Deeper insight instead of leftovers

Tarja Turunen is productive: After the live CD / DVD "Beauty and the Beat", who had dedicated especially the "classical Tarja", there are now again fodder for the rock audience the Finn. "Left in the Dark" is a collection of rarities and relics around the last long iron "Colours in the Dark". Visitors of the spring tour already came back in the enjoyment of this material, because who purchased a ticket for one of the concerts, this CD received in advance and exclusively presented as a gift.

Now, "Left in the Dark" thus made accessible to everyone and at the same time lets take a look at the making of the last album. This starts right from the first track, the demo version of "Victim of Ritual", although not yet has the bandwidth and force the final version, but suggests that you are dealing with a potential hit. However, the demo of "Lucid Dreamer" lacks not only the thickness of bombast, but especially the sound collages like middle section, which comes this early version on much as two minutes less playing time. Depending on your preference you could even go so far that the demo will come faster to the point and later added midsection is even unnecessary. Also interesting is the "interim draft" of "Never Enough", which shows the piece from a different side. Where fat guitar walls will be excavated on the album yet and big drama with high metal factor and much distortion is conjured up, focus puts the "progressive" version significantly more on the piano and presents itself as a flattering half-ballad with radio potential. "Mystique Voyage" is very close to the later album track in the form presented here early, even Tarja backing choirs can be heard already. What, however, is entirely missing, is the actual text and therefore the vocal lines, which makes the song to a (still worth listening to) quasi-instrumental and thus provides on a par with "Deliverance", which here already the rich, cinematic sound, but also not make the song brings. For the official creeps in between were then two acoustic versions ("Until Silence" and "500 Letters") parked on "Left in the Dark", to a completely sung by Tarja version of "Medusa", the on "Colours in the Dark" can be found as a duet with Justin Furstenfeld (Blue October). As with "Lucid Dreamer" also applies here: Which version is better, decide solely of personal taste. All these alternative versions, and insights into the development of the pieces make this song collection, especially for fans pretty interesting, so the opportunity to get the latest studio album from Tarja's one or the other fresh perspective to look at. Similar types of albums we have definitely seen much worse and loveless. It remains in the bombastic rock truism Where Tarja Turunen is on it, and quality is there.