Wintersun Bassist Jukka Koskinen is Now a Full-Time Member of Nightwish

Symphonic metal masters Nightwish went their separate ways with bassist Marco Hietala in 2021, tapping Wintersun‘s Jukka Koskinen to handle tour dates and live appearances. Now, according to a post on their Facebook page, Koskinen is a full-fledged member of Nightwish.

“We’re delighted to announce our dear friend Jukka Koskinen is officially inaugurated as a member of the band. We’ve been incredibly thankful to have him on our side while touring and it only feels natural to have him join the band officially.

“Now it’s time to recharge our batteries for October when we head to South America. “

While there’s still no official word on when new Nightwish might be coming, keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen told Rock Sverige in August that they were in the process of writing and recording.

“I started writing for the next Nightwish album for about a year and then we finished the demos about two months ago. We’re hitting the studio next summer, so in about a year from now. Like I said, might as well use the time for something.”

In that same interview, Holopainen spoke to Rock Sverige about getting back on the road and playing shows following coronavirus shutdowns.

“Last year we did two virtual shows and three festivals and this year we did the North American tour, which was 13 shows and Sweden Rock Festival is the second festival show. We’re catching up. It was exhilarating, really exhilarating and you can really sense it from the crowd as well. They’re super hyped. We’re finally getting back together as human kind and having a party.”

Last month, power metal heavyweights Avantasia released the ballad “Misplaced Among the Angels,” featuring Nightwish singer Floor Jansen. Avantasia frontman Tobias Sammet praised the Nightwish vocalist’s contributions to the song, calling it a career highlight.

“I personally think that ‘Misplaced Among The Angels’, complete with Floor’s strong voice, is one of the best ballads of my entire career.”