Wilytank So, I listen to Within Temptation's 'Enter' to condition myself before listening to their newest offering, 'The Unforgiving'. A lot must have happened between '97 and now, because the sound has changed a little drastically.

Now, there are times when that can be a good thing; but in this case, it isn't.

Straight from "Shot in the Dark", the impression is "This is Evanescence with Rihanna's vocals mixed with Amy Lee's. Wtf?" The music in "Faster" and "Iron" sounds like is was taken (stolen?) from an Amorphis song. In fact, there are times on this album where I wonder if Within Temptation actually did rip off Amorphis or Evanescence on this album.

The reason why I have brought up Evanescence is 1): The female vocalists, and 2): the popish appeal of the music. How Within Temptation went from a pretty interesting gothic metal band in '97 to this symphonic pop/rock now is beyond me. They've got epic sounding music in a vein NEAR Amorphis, but at least Amorphis has the progressive elements to make their music more interesting. All the guitar riffs are really simple and uninteresting. All the lyrics are pretty lame and forgettable.

Another album that won't make it on my 2011 list.

Stephen Within Temptation returns again to the scene after being silence for 4 years since their highly acclaimed 'The Heart of Everything' by bringing something new, a conceptual-driven album which is their first attempt and simultaneously released with the comic book under the same title, "The Unforgiving".

As we all know, Within Temptation had started to move away from their symphonic/gothic roots to incorporate more commercial approach and in "The Unforgiving", they pushed this even more, and this album turns out to be an accessible melodic metal record still with the symphonic and gothic trace in their very own style, which might not a good news for earlier fans but definitely the best move in my opinion.

After the enigmatic intro of 'Why Not Me', WT kicks in with the dreamy atmospheric synth to combine the powerful Verse with Sharon's enchanting voice. The chorus is spectacular and the guitar solo part is a blast. I conclude that this is simply the greatest tune of the album after more than 5 spins. "In The Middle of The Night" is a cracking uptempo tune with a flawless arrangement and Sharon's vocal is the center of the show. "Faster" is the first single but funny I don't think it's as great as the previous two.

"Fire And Ice" is a haunting metallic ballad, along with "Lost" and "Stairway To The Skies", both are just great pieces of WT's mellow side. "Iron", "Sinead", and "A Demon's Fate" are another personal favorites and the rest tracks are around good level and slightly inferior than the other. The production is excellent, suits the music very well, and the best thing of this album is that it just keeps getting better after repetitive spins. A superb release and undoubtedly deserved the high rank to be one of the highlights of 2011 !

adg211288 The Unforgiving is the fifth album from Dutch Symphonic Metal band Within Temptation, and dare I say it’s something of a long-awaited album since the band’s previous effort The Heart of Everything came out back in 2007. That said, I think Within Temptation fans (like myself) are used to large gaps between their albums, as The Unforgiving is actually only the fifth album in a career that started as far back as 1996. Though the lack out regular output may be seen as a disappointment from one point of view, it does at least come with the bonus that every time Within Temptation does drop a new album, it doesn’t sound like the last one made over again, something that is perhaps especially true of The Unforgiving which features some of their biggest changes in sound since the band dropped use the use of death growls from the Mother Earth album onwards. To close off this opening I’m a self-confessed WT fanboy, and this will very likely be the longest review I write in 2011, so I advise grabbing yourself a cup a tea before progressing.

For starters, although The Unforgiving can still be considered as such, it is much less focused on the symphonic metal elements that were very prominent in past albums, particularly the period between Mother Earth and The Heart of Everything (which, admittedly, is most of their albums). They’re still there in the sound but the leading direction here seems to be to make songs with more of a rock or metal edge, featuring some of their heaviest riffs since their early Gothic/Doom work and with the most focus on lead guitar than ever before the overall sound at times doesn’t sound too far off from that found in traditional heavy metal bands, albeit with that distinctive layer of keyboards courtesy of Martijn Spierenburg. Despite this the album has quite a prominent commercial direction, but I don’t think anyone familiar with Within Temptation really expected anything otherwise, and with The Unforgiving Within Temptation prove that when it comes to rock and metal music, and especially with metal music, that commercial need not be a bad word.

