Dark Sarah - The Golden Moth review

The Golden Moth is the third album, closing the first trilogy, of Dark Sarah. It began with a dark fairytale with a dark alter-ego born out of jealousy and hate in Behind the Black Veil. Next up was The Puzzle; an exciting quest trough the underworld where previously mentioned alter-ego was banished to. This fairytale has grown in the meanwhile into a true epic fantasy, and The Golden Moth is its Grand Finale. And with grand I mean Grand. Don’t tell… but when I played this album for the first time I was sobbing like a child… I am indeed the type of girl that can bawl her eyes out with for example Disney movies but this was really something else…
Now that confession is out of my system, let’s see if I can make an attempt to give my personal album of the year a professional review!

Staring in this fantastic tale: mastermind behind it all, Heidi Parviainen as Dark Sarah and JP Leppäluoto as Dragon. We have encountered this dragon already in the previous album, where he was the keeper of a key that Sarah needed to escape the underworld. He has followed her to the Upper World, the world of the Gods, to confront said Gods on the fact that he doesn’t have wings anymore.
The two enemies now form a team in a journey through a desert world, to the island in the sky where the Gods – played by Marco Hietala (Nightwish/Tarot) and Zuberoa Aznarez (Diabulus in Musica) - reside.

The journey begins with Desert Rose, a short intro that paints the image of the scorching desert in front of your eyes. Dark Sarah’s first calling card is being played; de ability to display lively scenes with just music. You really see it all play out in your head.
Tresspasser follows, that has been out on youtube for a while already. The Dragon and Sarah find each other in the desert and realize they need each other to survive. Their struggle is perfectly scored by a moving chorus and exciting verses.

And as for Heidi, I keep on saying it; What A Voice! Powerful yet fluttering like a bird, on this album she gives her best vocal performance yet!

Wheel is delightfully innovative exotic and adventurous with an addicting chorus. My Beautiful Enemy is the first of three goosebumps-inducing semi ballads on this album. The scene where both Dragon and Sarah let go of their dark sides and it almost becomes a love story. Heidi’s gifts of storytelling shines off every single note and the emotions in the chorus are composed superbly.
The Dragon’s backstory is revealed in I Once Had Wings. This one starts of remarkably folk-ish with an accordion – the contribution of Netta Skog (Ensiferum) who is casted as ‘Fortune Teller’- but as soon as Sarah enters the stage with her comforting words this song becomes quite the emotional rollercoaster.

After a few songs of character building the story now really takes off. The two heroes encounter a bunch of pirates, where they somehow manage to commandeer an airship from in the song Pirates. A cute little phrase of dialogue reminds the listener of the musical-like aspects of Dark Sarah, and adds just a pinch of extra personality to the characters. A pounding chorus underlines the tension in this scene in a sublime way.
Eventually they sail through the air on their stolen ship and an image like that deserves a fitting soundtrack. Sky Sailing is heartwarmingly euphoric and you just have to close your eyes to feel the wind in your hair while you race through the sky on a steampunk-like vessel over a desert landscape towards horizon and stars.

I picture a scene out of Pirates of the Caribbean part 3 while listening to Wish, the second semi-ballad. The Black Pearl that eerily glides over a mirror-like sea in Davy Jones’ locker under a blanket of stars. Only this time the sea is replaced by white fluffy clouds. Sarah sighs; “I can almost catch a star...”
The Dragon is moping, wishing he could still fly. Sarah wishes his wings back and the next moment the orchestra paints a picture of a dragon that triumphantly soars through the night sky with Sarah on his back, on their way to the island of the Gods.

They don’t get a warm welcome from the Gods though. The Gods Speak is full of chaos and dread. Music wise really the colossus of the album.
Marco and Zuberoa – a.k.a. White Beard and The Iron Mask – show no mercy and the scene ends with a white spear pointed at our heroes.
I mostly hate spoilers, so you are not going to get any more of the story from me. Let’s say that what comes next is a heartbreaking plot twist. But as all things in the universe, there is no ying without yang.
The moral of the trilogy: light cannot live without darkness, and darkness cannot live without light. A hard lesson for our protagonists, that results in a bittersweet but truly beautiful ending.

Promise draws the conclusion of this lesson, and final song The Golden Moth is the acceptance of this fate.  The song mostly responsible for my reaction described in the first paragraph…
The Gate of Time turns the final page of this tale, read to you by the Dragon. And with that, the adventures of Dark Sarah have come to an end... from this perspective at least! Heidi Parviainen has given multiple hints already that more stories are to come.
I can’t wait what she has in store for us next... it will take a huge amount of effort to top this album!
But for now, nothing less than a standing ovation for The Golden Moth. Bravo!!!