Within Temptation thread

[Max Kuehnau]

My favourite is Enter, but I enjoyed the next two as well. To be honest, I never even gave The Unforgiving and Hydra a chance.

I have no idea what their output is after those two.

Since Hydra, they seem really big on guest vocalists.

which doesn't bother me too much honestly, and I like most of their records, apart from their first one probably. And I think Resist is a good one as well.

[bosk1]

My favourite is Enter, but I enjoyed the next two as well. To be honest, I never even gave The Unforgiving and Hydra a chance.

I have no idea what their output is after those two.

Since Hydra, they seem really big on guest vocalists.

That started WAY before Hydra.  Don't forget What Have You Done.  Or George Oosthok guesting on a couple of their earlier songs. 

[bosk1]

It does seem like after The Unforgiving (my favorite) there was a fundamental shift in their style.

Yep - even on that album you could hear where they might be going with stuff like Sinead. 

For sure.  But for me, the thing is, when I first heard Sinead, my reaction was "Wait, what are they doing here?  Hmm...even though I don't generally like this direction, this is actually a REALLY good song."  The stuff afterward not only goes in that direction I don't care for, but the music isn't up to par.

[Adami]

My favourite is Enter, but I enjoyed the next two as well. To be honest, I never even gave The Unforgiving and Hydra a chance.

I have no idea what their output is after those two.

Since Hydra, they seem really big on guest vocalists.

That started WAY before Hydra.  Don't forget What Have You Done.  Or George Oosthok guesting on a couple of their earlier songs.

Yes but it tripled on Hydra. 3 guest singers on that and the following album. 2 over 2-3 albums prior doesn’t mean it’s the same. Hence me saying “really big” and not “started to use”

[cramx3]

My favourite is Enter, but I enjoyed the next two as well. To be honest, I never even gave The Unforgiving and Hydra a chance.

I have no idea what their output is after those two.

Since Hydra, they seem really big on guest vocalists.

That started WAY before Hydra.  Don't forget What Have You Done.  Or George Oosthok guesting on a couple of their earlier songs.

Yes but it tripled on Hydra. 3 guest singers on that and the following album. 2 over 2-3 albums prior doesn’t mean it’s the same. Hence me saying “really big” and not “started to use”

Also those guest vocal songs seem to be the singles.   I don't really have an issue with this, but when all your "hits" start to follow this trend, to me, it takes a hit on the live show when every other song has someone singing on the background screen instead of live vocals sung by your awesome lead singer. 

The reality for me, I don't mind their shift in style and sound, but they just haven't been very consisten with making good songs with that style.  The latest album is a whole bunch of hit and miss.  It's not a bad album at all, but it's not consistent.  Same goes for Hydra.

[ErHaO]

Their new music doesn't do a lot for me. It sounds good, but just is not a style that resonates with me.

Btw, I was checking some Sharon performances of two years ago in the tv show Liefe voor Muziek. It basically is the Belgian version of Beste Zangers (that show which Floor Jansen participated in last year). For those who have missed it, a youtube playlist with all of her 7 performances: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RWHSqUxGAs&list=PLY4Wx9t3Xj1eSZ0XAdirf0JCTVTKKawt2

[Cool Chris]

Well, that new song was, eh... not good. And the YouTube thumbnail for the track on their channel is the creepiest thing I've ever seen.

[Cool Chris]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoBIQkL4r0s

New song, The Purge.

[Architeuthis]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoBIQkL4r0s

New song, The Purge.

That was pretty cool!  My first time checking out this thread, I saw one of their live videos on fb and thought it was awesome. I wish I knew the name of the concert release. 
Seems like a band worth looking into. 

[Cool Chris]

Black Symphony is a great video/CD release of theirs, at what I believe some fans would consider their creative peak. It is visually stunning. They have subsequently released another live album but I don't own it so cannot comment on it.

[Ben_Jamin]

Black Symphony is a great video/CD release of theirs, at what I believe some fans would consider their creative peak. It is visually stunning. They have subsequently released another live album but I don't own it so cannot comment on it.

Let Us Burn, is pretty good to get their Unforgiven and Hydra. Personally I prefer Black Symphony as those songs are the ones that I prefer from Within Temptation.

I knew where Within Temptation was going once they did those Pop covers, and it's where they are and I don't quite enjoy it. It's why I couldn't get into Resist, and why I can't get into this song.

[Cool Chris]

Unforgiving. Unforgiven is that Clint Eastwood movie I forgot their were tracks from that on Let Us Burn. It's my favorite WT album so I should check it out. But yeah, after that there is a big drop-off. I am glad I saw them on the last tour though as they don't come here much. It was a great show.

