ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN To Release 'Everything Is Changing' In January

Dutch singer Anneke Van Giersbergen (AGUA DE ANNIQUE, ex-THE GATHERING) will release her new solo album, "Everything Is Changing", on January 20, 2012 via PIAS Holland. The CD was recorded at Ultrasound Studios in Braga, Portugal with producer Daniel Cardoso.

"Everything Is Changing" track listing:

01. Feel Alive (3:37)
02. You Want To Be Free (3:23)
03. Everything Is Changing (3:18)
04. Take Me Home (3:23)
05. I Wake Up (3:30)
06. Circles (4:00)
07. My Boy (4:15)
08. Stay (4:08)
09. Hope, Pray, Dance, Play (3:19)
10. Slow Me Down (2:57)
11. Too Late (4:11)
12. 1000 Miles Away From You (4:59)

Check out audio samples at Amazon.com.

ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN & AGUA DE ANNIQUE's third album, "In Your Room", was released on October 30, 2009. The 12-song effort was written entirely by Anneke except for two tracks: "Just Fine" was co-written with Devin Townsend and "Adore" was composed by AGUA DE ANNIQUE bassist Jacques de Haard and Cyril Crutz.

AGUA DE ANNIQUE has released three albums so far: "Air" (2007), "Pure Air" (2009) and "In Your Room" (2009).

 

 

LACUNA COIL 'Dark Adrenaline'

LACUNA COIL's new album, "Dark Adrenaline", will be released on January 24 via Century Media Records.

"Dark Adrenaline" track listing:

01. Trip The Darkness
02. Against You
03. Kill The Light
04. Give Me Something More
05. Upsidedown
06. End Of Time
07. I Don't Believe In Tomorrow
08. Intoxicated
09. The Army Inside
10. Losing My Religion
11. Fire
12. My Spirit

In a new interview with Revolver magazine, Cristina Scabbia stated about "Dark Adrenaline", "I really feel that it is really, really a good album with good songs. I think that it totally captures the essence of LACUNA COIL because it's definitely a mixture of our roots and something completely new. We never repeated ourself with any album, but this one, it's a perfect balance between the old stuff and the new. And the new stuff, it's more obscure than the usual. It's definitely heavier — the sound is way heavier than we did before. A lot of people will be surprised. I think so. . . I believe that, you know, it's something that they don't really expect from us. They probably expect us to go, I don't know, more melodic and mellow and actually this is not the direction we are taking. [Laughs] We're kind of getting heavier while everybody else is getting mellower. [Laughs]"

When asked if she and her bandmates specific aims when they went into the studio, Cristina said, "No, not really, because I think that when you are writing songs, it's not about what you want to achieve. You just go with the flow and you just like what you hear. And if you like something, you just, like, work on it. I don't think it would make sense for us just to think about a song or like, Oh, the album is going to sound like that. That wouldn't be honest and that wouldn't be hard, you know? Of course, you kind of know what you want to do, just because you know that's your taste, but you don't really know what's gonna be the final result. You just, you know, put down layers and layers and layers and layers, and then you just hear the result at the very end. Actually, after the mixing you're just like, Oh, wow! [Laughs] It's hard to see things, you know. You just kind of draw the image of what you think it's gonna be, but you don't really know what's gonna be in the end."

NIGHTWISH's 'Storytime' Single Tops Finnish Chart

"Storytime", the new single from Finnish/Swedish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH, has topped the official chart in Finland.

"Storytime" was released as a single on Friday, November 11 via Nuclear Blast Records. The song comes off NIGHTWISH's new album, "Imaginaerum", which is due in North America on January 10, 2012 via Roadrunner Records. The CD is the band's first since 2007's "Dark Passion Play", which was then-new singer Anette Olzon's debut.

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."

The band will have but a small part in the film. A 2012 premiere date is being eyed.

"Imaginaerum" release dates:

Finland: November 30
Europe: December 2
Australia: January 6
North America: January 10
Japan: January 11
New Zealand: January 16

NIGHTWISH will kick off the "Imaginaerum" world tour in Los Angeles. The very first show of the trek will take place at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, California on Saturday, January 21. This will be the biggest NIGHTWISH show production ever on North American soil and strictly a one-off — there will be no U.S. tour until later in 2012.

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GRIM REAPER Frontman Doesn't 'See Much Of A Resemblance' To Greek Finance Minister

Vocalist Steve Grimmett of '80s British metal band GRIM REAPER recently made headlines in Greece due to what many say is an uncanny resemblance between the singer and Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos.

Videos of Grimmett, with comments about his dead-on similarity to Venizelos, began circulating on Greek web sites and satirical shows after GRIM REAPER played a series of gigs in Athens, Thessaloniki, Komotini and Ioannina last week.

"From the moment I set foot in your country, everybody says I look like your minister," Grimmett, 52, told the Greek newspaper Ta Nea. "To tell you the truth, I don't see much of a resemblance. Perhaps a few years ago, when I had a few extra kilos. This gentleman is quite fat, despite the fact that he probably has quite a lot to do." He added, "I'm not sure, but I think there's something evil hiding behind his gaze."

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Venizelos, 54, has made few friends in recession-plagued Greece for spearheading an austerity drive of wage cuts and tax hikes to secure bailout loans from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

A new GRIM REAPER live CD is in the final mixing stages and a U.S. tour is currently being scheduled for March/April 2012 with the help of Artists Worldwide. The trek, which will tentatively consist of 18 shows, will mark the first time Steve Grimmett has played a full GRIM REAPER set on U.S. soil in 25 years. Steve says, "I'm looking forward to getting out there, as are my bandmembers. It's been 25 years since I toured out there last. Maybe I'll get to see a few familiar faces!" He adds, "The live album is sounding great. Can't wait to get it released".