Finnish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH were honored in the “Metal Album Of The Year” and “Band Of The Year” categories at this year’s Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy equivalent), which was held on March 1 at Barona Areena in Espoo, Finland. Other “Metal Album” nominees were MOKOMA (“180 Astetta”), TERVEET KÄDET (“Musta Hetki”), and STAM1NA (“Nocebo”).
Video footage of NIGHTWISH bassist/vocalist Marco Hietala accepting the “Metal Album Of The Year” award for “Imaginaerum” can be seen below.
“Imaginaerum” was released in North America on January 10, 2012 via Roadrunner Records.
NIGHTWISH released a limited-edition “Trials Of Imaginaerum” 10-inch picture disc for last year’s Record Store Day (April 21). The effort included four previously unreleased demo recordings with Marco Hietala on lead vocals. It also came with a download of the previously unreleased track “The Heart Asks Pleasure First”, a cover with lyrics from the movie “The Piano”.
“Trials Of Imaginaerum” featured a picture of “The Crew, The Owl And The Dove” on one side, and the “Imaginaerum” grounds on the other side.
NIGHTWISH released a special “tour edition” of “Imaginaerum”, on April 13, 2012 via Nuclear Blast Records. It was a 2CD+DVD digibook in slipcase.
“Imaginaerum” sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band’s previous CD, 2007’s “Dark Passion Play”, opened with 11,000 units to land at No. 84.
Source: www.blabbermouth.net