My Winter Storm

Well, it's not a surprise that, after being fired from Nightwish, Tarja had decided to take another step with her solo career. Tarja was born for singing, that's her passion and her most amazing skill; she has even inspired and influenced many new singers and female vocalists of metal bands (for example, Simone Simons).

Many people still believe that, without Nightwish, Tarja is nobody, that her only mission in her life is to stay with the band; and they go around the world acting as if she was dead. Well, I have news for those people: she is not dead, she is alive like never before, finally free to do whatever she wants and ready to keep on successing with her music.

But now let's talk about the album, Tarja's first non-Christmas solo album: "My Winter Storm". The title is excellent, and fits perfectly with the image that Tarja has showed recently: the ABSOLUTE empress of the winter. Also the artwork is amazing: the front shows Tarja as "The Queen of Ice" and, through the booklet, her remaining original characters exclusively created for this album appear ("The Dead Boy", "The Doll" and "The Phoenix").

Well, it's time to talk about the music. As it was thought, Tarja's music isn't as heavy as Nightwish's music, but it's more varied. Each song is completely different from the other, particularly lyrically. The fact that Tarja had wanted a mixed album gives it the good points needed to outstand in the music world.

The album is well balanced between its heavy and fast songs and its slow and symphonic ballads. This balance could be foretold even before the release of the album with the first single, "I Walk Alone". This song contains the essence of the entire album, making it a good choice for the first single.

Eighteen songs are included in the regular edition of the album. From those, about more than the half are almost-perfect songs. The ones that I personally like the most are: "I Walk Alone", "The Reign", "Oasis", "Our Great Divide", "Sunset" "Die Alive", "Minor Heaven" and "Ciarán's Well".
But none of these songs can be compared with the masterpiece of the album, the greatest, darkest and saddest song Tarja has released so far: "Boy and The Ghost".

But unfortuandely there are many songs that don't reach the songs I've already mentioned, and I still don't know why, but I dislike them a little. These songs are: "Sing For Me", "Poison", "Damned and Divine" and "Calling Grace".

I've also listened to the deleted "scene" of the album, only featured on its UK Limited Edition: "The Seer". It can't be explained why it wasn't released in North America, it's a good song!

CONCLUSION: Tarja is the female solo artist the rock and symphonic genred have been asking for. She came back with everything, and she has obtained the success she wanted to earn by herself. "My Winter Storm" is an excellent solo album, and it's definitely one of the best albums of 2007. Doubtlessly, the scent of freedom covers every single note of every song in this album. Congratulations, Tarja!