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With their 5th
studio album Dutch symphonic metallers Within Temptation undertake an
ambitious
task. Initially the band wanted to write music for a movie, but the
sheer
difficulty of finding a quality storyline coupled with additional
conflicts
derailed the project. Finally they approached the writer for the Chronicles
of Spellborn
comics.
After working through a few ideas, things
started to gel.
The Unforgiven echoes
a comic of the same name
written by Steven O'Connell & illustrated by Romano Molenaar.
The album
follows three short films as well. The first, Mother Maiden, was
released at the end of January this year & the second film Sinead
followed
shortly after in March. A
CD/DVD special
edition of the album includes a DVD with the 3 films, video clips,
expanded
packaging, & a fold-out poster.
Overall
the album
comes across as a slick, smoothly produced soundscape. It's something
of a
departure from the almost doom-driven Goth influences of debut album Enter,
&
in some ways far from the sound listeners have come to expect from
Within
Temptation these days. However the band has never
claimed to be anything
other than a symphonic band that draws on other influences as required.
The
Unforgiven comes across as focused & consistent.
Sharon den Adel's
soaring vocals carry the album. Decent riffs & harmonies
throughout display
the rest of the band's talents nicely.
My
only complaint
is that the 80's-rock elements strike me as a little jarring at first
listen.
Track #4 'Faster' is a good example. A nicely-done
guitar solo helps to
save the song.
The 80's feel
is
somewhat echoed in track #8 'Sinead'. The big dose
of 80's-rock
influence strikes me as a little overdone. Heavy-handed synth &
programmed
beats come on somewhat strong, although the track's upbeat chorus is
guaranteed
to stick in your head for days.
This
having been
said, The Unforgiven has a few nifty tricks up its
proverbial sleeve.
Ballad track #5 'Fire & Ice' is chock-full
of orchestral goodness.
The violin & piano bits highlight thoughtful lyrics &
amazing vocal
efforts. Moving directly into a track like 'Iron' might
seem an odd
choice at first. The old-school heavy metal-style guitar work slaps you
in the
face & wakes you up without coming on to strong. Another
amazing guitar
solo & solid drumming efforts top things off nicely.
Whilst
not an
outstanding effort, it's definitely worth a second listen. I'd rate
this one a
solid 6 out of 10.
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