The Unforgiving is also the first concept album Within Temptation has made. To represent this, the first track on the album, Why Not Me, is an introduction featuring a voice over. After this track is over however you can expect the band to deliver song after song and the only time a voice-over is featured again is during the song Iron, and fortunately in that track it actually really adds to the mood of the song – in my opinion it’s a rarity for such a thing to be pulled off.

The Unforgiving’s songs can be broken up into small groups. Although they all have that commercial edge there are some that can be considered more mainstream than others. Unsurprisingly I’m referring to the two songs that band used to promote the album prior to its release, those being in order of appearance, Faster and Where is the Edge. Faster is easily the most commercial track on the album, with a very much of a pop-rock feel to it, but it manages to really work in context of the whole album and I don’t know how they did it, but they managed to make some really commercial sounds into something quite atmospheric. Where is the Edge is more symphonic than some of the other tracks on offer, and is probably the album’s weakest moment overall, but I did still enjoy the track to some degree based on initial impressions, but I came to like it more so after several listens, particularly in context of the whole album. Neither of these tracks is a really good introduce to The Unforgiving though, making them poor early promotional choices from a metal standpoint, as neither really hints at what the album really offers as a whole package. Not my favourites in terms of stand-alone tracks but as a part of the bigger picture, both songs work very well. Sinéad also sounds more commercial lyrically, but the music and deliver makes it a very epic piece that it is pretty much in a class of its own, and overall it’s one of the more unique songs that the band have made.

Another category would be for those heavier tracks. The most obvious of these is Iron. There’s been a bit of hype about this one sounding like Iron Maiden and to be fair the intro riff does to a degree sound like something Iron Maiden could have come up with but as a whole the song is far from Within Temptation trying to be copycats, because it very much has their own stamp on it, but it definitely is one of their most metal orientated songs on the album, and features a solo unlike anything they ever played before, fast and brief, it brings the song up into epic proportions. Another such track is an earlier one, In the Middle of the Night. Not so heavy overall as Iron but the riffs are very much there and the track is very powerful on all counts, from the vocal delivery of singer Sharon den Adel to the song’s very structure, it is certainly one of the finest moments on offer with the album. Later track A Demon’s Fate is also pretty heavy, not as heavy as Iron either, which is about as heavy as the album gets, but the song has a very much metal feel to it, parts even push towards Euro flavoured power metal. In general though although it may sometimes feel as if the riffs are given a background role within a song those riffs are more often than not very metal orientated, particularly in tone if not always in the delivery, even on tracks such as Faster.

Then there are also the ballads. The main ballads here are Fire and Ice, a track which sits nicely between Faster and Iron, and the closing track Stairway to the Skies. Previous albums has tracks such as Somewhere (from The Silent Force) and Forgiven (From The Heart of Everything) but these ballads are a very different affair. While Fire and Ice in particular has many similarities to the aforementioned songs the tracks feel more atmospheric than symphonic, which really works in terms of the story the album is telling. Both ballads feature some excellent piano work and Stairway to the Skies is a great haunting closer for the album. Unlike many of their others ballads this one features some heavier sections.

Finally there are songs that just sound so different to anything the band has delivered before. Iron could also fit in this category but the main song I want to mention here is Murder, which features some quite unusual vocals from Sharon den Adel which coupled with some haunting symphony, make for a quite unique track. Lead guitar is also used to great effect. Also there is Shot in the Dark and Lost, which feature powerful vocals, and in the case of Lost use of acoustic guitars aplenty, even for a solo. There is a general epic feel throughout all these songs as well.

The Unforgiving is, overall, very much a change of pace for Within Temptation. Despite some early concerns on my part when all I had to go by were songs such as Where is the Edge and Faster, the end result is actually nothing short of amazing. The album did need more time to grow on me than most albums take before I felt able to write this review, but in contrast to Within Temptation’s previous album The Heart of Everything my initial impressions of it were much higher, but where The Heart of Everything grew on me pretty quick The Unforgiving has taken more time but the wait has been worth it and I now find myself able to play the album right through consecutively without getting the slightest bit bored (I’ve actually just given it three consecutive spins as I finalise this review!). Because of the commercial aspect of the music I’m not exactly confident that the more elite of a metal crowd will enjoy the album but anyone who enjoyed the band’s previous output or is open-minded to music in general is recommended to check out The Unforgiving. I for one cannot find fault in it. It also sounds fresh, like the work of a band rejuvenated – even though as far as I’m concerned they didn’t need it, Within Temptation has never disappointed me in the past with their albums, always consistently producing some of the best albums their genre has to offer and The Unforgiving is no exception, in fact it is easily their best and most exciting work to date.