[Ben_Jamin]

Unforgiving. Unforgiven is that Clint Eastwood movie I forgot their were tracks from that on Let Us Burn. It's my favorite WT album so I should check it out. But yeah, after that there is a big drop-off. I am glad I saw them on the last tour though as they don't come here much. It was a great show.

If I had the chance. I'd definitely go see them.

[bl5150]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoBIQkL4r0s

New song, The Purge.

just when I thought their production couldn't get any muddier. 

I like them (and love The Unforgiven) but have found most of their recent output almost unlistenable from a sound quality perspective.

[cramx3]

This all just starts to sound the same for WT.  Sucks, I enjoy them, but I'm just struggling to continue to enjoy where they are headed.  They still make some good songs, but it's really just becoming bland overall.  I feel like they lost motivation or something.

[Zook]

The Unforgiving was they're last good album. I didn't really care for Hydra and the next album was worse. They have the chops and ability to write good melodies. What the hell happened? The Purge is a decent song, but kinda bland. Maybe they should take a break, get some inspiration, and stop trying to be something they aren't.

[cramx3]

The Unforgiving was they're last good album. I didn't really care for Hydra and the next album was worse. They have the chops and ability to write good melodies. What the hell happened? The Purge is a decent song, but kinda bland. Maybe they should take a break, get some inspiration, and stop trying to be something they aren't.

I think they did take a break after Hydra and this is what they've become

[ErHaO]

The music (not vocals) sounds horrible, as if it is of super low bitrate or something? The song unfortunately doesn't do much for me either.

[bosk1]

Black Symphony is incredible.  But Let Us Burn is pretty good as well.  Visually, it is perhaps better than Black Symphony.  But the set lists aren't quite as strong.  The Elements set is pretty good, because you get almost a "best of Black Symphony" set, with some Unforgiving songs thrown in.  The Hydra set is much weaker.  The good songs are mostly all already in the Elements set, and I think the songs from Hydra are inferior and drag the set down.  But still, it's a good buy just for the Elements set.  I am going to have to pop that in the player this week.  Haven't watched it in ages.

[cramx3]

Black Symphony is incredible.  But Let Us Burn is pretty good as well.  Visually, it is perhaps better than Black Symphony.  But the set lists aren't quite as strong.  The Elements set is pretty good, because you get almost a "best of Black Symphony" set, with some Unforgiving songs thrown in.  The Hydra set is much weaker.  The good songs are mostly all already in the Elements set, and I think the songs from Hydra are inferior and drag the set down.  But still, it's a good buy just for the Elements set.  I am going to have to pop that in the player this week.  Haven't watched it in ages.

Yea, spot on.  Black Symphony is their best concert video.  Let Us Burn is still an incredible package.  Two concerts in one, one of which is like a newer version of the Black Symphony concert which is really good, but the setlist makes the BS video better, but the bonus concert really is solid too and makes for a very good package deal.  If you like BS and want to get another concert, you won't be upset with LUB. 

[bosk1]

I will say that I slightly prefer the sound of the band on Let Us Burn.  Not the sound quality, necessarily--that is stellar on both packages.  But they are a band that makes room for the symphonic elements of their sound, and the guitars tend to take a back seat in a live setting, so the overall sound is less heavy.  To me, it was pretty noticeably less heavy on Black Symphony.  I like the added heaviness on LUB.

EDIT:  One thing I am noticing on LUB, at least on the Elements set, is that the editing is...well, let's just say that if Steve Harris watched this, he would probably have a seizure from how rapidly the visuals cut between shots. 

[Cool Chris]

The Unforgiving was they're last good album. I didn't really care for Hydra and the next album was worse. They have the chops and ability to write good melodies. What the hell happened? The Purge is a decent song, but kinda bland. Maybe they should take a break, get some inspiration, and stop trying to be something they aren't.

Yes, except I liked Resist more than Hydra. Maybe I just accepted this was the direction they were going so took Resist for what it was, while Hydra was such a change in course coming out of Silent Force/Heart of Everything/Unforgiving, when they were in peak form.

[bosk1]

Watched (well, mostly listened) to Let Us Burn during work today.  I really, REALLY like the Elements show.  So much so that I watched it twice.  And the crowd is SO into it that, whenever I looked up and there was a crowd shot, it instantly just made me smile.  That happened several times.  The fact that it has 8 songs from my two favorite albums, and a rare "bonus" track that I don't think was played anywhere else, really make it a strong set.  If the video editing wasn't quite so frantic, this might easily be my favorite live collection from them.

As mentioned above, the Hydra set is so much weaker.  But it still has some really cool moments.  Silver Moonlight and What Have You Done are kind of unexpected highlights for me.

