Finnish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH will release their new single, 'Storytime', on Friday, November 11th. The cover artwork can be seen below:

A message from the band states: "The whole album tracklist with teasers of each song and the album release date will follow in a week. Stay tuned!"

Nightwish recently issued the following statement in regards to the band's upcoming album / movie project:

"In order to avoid mix-ups with various things named "Imaginarium", the title of the upcoming album and the movie will be changed to Imaginaerum."

Check out the new promotional image, which reflects the title change, below:

Nightwish recently signed a new record deal with Germany-based label Nuclear Blast for the release of their new album, Imaginaerum. Band leader Tuomas Holopainen comments:

"We are very happy to continue working with the Nuclear Bast family. Our collaboration started on a friendship basis and continues to do so. I was utterly happy and relieved to see they truly understood what Imaginaerum is all about, and we seem to share similar profound enthusiasm towards it. I feel privileged working with such people who, despite the infinite maze of business they must handle properly, still have a huge heart for music itself. "

Nuclear Blast label manager and head of A&R;, Andy Siry, adds:

"We are very happy that Nightwish and Nuclear Blast Records can continue as a team. Nightwish became the biggest success of our label and everyone in the band, their management and crew also became trustful and close friends. For us, it is a pleasure to work with such highly gifted musicians and a genius like Tuomas Holopainen , as a songwriter and composer. We also thank KingFoo Management for their believe and the great relationship between all of us. We are looking forward to the next releases with the band, starting with the upcoming masterpiece, Imaginaerum, which is another big step for this visionary band, which is simply outstanding and brilliant."

(From left to right): Michael Langbein (Nuclear Blast), Toni Peiju (KingFoo), Markus Klumpp (Nuclear Blast), Yorck Eysel (Nuclear Blast), Patrick Walch (Nuclear Blast), Andy Siry (Nuclear Blast), Ewo Pohjola (KingFoo), Tuomas Holopainen (Nightwish), Markus Wosgien (Nuclear Blast), Uwe Dannenmann (Nuclear Blast), Holger Tiefenbach (Nuclear Blast), Tobias Pfletschinger (Nuclear Blast)

Nightwish recently posted studio footage from their Imaginaerum sessions at Angel Studios in Islington, London earlier this year (February 14th-20th) on YouTube below. According to a band diary update at the time:

"The recordings include three three-hour sessions with a 53-piece orchestra, most of the players being familiar faces from the Once and Dark Passion Play - sessions. Pip (Williams, the orchestral arranger) joined us at the hotel and we were all excited and ready for a week of long days and for witnessing some superb musicianship. The musicianship of these people never ceases to amaze me. They`ve never heard the songs before, they haven`t had any rehearsals, and still they nail all the songs, even those in the hardest imaginable key, after just one or two run-throughs."

Working titles include: 'Goat`s Liver', 'The Birdie Song', 'Teriyaki' and 'Haunted Mansion Ride'.

Imaginaerum is due out in early 2012, and they've posted a short video teaser to get fans excited. Check it out below:

Nightwish recently issued the following Imaginaerum update:

"Secretly we all hoped that at some point we would be able to say this aloud: The Dream is about to become reality! It's been a hard battle beyond all measures, as it is in all projects this size, but finally creativity and heart took over the evil called Money.

Imaginaerum will be shot in September in a location we still need to keep as a secret but it will be quite far from our homely Finland and Sweden.

The casting of the characters is now done. The cast is chosen not only because of their talent but because of the personal passion of everyone involved. The actors and their representatives have been overly enthusiastic about the auditions after reading the script. We believe many of you will be very surprised once you see the final result and the story behind it. This long journey began more than 3 years ago, and neither Nightwish or Stobe had a clear idea of where the path would lead. The script is now fantastic. It's about Life, and the little spark of light you see during the darkest and most hopeless times. The same spark we've had to find over and over again during the process of making this film happen.

The production crew is a group of professionals with one aim only: To realize the original vision of Imaginaerum that Tuomas and Stobe had. All the pieces of the puzzle are now on the tables, and the building of the props, costume design, schedule planning, special fx production, dialogue & band performance rehearsals, etc. has begun.

It's easy to shed some tears while writing this, since we now know the story will have an ending after all.

"She spins around elegantly, softly. The chords are now found and something that was broken never needed to be fixed."

This season's entrance song for the Kiteen Pallo sports team (Pesäpallo or Finnish baseball) is based on the main riff and chorus of track 11 on Nightwish's upcoming album Imaginaerum remixed by DJ Orkidea. The song snippet can be heard using the player below and on YouTube:

New Nightwish