Finland-based symphonic metal act NIGHTWISH has inked a North American deal with Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The band's as-yet-untitled eighth studio album will be the first to feature Dutch vocalist Floor Jansen (REVAMP, ex-AFTER FOREVER), who has toured with NIGHTWISH since October 2012.

NIGHTWISH has been signed to Nuclear Blast for the European territory since the release of the band's 2004 album, "Once".

Comments Nuclear Blast Entertainment president and A&R chief Monte Conner: "It was a pleasure to work with NIGHTWISH at my former label, but now in my new capacity at NBE, I will be more directly involved with the band than ever before.

"I would like to thank NIGHTWISH and their management for their continued faith in, and loyalty to, me.

"I am particularly excited at the prospect of hearing Floor Jansen's debut studio recording with the band. Her performance on last year's live release 'Showtime, Storytime' completely blew me away and proved why she is the PERFECT singer for NIGHTWISH."

NIGHTWISH's longtime co-manager Ewo Pohjola of King Foo Entertainment adds: "Having Monte Conner now back with NIGHTWISH in North America makes us all really happy. And with Nuclear Blast, we have always felt at home since Day One."

Recordings of the new NIGHTWISH material are slated begin this summer. Band members have already spent time in the wilderness of Hattula, Finland working on new song demos with engineer Tero "TeeCee" Kinnumen.

"It's proven to be a very effective arrangement," states NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main composer Tuomas Holopainen. "We have our peace here, in the middle of nature. We can concentrate 24/7."

"There's stuff that sounds excellent already and stuff that clearly needs some work still," adds bassist and co-vocalist Marco Hietala. "We have such a strong belief in the end result that we know if will work like alchemy: Scheiße [German word for 'crap' or 'shit'] will turn to gold."

Asked in a recent interview with Sweden's Metalshrine what Floor Jansen will bring to the next NIGHTWISH album, Tuomas said: "She [will] bring a lot of interpretations, some arrangements and positive energy for sure, but she [will] not [be] included in the songwriting process. She told me that the first time around, she has [her side project] REVAMP and Marco [Hietala, bass/vocals] and I will do just fine for now."

Speaking to Germany's EMP Rock Invasion at the end of last year, Floor stated about the songwriting process for the next NIGHTWISH album: "I think it's more like it's always been. So Tuomas is gonna start writing. And how it's gonna evolve later on, we'll see. But I don't feel the necessity of me being an active songwriting member, because the music is so good. It's about the songs and the music that goes first and not about my ego wanting to join like that. But if I can participate or add something with my creative input, of course I would love that. Of course, I have creative energy in me that needs to come out one way or another, but that's where REVAMP comes in."

Regarding whether she has any fears that, due to the band's troubled history with lead vocalists, her time with NIGHTWISH will not last very long, Floor told Finland's Radio Rock: "No. And whether this is in NIGHTWISH or in anything with anyone in everyone's lives, what guarantees do you have? So it's just about what you make of it and with the chemistry that you believe in. And I believe in the chemistry that we have today, 'cause it's been very strong since the beginning and grew to be better throughout the months. It's still a very recent thing. But what feels good now, that's where you should go from, and that's what I do."