Tarja – “Colours in the Dark” (2013)

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Label: EarMusic

Review by Tony Cannella

On her 3rd solo album, “Colours in the Dark”, Tarja Turunen continues to hit her stride. Make no mistake about it, this is indeed a Tarja album and her vocals are as enchanting as ever. She continues to surround herself with some of the best musicians and collaborators the rock and metal world has to offer, but at the end of the day the major selling point is going to be Tarja’s voice and not to be over analytical; Tarja has come through big time with “Colours in the Dark”.

The opener “Victim of Ritual” begins with marching drums and quickly evolves into a bombastic track that is classic Tarja. Next we have the excellent “500 Letters”. This is probably my favorite song and would make a great second single/video in my opinion. Tarja’s vocals are exceptional on this track and the song is just dripping with melody and drama. Lyrically the song deals with an obsessed fan and it definitely has a haunting aura around it. “Lucid Dreamer” is next and the drama is ratcheted up a notch. The guitar heavy rumble of “Never Enough” is next and is another solid track. Other highlights include: “Mystique Voyage”, “Darkness” (a cover of the Peter Gabriel tune) and the 8-minute closer “Medusa” which features a duet with Justin Furstenfeld.

It is exciting and satisfying to see how Tarja has grown, progressed and adapted. Never one to rest on her laurels or past glories, “Colours in the Dark” is Tarja Turunen at her best. “Colours in the Dark” will definitely earn consideration for my album of the year.

Rating – 95/100

 

Tracklist

  1. Victim of Ritual
  2. 500 Letters
  3. Lucid Dreamer
  4. Never Enough
  5. Mystique Voyage
  6. Darkness
  7. Deliverance
  8. Neverlight
  9. Until Silence
  10. Medusa (featuring Justin Furstenfeld)

 

Line Up

  • Tarja Turunen – Lead vocals and piano
  •  Alex Scholpp – Guitar
  • Julian Barrett – Guitar
  • Kevin Chown – Bass
  • Doug Wimbish – Bass
  • Christian Kretschmar – Keyboards
  • Mike Terrana – Drums
  • Max Lilja – Cello

 

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