“Fallen Sanctuary” (Serenity) (Amazon.com)

Music has always been my escape. It’s like a medication. My emotions, moods, desires, motivations can change entirely upon a song playing in my iTunes, on the radio, or on a podcast or media stream.

I got to end my summer a few weeks ago on a rockin’ note by riding out to St. Petersburg to see two of my favorite bands from Finland—Nightwish and Sonata Arctica—play live in the Jannus Landing courtyard with about 1,200 screaming fans.

This apparently ended up being the last show of Nightwish’s U.S. tour, as new lead singer Anette Olzon became seriously ill and the remaining concerts on the tour ended up cancelled.

In the meantime, I downloaded from iTunes the solo début album from Nightwish’s original frontwoman, Tarja Turunen, entitled “My Winter Storm.” It’s definitely not Tuomas Holopainen-penned material (but then I’m sure a lot of Nightwish fans are replying that Anette is not Tarja), but there are some good points on this project, and it’s an overall good, although all-over-the-place, album if you can judge it on its own without trying to compare it to her time with Nightwish. It’s a departure from Nightwish. “Die Alive” is the highlight for me—a driving track with a toy-piano-style hook.

The version that’s available on iTunes is the “deluxe” version with some bonus tracks (23 tracks total) but without the DVD and video material that accompanies the physical package. Tarja has some work ahead of her, but she’s already got the fan base from Nightwish, and this album is a good start.

I was nowhere near ready when all it ended
So I hoped we could find a new day, cannot live without you

You gave me the chance, time and again in vain
Now my feelings for you
Every tear, every smile, paid in full
Wrecked the chain, but no longer can I take the pain

It’s hard for me to love myself right now
I waited, hated, blamed it all on you

Needed to be strong, yet I was always too weak
So again only blamed myself for this state we are in
I will take what you have for me now, it’s not too late

Did you change? I did too
Love can grow from the last grain

It’s hard for me to love myself right now
I waited, hated, blamed it all on you

I need you less and less every day
Fix this moral decay
Yet I’ve grown to love you even more

My fault that you then turned another cheek
You mouth the words, you’re not ready to speak
You’re scared of me, although I never had a clue
That I’d become so much stronger than you

I will take what you have for me now if it’s not too late
If you like I will leave, I will not miss the last train again

It’s hard for me to love myself right now
I waited, hated, blamed it all on you
It’s hard for me to love your face right now
I’m waiting, hating, needing, being me

I need you less and less
And every day leads us farther away
From that moment

It’s hard for me to hate myself right now
Finally I’m understanding me
One day we may have whole new me’s and you’s
But first I need to learn to love me too

—”Paid in Full”, Sonata Arctica, Unia

Buy from iTunes Music Store.