Tarja – Frisson Noir
Tarja – Frisson Noir
earMUSIC
Release date: 12/06/26
Review by: Jon Deaux
7/10
Tarja made an album that is so unbearably, beautifully draining to listen to, you might think that it would be like being waterboarded emotionally by someone who has studied music in the conservatory. And the worst thing about that is that she knows exactly what she’s doing to you.
I did not come in thinking I would like this album. Rather, I came prepared to hate it, complete with my own written review entitled “Operatic cosplay for people who think suffering should have better production values.” I was ready for this record. I took a second drink. And then Frisson Noir decided to do something completely unacceptable – it made me stop hating it and I was forced to rethink my prior assumptions and revise my initial assessment.
Tarja Turunen has been doing this sort of music for long enough to phone it in and call it a spiritual experience. Thankfully, she doesn’t. There’s a recurring pattern with people who are genuinely good at something – they tend to keep being genuinely good at said something, and everybody else has to adjust their prior beliefs and stop being surprised about it. ‘Frisson Noir’ is Tarja’s most cinematic effort to date, and I don’t mean this metaphorically, considering the genre’s propensity to draw inspiration from movies. The album alternates between intimate piano passages, epic orchestral explosions, and occasional heavy metal segments, which are not as rare as you may suspect, and manages to sound like a coherent thing despite never once sounding like a bunch of random samples stitched together by a particularly creative person.
The quality of the recording is crucial here, and thankfully, there are plenty of talented producers out there. This time, Tarja decided to trust her record to the skills of Neal Avron, a Grammy-winning and former collaborator of Linkin Park. Avron knows a lot about mixing anguish at massive scales, and his contribution to this record has been invaluable. Symphonic metal as a genre tends to have a long and storied tradition of swallowing itself whole, drowning any guitar passages in strings and then doing the same to vocals, but thanks to this production, the record has retained some airiness despite being a very dense compositionally speaking. All elements know exactly where they belong, including Tarja’s impressive voice that effortlessly moves from delicate to operatic. Again, the producer helps out here.
The opening title track is a masterclass in how to begin a metal album with such a minimalistic approach. The track begins with a piano piece, followed by a string orchestra, followed by the unmistakable Tarja voice. When the guitars arrive, it feels like the listener is already halfway towards making emotional sacrifices expected by this record, which is exactly the purpose of a proper opening song. ‘The Eternal Return’ builds on this formula and then some; the track is a clear testimony of symphonic metal reaching out for its cinematic potential and earning every single second of it. This record could easily be composed in such a way that its orchestral textures would sound like mere background decoration for people who want their Tuesday commute to evoke a feeling of reading a gothic novel; fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Instead, the arrangements tell their story – which is precisely what they are meant to do.
‘The Leap of Faith’ featuring Marko Hietala must be interpreted as either an attempt of artistic reconciliation or of former Nightwish colleagues finally airing out their problems in front of a paying public. Or both. Either way, it is fun to listen to. Hietala’s voice has always been more on the rougher side, and in comparison to the crystal clarity of Tarja’s voice, it sounds like a deliberate contrast. What’s more, it sounds like an intelligent dialogue of two old friends who share enough history for it to become interesting for a spectator. At least this particular song doesn’t need to explain itself to anyone.
‘At Sea’ featuring Mervi Myllyoja and Niklas Pokki is the only truly vulnerable track on this record. The rest of it is bombastic, and that vulnerability is the reason why it feels earned, as opposed to obligatory. ‘Blaze Forever’ leans heavily on its anthemics, which is not necessarily a bad thing since a perfectly anthemic metal song isn’t an easy thing to come by. The track is reliable in its execution – predictably, reliably, and without any surprising twists to confuse the listener. These are not necessarily bad qualities.
‘The Trace Outlives,’ featuring Sayo Komada, is more restrained than many other tracks and requires patience to appreciate properly. The middle portion of this record tends to rely more on mood than melody, and while it does work, it sometimes sounds too simplistic and obvious to be taken seriously. Again, the latter is a very subjective statement; however, I’m prepared to discuss this further in the conclusion below. This track stands out for how obviously vague and incomplete it is, even within the context of this record. But wait.
‘Tango’ featuring Apocalyptica needs to be addressed separately – not because it is terrible, but simply because of its brilliance. To put it in one word, it is the result of Finnish cello metal blended with Finnish soprano voice. It results in a slow funeral march in which all participants pretend not to notice the corpse. And it is extraordinary. This is probably the most on-brand track on this record, but it earned it through pure meritocracy of its performance rather than just because it fits.
‘Anemoia’ is the name of the specific type of nostalgia – longing for a time and place that you have never visited. The track does precisely that – circles around some abstract notion of longing and never really arrives. Just like with certain photographs, something vaguely recognizable is evoked, and it is unclear whether this something was achieved successfully or not. The track itself leaves a bit of mystery, which may either haunt or frustrate, depending on the individual listener’s preferences.
‘I Don’t Care’ with Dani Filth – a sentence that, before I heard this record, I would refuse outright as a matter of principle. Why? No clue, but conceptually, this combination is like calling a Sondheim play with a guest appearance of a gargoyle character. However, contrary to initial expectations, this song works. Dani Filth brings a kind of malevolent theatricality that contrasts Tarja’s world in the most respectful manner possible – he occupies the dark corner of the castle in which Tarja built hers. ‘I Don’t Care’ is full of momentum – two voices that belong to completely different worlds create a dynamic and interesting atmosphere that makes this track one of the best on this record.
‘Against the Odds’ ends the album with Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and here I have to admit that this was a surprise so big that I wondered if I somehow jumped to another album. This track is symphonic metal with Chad Smith playing drums. As if this record needed another unexpected twist – and this is exactly what happens here. It works well, and surprisingly, the drums drive the song in ways that the previous tracks’ orchestration did not even attempt. Once again, the song benefits from this – both in terms of revealing Tarja’s versatility as a singer and showcasing that she is willing to take some risks in her music – and it pays off.
However, this album is not flawless, and it takes some time and work from the listener to appreciate it. The material on it is not always profound; moreover, the orchestral sound of the music tends to be quite oppressive despite all of Avron’s efforts. However, what the album represents is definitely an attempt of an artist who knew exactly what she wanted to convey and was technically capable of doing so. There is much conveyed in these 10 songs regarding fear, beauty, nostalgia, metamorphosis, rebellion, perseverance, and tenacity.
Tracklist
01. Frisson Noir
02. The Eternal Return
03. Leap Of Faith (feat. Marko Hietala)
04. At Sea (feat. Mervi Myllyoja & Niklas Pokki)
05. Blaze Forever
06. The Trace Outlives (feat. Sayo Komada)
07. Tango (feat. Apocalyptica)
08. Anemoia (feat. Julián Bedmar & Valter Freitas)
09. I Don’t Care (feat. Dani Filth)
10. Against The Odds (feat. Chad Smith)
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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Jon Deaux and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
