The following update comes from guitarist/vocalist Jari Mäenpää:

"The mix has been cancelled and the release of "Time" is delayed even more. I´m sorry to disappoint everyone...again, but the album is not gonna be released this year. And unfortunately Nino has the Sonic Pump Studios booked full for this year, so we might have to think of something else.

Reason for this delay is that, I´ve set the bar really high on this album, but my equipment aren´t even close what I need to work faster. I have to push the gear what I have to the limits to get the best out of them and I have to do a LOT of workarounds which is very time consuming. Then all the thousand technical problems added into the mix isn´t helping. Basically every piece of gear has been broken at one time or another during the making of this album, feels like there´s a curse. Takes ages to solve the problems and send the stuff back and forth making the warranty changes. All this has made me very frustrated and un-inspired. Hasn´t helped with my stress about the deadlines either, slowing me even more. I work the best when I´m happy and lots of times I haven´t been. It´s been the most difficult record to make in my life. The album is very huge, I don´t know if it´s gonna fit even in the 74 minutes of a CD. The track count is very high, about 200 tracks per song. So it´s almost like two albums in one (or three Slayer albums ). But I´m gonna finish this, no matter what.

Now some update of the album progress: All the drums, bass and all guitars (rhythms/melodys/solos and acoustics) has been recorded (probably some add ons will be recorded when the synths and vocals are done). Then I´ve pretty much finished with the intro, that I´ve decided to include on the album. Really atmospheric and huge with some magical Japanese influences. I´ve also started to compose and arrange the synths. I´m trying to avoid the basic (and boring) layering chord stuff and create something really cool to boost the magic of the songs into new dimensions. I haven´t been able to start singing yet, because my preamp and mike "died", but hopefully soon I can. There´s been a demand to know what is going on, so there we have it. Unfortunately the news ain´t always good.

I wish you all a great summer! (But sadly, it´s gonna be a Wintersunless summer)."

Source:	wintermadness.net
Band profile:	Wintersun