TARJA TURUNEN: Concert review from Arena Muzika by radiotangra.com

Comments

1. Goth metal. Hm. Are you sure?

   mermaid wrote on 14.10.2009 at 13:04

2. Thank you for the review, I liked it :)
   
   "Tarja Turunen shines with a nearly perfect stage presence and an almost inhumanly strong voice."
   
   Yeah :D
   
   @mermaid: Well, how would you describe it? It's closer to goth metal than to most other genres, I think, but I'm not an expert, I may be wrong. It's difficult, since her music is very peculiar.

   Earwen wrote on 14.10.2009 at 14:52

3. Earwen,
   
   do not get me wrond, but as a Goth I know how people use to treat us.... :-))
   

   mermaid wrote on 14.10.2009 at 14:57

4. Tarja getting good reviews!
   But Nightwish's DPP Tour had bad ones thanks to the "Menopause Nettie" hideous stage presence and lack of talent.
   
   Horns Up for Tarja.

   Ragnarök wrote on 14.10.2009 at 16:54

5. @Ragnarök: Great!

   OceanWithin wrote on 14.10.2009 at 17:57

6. DEB:
   
   Wednesday, 14 October 2009
   
   New blonder hair colour;=)
   
   Ok guys, back home from Linda and we have taken the black out and made my hair blonder again so that we can put the long extensions on on friday;=) I feel so fresh again and I look forward to get some long hair again;=)
   
   Also took a photo of my clothes today. I have jeans from Current/Elliott, t-shirt Stine Goya and cardigan from Day by Birger Michelsen.
   
   Now time for some rest before going to the gym and do some running;=) Enjoy the day!
   Posted by Anette Olzon at 15:41 19 comments
   
   Clean parfume
   
   Good morning;=) I slept long today and that was well needed. Now eating breakfast before going out in the sun to see Linda and colour the hair.
   
   Just wanted to give you a perfume and body scrub tip. I bought this perfume in Copenhagen and it´s called Clean "Warm cotton". The smell is like warm clothes coming from the dryer. I love it and feel so fresh when wearing it. They also have other smells like "simply soap" , "leather", "fresh laundry" etc.
   
   The body scrub is called Distillations and it´s super good for dead skin and also a nice smell.
   Posted by Anette Olzon at 10:24 11 comments
   Tuesday, 13 October 2009
   
   Thanks;=)
   
   
   You are all so sweet and helpful, I really really love you all;=) I will dye the hair tomorrow lighter and then we will do the hair-do as shown in the last photo;=) Loooong and blond and we´ll see about the black stripes I have now, if we keep them or not.
   
   Once again: you all are so super sweet and I so appreciate your comments and views;=)
   Posted by Anette Olzon at 18:20 60 comments
   
   It wont be black...
   
   I think some misunderstood me about the hair. I wont colour it black, since I want to be blond. What I want to know is the length and style of the hair-do;=) Ok?
   
   And thanks, it looks like most like the last hair-do;=)
   
   Tjing!
   Posted by Anette Olzon at 12:32 54 comments
   
   New hair...
   
   I have been so tired of my hair now for a while. I miss the long extensions...so today I will go and see what colours to wear and then Linda orders the hair and we can put it on in a day or two;=) I will still have blond and I will do it a bit blonder and then I think the black is fun, or what do you think?
   About the length of the hair, what do you guys think? Give me your suggestions;=)
   Very long, as in the beginning of NW, that is a bit wavy?
   Or a bit shorter and straight with short hair in the fore head?
   Or long like this?
   Or somehing crazier like this?
   Or this beautiful colour and cut?
   Posted by Anette Olzon at 10:45 76 comments

   mermaid wrote on 14.10.2009 at 18:02

7. Hi, OceanWithin,
   
   nice to see you again. :-)

   mermaid wrote on 14.10.2009 at 18:50

8. Jeez, this is news about Tarja. Why, the f@*k, should I care about the f@*king singer of Nightwish? Enough of this shite already, you all are getting pretty frigging annoying! Why don't you just set up a little forum and move there?
   I am getting sick and tired of all this! I was hoping that once the Nightwish tour is over, I'd get a break. Don't you realise you're actually worse than the Olzon fans? This is just so pathetic and immature!
   Go get a life!
   
   Great show in Sofia, BTW. Enjoyed it even more than last year's.

