Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Within Temptation, New and Improved!, April 18, 2007
within temptation new and improved! after the successfull but slightly more poppier offering of "the silent force", released way back in 2004, wt has gone back to their roots & have tried to incorporate heavier elements into most of their newer material(s). the result is "the heart of everything", an album which, even though it still has the familiar wt vocal harmonies & brilliantly over the top orchestration, manages to sound a bit more edgier & heavier.
the album contains 11 songs, 12 if you purchased the deluxe digipak edition. (a rock edition of "what have you done" which sounds a touch like a nightwish effort is included as the bonus) standout tracks (for me at least) include the first single released "what have you done", "our solemn hour", the truth beneath the rose" and especially "the cross", which highlights the "new" sound wt have managed to achieve.
lead singer sharon den adel's performance here is simply superb. while i cannot stress enough how much i enjoy listening to her, there have been comments or criticisms from various quarters in the past about the sameness of her vocals. criticisms which would be out of place regarding "the heart of everything" where she manages to combine her usual high pitched notes with innovative vocalizations & operatic style singing. the guys as always give a solid performance & overall, the production of the album, from it's audio quality, to the beautiful artwork and the innovative usage of the opendisc technology (which links the purchaser with bonuses & exclusive wt content or features) is simply top class...
to be sure, there ARE issues. for example i didn't care much for the track "all i need". vocally its sounds a bit off key. (perhaps problems during the mastering of the album?) regardless though "the heart of everything" is without a doubt (after the dissapointment of evanescence's "the open door") one of my better purchases so far this year. i highly recommend it. can't wait till nightwish's new album is released...:)
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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fr*ckin' Awesome, March 20, 2007
*Everything I state hear is MY OPINION! If something doesn't sound right to you, I'm sorry. As for song descriptions, well those are my own views on the meaning, so please don't be angry or confused if they do not match your own or that of the artist! That said....
I've had the leaked version for a few weeks and am really really really impressed. I've been a fan for a long time, and was pretty sure all their music would be in the same vein, but I was wrong. On this album they totally prove what they can do, Sharon in particular. Her range is extensive and she is gorgeous. Sharon's voice really brings the whole thing together, but lets not forget the amazing music! So often lead vocalists are the only point of view for a band, but you can honestly say that the band wouldn't be nearly as good if not for the members it has now. The band is really impressive and they make beautiful music together.
01. "The Howling" - How great is this song? Forget that it is mostly associated with the online game The Chronicles of Spellborn, it's a great metaphor for whats going on in the world today.
02. "What Have You Done (Featuring Keith Caputo)" - Now I usually don't like "duets", as they speak more of a romantical nature to me, and I'm not as interested in that as other types of music, but Sharon and Keith really sound great together. Their vocals don't sound strained and out of pitch trying to blend together like so many songs featuring other artists. It speaks of a love gone wrong, though both partners don't really want it to end. At least, that's my take.
03. "Frozen" - What can I say about this song? IT'S WONDERFUL. Nuff said.
04. "Our Solemn Hour" - One of their first songs with historical sound bites and latin "chanting" in the background. If ever I thought Sharon could do opera, this was it. She really sounds so beautiful in this song. The song speaks of chaos and getting free of torment and torture.
05. "The Heart of Everything" - Mainly speaks of not giving up, facing things head on, and not giving up what you are, cause what you are is the heart of everything.
06. "Hand of Sorrow" - Gorgeous music to this one, and highly recommended listen. Story of a slave to the gods or a mercenary of some higher power and how he wants to be free, but doesn't know what to do. At least, I think so. Prolly a metaphor for people that do this same thing to themselves.
07. "The Cross" - Quite a haunting quality to this song, and prolly my most favorite from the album. Sounds like a relationship going sour, one partner wanting to be real, while the other only sees what they want to see. We've all been through that at one time or other, whether in love or friendships.
08. "Final Destination" - Trying to break free from what seems inevitable, being overwhelmed with life.
09. "All I Need" - One of their most beautiful songs. My mother doesn't like a majority of the music I listen to, but this song is too much like the way we live each and everyday. This song is way way up there with "Somewhere." Speaks of a person wanting to be safe and comforted and not be taken down for their needs.
10. "The Truth Beneath the Rose" - Looking for a reason for what we do, why we do it, and if it's justified.
11. "Forgiven" - We all want to be forgiven, to feel like we are welcome. This song is a beautiful reminder about forgiving and being forgiven.
12. "What Have You Done (Featuring Keith Caputo) - Rock Mix" - If you buy the Deluxe version here, then you will get a really really wonderful extra song. This song is the same as track 2, but with an added twist - it's with the band! Of course, it's with the band anyway, but this version is more metal / rock, and doesn't have any orchestral aspects. It's still great if you are wanting a change from the beautiful symphonic wonders of the album version.
I totally recommend this album to ANYONE that likes good music; especially rock/metal with orchestral accompaniment. I love this album, and really hope that their future work is at least this good.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful!!!, May 30, 2007
I'm ashamed to say I wasn't paying attention, and didn't notice they had a new album coming out this last March. Well only a few months behind, I just recently bought this to add to my already favorites of 'The Silent Force' and 'Mother Earth'. As I do with many albums, I fell in love with certain songs (1-4) and played them over and over. Once I gave the rest a fighting chance, I completely fell in love with 'All I Need'. This is a beautiful change for Sharon. Although many songs of theirs have that ballad feel, none seem to have the sweetness of this song. It was a pleasant surprise. And go ahead and splurge on deluxe import, it's worth it for the extra track. Sorry to say I'll be missing them and Lacuna Coil in S.F. on 6/1.
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