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AURI, the project led by NIGHTWISH frontman/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and his wife, the acclaimed Finnish vocalist Johanna Kurkela, is set to drop its third studio album, “III – Candles & Beginnings”, on August 15, 2025.
Driven by the ethereal vocals of Kurkela, the intricate soundscapes of Holopainen, and the limitless instrumental skills of Troy Donockley, AURI invites listeners into a genre-defying realm. Blending aspects of folk, progressive, and symphonic music with hints of world, pop, and avant-garde, “III – Candles & Beginnings” promises a captivating auditory experience.
The creative journey for this new installment began in 2023, just after the completion of NIGHTWISH‘s 2024 creation “Yesterwynde”. While Troy composed within the tranquil surroundings of Yorkshire, Tuomas and Johanna developed melodies and lyrics from their base in Kitee, Finland — merging musical and geographical worlds.
Offering a first look into AURI‘s evolving soundscape, the mesmerizing lead single “Shieldmaiden” is now available, accompanied by a stunning cinematic video directed by longtime collaborator Ville Lipiäinen.
Donockley remarks: “Our new album ‘Auri III’ is on the verge of release, and one of its tracks, ‘Shieldmaiden’, has already broken free. It’s an enigmatic composition, shrouded in its gradual build-up of power. AURI thrives on mystery and subtlety, so everything is good…”
The drumming for “III – Candles & Beginnings” was recorded in January at the Petrax studio in Hollola, Finland by Kai Hahto, known as the drummer for NIGHTWISH and WINTERSUN. Hahto will also join AURI on tour when the band hits the road later this year.
AURI previously released its second album, “II – Those We Don’t Speak Of”, in September 2021 through Nuclear Blast. This work followed AURI‘s self-titled debut, which was launched in March 2018 via Nuclear Blast.
AURI originated with three individuals, united by their mutual desire for a form of music that transcends mere words. The first song that emerged from this vision, “Aphrodite Rising”, was released in 2011.
Kurkela contributed her distinctive voice, while Holopainen and English composer and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley (also of NIGHTWISH) enchanted with a variety of instruments. Now enhanced by the dynamic percussion skills of Kai Hahto (NIGHTWISH), the trio creates fantastical worlds of their own.
In a 2018 interview with Dead Rhetoric, Donockley shared insights about AURI‘s inception: “It was always there for us, since 2010. We determined back then that the three of us wanted to create something together. Tuomas and I are huge admirers of Johanna‘s voice. I had contributed to one of her albums as a guest artist, and Tuomas had composed a song for her on a solo project. Therefore, we quickly realized our desire to collaborate musically. It was clear it couldn’t resemble NIGHTWISH. Yet we strongly felt the need to express this atmosphere we all experienced and resonated with. I know this sounds a bit vague, but that was the essence of it. We longed to channel a kind of music from within us. Our friendship and shared tastes and life perspectives cemented our plans, though NIGHTWISH is a colossus. We have our obligations there, and we worked on ‘Imaginaerum’ and ‘Endless Forms Most Beautiful’ post our decision to collaborate. Luckily, we were granted a sabbatical year, allowing us to delve into this project.”
When asked to compare the essence of AURI to that of NIGHTWISH, Donockley responded: “We don’t perceive it to be very distinct from NIGHTWISH at all. Audibly, it’s quite different, true. We struggled to define it, as often happens, so I casually suggested ‘celestial metal.’ A Polish journalist resonated with that, saying, ‘I understand what you mean by celestial metal. It’s kind of heavenly music. It embodies the metal spirit, but without the electric guitars and bass.’ Metal is an attitude. The metal community — the fans are open-minded, as I mentioned. During an interview with the Italian NIGHTWISH fan club, one fan told me she loved both DIMMU BORGIR and Ed Sheeran. That encapsulates it! Thus, the NIGHTWISH link is inevitable due to Tuomas and me being part of it, so there are those qualities. Yet, I think the spirit aligns closely with NIGHTWISH. It explores many of the same themes, but it doesn’t overtly scream NIGHTWISH. It’s more about the sound aspect, honestly.”
Holopainen and Kurkela have been married since October 2015.
Having previously been a studio project, AURI is gearing up for its first-ever tour, with a live European trek commencing in August 2025. Check out the tour dates below.
AURI‘s “A Trail Of Candles & Beginnings” tour schedule:
Aug. 13 – FI – Kitee, Kiteesali
Aug. 14 – FI – Kitee, Kiteesali
Aug. 16 – FI – Tampere, Tampere-talo
Aug. 20 – FI – Oulu, Madetojan Sali
Aug. 22 – FI – Vaasa, Ritz
Aug. 23 – FI – Helsinki, Helsinki Festival / Huvilateltta (+ Eye Of Melian)
Sep. 12 – UK – Manchester, RNCM Theatre
Sep. 13 – UK – Edinburgh, Queen ́s Hall
Sep. 15 – UK – London, Union Chapel
Sep. 16 – BE – Gent, Theaterzaal Vooruit
Sep. 17 – FR – Paris, La Cigale (+ Eye Of Melian)
Sep. 18 – NL – Utrecht, Tivoli Vredenburg (+ Eye Of Melian)
Sep. 20 – CH – Zürich, Volkshaus
Sep. 21 – DE – Stuttgart, Liederhalle
Sep. 22 – DE – Cologne Theater am Tanzbrunnen (+ Eye Of Melian)
Sep. 23 – DE – Essen, Lichtburg
Sep. 25 – DE – Mannheim, Capitol
Sep. 26 – DE – Munich, St. Matthäuskirche
Sep. 27 – AT – Vienna, Simm City
Sep. 29 – HU – Budapest, MOM Kult
Sep. 30 – CZ – Prague, Hybernia
Oct. 01 – DE – Berlin, Passionskirche
Oct. 02 – DE – Leipzig, Kupfersaal
Oct. 04 – PL – Warsaw, Palladium
Oct. 06 – DE – Hamburg, Laeiszhalle
Oct. 07 – DK – Copenhagen, Amager Bio
Oct. 08 – SE – Stockholm, Nya Cirkus
Oct. 09 – NO – Oslo Sentrum Scene
Oct. 10 – NO – Bergen Grieghallen
AURI features:
Johanna Kurkela – vocals, violin, viola, keyboards
Tuomas Holopainen – keyboards & backing vocals
Troy Donockley – guitars, bouzouki, mandola, uilleann pipes, low whistles, aerophone, bodhran, keyboards, vocals
Photo credit: Pete Voutilainen
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