I literally have my own private access to a surf break so I would never get anything done working from home, in fact I had the dy off the other day to do some renovation and spent half of the day surfing
Disc I 01. Ite, Missa Est 02. I Walk Alone 03. Lost Northern Star 04. Seeking For The Reign 05. The Reign 06. The Escape Of The Doll 07. My Little Phoenix 08. Boy And The Ghost 09. Sing For Me 10. Oasis 11. Poison [Alice Cooper cover] 12. Our Great Divide 13. Sunset 14. Damned And Divine 15. Die Alive 16. Minor Heaven 17. Ciarán's Well 18. Calling Grace 19. Damned Vampire & Gothic Divine [bonus] 20. I Walk Alone [Artist version][bonus] 21. I Walk Alone [In Extremo remix][bonus]
Disc II[limited edition DVD] 01. I Walk Alone [video] 02. I Walk Alone [artist version][video] 03. Making of 'I Walk Alone' 04. Making of 'My Winter Storm' album + Photo Gallery
Here she comes, here she comes, we've been waiting for so long. Indeed, the ex-Nightwish wonderwoman Tarja Turunen is back striking the audiences with an enormously long album "My Winter Storm", filled with numerous bonus tracks and even an Alice Cooper cover "Poison". Tarja's solo project was spellbinding even during the days when she was still singing for Nightwish. After her departure both "Dark Passion Play" (by Nightwish) and "My Winter Storm" were among the most anticipated albums of the year. Nightwish's new album met enormous success. Tarja's solo project seems to be more modest. But we'll see what her album has to offer.
Tarja always stated she was an opera performer after all. Therefore it is visible that the style she's making now is somehow similar to Sarah Brightman. However, compared to the more experienced Brightman My Winter Storm cannot be considered a sensational masterpiece. The positive sides of the album do resemble Brightman. The beautiful choruses, the string ensemble melodies and the mild percussion make the music very enjoyable and create a perfect romantic atmosphere. Nevertheless, when it comes to producing symphonic metal, then the album loses some of its quality. There is not a drop of Nightwish style here. Tarja isn't obviously writing all of the music and has a crew of producers, managers and other people to do the job. Since so many people are working at the music then it's sad but true that the stitches joining the ideas start to unravel in some places. That always happens when it comes to industrial production of music. The minus of the album is that the metal background becomes monotonous by the end. A major danger while composing long releases.
However, Turunen has always been a good singer and she does a fine job on this album as well. We will definitely see her making more good music and developing her own fine style. My personal favourites among the songs of My Winter Storm would be "Die Alive", "The Reign", "My Little Phoenix" and "Lost Northern Star". The beautiful Finnish language ballad "Oasis" is also one of the best tracks of the album. Though I like Mozart's "Requiem" a lot I don't think that using bits of it in the two opening songs of the album would add much to it. Her "I'm never tired when it comes to praising myself" attitude isn't a plus either but at the same time Dark Passion Play features it as well and whether we want it or not this is an essential attitude for most celebrities.
As a result I'll make a nice clear conclusion. Tarja's My Winter Storm isn't exactly the best album of the year but it shows great potential and I'm sure that a grand future lies ahead of Tarja and she has the talent to create best music. I'll be waiting for her new releases in the future and why not hope for a Nightwish featuring Tarja Turunen project. The hopes are high and for the moment now My Winter Storm receives a magical 7.7.
I'm very curious about this release, but also fear a huge headache. I think my curiosity will win someday, as there are of course medicines against headaches.
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?
"The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
I'm very curious about this release, but also fear a huge headache. I think my curiosity will win someday, as there are of course medicines against headaches.
I doubt you'll get a headache....I suggest you give her album a try...
This was the most boring album of last year for me. Her voice is ok but not that good and the music is just very dull. There is absolutely nothing worth any kind of interest on this release. And there is certainly not any kind of 'atmosphere'. This is just a cold, lifeless, commercial album made for the avid Nightwish fans. IMO, of course.
I think I rated it a 3, and that's exactly what it is worth.
I waited for this release anxiously like most Tarja era Nightwish fans did. But it came off my CD player after only a few listens, as it gets progressively boring after each and every song, with very few good moments. The mix is wrong, the symphonic metal side is weak, as stated in the review, and the Alice Cooper cover is just plain dull. The only good use I can find for this album is as background music for a romantic evening with the volume way low. There's not a single noteworthy guitar solo on the thing, the drumming is below average, and the only striking feature is her voice, which sounds weird in the mix at times. I love Tarja, but this is disappointing.
