Finnish legend Tarja Turunen returns with her sophomore record, What Lies Beneath. The album was mixed by notable producers Colin Richardson, Tim Palmer, and Slamm Andrews and recorded and produced by the lady herself. It also features a slew of guests ranging from Jason Hook (5 Finger Death Punch) and Will Calhoun (Living Colour) to Joe Satriani and Phil Labonte (All That Remains) to the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra and Choir. With all that in mind, if you are expecting a stronger album than Tarja’s debut, My Winter Storm, you’d be right on the money.
The first thing I noticed when I popped this in is that Tarja sounds more comfortable. The songs are more in line with her material with Nightwish (albeit a bit mellower overall). I doubt that is what she’d like to hear but I felt like Nightwish fans had to grasp at straws to even like her debut, so it’s nice to see her release something easier for her fanbase to relate to. “Dark Star,” “Falling Awake,” and “Until My Last Breath” will certainly appeal to fans of her contributions to hard music.
There are a few highlights here. The opening track, “Anteroom of Death,” isn’t necessarily awe-inspiring but it is an intriguing way to open the album and that’s what makes it a highlight. The previously mention “Falling Awake” is another definite highlight, as is the absolutely excellent (and very Tarja) “In For A Kill.”
Basically, What Lies Beneath is a million times better than My Winter Storm. The songs sound bigger and are better structured, it’s more rock oriented, and Tarja’s voice sounds like she’s singing the same album that the band is playing (Can you tell I was disappointed with her debut?). That said, it still sounds like a string of singles, as if Tarja was a hired gun singer. I want to love this album but it’s definitely not more than average for the genre these days.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
