Frisson Noir

Turunen has discussed working on new material as early as late 2022, where she states that she is writing music for a new album.^[10] In December of 2023, Turunen stated that she was still working on the album and hoped to complete it in 2024.^[11] In another 2024 interview, she stated that she was hoping to do another duet for her new album with former Nightwish bandmate Marko Hietala, after the release of their song "Left on Mars" for Hietala's album Roses from the Deep.^[12] In late 2025, Turunen began recording vocals for the album, and later began posting on social media about the album's recording process.^[13]

On 18 March 2026, Turunen announced the official title of the album, Frisson Noir, set to release on 12 June 2026. Turunen described the album's concept as being centered around the word "frisson". Turunen described the album's concept as the following:

The word frisson describes the moment when music sends a shiver through the body. It is the instant when sound stops being just sound and becomes emotion, memory, and physical sensation. Frisson Noir was created around this idea. In an era where technology can generate songs instantly, the album celebrates the human element in music: real performances, breath, imperfection, uncontrolled emotion, and the unpredictable spark that turns a song into an experience. Every song on the album was written, recorded, produced, and mixed with that intention. From the first note to the final orchestral swell, the music is designed to trigger that unmistakable sensation, the moment when sound becomes something you don’t just hear but feel: to give the listener chills.

The album, at the time of its announcement, was described in a press release as "the heaviest record of her career and a powerful statement of identity, strength and belonging". Three singles were released ahead of the album's release date to promote the album. The first single, "At Sea", featuring guest musicians Mervi Myllyoja and Niklas Pokki, was released at the same time as the album's release announcement. The song, running just over ten minutes long, makes it Turunen's longest song in her solo catalogue. Turunen describes the track as a complex "Frankenstein" with huge orchestration and many tempo changes. When asked about the song's meaning, Turunen stated it is about "uncertainty or facing uncertainty with fear but determination".^[15] Turunen described the writing process as being done "through silence, doubt, breath, and risk, chasing a feeling until it gives us goosebumps".^[16]

The second single, "I Don't Care", featuring Cradle of Filth vocalist Dani Filth, was released on 22 April 2026. The song was described by Turunen as a "fierce declaration of independence" that "rejects imposed expectations and confronts the illusions society creates around morality, belief and success". Musically, it was described as being a song with "intense symphonic elements and heavy, modern metal power while being dramatic and unapologetically dark".^[5]

The third and final single, "The Trace Outlives", featuring Japanese shamisen player Sayo Komada, was released on 27 May 2026. The song was heavily inspired by the Japanese phenomenon "johatsu". The song "explores the emotional space between presence and absence, pondering what remains when someone decides to disappear—not just for themselves, but also for those left behind."^[6] On her collaboration with Sayo Komada on the track, Turunen stated "I was looking for a sound that would take me to Japan and found a beautiful ancient instrument that resembles a guitar, but has a more percussive sound – the shamisen, traditionally used in puppet theaters [...] I invited the young talent Sayo Komada to blend her art with my song."^[17]

According to Turunen, the fourth track, "Leap of Faith", featuring former Nightwish bassist Marko Hietala, is the only track on the album that was written with the intention of being a duet. The eighth track, "Tango", featuring Finnish symphonic metal band Apocalyptica, is about people passing away without leaving a legacy behind. The eleventh track, "Against the Odds", featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, was recorded before the album came to fruition, presumably during the Shadow Self sessions.^[18] The song is featured as the intro track for the second part of Turunen's 2016 live recording Act II.^[19]

More information Review scores, Source ...

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Review scores
Source	Rating
Blabbermouth.net	[20]
Chaoszine	[2]

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Frisson Noir has received positive reviews from critics. Hector Sanchez of Chaoszine gave the album 5/5, describing the album as having "clear artistic maturity", and that it showcases Turunen's "most determined effort to define her signature sound".^[2] Blabbermouth.net gave the album 8/10, praising the heaviness of the album and its collaborators, while citing "At Sea" to be the "pinnacle of her solo career to date".^[20]