Customer Reviews

Black Sym (Bonus Dvd)

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As a fan of Within Temptation, I have been waiting for this DVD to come out since they announced the show back in February and now it's finally here. This dvd is brilliant, sure it's not the same as the European release but the main concert is what's important here and it's fantastic. There are no other words to describe the vocals of Sharon den Adel combined with a live orchestra. Within Temptation was made for something like this and I love the new arrangements to some of the songs including "Mother Earth", "Stand My Ground", and "Angels". Adding the pyros, video screens, lights, dancers, and sounds made this one of the best live performances ever captured on film.

This version of Black Symphony contains a cd with 13 live songs and a DVD with the full 22 song concert and a few special features:

Backstage report- a 13 minute interview with the band, crowd, and orchestra before and after the show.

Documentary - runs for about 23 minutes and it features the band discussing a little about their career with rehearsal footage from black symphony.

Countdown - 8 minute overview from the day of the show.

For anyone that wants to know the technical stuff, the show is shot in widescreen and contains 2.0/5.1/DTS sound.

Every fan of Within Temptation must pick this up! You won't regret it.

I couldn't agree more with the three reviews already listed on here. They all hit the nail on the head. The recording sounds just as clear as a studio album and the performance itself is a feast for the eyes. The orchestra, choir, guest performers and wild stage show related stuff (I don't want to spoil it) are just amazing.

This is one of the better looking/sounding concert DVDs out and I have a bunch to compare it to. The extra features are short in nature, but fun to watch.

I do wish the US version was available on Blu-ray like the one in Europe, but you get the full 22 song concert on DVD and 13 songs on the CD for under $20.00. You can't pass on this deal.

All in all, this is a must have for fans of Within Temptation. Buy it already!

I recieved my long awaited copy of Within Temptation's "Black Symphony" today. This concert is simply fantastic! WT, The Pa'dam Choir, and the Metropole Orchestra provide a feast for the senses the likes of which I've never experienced. You may think I'm exaggerating, but I assure you I am not. If this live DVD doesn't get them world wide acclaim, then nothing will. Sharon den Adel is absolutely stunning and an unbelievable talent. Her voice absolutely soars to incredible registers and is unwaivering over the two hour event. The rest of the band forms a very cohesive unit and their playing is flawless as always. The Metropole Orchestra and Pa'dam Choir make this an even more spectacular event. Nothing can compare to having them live on stage with the band. Recordings would just not have been the same. I won't describe the entire concert here. I don't want to ruin it for anyone. I will say I highly recommend this CD/DVD to everyone. Five stars hands down. Go out and get it!!

If you have never had the privelidge of seeing the Silent Force Tour on DVD (originally released in PAL a few years back & now just released in NTSC format) you will finally get the chance to see on of the BEST bands in the genere and wow how they have evolved since then. WT pulls out all the stops for this unbelievablly stunning performance. On stage they look so excited and enjoying this perofrmace so much you can feel it. The sound and picture are crystal clear shot in HD and the whole package is a top notch effort. All the classics are here and they open the show with a Jaw dropping rendition of Jillian- they then power thru their amazing cataloge while the symphony orchestra & choir accompaines them to an amazing effect. They have video screens, pyro, stilt walkers and various other FX to make this on extrodinary evening of music and a MUST have DVD. Period. Do not miss The Black Symphony it one show you will never forget and want to watch over & over again.

I'm usually wary of live performance albums. The goal of live performances is to give a fantastic performance for the audience attending with a CD/DVD release being secondary. Most live recordings I hear suffer from the fact that you just can't have a microphone everywhere. This causes the mix between vocals, instruments and audience to be very uneven. Sometimes an artist will get cute with their songs. Sometimes it's simply the fact that it is a live album and mistakes will be made that you simply can't edit out.

Sometimes you get a performance that breaks the mold and delivers a good CD/DVD performance as well: Simon and Garfunkle's concert in the park, Metallica's S&M concert. But these breakings of the mold are usually the exception to the rule.

Within Temptation doesn't just break the mold with Black Symphony, they shatter it. This is quite easily the best live performance album I've heard, bar none. The mix between symphony, singing and audience is amazing. It could very well rival what would come out of a studio. Sharon's singing is flawless from beginning to end of this more than 2-hour concert. If there were any mistakes made, I certainly didn't notice them.

