Customer Reviews

The Dance (Enhanced)

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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After the release of their gothic metal classic Enter, Within Temptation decided to put out an intermission CD for their ever-hungry fans. Consisting of 3 new tracks, 2 remixes, and bonus enhanced material, I'm going to say any fan of WT should try to get their hands on this, especially for the new songs.

The EP begins with the self-titled track, a favorite of mine with one of the most unforgettable choruses I think I've ever heard. Some male grunting is featured, but thankfully it's pushed back into the mix a little. Following this is a quirky little ballad called "Another Day" - which only showcases Sharon's airy, angelic singing. A beautiful song altogether, also featuring a great chorus. The track 3 slot belongs to fan favorite "The Other Half (Of Me)". This song is a lot heavier and faster than the WT I had already acquainted myself with, so it took me awhile to appreciate it. Of course, a few listens changed that, and now it could very well be one of my all-time favorite WT songs.

The remixes aren't anything special, but they're nice to have if you're a collector. A classical version of "Restless" is included as an enhanced track, accompanied by band bios and tour photos.

Again, this is a must for WT fans. However, to anyone just starting to get a hold of this band, I'd suggest getting the follow-up album Mother Earth or 2004's The Silent Force first. But you really can't go wrong either way.

An EP by Within Temptation carries more substance within it than most bands's full-length albums; "The Dance" is a deep and lush mini-album that fuses the epic feel and invigorating nature of power metal, the massive grandeur of symphonic doom metal a la Morgion or Orphanage, and the rich beauty of atmospheric metal like Nightsky Bequest and The Gathering. Some have complained that some of the elements used - the choir effects, the alternating female and male vocals, etc. have been used a lot in recent years. I'd respectfully counter that elements like guitar solos and drums have been used a lot for decades and decades; the fact remains that having them doesn't automatically make a band unoriginal. Within Temptation is one of the freshest and most original bands to emerge in the last decade; there are no sound-alikes to the group that I know of. The closest comparison to the material on "The Dance" might be The Gathering with their awesome "Mandylion" and "Nighttime Birds" albums, but the two sounds are only about as close a reference point as, say, Judas Priest to Iron Maiden to Accept - similar in ways but certainly not clones.

The soft-to-crushingly heavy guitars, the innovative keyboard effects, the powerful bass and the varied drumming are all outstanding, as are the 'growled/savage' male vocals of Robert Westerholt (which in Within Temptation actually fit in exceptionally well with the music they're playing, which isn't always the case with female-fronted symphonic/atmospheric metal of this kind). The star performer though has to be lead singer Sharon den Adel, whose emotive vocals soar with the power of a majestic falcon and the graceful beauty of an angel. Exceptionally well put-together songs - a tribute to the art of musical and lyrical composition - with melodies and words that make lasting impacts. Everything I've heard from Within Temptation is excellent and "The Dance" is no exception; may the mammoth success they're enjoying in Europe soon be replicated in North America and the rest of the world.

Some 6-7 years ago I was napstering around and found out (cant remember exactly how) about the songs in this EP. I was really pleased/amazed/thrilled by this lovely voice.... Being a ToT fan (dropped being a fan after musique though) I really enjoyed the melodies, growlings, music, and definately this sweet voice.... I would advise to get this one to understand the complete evolution of one of the best dark/gothic/doom bands available.

After the relative success of debut album Enter, Dutch symphonic rock back (well, at the time The Dance was released, they were more of a gothic metal act) Within Temptation released their first EP, The Dance. According to quotes from singer Sharon den Adel on Wikipedia, The Dance was released because fans were demanding remixes from Enter. During the remixing process, the band was struck with a creative spark and decided to release new material along with the remixes.

What fans will find on The Dance is material more like previous album Enter than Mother Earth. The Dance is a dark, gothic offering riddled with tales of darkness, ghosts and personal demons. Much like on Enter, The Dance's songs feature long instrumental sections with few lyrics, and deep, male growls. The result is something that would only appeal to hardcore WT fans or fans of darker, more-growly goth metal with soaring soprano vocals.

The remixes of "Candles" and "Restless" are, I thought, underwhelming. The originals are much better, so really, I'd say skip it. The other songs here, though, make the EP worthwhile. "The Dance" and "Another Day" are spine-chilling goth pieces that leave a haunting shadow behind. For me, though, the stand-out track here is "The Other Half (of Me)," mostly due to the song's unexpected resurrection in Black Symphony. The original version features fabulous beauty and the beast vocal work and some interesting lyrics. However, the live version in Black Symphony, I feel is much better. Not only does Sharon's voice sound even better, but George Oostek does an amazing job and the song comes alive with the inclusion of some vocals over the too-long instrumental bridge.

Overall, a lovely entry into the doom/goth metal genre and an interesting part of WT's evolution as a band.

I own every album prior to buying this EP of Within Temptation. I even saw them live this years September. For a average or just casual fan, I wouldn't suggest the EP, seeing as 2 songs are remixes and it's definitely a change up of the more traditional Within Temptation. However, if you are a pretty devote fan, i say buy it. It's a good first Ep, the songs that are actually new are great! Even the growling from Sharon's Husband are a unique change up, and I'm not a big fan on that style.

Overall great Ep and I'm very happy with it, only complaint is that I wish it was a bit longer.

Great early release from Within Temptation. Sharon den Adel is fantastic. Excellent voice with tremendous range.

je suis vraiment très satisfait de mon achat, les CD sont arrivés en excellent état malgré la distance parcourue ^^ merci encore