Act II is the fourth live album released by the Finnish singer Tarja Turunen, released on July 27, 2018. It is the predecessor to her previous album in her "Act" series, . The CD and digital release features a full-length concert performed by Tarja during her tour titled The Shadow Shows for her sixth studio album, The Shadow Self, recorded on November 26, 2016, at the Teatro de La Luna in Milan, Italy. The DVD and Blu-ray release features an additional disc, titled Metropolis Alive, which features a special intimate concert performed in front of 20 people on 6 June 2016 live at Metropolis Studios in London, England.
The tracklist for both concerts features multiple songs from her six studio albums released up to that point, such as "I Walk Alone", "Until My Last Breath", "Victim of Ritual", and "Innocence", as well as a special Nightwish medley featuring the songs Tutankhamen, "Ever Dream", The Riddler, and Slaying The Dreamer.
On 28 May 2018, Tarja released the first official teaser for "Act II".
On 1 June 2018, the first single, "Love To Hate (Live in London)" was released. On 22 June 2018, the second single, "Undertaker (Live In Milan)" was released. On 13 July 2018, the final single, "Victim of Ritual" was released.
The album is the second in her "Act" series of live albums, featuring songs spanning across her solo career up to the point of recording both concerts. The main concert for the release was filmed at Teatro de la Luna in Milan, Italy on 29 November 2016 during her promotional tour for her sixth studio album The Shadow Self. It features a tracklist with 21 songs, including a medley of Nightwish songs and a few covers.
The DVD and mediabook version features a second concert as the first disc, which was a concert recorded on 6 June 2016 at Metropolis Studios in London, England. The concert was a special event for 20 fans who had won a contest to witness an intimate, special live performance featuring songs from Tarja's then unreleased album, The Shadow Self.