Review Summary: Mediocre pop album with nu-metal riffs.
In the Raw reinstates Tarja’s status as the Celine Dion of metal. In that sense tracks are designed to show off the vocalist’s raw talents. Symphonic tracks, ballads, and piano driven pop fill the air, as does generic symphonic metal. When tracks go for metal, it’s nothing that Stream of Passion, Within Temptation, Delain, etc. haven’t already accomplished but still, the songs are fairly catchy. Tarja remains the draw here and with a magnetizing voice that seems to never age, tracks almost feel inspired - almost.
It’s surprising how little Tarja’s music has evolved since My Winter Storm, an album that combined abrasive and gentle motifs. With the intention to push Tarja’s voice forward above everything else, it seems like the metal portions are an afterthought, an obligation to fans. Softer tracks are where the album shines, leaving a middling metal effort. The softer tracks are fine - beautiful even - but as the original powerhouse frontwoman of Nightwish, it’s a shame she doesn’t have more creativity to bring along with her star power. Her voice is wrapped up in soft orchestral dressing with the energy of a lazy cloud - previous fluff for skippable Nightwish tracks.
The argument for consistency is a strong one, especially considering how consistently forgettable Tarja’s music is. It gets lost in the seas of symphonic metal, and if it were not for the Tarja stamp I would have dropped her music a long time ago. Instead, I wait on beckoning call for new Tarja releases with this dismal, unmerited hope that she will one day reach a creative peak. Stretching for Nightwish quality may be a lofty goal for this band but surely there’s room for some development here. As it stands, this is an easy album to look past.
