Within Temptation - The Heart Of Everything

While often put down as a rip-off of Nightwish it must be noted that Within Temptation actually started out at the same time. Their more melodic style has always followed a more mainstream route, relying more on piano and synthesizer than the full orchestrations that we've come to expect from Nightwish. Also while Nightwish grew from a background of Finnish folk music Within Temptation roots are much closer to death metal, as evidenced by the use of death metal grunting on some of their earlier tracks on Enter. Vocally the singer, Sharon Den Adel, sounds a lot like Kate Bush from her Hounds of Love album.
By 2001 they switched to a much more symphonic style for Mother Earth along with a fantasy theme. By this time the male vocals had switched to a much more normal style, interspersed with male choral pieces.
By 2004 they were already firmly established as the main competitors for the symphonic metal crown against Nightwish. On the back of the success of Mother Earth they released Silent Force. It was just unfortunate for them that they'd released what was to date their best and most commercial album the same year as Nightwish's Once. Nothing could compete against Nemo that year as both bands continued to release music that was ever improving with each album surpassing the last. Nightwish's dominance continued until 2007.
Due to the sacking of Nightwish's lead singer Within Temptation found themselves in an unusual, for them, position. The Heart of Everything was released without a Nightwish album to compare it against. They beat their main competition to the release, with Nightwish still 7 months from releasing Dark Passion Play. It wasn't completely uncontested though as Nightwish released 2 singles prior to their album, the soft ballad Eva and the more traditional Amaranth, to show off the vocal talents of their new singer. The damage was already done though. Within Temptation took to the road to promote The Heart of Everything supporting the massive Lacuna Coil in the USA. The first track from the album was the more commercial What Have You Done, featuring guest male vocals and with a style similar to the massive Evanescence hit, Bring Me To Life. While not not a massive hit in the USA it did break into the more commercial US radio circuit reaching number 33 in the US Rock chart. Within Temptation had done what many would have said was impossible, they had actually stolen Nightwish's crown. More importantly they had also succeeded in doing something that even the best bands struggle to do, they had also created an album that was better than anything they'd previously done, again.
The Heart Of Everything is a much more commercial album, but it's one that has shown the natural evolution of the band from their roots with Enter. Production is perfect, vocals and instrumentals are clear, every chord, drumbeat and choral piece is clear.
1. HowlingThe album opens with the massive Howling. A veritable tour de force of metal guitar, string orchestra, choir and clear soprano.
2. What Have You DoneThe second track takes a blatant lead from Evanescence, introducing male guest vocals and turning the track into a duet. From verse to chorus the track just screams radioplay with the repeated chorus of "what have you done now".
3. FrozenFrozen slows down and sounds more like a Heart track, with a sound very like Heart's Never.
4. Our Solemn HourProbably the best song on the album, certainly my favourite. Incorporating a choir of almost Handelesque proportions and with clips from Winston Churchill this is an epic telling of the terrors of war.
5. Heart of EverythingThe title track is a mournful song that is pulled along by distorted guitars and drums. In the background is a haunting mix of sythesizer and strings.
6. Hand of SorrowThe Hand of Sorrow opens to violins and piano with the melody firmly orchestral while the drums and guitars are relegated to the rythm section. Even in the chorus the strings are pulled right to the front and then counterpointed by the keyboards during the verses.
7. CrossWith a song following the theme of religion Cross tells a story of rejection and despair.
8. Final DestinationAgain this is a much more commercially sounding track, with a nu-metal feel to it overlayed with choralwork.
9. All I NeedStarting much slower with acoustic guitar this is a soft love ballad that builds nicely to the orchestrated choruses.
10. Truth Beneath The RoseTruth Beneath The Rose returns to the musical style of their previous album with a mix of metal, choralwork and strings tinged with a hint of eastern mysticism.
11. ForgivenThe closing track is a slow piano driven ballad that nicely rounds off the album.
All in all this album is potentially my favourite album in my collection. While being more commercial that isn't actually a bad thing with the album being just a result of the band's natural progression. Every track compliments each other and there's no hint of the jarring disparities evident in Nightwish's Dark Passion Play. Of all the bands in the symphonic metal genre Within Temptation are probably the most accessible now being at once lighter in tone than Nightwish and without the death metal undertones of Epica, combining the best of what the competition has to offer. Musically they're as good as anything Epica has while vocally they're a match for Nightwish's new singer. Each track is crafted to precision and the temptation to drift off into different styles and tempos halfway through a track has been reigned in, leaving a lasting impression of an album made up of individually crafted perfection. For any fan of the symphonic metal genre this album is a must and it looks like they may reign for a long time, but with a new album coming soon from Nightwish's ex-singer it remains to be seen just how long that reign will last.
Rather than put up my favourite, or the single, I've decided to go with the title track as I feel it shows the album as a whole off better than the others. Here's Heart of Everything