[Anguyen92]

You know, I don't think I ever caught this until recently for whatever reason, but last year, in light of WWE legend, the Undertaker, approaching retirement, the WWE came up with this tribute video highlighting his 30 years in the WWE.  If I know there are some things WWE can still hit well on, nowadays, it would be the choice of music that fits the video.  They choose The Reckoning.  Good fit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDW6ZQqG0Nc

[cramx3]

Wow, I'm kind of shocked to see WWE working with WT, but this is awesome 

[Grappler]

I remember when that video came out last summer.  The song works really well for the Undertaker lyrically (blood and tears, rise again a thousand times).  I think he used to talk about "reckonings" quite a bit in the classic era. 

[Ben_Jamin]

Has anyone heard the new song yet?

Shed My Skin

It's pretty good Pop-Metal. Further continuing the modern sound of Within Temptation. I knew they were heading this way since The Unforgiving. I don't mind it, but it's not really the style I am interested in at the moment. That style needs to be more musical than this for me to actually enjoy it more. Still, it's not a bad song.

[bosk1]

Sadly, didn't do much for me.  I still really want to like this band, but they lost me a couple of albums ago.  It would go a long way with me if they would drop the special guests and just go back to making solid, catchy, somewhat-symphonic metal.  They did that very well.  But I guess this direction is working for them and a lot of their fanbase, so... 

[cramx3]

Sadly, didn't do much for me.  I still really want to like this band, but they lost me a couple of albums ago.  It would go a long way with me if they would drop the special guests and just go back to making solid, catchy, somewhat-symphonic metal.  They did that very well.  But I guess this direction is working for them and a lot of their fanbase, so... 

I'm in the same boat.  I kind of just don't care about this band anymore sadly.  The music isn't even that bad, but it's just not that good or interesting either.  I'd go check them out live again because they put on a good show, but their art is really lost on me these days. 

[Ben_Jamin]

Sadly, didn't do much for me.  I still really want to like this band, but they lost me a couple of albums ago.  It would go a long way with me if they would drop the special guests and just go back to making solid, catchy, somewhat-symphonic metal.  They did that very well.  But I guess this direction is working for them and a lot of their fanbase, so... 

They went from Symphonic Gothic Metal, to Symphonic Metal, to straight up Symphonic Pop Metal.

I realized they were going to do this when they actually did the Q Session Pop Covers and when they released a bonus cd with some of those pop covers.

I really do still enjoy the band. But, as with how you feel, I just can't find myself listening to those songs much at all. I could do Hydra because those songs were not heavily Pop influenced, but Resist was where that pop influence went full force into their overall sound and I lost interest. They also signed to a new label with that release, and I think it's just gonna be there sound for a few albums I feel, including this new one. As according to Wiki, they have a lot of Demos that are very far.

[cramx3]

I enjoy some songs on Resist.  Some of those songs came off well live too IMO (Supernova really grew on me after seeing it live).

But it's just not music that I find very interesting.  And also to Bosk's point, the endless guests.  It seems like a gimmick at this point, which I can get into if I really found the music to be worthy.

[Ben_Jamin]

I enjoy some songs on Resist.  Some of those songs came off well live too IMO (Supernova really grew on me after seeing it live).

But it's just not music that I find very interesting.  And also to Bosk's point, the endless guests.  It seems like a gimmick at this point, which I can get into if I really found the music to be worthy.

I hear ya.

Like the special guest for their livestream.

[cramx3]

I enjoy some songs on Resist.  Some of those songs came off well live too IMO (Supernova really grew on me after seeing it live).

But it's just not music that I find very interesting.  And also to Bosk's point, the endless guests.  It seems like a gimmick at this point, which I can get into if I really found the music to be worthy.

I hear ya.

Like the special guest for their livestream.

I didn't watch the livestream, did they just have video and not actual in person guests?  And I didn't watch the livestream for precisely the reasons why my love for them had faded. 

[ariich]

Sadly, didn't do much for me.  I still really want to like this band, but they lost me a couple of albums ago.  It would go a long way with me if they would drop the special guests and just go back to making solid, catchy, somewhat-symphonic metal.  They did that very well.  But I guess this direction is working for them and a lot of their fanbase, so... 

It's the "catchy" bit that makes the difference for me. Heart of Everything and especially The Unforgiving have so many amazing tunes and great hooks. I have no problem at all with the shift in style, but their songs mostly don't have the same strong hooks anymore - there are maybe 3-4 really songs on each of the last two albums but not enough to make them strong albums overall.

[gazinwales]

The last WT CD I bought was The Unforgiving in 2011.
I can't stand their recent stuff, just not for me, but good luck to them.