   Christina wrote on 14.10.2009 at 20:53

9. Yeah, the Olzon blog posts are tacky.
   
   I guess Tarja is close to goth metal, but I don't really see her fitting into a specific genre. That's a good thing, of course, because that gives her more mobility.
   
   It's just a shame that the back-up band gets phased out. Yeah it's Tarja's show, but I would love to see her boosting the music skills of her band.
   
   As always, well done Tarja.

   Blaze wrote on 15.10.2009 at 00:21

10. Oh, and seeing Tarja headbang is one of the most beautiful sights on Earth.

    Blaze wrote on 15.10.2009 at 00:22

11. @ Mermaid: you know, it's really unnecessary to post Anette's blog posts over here. If people want to read her blog, they know where to go. Now you have turned another Tarja thread into a potential shit-slinging joke. Uncool.
    
    @ Christina: There IS a forum - complete with it's own anti-NW thread!
    
    @ Earwen: NW is symphonic power metal - NOT Gothic metal. Common mistake that even journalists who don't bother to research first still make, really annoying, and even the band denies they're Gothic and have stated that they classify themselves as symphonic power metal.

    CanuckFan wrote on 15.10.2009 at 04:33

12. errr.. what is this? Posting someone's (Anette's) blog page on here? What is wrong with you people? Can't you guys just get a clue that Nightwish isn't going to please you anymore? Why do you guys keep wasting your lives on this site posting hate about Anette and Nightwish on a TARJA page of all places?? As much as I hate the Jonas Brothers, you don't see me going to their blogs, Youtube videos, or any other media related place on the Internet posting hate mail, even though people do it, it's just stupid and immature.
    
    Tarja would be very upset if she saw how you guys are acting right now. Just get over it. Four years have pasted, and find new music to listen to. There is plenty of it out there.
    
    FYI- I am not a Nightwish-Anette fanboy as many may accuse me off. I am just a music fan who is upset with how people act toward an artist/band.

    Vern wrote on 15.10.2009 at 04:50

13. As the subject has been brought up, I'd like to make a few remarks concerning the word "Gothic", as it has many meanings.
    
    Originally, it referred to the Goths, a Germanic tribe that invaded - or rather infiltrated - the Western Roman empire and was involved in its eventual demise, founding kingdoms on the same soil. This means that the Goths helped to end Antiquity and bring about the transition to the Middle Ages.
    
    For this reason, the word "Gothic", especially to the Italians, has always carried a connotation of "barbarian", along the lines of the way people nowadays may use "medieval".
    
    Possibly, it was also used in the sense of "pagan", though the Middle Ages were generally a Christian age in most parts of Europe. The Goths, too, were already Christians when they invaded - or perhaps rather served to transform - the Western Roman Empire.
    
    The language of the Goths, however, is also the first Germanic language that was committed to writing (save for short inscriptions in runes known from Scandinavia), so "Gothic" has historically often been used in the general sense of "Germanic", both referring to language and culture in general.
    
    In the High Middle Ages in Northern Europe a distinct artistic movement called Gothic art developped, and alongside it Gothic architecture. It never took over in Italy, and it was originally called "Gothic" by Italian Renaissance artists who used the word in a negative sense.
    
    In the 18th and 19th century, a revival of Gothic architecture started in Northern Europe, called Gothic Revival or Neo-Gothic. This was accompanied by an increased interest in medieval times and the Romantic movement. As part of this movement, the Gothic novel appeared. Its name referred to Gothic architecture, because the stories were often set in such surroundings.
    
    Characteristic and common motifs of the Romantic and Dark Romantic movements are:
    
    * The Blue Flower
    * The wanderer and the wayfarer
    * Mirrors
    * Doppelgänger (the vardøger from Norwegian folklore and the etiäinen from Finnish/Lappish folklore are a form of doppelgänger)
    * Mythical creatures (fairies, ghosts, elves, the undead/revenants, demons, femmes fatales, also werewolves and other human-animal shapeshifters, and vampires)
    * Night
    * Wanderlust
    * The seasons
    * Criticism of the bourgeoisie
    * Mystification and glorification of the Middle Ages
    * Longing, desire
    * National consciousness
    * A feeling of being close to nature
    * Idleness
    * Windows
    * Masonry and ruins (castles, monasteries, dungeons, vaults and crypts)
    * Nature (seas, mountains, lakes, rivers, dark forests, clearings, but also animals, plants and natural phenomena such as mist and thunderstorms)
    * Despair
    * Resignation
    * Suicide
    * Evil
    * Insanity
    * Dream/nightmare and reality
    * remote-excessive
    * eerie-demoniac
    * satanic
    * phantastic
    * grotesque
    * refined-decadent aestheticism into the erotic-sensitive and overreaching-morbid
    
    In the same era, not only were folk songs and tales collected, but also artificially created, giving rise to art songs and fairy tales, especially in Germany.
    
