Customer Reviews

Silent Force

5 star:		(95)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With "The Silent Force", WT scores a direct hit, capable of satisfying fans in all backgrounds without coming across as shallow or "watered down". Silent Force contains the trademark WT angelic vocals, but with far more organic and original symphonic orchestration and backing choirs than any of their previous works, following a widening trend in the wake of other "operatic" female vocal-fronted bands like Nightwish, Epica, or Octavia. (Though not to say WT are pretenders to the throne and playing copycat. They were one of the original pioneers of this sound many years ago, and have matured and refined this sound to the present magnum opus of The Silent Force.)

The Silent Force is anything but silent, and the album envelops you into a very rich and textured musical environment, weaving Sharon's beautiful vocals into a tapestry of crunchy guitars and lush orchestration. The chorus and anthems are epic, the softer songs are tender and moving, and the heavy parts just plain rock. This album has something for a wide range of music fans: from Evanescence-type music fans, to Gothic metal fans, to those who prefer "intelligent" symphonic music, or who are just looking for something different than the usual top 40 pop-tart music.

The first single released from this album, Stand My Ground, was purely designed to be a single, and sticks out from the rest of the songs on the CD. It is not stylistically representative of the rest of the songs on the album though by itself it is pretty enjoyable to listen to. Though some fans have cried foul and "sellout" when hearing this track on the radio (and I admit that when I first heard the single on the radio, I got worried that the new album would be entirely like Stand My Ground) it serves to give WT a foothold on the cookie-cutter radio and TV stations, which I have little problem with.

Stand out tracks that immediately captivate the listener and run through one's mind long after the CD has been turned off are Jilian (an orchestrated and epic metal anthem), Memories, Forsaken, See Who I Am, and It's The Fear (catchy chorus, probably a good choice for the second single).

All songs on this album are good, and the long wait after WT's last album was sure worth the wait. Buy this album, and disappointment will not be found!

This is the third full-length album by the Gothic Metal band Within Temptation. Firstly it is very different from their very first album Enter. In Enter, the songs were much slower, longer, Sharon's voice was more wailing, and had male death vocals in. The atmosphere was melancholy and practically gothic doom. Silent force is more up-tempo, Sharon's voice has noticeably improved and there are no death vocals. The songs themselves are very dynamic, from very gothic ("Forsaken") to ballad-like ("Pale").

They enjoy large orchestral symphonic strings, and gothic choral background singers add to the atmosphere. A personal favourite is "Jillian" where Sharon's voice is beautiful and crystal clear, signing to a large ensemble and the choir in the background. (I like Nightwish, but whilst Tarja's voice is overpowering opera singing, Sharon's voice is more classical) Other songs like "Forsaken", "It's The Fear" and "Stand My Ground" (the introduction) all have the memorising but slightly eerie choir singing.

People don't like "Stand My Ground" for some reason: maybe because of it's mainstream popularity but I find it to be quite endearing. There is large introduction before the actual song starts. Lot of the songs have a really big huge introductions, including "Jillian" and "See Who I Am."

The slower songs "Pale", "Somewhere" and "The Swan Song" don't feature any guitars at all. All of them attribute a very gentle beat, so gentle it's barely noticeable: yet you couldn't imagine the song without it. There's a deep bass in the songs and lots of strings. "The Swan Song" has a viola in it, making it almost Celtic like.

The two songs that aren't very fast and heavy, but not as slow as the above three songs are "Angels" and "Memories." The guitars though are quite heavy. "Memories" is very pretty, with the pianos, violas and strings and whispering near the end.

This is a brilliant album, with lots of atmosphere. I think it is the strings and pianos, which give it the most atmosphere and depth.

Within Temptation is a talented band from Holland or Netherlands if you prefer who's lead singer is Sharon den Adel and she's as pretty as her voice is. There's a video of one of the songs on the album and she's a knockout. The music is symphonic metal with orchestral and choir backing. It is highly melodic and enchanting. If you know and like the band Nightwish then this is for you.

Some of the best songs are "See Who I Am", which starts with a huge sound then smartly slows down only to come back with the big catchy chorus, "Jillian (I'd give my Heart)" is just great with it's gigantic intro followed by the choir and Sharon's impeccable voice on the choruses and Stand my Ground" is slick the way it starts out sedately then explodes into a "don't mess with me" warrior mentality with the orchestra and choir. "Angels" is kind of appropriate with a heavenly Angelic sound and what can you say about "Pale"? Has there ever been a prettier melody in a song?

