Tarja Turunen, these days simply TARJA has released “The Trace Outlives,” the third single from her upcoming studio album “Frisson Noir”that is set for release on the 12th June 2026 out via earMUSIC.
We’ve described Tarja’s voice as “celestial… filled with ambition, lamentation, and uplifting dignity.”
The classically trained singer founded the symphonic metal band Nightwish with Tuomas Holopainen and Emppu Vuorinen in 1996.
Having left the band (in 2005 ) Tarja issued a solo album, My Winter Storm (in August 2006). This would become the true beginning of her main solo project. It was the first time that Turunen had written songs.
Tarja announced her tenth studio album, “Frisson Noir” in March, 2026.
Tarja’s unique voice is the core of the song architecture on “Frisson Noir”, transitioning smoothly from delicate emotional control to full-blown operatic effectiveness. Orchestral arrangements and the layered instrumentation that surrounds her amazing voice forge a vivid multi-dimensional sphere of existence that fluctuates between darkness and light, while her lyrics inquire into philosophical human questions such as the value of fear, the perspective of yearning, the need for flexibility, the act of rebellion, the challenge of metamorphosis, the sense of integrity, the desire for departure, the state of separation, the growth of confidence, and the utter determination of the human psyche.
In The Trace Outlives, the soul is roused by an insistent, worrying hum, before sharply angled guitars build a complex metallic sonic structure across the lingering space. Tarja’s voice is distinctive and subtle in the verse, then it powerfully ascends into an astonishing chorus. This is machine-tooled devilry performed under tight control!
Pre-order the album here: https://tarja.lnk.to/FrissonNoirPR
RAW RAMP 