The lighting, the pyrotechnics, the orchestra, camera movement, Sharon's own knowledge of how to please the crowd, all of it works together to deliver an amazing event. If it was this amazing in my own living room, I could only imagine what it was like really being there. A previous review says he wouldn't describe the entire concert in his review because he didn't want to ruin it. I won't describe the entire concert in my review simply because words fail.

No, this is not an exaggeration. This is not just the sycophantic praise of a fan that thinks WT can do no wrong. This is an honest review of someone who has listened to many a live recording and has been left cold by all but a few. The production costs to make this album must have been through the roof, because nowhere have I heard an audio mix from a live show work as well as this. Nowhere have I seen camera work done as flawlessly. No were have I seen a live event get captured so well on camera. This is a must have for Within Temptation fans. I'd say it's a must have for anyone who wants to see definitively how live recordings should be done.

This will be a very pure review in that up until last week I'd never heard of this band, and I still know nothing about them except what I've gathered from the documentary within this fantastic DVD. Which is not much since I'm not fluent in their language.

I'm not into Goth Metal and, y'know, I'm old. I don't read KERRANG but I saw an intriguing ad for this in the UK's MOJO magazine, went to the band's website and was totally knocked out by the sample video. On the strength of that exposure alone I ordered the CD/DVD that night, and with great pleasure I can tell you that it's a KNOCK-OUT. The most exhilarating, absorbing and awe-inspring concert video I've seen since Pink Floyd's PULSE.

Aside from the instant and obvious reaction of falling head over heels for the lovely Sharon, founder and lead vocalist, great praise must go to the band for writing some curiously beautiful and haunting music, to the superbly refreshing Metropole Orchestra, the only symphonic assemblage I've ever thought of as THRILLING... and the Choir Pa'dam, who fly very high, right up your spine.

And BRAVO to the set designer and technical crew whose stage and visuals are as majestic as anything I've ever seen on a stage. Even the stilt walking angels who appear briefly are mesmerizing. I know, even I can't believe I'm saying that...

Quite seriously, this is an extraordinary visual and auditory treat. Great extras as well. All in all a tremendous bargain and a disc set I'll long treasure. There'll be a lot of "Hey, you gotta sit down and watch this" evenings with my friends...

To non-metalheads like me, let me say this - don't be put off by the "Goth-Metal" tag - this isn't dark - it isn't all the things you assume it will be. Don't rob yourself of something joyous and bright. There's great talent and intelligence at work here.

Oh, and there's a CD as well. I haven't listened to it yet. I can't get my eyes off the screen.

I typically order many things through Amazon but I was disappointed with this offering because there appears to be several versions available. I realize that Amazon is offering the US release, which may not be their fault, but the European versions include so much more. I am not trying to deter money away from Amazon with this post and who knows, maybe Amazon will offer these additional import versions in the near future.

Anyway, there is a Blu-Ray version available along with a DVD (PAL). There is also a (2) DVD version which maybe PAL which includes a (2) audio CD version as well, which is the entire concert and not selected songs from the concert like the US version on only (1) Audio CD.

My 3 Star rating is based only what version the US is getting and not on the actual content/concert itself which I expect to be fantastic.

I ordered the Blu-Ray version and (2) DVD and (2) CD version directly from the Within Temptaion site at www.within-temptation.com. They are rather pricey in comparison though to the Amazon US version. The Blu-Ray was around $32.50 while the (2) DVD, (2) CD version was around $39. Shipping on top of that was another $25. Ouch! There may also be some concern whether or not the Blu-Ray is Region specific and whether or not it is going to play in a US PS3 or a US Blu-Ray player. There is no mention on the Within Temptation site whether or not the Blu-Ray is Region Specific plus they do ship to the US. I do know that PAL DVD's will play in a XBox 360 as I have Within Temptation PAL DVD's that play just fine. In the end, I just wanted the Blu-Ray and the (2) CD's of the entire concert plus the extra DVD's include an additional concert that was filmed in 2007.

Time will tell if all of this works out for me and the Blu-Ray plays fine or not. It is just unfortunate, that US fans are subjected to an inferior product, just because Within Temptation, overall, is not as popular in the US as it is in Europe. I would certainly hope that this would indicate my support for the group by willing to dish out over $90 for these recordings.

