Finnish cello-rockers
APOCALYPTICA have set
"Apocalyptica" as the title of their new album, tentatively due in February 2005.
"In my opinion, our next album comes across like a mixture of
'Reflections' [2003] and the group's current live sound,"
Eicca Toppinen told Finland's
Sonera Plaza. "So I think that we are now about to reach the essence of
APOCALYPTICA. So that's why we decided to make the new album a self-titled affair."
Last weekend,
APOCALYPTICA travelled to Tallinn, Estonia to shoot the second video off the new CD,
"Life Burns". The track features lead vocals and lyrics by
THE RASMUS singer
Lauri Ylönen, who also appears in the clip.
"The song was written about the thin line between life and death,"
Lauri explained. "It's not a political song in any way, but when I was writing it, I pictured burning towers and other horrible disasters in my head."
APOCALYPTICA's first single off the new album,
"Bittersweet", is scheduled for release on November 29 via
Universal.
"Bittersweet" is described as "a dark ballad" that features fellow-countrymen
Ylönen and
Ville Valo from
H.I.M. on vocals.
APOCALYPTICA members
Eicca Toppinen,
Paavo Lötjönen, and
Perttu Kivilaakso appeared alongside
Lauri and
Ville in the video for
"Bittersweet", shot in the band's hometown Helsinki and directed by renowned finish director
Antti Jokinen (
NIGHTWISH,
CELINE DION,
SHANIA TWAIN). View the video at
this location.
As previously reported,
SLAYER drummer
Dave Lombardo will be guesting on
"Apocalyptica" on a song called
"Betrayal". The track, which is described by
APOCALYPTICA's
Perttu Kivilaakso as a "really fast, thrash metal-influenced song," will mark the second time
Lombardo has played on an
APOCALYPTICA CD, having previously performed on
"Reflections".
Lombardo recorded the drum tracks for
"Betrayal" at
Finnvox studios in Helsinki when
SLAYER's
"Unholy Alliance" tour hit Finland in October.
APOCALYPTICA and
Lombardo have known each other since 1998 when
Lombardo played the
"Mandatory Suicide"/
"South of Heaven" medley with
APOCALYPTICA at Holland's
Headbanger's Heaven festival.
With regards to the band's touring plans,
Toppinen told
Sonera Plaza, "I guess we will play some dates in North America during March 2005. And we will probably play in
South by Southwest in Austin, too. All in all, I hope that we will play about a hundred shows next year."
(Thanks:
Timo Isoaho /
Sonera Plaza)
