'm sure Tuomas does, too!

So, happy birthday to the man whose chest I would gladly lick chocolate off - and to the guy who has brought me so much joy through his music.

Fake Tuomas

Although I was one zillion percent sure it was a fake, I sent a friend request into "Tuomas Holopainen's" Facebook profile. What ensued has been quite amusing, and rather sad.

Amusing because this Tuomas A) has really bad English, B) he takes photos any idiot can find off the internet & posts them on his page (including pictures Anette Olzon posted on her blog, taken by Anette herself) and C) he appears to be successfully posing as Tuomas and getting all kinds of fangirls hot under the collar.

What's sad about this is said fangirls and the deception this Fake Tuomas is perpetuating. I knew this was fake from the start and had no fantasies that this was anything other than some duplicitous personage with a lot of time on his/her hands. Tuomas has said in various interviews how much he hates the internet and even, if memory serves, that he does not have Facebook or any other social networking profile. Anette has said more than once on her blog that no Nightwish members have Facebook profiles, and she reiterated this again today, here.

It's pretty pathetic - and actually mean-spirited, too, IMO - to do something like this, especially where fangirls are concerned. You lead them on, they get all hot & bothered, you get your ego stroked and your entertainment - all off the backs of legitimate fans who believe they are getting something real from you.

You also make the band look bad (which I realize for some people isn't a problem).

It also violates the terms of service, which is why I have reported Fake Tuomas to Facebook, but alas, in typical FB fashion, the reporting interface was vague and probably ineffectual, and I doubt this will have any real results. Ironically, Real Tuomas has to report this person himself, and of course, in order to do that, he has to have a FB account.

So consider this my little public service announcement and my good deed for the day, for the whole 4 people who read this humble blog: the Tuomas Holopainen you see on Facebook is a poser, not the real Tuomas. (I have to say, however, that if the picture this Fake Tuomas has posted of the Real Tuomas's new house is the real new house, I am in awe of it's architechture & gorgeousness, and, yes, even expressed this in a comment under the picture of the house on Fake Tuomas's FB profile. It is a legitimately beautiful house.)

Sorry to burst your bubble fangirls!