**UPDATE**

Today, 10/13/08, I noticed on Amazon that they now have a version available that depicts a Blu-Ray cover for $53.99 although it lists the format as DVD. This appears to be the Blu-Ray version and is listed as an import. There are not any details listed whether this includes the extra DVD or not although I assume it would. Thanks Amazon for those imports!! It is great to have more choices!!

I'm usually disappointed in live recordings, but this is the exception. It's incredible. "Within Temptation" is a tremendous band, but this recording is beyond words ... if you like this kind of rock, buy this, get this, download it ... I don't care how, but you have to have it. it's absolutely mind-blowing.

In February of 2008, Dutch symphonic metal/symphonic rock band WT hit a new pentacle of their career with their innovative "Black Symphony" concert. This concert featured the Metropole Orchestra (a 60 piece orchestra), a 40-member choir, 10-foot pyrotechnics, a massive HD video screen, guest musicians such as Keith Caputo, and of course, Within Temptation. All of this chaos was led by WT light soprano/mezzo-soprano singer Sharon den Adel.

I absolutely love Sharon. Not only is she a highly talented singer, but she writes many of the songs for WT, designs her own costumes, sounds great live (and manages to sound great for two full hours), and seems to genuinely love what she does and loves her fans. Sharon just seemed so down to earth in this concert and she was very exciting to watch.

I cannot stress the epic nature of this concert enough. The best way to make you understand it is to go to youtube and watch clips from the DVD. This is how WT's music was meant to be heard: with the full power of a live symphony behind it. It added an extra dimension to the music that could not be experienced through a studio album. Many of the songs were also beefed up with more symphonic instruments and choir work to breathe new life into the songs. The newer "versions" of "Frozen," "The Howling," "Jillian (I'd Give My Heart)," and "The Heart of Everything."

I especially liked the sit-down acoustic section in the middle of the concert where the band preformed their slower songs like "Memories," "Somewhere," and "Forgiven." The section had a warm, intimate feel to it that helped to slow the pace of the concert down for a bit while still keeping it interesting. I particularly liked the duet performance of "Somewhere" with Anneke Van Giersbergen (Agua de Annique, ex-The Gathering). I never really liked the song before, but this version brought tears to my eyes.

There were also some old favorites mixed in with the ample songs taken from "The Heart of Everything." The oddest choice being "The Other Half (Of Me)" from WT's days as a doom metal band. I thought it was nice of them to welcome George Oosthoek back for some good old-fashioned growling. Now, as much as I don't like growling in songs (and was grateful that WT dropped the growling really early in their career), the live performance of this song helped me to have a greater appreciation for it and for growling in general.

All of this pomp and circumstance came to an end with the performance of WT's first hit, "Ice Queen." In a swirl of white tissue paper and blasting pyrotechnics, Sharon poured her heart into the song that first made the band famous. Virtually every fan in the audience sang along. Then, it was all over.

I have to admit that tears were in my eyes as the credits rolled. I couldn't believe that they pulled it all off. Every aspect of the concert worked perfectly together, and all of the hard work that the band must have put into it paid off. Seriously, there seem to be a ridiculous amount of elements here, but they all manage to work. "Black Symphony" is truly one of the greatest live spectacles of 2008.

The concert marked the end of WT's "The Heart of Everything" tour. The good news? The band has announced that they will begin working on a new album in 2009. It is currently slated for released in 2010.

I checked out Within Temptation because I heard they were similar to the goth rock band Evanescence. I bought the Heart of Everything and, as much as I love Evanescence (Amy Lee has such a beautiful, lush voice), these guys top them and take things to a whole other level. I have almost all of WT's albums now.

I looked forward to their latest concert on CD/DVD and I was blown away. This show is both a visual and auditory feast for the senses. I love the visuals and lead singer Sharon de Adel has the most heart-breakingly beautiful voice. Singing effortlessly, she sounds like an angel. Sharon also knows how to connect with her audience and wears some really stunning outfits.

The band is superbly accompanied by the Metropole Orchestra and the Pa'dam Choir, and the concert features three guest performers--George Oosthoek, Anneke van Giersbergen, and Keith Caputo. Each is a talented singer, and the three add greatness to the show.

The only flaw is that the CD does not, for some reason, contain all the tracks from the concert. I wanted to hear the whole concert!!

I would recommend Anywhere But Home by Evanescence and End of an Era by Nightwish if you enjoy this CD/DVD set.