Music

Album Review: Within Temptation ‘The Unforgiving’

Published

13 years ago

March 25, 2011

Within Temptation is one of those love ‘em or hate ‘em bands. In terms of technicality, they aren’t doing anything that hasn’t been done before. However, they have amassed a rather rabid following, thanks to two aspects: 1) Sharon Den Adel’s astonishing voice and 2) the accessibility of their music. This is symphonic metal that could, and probably should be on the same level, if not bigger, than Evanescence was at their peak. Now with ‘The Unforgiving’, their fifth studio album, Within Temptation is back after four years. This album is based on a comic book that was written by Steven O’Connell (Bloodrayne). Is it a welcome return? Check after the jump for the answer.

The album opens up with an intro track that bleeds into the first real song, ‘Shot In The Dark’. It’s a medium-paced energetic track that will easily get your foot tapping and your head nodding along. The trademark orchestrations are there while the band lays down a simple yet driving metal rhythm. The song is definitely a good example of what you’re in store for as it’s right in the middle of what is to come: some tracks are heavier, some lighter, some faster and some slower.

The production of the album is gorgeous, especially considering how many layers there are. The band sounds cohesive yet each instrument can be heard separately. Sharon’s voice is fantastic, swelling and soaring over the music. The orchestra sounds rich and a great deal of the subtleties, such as string vibratos, can be picked out, making this a wonderful album for multiple listens.

I’m one of the people that love Within Temptation. I fully understand that they are not the most complicated band out there, but their music is fun, catchy and can be both astonishingly beautiful and crushingly heavy.

The Final Word: Within Temptation have knocked the ball out of the park with ‘The Unforgiving’. It’s an epic diverse album that could very well be considered the band’s finest.

Related Topics:Album Review Evanescence Metal review Roadrunner Records The Unforgiving Within Temptation

JonathanBarkan

Managing editor/music guy/social media fella of Bloody-Disgusting

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Music

“He Walks By Night” – Listen to a Brand New John Carpenter Song NOW!

Published

2 weeks ago

April 9, 2024

John Squires

It’s a new day, and you’ve got new John Carpenter to listen to. John Carpenter, Daniel Davies and Cody Carpenter have released the new track He Walks By Night this morning, the second single off their upcoming album Lost Themes IV: Noir, out May 3 on Sacred Bones Records.

Lost Themes IV: Noir is the latest installment in a series that sees Carpenter releasing new music for John Carpenter movies that don’t actually exist. The first Lost Themes was released in 2015, followed by Lost Themes II in 2016 and Lost Themes III: Alive After Death in 2021.

Sacred Bones previews, “It’s been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood’s great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they’ve struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration.

“Since the first Lost Themes, John has referred to these compositions as “soundtracks for the movies in your mind.” On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs “noirish” is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone.

“The trio’s free-flowing chemistry means Lost Themes IV: Noir runs like a well-oiled machine—the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster from Kiss Me Deadly, perhaps, or the 1958 Plymouth Fury from John’s own Christine. It’s a chemistry that’s helped power one of the most productive stretches of John’s creative life, and Noir proves that it’s nowhere near done yielding brilliant results.”

You can pre-save Lost Themes IV: Noir right now! And listen to the new track below…