There is also a special edition of the album that comes with a DVD. Currently I haven’t delved into this part of the package yet so watch this space for an update on the bonus content. As always though, the score given is representative of the standard package.

(Review originally written for Heavy Metal Haven)

metalmarketing Review written by Nathan Scott, freelance journalist.

Originally published at http://bit.ly/eHs4uv

So, I received a pleasant surprise in the mail yesterday – sitting in my letterbox was the upcoming album from Dutch Rock legends Within Temptation. Thus, without further ado…

The new Within Temptation album opens with an eerie 34 second voice clip entitled “Why Not Me?” – coincidentally also used in the short movie bundled with the “Faster” single – which really helps set the mood and focus the mind for the story which follows.

“Shot In The Dark” begins on misleadingly quiet territory, lulling you into calm and gently leading you on. “I’ve been left out alone like a damn criminal” starts Sharon, before quickly leading into a chorus which packs one hell of a punch, bleating out “your soul is on fire, a shot in the dark – where did they aim for when they missed your heart?” which you’ll be singing long after the song is over.

“In The Middle Of The Night” comes up next, beginning with guitars blazing and Sharon’s haunting voice echoing ‘I don’t care if I’m playing with fire, I’m aware that I’m frozen inside’. This is definitely one of the strongest songs on the album, both musically and from a production perspective.

“Faster” is the first nominated single from the album, and offers a good example of the new direction that Within Temptation have gone in for their first concept album. Powerful vocals and a catchy chorus make for an impressive rock anthem, a wise choice!

“Fire And Ice” slows down the pace, and is the first ballad on the album. The highlight of this song definitely lies in the power and capacity of Sharon’s voice – ‘where’s the love we once had, is it all a lie?’ haunts the first verse, before the tempo picks up for the second with strong orchestral elements and a steady bass line.

If “Fire and Ice” slowed down the pace a bit too much for your liking, “Iron” brutally forces it right back up again! A symphonic introduction with heavy, fast paced guitars precedes Sharon belting out ‘you cant live without the fire, it’s the heat that makes you strong’ in yet another catchy chorus.

In what is a good choice for just past the halfway mark, “Where Is The Edge” is a medium paced showcase of talent in a specific Within Temptation style – albeit in a slightly predictable manner.

“Sinead” will be the 2nd single released from the album, and is as far away from “Faster” as it’s possible to get. ‘Now I’m crossing the border, sealing my fate, I’m not afraid’ – definitely an accurate description of what Within Temptation demonstrates with this track. Lyrically mainstream but musically epic, this is the defining song to showcase their breakaway from albums of old.

The slow tempo of ‘Lost’ perhaps contrasts with the rest of the album. Acoustic guitars compliment Sharon’s vocals at the start, with striking range and lyrics which will leave you pondering – right before you’re brutally overwhelmed with the sudden kick of a full blown orchestra directly after the chorus.

“A Demon’s Fate” has the most interesting start of any of the songs on the album, and would sound more in place on a pop-rock record from the 80s. With less orchestra breaks than usual, it could be considered an easygoing song that is guaranteed to appeal to a wide range of musical taste.

As you’d expect from a song with such a title, “Murder” uses dark and theatrical structures in order to transport the listener into a world, which could resemble an Edgar Allan Poe-esque scenario. Certainly unique, this is one song which is hard not to listen to again, simply to see if you missed anything the first time.

The album concludes with a ballad called “Stairway To The Skies”, led by a piano based start accompanied by the combined efforts of a few violinists, joined one last time by the haunting vocal talents of Sharon. Making use of such lines as ‘My Angel is coming down from heaven to take me’, we can only hope that these particular Angels will grace us with their music for many years to come.

9.5/10 – Whilst its certainly a change in pace and direction for a well established band, its nonetheless one of the best albums I’ve had the pleasure of listening to in a long time. Less emphasis on choirs, more emphasis on rock’n'roll, this marks a turning point in the long standing career of Within Temptation – for the good.