    One of the art songs on "Noche Escandinava II" is called "Svarta Rosor", "black roses". Another is "Kesäyö kirkkomaalla", "summernight at the graveyard". There are also genuine Finnish folk songs arranged for classical vocalist and piano.
    
    This should give you an impression of the preoccupations of (mainly) English, German, and (influenced by them) Scandinavian and Eastern European artists and scholars in the 19th century. The subjects all sound very familiar, don't they?
    
    Gothic rock arose in the 1970s and 1980s as an outgrowth of the punk rock scene, as a darker and mellower variant. Through the "gothic novel", "gothic" had acquired the sense of "scary". Gothic rock artists were influenced by horror films as well. Later on, gothic rock became a substyle of a new wave/post-punk movement, under the umbrella "dark wave". Other substyles included neoclassical darkwave and ethereal wave (also called "heavenly voices"), which were focused on operatic female vocals (soprano, mezzo-soprano) and acoustic instruments or synthesizers or ethereal female vocals respectively. Neofolk is often considered a substyle of dark wave, as well. The dark wave scene exhibits mutual influences with (dark) ambient, new age music, and synth pop.
    
    Gothic metal, eventually, arose in the 1990s with British bands such as Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride and synthesised doom and death metal with influences from ethereal wave and neo-classical darkwave, using synthesizers, with female vocals originally as backing vocals and the dominant vocal style being death growls in the forefront, but Norwegian band Theatre of Tragedy came up with a different approach, with male and female vocals duetting and forming a sort of dialogue, the style that became soon dubbed "Beauty and the beast vocals". Another band from Stavanger, Tristania, came up with a complex, symphonic, bombastic and multi-layered approach that won them a lot of recognition and ardent fans.
    
    (The approach of Theatre of Tragedy had fans in the Finnish metal scene, as well.)
    
    Do you feel that you understand now better what Gothic metal is and what that word "Gothic" is supposed to make people think of - why that word has been chosen for that musical style?
    
    Are the lyrics of Tarja's former band in line with recognisably "gothic" subjects? Are her own lyrics in line with them? You decide.
    
    Is their music in line with the music of gothic metal bands? Is her own music in line with it? Listen, and compare.

    Almagest wrote on 15.10.2009 at 05:15

14. @CanuckFan: Ah, great! Then why all the stupid comments here?
    

    Christina wrote on 15.10.2009 at 10:34

15. @Canuckfan: I know NW isn't goth metal. I was talking about Tarja's songs, which are different. And as I said, I don't say it IS gothic metal, I just say that it is difficult to judge and that I think it's closer to goth metal than to most other genres.

    Earwen wrote on 15.10.2009 at 13:53

16. i can not help myself.... but that color of her face...
    
    She used to have a white skin. And I am used to see her with white skin.
    
    She looks to me here as if she fell into the chimney just before the concert.
    
    Do you think it is real .... or paint?

    mermaid wrote on 15.10.2009 at 14:21

17. Too much makeup, and a bit of light, form the flash-lights, that's what it is.

    DeadAndGone wrote on 15.10.2009 at 17:09

18. DeadAndGone
    
    still, way too brown... do not you think so? Like way too much way too dark make up... :-P

    mermaid wrote on 15.10.2009 at 17:32

19. Is it me or does Tarja looks a tad too tanned?

    Ravisk wrote on 15.10.2009 at 18:16

20. Don't bother. It's just a picture.
    Could be the light, saturation or whatnot...

    DeadAndGone wrote on 15.10.2009 at 18:49

21. I just looked at the picture of me with her recently (since my memory could deceive me), and she's as pale there as she always was, perhaps with a very light tan. Her skin looks like porcelaine. I'm sure she needs loads of sun protector.

    Almagest wrote on 15.10.2009 at 19:57

22. You need to keep in mind that the stage lighting at Tarja's concerts is sparse ... it is DARK. Making things tough for photographers. Pictures need to be brightened up digitally, which could conceivably cause falsified and unnatural colours.

