Former Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen recently opened up about her departure from the band. She revealed the difficult circumstances surrounding her dismissal in a statement shared on Louder Sound.
Turunen described the intense media scrutiny she faced immediately after being fired from the Finnish symphonic metal band. She explained how the news followed her across continents.
“I had to get away from Finland, so I took a flight [to Argentina, where her husband is from] the next day, and I was surrounded by the news even there,” she said. “I was sitting on the plane, crying, and all the TV sets were being turned down. [It was on] the daily news: ‘Tarja is fired from Nightwish!’ It was following me every day for the next couple of weeks, and the TV cameras were outside my door in Buenos Aires. I couldn’t even get outside of my apartment. It wasn’t easy.”
The singer also revealed that internal problems within Nightwish had been brewing for years before her eventual departure.
“Well, um, the ‘anything’ was that nothing was fine within the band for many years,” she explained. “The relationship between the musicians was all wrong for many, many years. That’s all I can say and all I want to say. Nightwish had already ceased to exist after their third album [2000’s Wishmaster].”
Turunen expressed that her departure ultimately led to a better outcome for her career despite the difficult experience.
“It had to end the way it did so I can now be happier than ever, doing my own music for my own public,” she continued. “It was tough to overcome, but the things that don’t kill you make you stronger I believe in that.”
The dramatic dismissal of Turunen from Nightwish remains one of the most controversial moments in symphonic metal history. The circumstances surrounding her departure revealed deep-seated tensions within the band.
Louder Sound reported that the dismissal came right after the final show of the band’s “Once” world tour on October 21, 2005, in Helsinki. Bandmates presented her backstage with an open letter accusing her of prioritizing business over the band’s emotions. The timing of the firing shocked fans worldwide, as it occurred immediately following what many considered a triumphant tour.
Nightwish mainman Tuomas Holopainen later provided his perspective on the difficult decision. Blabbermouth noted that Holopainen called the firing “the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do.” He cited Tarja’s shifting attitude and her claim that “I don’t need this band for my career anymore,” along with her plans to leave after the next album.
“Tarja’s attitude and her values became more and more different from ours. In the last few months she cut herself off from the rest of the group,” Holopainen explained at the time.
However, the story has found a more positive resolution in recent years. Louder Sound revealed that nearly 20 years later, both Turunen and her former bandmates have reached civil terms. This includes a 2024 reunion tour with ex-bassist Marco Hietala and emails exchanged between Turunen and Holopainen. This reconciliation demonstrates how time has healed the wounds from one of metal’s most publicized band breakups.
