TARJA TURUNEN Completes Recording New Solo Album

Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen has completed recording her new solo album, "What Lies Beneath". She states, "It was a great last vocal session. I am grateful that everything I planned was accomplished. Also the things that we decided on the way have only improved the songs making the overall picture clearer in the end.

"It's going to be a very nice and powerful album!

"It has been a 'long and winding' road, but definitely worth every step.

"You see who came to visit me in the studio in these last couple of days? Both my lovely and talented brothers Timo and Toni shared their vocals with me in one particular song, which you are going to hear pretty soon in my summer shows with orchestra and choir.

"The name of the song of course will need to remain as a secret until that.

"It was so wonderful to sing with them. I am very proud of them. We are all very different kind of singers, which makes us a very unique musical family.

"The next challenge is the intense mixing process that will take place starting from … tomorrow!

"I can't believe that I am at this point in the production. Makes me really thrilled!

"We have decided to mix in three different locations with three different engineers to get the best out of each song.

"The first stage will take us to London!!!! I am going to spend next couple of weeks mixing part of the album with Mr. Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, SLIPKNOT) at Miloco Studios.

We have met after my last show in London and since then we have been working already in the songs.

"I am truly looking forward our collaboration. Colin is very kind and a true British gentle man.

"London is also one of my favourite cities in the planet, so I cannot be more than happy to be there. Maybe I'll have some time for shoe shopping (as you know already),if I am lucky!

"Now I'll enjoy a glass of red wine that I feel I've well deserved it."

"What Lies Beneath" is tentatively scheduled for a late summer release. With production handled by Tarja herself, the follow-up to 2007's "My Winter Storm" "looks set to take Tarja's unique musical mix of drama 'n' decibels to a whole new level of success," according to a press release.

"We worked on 33 songs this time around from which I decided to record 17," Tarja explained. "It has been great to have the freedom to produce my own record for the first time; these sessions have been such a gift, a real learning process and a true joy. In many ways, it feels like the first time…"

The lead single from "What Lies Beneath", title to be confirmed, is currently being discussed for an early August release, with the full album to follow later that month.

Turunen performed the song "The Good Die Young" with German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS on the March 27 edition of Germany's talk show "Wetten, Dass..?" The program also featured an interview with Tarja and SCORPIONS members Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine.

"The Good Die Young" appears on SCORPIONS' final studio album, "Sting In The Tail", which was released in North America on March 23 via Universal Music Enterprises.

"It was such an honor to be invited to take part in the SCORPIONS' last album," says Tarja. "I am sure they will keep this particular record in their hearts the same way the fans and I will."