Tarja- The Brightest Void (2016)

Tarja- The Brightest Void (2016)

By: Ghost Writer

Although The Brightest Void is merely a giveaway record, prequel to a major project by Finnish extraordinary singer Tarja Turunen (ex Nightwish), it manages to stand on its own, despite being basically a compilation of songs that didn't make it to the final cut, a cover of a Paul McCartney song, of the 007 soundtrack song Goldeneye, the superb presence of fellow Finnish singer Michael Monroe, a true rock n roll renegade and the unexpected collaboration of Red Hot Chilli Peppers drummer Chad Smith (a devoted fan of heavy metal), are small , but not easily to dismiss surprise that make up for a remarkable not so little record for the powerful singer.

Featuring songs recorded during sessions for her upcoming The Shadow Self, Turunen decided to launch the record, and what a great decision it was, as the brutally raw riffs at the beginning of No Bitter End, are nearly worth the price of entrance, a great opener with powerfully aggressive drumming, and as always an engaging performance with Tarja bringing forth an excellent almost operatical melody rescued from intense riffing discharge, while on Your Heaven and Your Hell we are welcomed by Tarja's impressive voice and more abrasive guitars, but the high point here is the incursion of hard rock veteran Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks  (a GREAT Finnish rock band with bad luck, great music and little popularity) fame, who nearly steals the show here with his raw singing and his ear piercing harmonica, giving the song a definitely new dimension, with Tarja a little shy here behind Monroe's storming performance.

Eagle Eye is another surprising tune, with a more atmospheric feeling at the beginning and a great rocking beat, featuring Red Hot Chilli Peppers drummer Chad Smith, the song is perfectly handled by Tarja, making it one of the most accessible and pop oriented composition on the record, for anyone expecting it to be more funk oriented, fear not. while on An Empty Dream, Turunen put metal aside and goes in a more classic mode mixed with some electronica influence, lots of darkness here but not exactly a superb theme, merely a mediocre experiment, but one that gives space to the great Witch Hunt, where the previous experiment really takes place and bring us a truly epic tune with some great atmosphere and Tarja bright vocals under total darkness.

For Shameless, Tarja sounds totally freed from the previous experiments, embracing powerful guitar riffs and letting her soaring voice take us really high, and then surprising us with a grandiose faithful cover of Godlfinger, which sounds perfectly suited for Tarja, who ends the record with the heavy hitting Paradise, a perfect closing for an outstanding record, The Brightest Void might not be a perfect record, or an easy one to swallow, but Tarja and her guests make up for a quite entertaining record and leaving us all waiting for what seems to be a great continuation of this good prequel, so we will wait for Tarja main dish impatiently.