I have been listening to Within Temptation (WT), a Dutch Symphonic Rock/Metal band, since around 1998. I bought Enter (1997), their first album from a metal community in Bali. That time, I was still more into Symphonic/Power and Black Metal. I got the influence of the latter from a friend who studied in Bandung, known for its growing members of Black Metal who normally gather in Black Mass community. While Dismal Euphony (now disbanded) was the first band having a female voice that I listened to (Soria Moria Slott album), I still found myself fascinated with a female voice with slower, but melodic rhythm using rich keys composition, such as WT.

Compared to Dismal Euphony (listen to A Thousand Rivers), for instance, WT is different to my ears. Yes, they incorporated male grunt voice in their first album but it grows putting Sharon den Adel’s angelic voice more in later works. Mother Earth album (2000) is indeed one of their most well known works. But songs in many following albums are great as well. I use them as a reference when playing with my band earlier. Songs, like Mother Earth, Memories, Stand My Ground are to name some. A live gig of my band playing Mother Earth can be listened here.

To remember them, here I post their two video concerts I love. If you like them, you can also listen to their beautiful composition while enjoying Sharon’s angelic voice.

Within Temptation & Metropole Orchestra – Black Symphony

The concert was recorded live at The Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands on February 7, 2008. The track list is as follows:

1. Overture
2. Jillian
3. The Howling
4. Stand My Ground
5. The Cross
6. What Have You Done
7. Hand of Sorrow
8. The Heart of Everything
9. Forgiven
10. Somewhere
11. Swan Song
12. Memories
13. Our Solemn Hour
14. The Other Half
15. Frozen
16. The Promise
17. Angels
18. Mother Earth
19. Truth Beneath the Rose
20. Deceiver of Fools
21. All I Need
22. Ice Queen

Note: Some of my favorite songs from this setlist are Jillian, The Howling, Hand of Sorrow, Stand My Ground (played this a lot with my band earlier ^_^), What Have You Done, Hand of Sorrow (a very good composition), The Heart of Everything, Forgiven, Somewhere (a beautiful duet with Anneke van Giersbergen of The Gathering – watch here), Swan Song, Memories (played this a lot with my band, too), Our Solemn Hour, Frozen, The Promise, Angels, Mother Earth (of course!), Truth beneath the Rose (a great one, quite underrated, though), Deceiver of Fools, All I need and Ice Queen (monumental!). Almost all heh? 🙂

Within Temptation – Bonus Concert of Black Symphony

The concert’s recorded live at The Beursgebouw, Eindhoven, The Netherlands on November 24, 2007. The track list is:

1. Intro
2. Jillian (I’d Give My Heart)
3. The Howling
4. The Cross
5. Hand of Sorrow
6. The Heart of Everything
7. Restless
8. Our Solemn Hour
9. Mother Earth
10. Jane Doe
11. The Truth beneath The Rose
12. All I Need

Note: My most favorite songs apart from those mentioned above are Restless (the very first song I listened from WT) and Jane Doe (listened to this in the Silent Force tour, a cover version made even better!).

Please note that all videos were taken from those already available in YouTube. I do not have any intention of any infringement. For more information of the band, please visit their website. Their official videos and news can be watched here. Thank you very much!

©mhsantosa (2013)
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