Tarja is not here to whisper her way into your summer playlist — she’s here to haunt it. The former Nightwish frontwoman and reigning queen of symphonic metal has just released “The Trace Outlives,” the third single from her forthcoming studio album Frisson Noir, which drops on June 12. And if this song is the compass, the album is pointing somewhere gorgeously dark.

“The Trace Outlives” is inspired by “Johatsu,” the very real Japanese phenomenon of people who deliberately vanish from their own lives to start over in anonymity. It’s a heavy concept, and Tarja treats it with the emotional weight it deserves — meditating on regret, freedom, and the invisible fingerprints we leave behind even when we disappear. To bring the song’s atmosphere to life, Tarja invited young shamisen virtuoso Sayo Komada to weave the traditional Japanese instrument’s percussive, ancient tone into the track’s crushing, symphonic architecture.

“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,” Tarja shares. “I invited the young talent Sayo Komada to blend her art with my song.”

Musically, the track is peak Tarja — sweeping orchestration, operatic vocal power, and guitars heavy enough to leave a dent — but it also feels like a bold next chapter. The accompanying official music video plays out like a cinematic love story built on tension and longing, translating the song’s intensity into something you can watch as well as feel.

Watch the official video for “The Trace Outlives” here: https://youtu.be/QHjoCeUVzpc

Frisson Noir arrives June 12 and spans 10 tracks of Tarja doing what she does better than almost anyone — bridging classical heritage, cinematic orchestration, and contemporary metal muscle. The guest list alone is a metalhead’s dream: Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth), Apocalyptica, Marko Hietala (ex-Nightwish), and Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) all make appearances, with the whole thing mixed by GRAMMY-winning producer Neal Avron (Linkin Park, Skillet, Disturbed).

FRISSON NOIR TRACK LISTING:
1. Frisson Noir
2. The Eternal Return
3. Leap Of Faith (feat. Marko Hietala)
4. At Sea (feat. Mervi Myllyoja + Niklas Pokki)
5. Blaze Forever
6. The Trace Outlives (feat. Sayo Komada)
7. Tango (feat. Apocalyptica)
8. Anemoia (feat. Julián Bedmar + Valter Freitas)
9. I Don’t Care (feat. Dani Filth)
10. Against The Odds (feat. Chad Smith)

The album will be available as a CD Digipak, Black 2LP Gatefold, and a Ltd. Purple 2LP Gatefold, with the first pressing of every format finished in high-quality copper foil and logo embossing. Signed editions and a strictly limited Collectors Box Set — complete with an exclusive 7″ vinyl of “I Don’t Care (Tarja Solo Version)” b/w “I Don’t Care (Dani Mix),” a DIN A2 poster, animal print postcards, and a signed fine art print — are available via the official album store.

Following the release, Tarja will launch the International Frisson Live Tour 2026 on September 30 in Berlin, with a European run through mid-October and more dates to be announced.

TARJA ON TOUR:
9/30 — Berlin, Germany — Huxleys Neue Welt
10/1 — Hamburg, Germany — Markthalle
10/2 — Rostock, Germany — M.A.U. Club
10/4 — Dresden, Germany — Parkhotel Ballsaal
10/5 — Jena, Germany — F-Haus
10/6 — Munich, Germany — Backstage Werk
10/8 — Innsbruck, Austria — Music Hall
10/9 — Pratteln, Switzerland — Z7
10/11 — Lindau, Germany — Club Vaudeville
10/12 — Cologne, Germany — Essigfabrik
10/13 — Frankfurt, Germany — Batschkapp
10/15 — Osnabrück, Germany — Hyde Park
10/16 — Gersthofen, Germany — Stadthalle
10/17 — Vienna, Austria — Szene

Pre-order Frisson Noir, cue up “The Trace Outlives,” and get ready to disappear into it — no Johatsu required.