    Almagest wrote on 15.10.2009 at 20:02

23. By the way, I forgot to say that the gothic movement started in England and later became centred on Germany - just like Gothic revival architecture, the gothic novel, and the Romantic movement. Industrialisation, the incentive that spurred the Romantic movement, took the same way. We feel that something very important has been lost along the way to the modern age.
    
    Heavy metal has been heavily inspired by Romantic art and music and medievalism, as well.
    
    Christina: Don't worry, the discussions here seem to be dying down anyway. Chatter is moving to the forum.

    Almagest wrote on 15.10.2009 at 20:09

24. @ Christina: I have no idea...

    CanuckFan wrote on 15.10.2009 at 20:39

25. By the way, the demos could perhaps be said to be in the style of ethereal wave (the original intention) or neoclassical darkwave (thanks to the operatic vocals). Qntal definitely is in that style, as far as I can tell. I'm not very familiar with the style, so I don't know to what extent Tarja's songs (or even the remixes) resemble any style of dark wave or gothic rock.

    Almagest wrote on 15.10.2009 at 21:03

26. What do you mean, heavy mental is inspired by "romantic art"? O_o
    
    Many power-metal bands deal, with medieval themes, it's a common cliche...but i fail to see, the "romantic art" inspiration, in heavy metal. What kind of "romantic art" ?

    DeadAndGone wrote on 15.10.2009 at 21:25

27. Christina, because not all people know about the forum, they read comments only here :)

    Wilska wrote on 15.10.2009 at 21:45

28. It was amazing concert.I'm very happy that I had a chance to see her again.

    Irena wrote on 15.10.2009 at 22:05

29. DeadAndGone: Have you read my lengthy diatribe above and especially what I've written about the Romantic artistic movement of the 18th and 19th centuries? You can find many of the mentioned motifs in heavy metal in general, not just in gothic or symphonic metal: fantasy, a preoccupation with the past and medieval times, mysticism, mythical creatures, scary places, night, dream and reality, despair, evil, insanity, nature, etc. Metal is SO 19th century. ;-)

    Almagest wrote on 15.10.2009 at 23:10

30. Also, heavy metal is exaggerated and dramatic, just like much Romantic (classical) music. It's not confined to gothic, symphonic, or power metal, you can find all that in traditional, black, folk, prog and avant-garde, doom, even thrash and death.

    Almagest wrote on 15.10.2009 at 23:15

31. You keep talking about her skin color? Its just the photo.

    Ragnarök wrote on 16.10.2009 at 05:30

32. All I have to say here is this: Tarja rules... XD

    Who? wrote on 16.10.2009 at 05:58

33. Really amazing concert,even better than the previous one if this is possible.And Tarja liked us very much ;)
    I hope that hater's mouths will close after that,the tiny,gentle,defenseless Tarja singing among her fans ;) What a bitch,isn't she? ;D

    Enkeli wrote on 17.10.2009 at 00:03

34. "Metal is SO 19th century. ;-)"
    
    Yeah, and that's what makes it so awesome.
    
    Rephrase here: Tarja's music isn't Goth Metal, but her lyrics are Gothic, as are NW. A common mistake made by a lot of fans -- and one I make A LOT -- is that the Gothic poetry and goth metal are mixed together. The properties of one are confused for the other. I think that's why so many critics called NW and Tarja goth metal. Their lyrics are filled with elements of gothic poetry. Look at Tarja's "Wisdom of Wind" or at NW's "The Poet and The Pendulum." Gothic poetry.
    
    Not to mention that almost every band with a female singer is going to be compared to the motherload of all goth metal bands. You know who I'm talking about: EVANESCENCE.
    
    

    Blaze wrote on 17.10.2009 at 03:58

35. Why would anyone put a bungler with no significant importence down? Tarja you suck bigtime. And one more thing, stop imitating Elmer Fudd. You might get a lawsuit on your hands. Wabbit.

    Wrathchild wrote on 17.10.2009 at 09:25

36. Blaze: Unfortunately, most people focus only on vocals and lyrics and don't pay attention to the other elements of the music, especially the instruments. In pop music, instruments are of secondary importance (to put it mildly), while in metal, instruments and vocals are of equal importance, just like in classical or jazz (where vocals are considered an instrument, too). Vocal style and lyrics, the looks or image of the musicians (namely, those aspects most obvious even to people with no musical education at all) have little to do with genre classification. (I wonder how people go on classifying lyricless or even instrumental music, they'd sure be lost there. I'd say you can play just about any kind of music on a piano, an electric guitar, or with an orchestra.) There sure are gothic or Romantic elements in the lyrics of NW and Tarja (NW lyrics have several quotes, near-quotes or allusions to classical English poetry).

