THE DARK ELEMENT, the project featuring former NIGHTWISH vocalist Anette Olzon and Finnish guitarist and songwriter Jani Liimatainen, will release its second album, "Songs The Night Sings", on November 8 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2017's "The Dark Element" was mixed by Jacob Hansen, who has previously worked with VOLBEAT and AMARANTHE, among others.

Joining Olzon and Liimatainen in THE DARK ELEMENT's current recording lineup are Jonas Kuhlberg on bass and Rolf Pilve on drums.

Noted progressive metal vocalists Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X, ADRENALINE MOB) and Anette Olzon (THE DARK ELEMENT, ex-NIGHTWISH) will release a collaborative album in 2020.

The project — which will apparently be released under the moniker ALLEN/OLZON — is included in a short preview video of Frontiers Music Srl's 2020 releases. Amazon.de also currently lists an upcoming release titled "Worlds Apart", which features an advertised street date of March 6.

Since the end of her five-year stint with NIGHTWISH in 2012, Olzon released a solo album, 2014's "Shine", and formed THE DARK ELEMENT with former SONATA ARCTICA guitarist Jani Liimatainen. The group's self-titled debut album was released in 2017; a follow-up, "Songs The Night Sings", was released on November 8.

Over the past 14 years, Allen — best known as the front man of long-running progressive metal group SYMPHONY X — has released four acclaimed collaborative albums with Norwegian singer Jørn Lande (MASTERPLAN, AVANTASIA, JORN). The first three ALLEN/LANDE releases were produced and written by Swedish guitarist Magnus Karlsson (PRIMAL FEAR, STARBREAKER), with the fourth and most recent — 2014's "The Great Divide" — produced and written by former STRATOVARIUS guitarist Timo Tolkki.

Karlsson reunited with Allen to produce "Worlds Divide", as Frontiers posted a picture of the two together in May with the caption, "Magnus Karlsson and Russell Allen together again for a new, fantastic album. More news and details to follow soon!"

On Friday, December 20, Anette commented on the upcoming LP, writing on social media: "So this is my secret project I've hinted about. To make an album with such a great and versatile singer as Russell Allen is an honor for me, and to have Magnus Karlsson making the songs and playing is also an honor. Album out very soon and can't wait for 2020."

Allen — who has toured with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA since 2013 — was recently injured during the rehearsals for TSO's annual winter tour. He will spend much of 2020 touring with SYMPHONY X, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year.

Bah c'est pas si mauvais que ça...