BAND BIOGRAPHY

Within Temptation is a Dutch symphonic metal band founded in April 1996 by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. They have been classified by critics as gothic metal and symphonic metal, although each album contains other influences outside these genres. Critics have noticed the band’s experimentation and musical versatility. In an interview, den Adel said they fell into a symphonic rock genre with various influences. In another interview, den Adel stated that “We consider ourselves more an atmospheric melodic symphonic metal/rock band… In my opinion, we are not a gothic band but we have gothic elements”

The group advanced the exploration of other musical genres in their subsequent releases. Their sixth studio album, HYDRA, was released in early 2014, and featured guest appearances from various artists: Finnish singer Tarja Turunen, who appears in the lead single ‘Paradise (What About Us?)’; Howard Jones, former vocalist of American metalcore band Killswitch Engage; Dave Pirner, lead vocalist of American alternative rock band Soul Asylum; and American rapper Xzibit. Their seventh studio album, RESIST, was released in February 2019 and incorporated influences from other musical styles such as industrial and EDM. BLEED OUT, their latest studio effort, was released on 20 October 2023, and contains influences from metalcore and djent, alongside hints from their initial gothic metal inclinations.

A legion of fans and accolades have followed in their wake, and a staggering 26 years later they’re showing no signs of slowing down or bending to the fickle inducements of fashion. Arguably, it’s that focus and singularity of purpose that has ensured their ability to weather changing trends as well as the pitfalls of a profoundly transformed recording industry, and with the release of their eighth studio album, it’s apparent that they’re not afraid to rock the boat, either.

“We started writing the winter before the pandemic,” says Sharon of the writing process that would become Bleed Out. “We were going on the Worlds Collide tour with Evanescence, but we’d already released our previous album quite a bit before and so we thought it’d be good to have a few new songs as well.”

Fate, and a world crisis, had other plans, though the pair are quick to point out that Bleed Out is not a pandemic record. Rather, the confluence of events kick-started a period of self-released singles which would keep Within Temptation engaged with their fans when that connection was needed most, and it also gave them the ability to lyrically respond to world events swiftly and without the relatively glacial pace of a full album release.

“It meant that we could write something in the moment, so if an event happens you can release something in a short period of time instead of in two years as the first single off an album,” she says. “That’s a really nice ability to have and I’m really into it.”

“And I suppose by being able to release things quickly means you’re not 18 months behind the conversation when you are commenting on things,” adds Robert.

It would make for an unconventional release schedule, but also foreground one of Within Temptation’s boldest statements yet: an album that is as epic as it is unflinchingly outspoken, and anyone who has seen them take the stage with a Ukrainian flag recently will know that this is a band who aren’t afraid to make a stand on issues they care about.