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One thing that's
apparent from listening to Holland's gothic maestro's Within Temptation,
is just how much they've grown over the course of their more recent opus'.
2001's "Mother Earth" saw a band who had the ability to create an album of
fantastic music, but who lacked a certain conviction on record. The
release of the bands breakthrough album "The Silent Force" showed a
development and a maturity shine through, and also rewarded them with a
debut number one chart placing in their homeland.
Now this, Within
Temptation's 4th full length record, has brought us 11 songs brimming with
maturity and a conviction which I've yet to have heard in a Within
Temptation album. This conviction is displayed fully in the albums epic
and commanding opener "The Howling", a track which when compared with a
lot of Within Temptation's previous output, shows just how good and happening this band
are right now.
Sharon Den Adel has developed in her vocals, gone are the
days when she could be passed off as a Kate Bush sound-alike, and welcome
are the days when Within Temptation have a full on rock goddess fronting
them, her voice shows a new aggression and is really quite fantastic. While
heart stopping guitar work has never been something I've associated Within
Temptation with, and probably never will, the heaviness of tracks such as
"Deceiver of Fools" and "Mother Earth" is still here, backed with that
classic operatic backdrop which keyboardist Martijn Westerholt perfects.
Keith Caputo from America's Life of Agony guests on the albums first
single, "What have you done", which I must say is a complete
aberration
from anything I've ever heard from the Dutch men and woman before. It's
almost a fusion of a Gothic, Operatic, Majestic soundscape (Within
Temptation), with an aggressive almost rap/nu-metal feel (Caputo) ... Evanescene's breakthrough hit "Bring me to Life" is unfortunately
lingering in my mind as I listen to this song, but I guess it didn't send
them in the wrong direction as far as success goes.
A ballad style
heartbreaker follows in the shape of "Frozen", a dark, slow tempo lighters
aloft stadium filler which is complimented again by the deepness and
emotion found in Den Adel's majestic voice. The epic, epic, epic "Our
solemn hour" is laden with choirs, a huge orchestral background, and on
close listening what appears to be Winston Churchill making a speech,
which for me personally grabs my attention enough to read the lyrics in
detail in search of a double meaning. Den Adel's Banshee-esque wail
halfway through the song certainly makes it one to remember, although the
quality of the track had done that already without any problems.
"The
Heart of Everything", the albums 5 minute + title track, shows yet again
more sides to Den Adels voice, but unfortunately it lies in the bottom half
of tracks as far as quality goes, owing mainly to a rather week chorus and
what sounds like Gollum from Lord of the Rings mumbling in the background. While it is only 5 minutes or so in length, it just seems to drag on
slightly. Contrary to this short lived low point, "Hand of Sorrow" excels
in quality and blends the soft with the heavy perfectly, going from a
classic Within Temptation verse/breakdown to a killer up-tempo chorus. A
breakdown filled with a soft reflective vocal piece lead to a fantastic
Maiden-esque guitar harmony, something which guitarists Robert Westerholt
and Ruud Andrianus Jolie experiment with all too rarely.
"The Cross" is
similar to "Frozen" in terms of it's tempo, plus it's missing absolutely
none of the passion and feeling displayed in the latter track, and why
should it, the track is about the hardships that have been faced by the
band members, a personal song to each of them no doubt. "Final
Destination" revolves around a catchy and pounding guitar riff, and
provides an opportunity to get your head nodding up and down in
appreciation. All I need is a classic Within Temptation tear jerking slow
burner, the type which people will either love for it's heartfelt and
mournful presentation, or hate for it's cheesiness and softness (to some
peoples ears at least!) ... It's easily the most beautiful song on the
album, and yet another renewal of my love for Within Temptation, Sharon
Den Adel is truly one of the best vocalists in any band at the moment, and
she keeps getting better.
According to the latter mentioned vocalist, "The
Truth Beneath the Rose" is partly based on the hit book/movie "The Da
Vinci Code", resulting in a somewhat partialness towards the track before
even hearing it, due to my love of this book. Thankfully the song goes
some way towards matching it's inspiration, with a flowing chorus running
throughout and an orchestra fit to sound any late night escapade through
Paris. "The heart of everything" closes on a mellow and reflective note,
Sharon Den Adel and a soft piano create "Forgiven", a track written about
the strength of unconditional love, and a great way to end what is an
excellent, epic, beautiful album, which if anything shows just how alive
Within Temptation are now, in the year 2007, 11 years after their
formation.
This album is easily the best I've heard from Within
Temptation, their writing has progressed a lot in as such as they've gone
on to write about war, personal emotions, religion ... Adding a depth that
extends beyond just the music itself. "The heart of everything" is
fantastic, and hats off to Within Temptation for producing a work so
fresh.
*
Review by Shadow Warrior. |
