Last Friday night (September 28), Nightwish was forced to perform with Kamelot’s backup singers when Anette Olzon was rushed to the hospital. While fans seemed to enjoy themselves, Olzon made it pretty clear that she wasn’t pleased with the band’s decision to perform without her. While it was a sign that something might be up behind the scenes, we didn’t expect it to lead to any major changes. Turns out, though, we were wrong as Nightwish have officially parted ways with Olzon.
Nightwish confirmed the sudden split via the following statement:
“Another chapter of the Nightwish story has ended today. Nightwish and Anette Olzon have decided to part company, in mutual understanding, for the good of all parties involved. In recent times it has become increasingly obvious that the direction and the needs of the band were in conflict, and this has led to a division from which we cannot recover.
Nightwish has no intention of cancelling any upcoming shows, and as a result we have decided to bring in a substitute vocalist starting in Seattle 1.10.2012. Her name is Floor Jansen from The Netherlands (ex-After Forever, ReVamp), and she has graciously stepped in to help us complete the Imaginaerum world tour.
We are all strongly committed to this journey, this vehicle of spirit, and we are sure that this will lead to a brighter future for everyone. We forever remain excited about the adventures to come, and we are extremely proud of the two beautiful albums and the wonderful shows we shared together.”
Olzon joined the group in 2007. And while many fans criticized her as a replacement for Tarja Turunen, the symphonic metal group’s two albums with her (2007’s Dark Passion Play and last year’s Imaginaerum) did very well in the States. While Floor Jansen will be filling in on the road, it’s unclear if Nightwish intends to make her a permanent replacement.
