Having spent 2013 writing and producing The Life And Times Of Scrooge, Tuomas’ first solo album is now upon us after fourteen years in the making and to say it exceeds all expectations is an understatement.
To cut straight to the point, it’s a beautiful and atmospheric work of art that’s accessible to not only people familiar with his work in Nightwish, but also to a broader spectrum of music fans because it touches on a whole host of different genres and ideas that will appeal to casual or curious listeners as well.
Telling the story of Scrooge McDuck, it’s definitely an album best enjoyed as one sole entity as it takes the listener on an exciting adventure from start to finish, with stunning epic pieces such as Into The West that’s full of beautifully thick instrumentation and breathtaking imagery, and the somewhat more simplistic Dreamtime, which only really features one repeating idea throughout but is so effective (not to mention how quickly it gets stuck in your head as a result!)
There are also more vocal-heavy songs, which help to keep the storyline flowing and a particular standout performance is from Sonata Arctica frontman Tony Kakko on the song Cold Heart Of The Klondike – whilst the instrumentation is the main focus of the album, his voice gives that song in particular an extra sparkle.
The Life And Times Of Scrooge is an extremely rewarding listen and one you’ll keep wanting to come back to – it just gives so much and is a wholly stunning album.
9/10
