Of all the acts to emerge from the European region under the sub-genre of Symphonic Metal, The Netherlands’ Within Temptation have arguably been the most internationally successful. With roots that date back to 1996, Within Temptation is a name that was known in the underground scene long before any mainstream success; thanks to the band’s earlier Gothic and Doom Metal leaning material. Steadily progressing, some would look back to 2007’s The Heart of Everything as an important turning point in the band’s success with the album being their most widely promoted in North America at the time. Since then it has been fanfare consistently here, there, and everywhere with big success on 2011’s The Unforgiving, 2014’s Hydra, and 2019’s Resist.
Known for their overall cinematic, large sound, plus the exhilarating vocals of Sharon den Adel, Within Temptation has continued to create inspiring music… and that includes their latest efforts in 2023. A compilation of material that has been sprinklered out to public airwaves for over three years now, it all started in May of 2020 with the single “Entertain You.” A bold start to releasing new music, the end result, Bleed Out, comes with plenty of excitement.
Released on October 20, 2023 via their own label Force Music Recordings, Bleed Out is an eleven-track collection including, as mentioned, many previously released songs. This includes seven previously released songs; four from 2022’s Don’t Pray For Me EP, and three more mashed together with Don’t Pray For Me for September of 2023’s Ritual EP. So, that means that most fans have listened to and thoroughly consumed more than half of Bleed Out already. Which leaves us with six newer songs left to digest.
Quickly looking back, the seven songs released prior to Bleed Out all have star quality with catchy melodies, fantastic vocal hooks, and lively arrangements. Some of the best of these include “Wireless,” “Don’t Pray For Me,” “The Purge,” and “Entertain You.” Delightful mixes of heavy guitars, fitting synthesized elements, and energetic vocals, they are explanatory of what Within Temptation does best.
Joining these songs, the newer batch include the mesmerizing “We Go To War” and “Worth Dying For,” as well as the powerful “Cyanide Love. In all, each track is full of intensity, color, and is carefully crafted. And with that, much like prior Within Temptation material, the lyrical content is robust with topics we all struggle with internally; this includes religion, negativity surrounding us, and what feels like the overall decline of civilization.
An album right up there with some of Within Temptation’s best efforts, Bleed Out is a journey worth taking. Continuing to push the envelope and separate themselves from the crowd, there are intangible elements in everything Within Temptation put together for this new music. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Bleed Out 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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