TARJA TURUNEN Taps DIRK RUDOLPH For New Album Artwork

Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen has once again tapped Dirk Rudolph to create the artwork for her new solo album, due in August/September via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group. She says: "You can expect, as before, beautiful photos, maybe more shocking this time." The CD was mixed in Austin, Texas with producer Tim Palmer (PEARL JAM, U2) and will feature the following songs, among others: "Lucid Dreamer", "Neverlight", "500 Letters" and "Never Enough". Tarja says: "Tim did, once again, an amazing job. I am very happy!" She adds: "This album took me to several places in the last two years, but nothing compared to where it will take us for promotion and touring."

A lyric video for the song "Never Enough" was recently filmed in Zlin, Czech Republic and will make its online debut soon. Tarja says: "I didn't want to make a traditional, boring lyric video for the song, so I am going to appear on the video not just the lyrics of the song…. This video is not what we can call the official first music video from my new album, but just an improved version of a lyric video. The filming took only couple hours with Martin, who worked also on directing my first solo live rock DVD, 'Act I'."

Although rock will remain Tarja's main musical field in the months to come, earMUSIC and the artist are also planning to release further high quality productions in diverse musical genres.

The spectacular "Beauty And The Beat" tour was filmed earlier this month, and the success of the album "Harus" will be followed by the first-ever classical studio album by Tarja Turunen.

In a recent interview with the Music Legends web site, Turunen stated about her upcoming CD: "I have just recently found my style and sound so I would like to establish it with the third studio album. The elements on the album will remain the same as in my previous albums, also the versatile style of songs. I like to keep the big dynamic changes between my songs, so that album songs feel radically different from each other.

"I am not stressed at all this time, even though I am producing the album on my own again. I have been lucky to gather around a group of musicians who are willing to work with me, so everything is going smoothly."

Tarja and her husband/manager Marcelo Cabuli recently became the parents of their first child.

"Act I" was released in North America on September 4, 2012 in 2-CD, 2-DVD and Blu-ray format via the Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records, in conjunction with earMUSIC.

Tarja's sophomore solo album, "What Lies Beneath", sold around 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 24 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.