    Almagest wrote on 17.10.2009 at 19:51

37. Legeon your admirer is jealous that you left and do not pay attention to his efforts :)
    
    Almagest, the good example of gothic lyrics in Tarja's stuff are those to "Damned and Divine", don't you think? Even the plot of the song is about githic subject.
    But can be the music to this song considered like "gothic" one, cause it sets the mood, has sound effects and stuff? I just would like to hear your opinion.

    Fleur wrote on 17.10.2009 at 20:43

38. Golden disc for My Winter Storm
    
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aAftWlCjkI

    snowman wrote on 17.10.2009 at 21:41

39. Fleur: Vampires, of course, are a classic motif of "Gothic" or "dark" music. "Damned & Divine" is a song that makes me think of some old black & white film with a gloomy atmosphere (in the sense of film noir) and scenes like a lonely person waiting in a run-down house or shelter with the wind and the rain hammering at the windows and shutters clattering; or a scene inside a railway train or near a railroad line; or rather people sitting inside a car and driving through the rain-lashed streets of a big city. The siren-like introduction recalls the theme of Star Trek (the original series).
    
    But Tarja's music (at least on MWS) is hard to pin down, stylistically. Whatever conventional label you may come up with, none quite fits. Which makes the music fairly unique in a way, but it makes Tarja also appear hesitant and overly afraid to go all the way in many people's eyes; MWS has been called "tentative". (No problem to me, since AFF lacked direction, too, and so did Once, actually.) I still like the music personally and appreciate it, but I can understand how many people are disappointed with it.
    
    The way Tarja described MWS on her blog and in interviews initially was quite accurate: "My Winter Storm is a combination of rock (heavy ;) ) elements, classical voice, and film music sound with catchy melodies." I can't really describe it better, or even more concisely. She did mention progressive influences somewhere else, especially in the middle part of "My Little Phoenix", which I agree with, too. Mike Terrana came up with a description of his own in an interview with Metal-Temple.com, too:
    
    "I thought that it would be something like NIGHTWISH but it fortunately it is not! Not that I have something against that music but I play a lot of that stuff and I was looking something different and this is different; more dark, kind of classical, a little bit progressive and actually a little bit of pop."
    
    I believe that it is only fair to judge Tarja's music on its own terms, especially if you insist on open-mindedness to different approaches, and I think that overall, MWS works well as what it is, or was intended to be: vocal-centred, dreamy and mysticfilm-soundtrack-like music that is supposed to evoke a rather melancholy if not sombre atmosphere and features influences from classical music, especially art song (as in "Boy and the Ghost"), and is appropriately sparser with hook lines. The fact that the melody lines are often slightly un-catchy seems to be part of the concept, just like the samples of noises. Not music to rock out to (which makes it less suited for the context of a rock concert), but to enjoy relaxedly with headphones at home, cuddled up with a glass of wine, perhaps with eyes closed, preferrably late at night when it's cold and unpleasant outside. It's a grower. The problem is rather that Tarja cannot stick with that style of music because it is hard to market.

    Almagest wrote on 18.10.2009 at 03:26

40. Wrathchild said: "Why would anyone put a bungler with no significant importence down? Tarja you suck bigtime. And one more thing, stop imitating Elmer Fudd. You might get a lawsuit on your hands. Wabbit."
    
    This is WC, the one and only proud member of Tarja Demolition Crew. :-D

    TheSeer wrote on 18.10.2009 at 13:19

41. That was maybe the best concert I've ever been to. Tarja is sooo good live - singing, stage presence, dancing, interacting with the public - everything was so damn perfect.
    
    I was absolutely speachless afterwards ( I also lost my voce due to singing alogn and screaming :) All I have to say is: Tarja made us very very happy and I could only hope she felt some of it, too.
    
    can't wait to have her new album and definitely can't wait to see her next concert

    Pepe Manshon wrote on 18.10.2009 at 15:37

42. Tarja was REALLY hyperactive in Sofia 2009!
    
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFiZCojS5pc&feature=related
    
    Much more than 2008. :-)

    TheSeer wrote on 18.10.2009 at 19:08

43. @Wrathchild
    
    You are alone!

    Ragnarök wrote on 18.10.2009 at 20:42