Taken as a whole there isn't much variety since each song does resemble the others but that homogenous sound doesn't bother me. In some ways it reminds me of a fine musical score where a change of style could be jolting.

I am really amazed that there are people that gave this album less than four stars. From beginning to end it's a great album. Is it better than their previous blockbuster, Mother Earth? It's close, I'd say probably not but only by the slimest of margins.

Similar Bands
Nightwish, Edenbridge, Visions of Atlantis, Dreams of Sanity, Enya, Loreena McKinnett

***** - FIVE STARS
===================

I'll be honest, unlike most fans here, I have a very hard time listening to "Mother Earth". It's just too opera oriented for my Metal taste. Although Within Temptation is a highly talented group of musicians, and "Mother Earth" was a ground breaking release, I found it rather boring most of the time. Maybe it's just me....Oh well, on to "Silent Force"!!!

I simply loved every single minute of "Silent Force". This is a much more enjoyable listen than "Mother Earth" in my opinion. Instead of all the high pitched operatic themes, "Silent Force" has a more straight forward direction, which was a much needed change in my opinion....

I don't really like to compare bands with this much talent, because they each deserve their own place in the music world, but I can't get over how similar "Silent Force" is to "Fallen" from Evanescence. I love the new direction!!!...

The sound, the direction, and the songs all made me feel like I wasn't even listening to Within Temptation at all. It was a wonderful breath of fresh air to these ears after being completely unimpressed with "Mother Earth"...

I think anyone who hears this can't help but be impressed. Regardless of what the critics say, Within Temptation should explode onto the new Metal scene with "Silent Force". This release has certainly raised the bar for Within Temptation, and their future is looking very bright...

This is not a sellout release from Within Temptation, this is simply a MASTERPIECE!!!

I'm sure the first thing most of you are going to see is the price tag. Honestly, it does seem a bit steep, even for an import. And when you can get the same cd minus two bonus songs for half the price, why not go the cheaper route?

While I don't typically spend so much on a cd, I must say this is worth it. When I heard "Jane Doe" on a message board I frequent, it immediately became stuck in my head. I had to have that song; it was so amazing.

The whole cd is just as good. The closest I can compare it to anything would be Evanescence. But as much as I love Evanescence, and with all respect due to Amy Lee, I must say Within Temptation is better. Sharon has a crisper, better-trained voice. The intensity given to each song is astounding. I certainly got my moneys worth from it.

As for whether "Destroyed" and "Jane Doe" are worth paying twice as much as the same album without, it was for me. "Jane Doe" is what started my obsession. "Destroyed" has become my number one favorite.

But even if you decide to get the version of this album without these two songs (which if you haven't personally heard any of their music, may be the smart way to go), rest assured it's well worth the money.

So, I am a music researcher and collect songs, especially from the Scandinavian countries. There are few very albums out there that compare in consistency and brilliance with this one. It's raw, liquid emotions, put into a CD and packaged under "The Silent Force".

I would give a review of each song, but I feel like that is best discovered by oneself. I LOVE exploring music and never read what other's think about particular songs (I do read review like these though). So, I think you should discover the magic that is this CD by yourself : ) You shouldn't be disappointed, especially if you like orchestral, epic/goth rock.

I highly recommend this CD! I was not disappointed, and if I could speak for you, (which I sadly can't : () I would say you will like this album also.

This album is a piece of art that comes to define the term, "musical talent". The singer's voice is incredible and the band is just outstanding! Hearing it from the first time reveals the huge effort spent to setup and mix the vocals, instruments, orchestra, and chorus. The commercial songs "Memories" and "Stand My Ground" are extraordinary, while the songs "Jillian", "Forsaken", and "It's The Fear" are just composed to make a deep notch on the surface of modern music. If you want to learn about classy-modern music, you should hear this album. The keyboardist (Martin Spierenburg), the singer (Sharon Den Adel), and the guitarist (Robert Westerholt) have done an excellent effort in composing the music, especially the keyboardist. I've never thought Gothic Rock would sound that cool!

