Tarja Turunen/Mike Terrana - Beauty And The Beat
Earmusic
Classical/Symphonic
Disc 1: 13 songs (54:00) Disc 2: 8 songs (45:00)
Release year: 2014
Reviewed by Joel
Beauty and The Beat is a double LIVE album, from vocalist Tarja Turunen and drummer Mike Terrana(ex-Rage, Tarja and ex-Masterplan). The first disc is a live album, with a mixture of Mike Terrana's complex drumming and a symphony orchestra. The songs vary from Classical masterpieces(Eine Kleine Nachtmusik) to movie and broadway styles(I Feel Pretty). Tarja's vocals on the songs she does sing on, on disc one are absolutely beautiful as one would expect. Dvorak's Song To The Moon is a true highlight, with simple instrumentation and Tarja's sweeping vocals carrying the song. Each of these songs are performed live, and for the all the musicians involved, I am sure this was quite an undertaking.

The second disc starts off with a classical cover of Queen's You Take My Breathe Away, and you will never hear this song this away, from anyone else. The next two songs are classical interpretation(musically) of two of Tarja's songs, the first being The Reign followed by Witch-Hunt. Her love of Led Zeppelin came next, with songs such as Stairway To Heaven and Kashmir thrown into her Led Zeppelin medley. I have to say its always fun to hear songs you know and love, and have them done in a unique way, especially when you know the performers involved are passionate about the bands they are covering. The sole Nightwish song, was the classic ballad, SwanheartFly Me To The Moon was next, and being a heavily covered song, it was nice to hear with the symphony orchestra. The last two songs performed, were from Tarja's solo albums, the first being Into The Sun(first heard on the live album Act 1) and the second being her first solo release after leaving Nightwish, I Walk Alone. I am sure there will be some of you, that will want to give me a hard time for reviewing a classical disc on a site, called MetalReviews. Your more than welcome too, I don't mind, because this was released on a metal label, and I am a very open minded metalhead and musician. It is discs like these, and performances from such bands like Therion and Epica who have performed with live choirs and symphonies that make the world of metal unique. You take the songs you know and love, and add another layer of music, which usually makes the music even more memorable and epic. If you are a fan of Tarja, or Mike Terrana's work, then I say give this a try, or at least look at this trailer from Youtube, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Killing Songs :
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