The Shadow Self comes promptly after The Brightest Void, and two releases in such a narrow time must have the many Tarja fans pumped with enthusiasm. I do have to question if the material within really warrants the two, as it stands narrowing the best selections down to a one album release would have had an even stronger outcome. Tarja's prior albums have had their share of alluring tracks, though more so the first two My Winter Storm and What Lies Beneath which I do have a prefence for, and these latest releases haven't altered my opinion.
Two of the strongest tracks "No Bitter End" and especially "Eagle Eye" from The Brightest Void have also made their way onto The Shadow Self. So if you don't yet have The Brightest Void then I'm really not convinced that you also need it particularly when you already have two of the better tracks on this album. Besides the original numbers there is a cover of the Muse track "Supremacy" and also a guest appearance by Arch Enemy's Alissa White-Gluz. She appears on "Demons In You" which throws in a real curvebal ball with that upbeat funk that leads into the metal and is not half bad but for the annoying part of having the growling vocals alongside Tarja's, as the way it's done just seems out of sorts and subtracts from this songs appeal, but kudos for trying something different. Then there is "Innocence" which opens the album to be let down by the extended piano only solo which interrupts the flow. At the other end of the scale there is no such problem with the folk like track "The Living End", and "Undertaker" which is similar in part to that symphonic metal of Tarja's prior band. It's one track that I don't mind at all as I do have a soft spot for the Tarja Turunen fronted version of Nightwish, and the next song "Calling From The Wild" is also quite agreeable. Even though and as with The Brightest Void there are tracks that I could easily skip on The Shadow Self it's another mostly solid Tarja album.
Track Listing
1. Innocence
2. Demons In You
3. No Bitter End
4. Love To Hate
5. Supremacy
6. The Living End
7. Diva
8. Eagle Eye
9. Undertaker
10. Calling From The Wild
11. Too Many
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