Within Temptation is a talented band from Holland or Netherlands if you prefer who's lead singer is Sharon den Adel and she's as pretty as her voice is. There's a video of one of the songs on the album and she's a knockout. The music is symphonic metal with orchestral and choir backing. It is highly melodic and enchanting. If you know and like the band Nightwish then this is for you.

Some of the best songs are "See Who I Am", which starts with a huge sound then smartly slows down only to come back with the big catchy chorus, "Jillian (I'd give my Heart)" is just great with it's gigantic intro followed by the choir and Sharon's impeccable voice on the choruses and Stand my Ground" is slick the way it starts out sedately then explodes into a "don't mess with me" warrior mentality with the orchestra and choir. "Angels" is kind of appropriate with a heavenly Angelic sound and what can you say about "Pale"? Has there ever been a prettier melody in a song?

Taken as a whole there isn't much variety since each song does resemble the others but that homogenous sound doesn't bother me. In some ways it reminds me of a fine musical score where a change of style could be jolting.

I am really amazed that there are people that gave this album less than four stars. From beginning to end it's a great album. Is it better than their previous blockbuster, Mother Earth? It's close, I'd say probably not but only by the slimest of margins.

Similar Bands
Nightwish, Edenbridge, Visions of Atlantis, Dreams of Sanity, Enya, Loreena McKinnett

I haven't been a fan of Within Temptation for very long. I first heard their song "Our Farewell" on a Celtic Music compilation "Celtic Circle" (which also featured "Sleeping Sun" by Nightwish). I was completely blown away and so I was able to hear pieces of the "Mother Earth" CD. It was good, but it was a little different from what I listen to. This CD is so damn good, it hasn't left my CD player since I got it.

Really stand-out songs are:

2. "See Who I Am" - Sharon Den Adel's voice is beautifully crystal clear in this piece. The loud guitars work so well with the Russian Choirs and the Orchestra.

3. "Jillian (I'd Give My Heart)" - The choirs are most wonderful in here. Sharon's voice hits those high notes so beautifully. This song is enough to make anyone a fan!

4. "Stand My Ground" - There is a lot of bitching about how this song is too mainstream. Give it a rest, I say. This song is good, but most of the songs on here are much better. This beats Evanescence hands-down (I'm a fan of Evanescence as well, Sharon's voice is still so much better though).

7. "Angels" - Sharon really get's the sound right in here. Her voice is just so angelic in here.

8. "Memories" - by far my favorite. This song kicks off with some melancholically beautiful violin work and pianos in the background. As it progresses it just changes the atmosphere.

9. "Aquarius" - is a great song. It really reflects more of the work on "Mother Earth".

10. "It's the Fear" - again a beautiful mixture of orchestral and metal sounds. Just awesome..

11. "Somewhere" - is so beautiful.

12. "A Dangerous Mind" - Essential Within Temptation

13. "The Swan Song" - some more use of Celtic instruments. Brilliant

Overall this album is probably the best one of I've ever heard from this group. The extra money for this import with tracks 12 and 13 is so worth it!! I couldn't live without hearing these last two songs.

I simply love this cd. I have recently discovered WITHIN TEMPTATION. I bought " THE SILENT FORCE " due to the rave reviews given on this and many other sites. The first listen didnt grab me right away, with the exception of the song " STAND MY GROUND". That song had that radio single quality to it, not that theres anything wrong with that.
After that first listen, it completely grabbed me. This is a talented band. The song, "ANGELS" , is my favorite. If you ever put someone you were in love with up on a pedestal only to later discover that they are not worthy of such a place in your heart then you will completely understand the lyrics to this song.
If you have never heard WITHIN TEMPTATION, then heres what to expect. First, their music has a heavy symphonic feel to it. Its metal , classical, and opera all perfectly mixed together to make an awesome combination. The singer is one of my favorite vocalists in the music world, period. Ther will be the inevitable comparisons to EVANESCENCE but in truth, I feel that EVANESCENCE just dont live up. In fact, I consider EVANESCENCE to be a rip off of them. WITHIN TEMPTATION has been making this style of music many years ahead of them.
I highly recommend this cd to anyone. ANd check out some other similiar bands such as; NIGHTWISH, THE GATHERING, and LACUNA COIL. The Metal Historian recommends.