Actually I just got this album
well, Its not the best album of the year, but its a nice try from Tarja since she doesnt write music
The Review is very fair i must say, and I like the release cause it has a beatiful calm atmosphere, and the songs are not plastic or dull like BitterCOld & alexxhighlander & Collin said
You dont have to expect a regular nightwish album like Oceanborn or Once
and for you alexxhighlander, there is no noteworthy guitar solo in this album, cause Symphonic Metal doesnt contain solos in the songs
and if u dont believe me, u can check Epica & WT
the review rate is fair, but i must rate it 8.
This is NOT metal. Maybe Symphonic Rock, but half the album is chamber music, really. Now I know why Nightwish stated Tarja wanted to head in a different artistic path, it has nothing to do with the epic and powerful performance she offered with her former bandmates. These songs are slow, pale and cold... My Winter Storm? Right for the "Winter" part but don't expect any storm coming out your earphones... Even Tarja's voice, which is about the only audible thing by the way, is not the same as it was. The only song that could be called metal on this album is Ciaran's Well, but it has nothing remarkable and Tarja'S voice is plainly annoying on it, especially at the end, when she shrieks like a rabid parrot... 5/10
"Ciaran's Well" didn't suit the album very well, to be honest.....nope, I wouldn't even say that was decent metal...this was just some guitar cacophony with Tarja howling a bit...nothing special.....
And does everything need to be fast/slap-in-the-face/bombastic with bunch of electric guitars, amplifiers, fast drumming and stuff? Even if Tarja isn't doing symphonic power metal any longer, she does have a background and she does have the abilities.....
The Gathering ain't making doom death metal nowadays either nor is Anneke Van Giersbergen up to it...but is the music good? Yes, it is.
And well...even if Tarja's "My Winter Storm" is indeed an album with fillers and other flaws, I still say it's better than some "rrraaape evvvry whooore" however bombastic and fast and brutal.....
The Gathering ain't making doom death metal nowadays either nor is Anneke Van Giersbergen up to it...but is the music good? Yes, it is.
Anneke never played doom death with them
The first album she sang on is of course Mandylion and that isn't doom death by the furthest stretch of the imagination.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal
Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
The Gathering ain't making doom death metal nowadays either nor is Anneke Van Giersbergen up to it...but is the music good? Yes, it is.
Anneke never played doom death with them
The first album she sang on is of course Mandylion and that isn't doom death by the furthest stretch of the imagination.
I know perfectly that Anneke didn't sing doom death with them....I just pointed out that the band did that style of music.....
I know perfectly that Anneke didn't sing doom death with them....I just pointed out that the band did that style of music.....
Wasn't 100% clear to me from what you posted, sorry. But I disagree about their music being good nowadays. Of course that is just my opinion. After Always The Gathering turned into a band that started to play music to fall asleep to within a minute But of course that is all totally off-topic.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal
Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
In my opinion this album is quite boring, but the voice of Tarja continues being sensational. I hope that their next works they are focused in a heavy direction
This is NOT metal. Maybe Symphonic Rock, but half the album is chamber music, really. Now I know why Nightwish stated Tarja wanted to head in a different artistic path, it has nothing to do with the epic and powerful performance she offered with her former bandmates. These songs are slow, pale and cold... My Winter Storm? Right for the "Winter" part but don't expect any storm coming out your earphones... Even Tarja's voice, which is about the only audible thing by the way, is not the same as it was. The only song that could be called metal on this album is Ciaran's Well, but it has nothing remarkable and Tarja'S voice is plainly annoying on it, especially at the end, when she shrieks like a rabid parrot... 5/10
I agree with you fully. I was sh sh sh SHOCKED to find this boring trash in the metal section at my local music store.
----
"The bands called Demon Hunter! They hunt demons!"
Actually I just got this album
well, Its not the best album of the year, but its a nice try from Tarja since she doesnt write music
The Review is very fair i must say, and I like the release cause it has a beatiful calm atmosphere, and the songs are not plastic or dull like BitterCOld & alexxhighlander & Collin said
You dont have to expect a regular nightwish album like Oceanborn or Once
and for you alexxhighlander, there is no noteworthy guitar solo in this album, cause Symphonic Metal doesnt contain solos in the songs
and if u dont believe me, u can check Epica & WT
the review rate is fair, but i must rate it 8.