- Nathan Scott (nathan.scott@chatcore.net) - http://metalmarketing.wordpress.com

adg211288 If everything in music was about quantity then The Dance would get a score of about 3/10, as it only has three proper songs. But quality is always far more important and The Dance will give you 15 minutes 40 seconds of outstanding quality. These three songs are some of the best that Within Temptation have ever put out. Sadly the same may not be said of the remix songs that this release also includes, which are not a patch on their originals.

The Dance features both the voice of lead singer Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt’s growl on the title track and The Other Half (Of Me). Sharon alone sings the middle song, Another Day. Her vocals are beautiful and highly fitting to their brand of symphonic metal, while Robert’s growls are the most extreme that they ever have been on a Within Temptation recording. They complement each other well, especially on the title track.

The standard of song writing is very high here, the band were clearly on a creative high period. Which brings the only complaint about The Dance up, it’s just too short. These are, as I said already, three of Within Temptations best songs. It makes me think that if they’d have put a full length album out instead of an EP, it would have been the best Within Temptation album. Perhaps a missed chance, but nothing can be complained about the three songs that we do have from The Dance, and by rating it for what it is, a perfect score would be warranted.

That would be of course in the situation that the remix songs were not dragging the final score downward. There is not really much I can say about them. They are neither truly awful nor amazing. When I play this EP I play it from The Dance to The Other half (Of Me) and then stop it, because I’d much rather listen to the original version of Restless, and I’d rather hear Candles and Pearls of Light separated as they are in their original forms from the Enter album. These two songs are pointless filler, but I enjoy the EP enough to not penalise it by too much. Avoid them, but don’t let them stop you from buying what is otherwise an exceptional release. But with that said, think very hard before paying a high amount of money for this release. It's good and worth owning yes, but don't getted ripped off thinking you're getting more material than you are.

(Review originally written for Heavy Metal Haven)

adg211288 I find that music DVD’s can be a hit or miss thing’s with fans but this one is a definite hit. If you haven’t had the chance to see Within Temptation live then this DVD captures them at their flawless best; perfect renditions of many of their best songs, spanning all four studio releases that they had at the time, great stage sets and special guests. I’ve actually seen the band while they promoted the album that they released in 2007, The Heart of Everything and in that show they mainly only played songs from said album and The Silent Force, throwing in a couple of fan favourites from Mother Earth, so The Silent Force Tour DVD makes for a great chance to see early classics such as Candles and The Other Half (of me) performed.

Clearly the band have spared no expense to make their show one to rival that of band’s said to be the some of the greatest live performers of modern times. We see a torch light procession for Candles, huge blow up creeper things to represent the power of nature during Mother Earth and lead singer Sharon den Adel suspended above the stage in a cage for Caged. Some band’s will go out of stage and just play but not Within Temptation. This is not just music, this is a show.

But first and foremost in importance is the music. Within Temptation play without fault and Sharon den Adel never misses a single note. We even get to hear the vocals of guitarist Robert Westerholt on a couple of songs, giving fans who may have only heard The Silent Force or The Heart of Everything a chance to hear Within Temptation’s earlier ‘beauty and the beast’ style of vocal delivery. Song highlights are Deceiver of Fools, Angels, Caged, Mother Earth, Candles, The Other Half (of me), Jane Doe and It’s the Fear.

Extras wise there is three music videos for the singles that came from The Silent Force (Stand My Ground, Angels, Memories) and two shorter live appearances on the first of the two discs. The extra live shows only have songs that appear in the main show and one is the same songs as the three music videos but it’s the main concert that you should be buying this for. If you’re like me you won’t be bother by that fact after you’ve watched the main show.

On the second disc you’ll find backstage footage from various places; making of documentaries for The Silent Force album and the three music videos; some interviews; a photo gallery and a bloopers/credits section. It’s not stuff that you’d probably watch more than once but I’m giving this DVD it’s rating based on the main feature. All this extra stuff is just a bonus next to that. That in itself I feel is justification for the 100% score I’m giving this DVD. If you like this band, what are you waiting for? Go buy it.

(Review originally written for Heavy Metal Haven)