Within Temptation - The Heart Of Everything review
| Band: | Within Temptation |
| Album: | The Heart Of Everything |
| Style: | Symphonic metal |
| Release date: | March 2007 |
01. The Howling
02. What Have You Done [feat. Keith Caputo]
03. Frozen
04. Our Solemn Hour
05. The Heart Of Everything
06. Hand Of Sorrow
07. The Cross
08. Final Destination
09. All I Need
10. The Truth Beneath The Rose
11. Forgiven
12. The Last Time [bonus]
13. Sounds Of Freedom [bonus]
14. Blue Eyes [bonus]
15. What Have You Done [extended version] [bonus]
What have you done? What have you done guys to the beautiful music that you used to plays in the past? I'm still trying to find a good and honest answer but the only one that I found is market, marketing, money, whatever? "The Silent Force" was already a bit deceiving, at least at the first listening because with time (even if I will ever say that the little electronic beats there and there were a terrible mistake) it was ok and some of the songs were more than alright. But even if we have some better things (no more stupid beats) on "The Heart Of Everything", I'm still disappointed, the new album of Within Temptation is just an average album of Pop Metal perfectly build for MTV?
"The Heart Of Everything" is a bit deceiving for me and let me tell you why. First, it's simply hard to find amazing songs, real hits. Of course if you're not looking for something new and a bit deep, it should be ok but on the other hand I didn't find anything special on this release. The duo with Keith Kaputo is catchy that's right but this is also something extremely commercial, simply build to sell CDs in my opinion. I can even understand why the band chose this song to be the first single of the album because it's just extremely easy of access and yes EVERYBODY can listen to it. I can totally understand if the band wants to have a large audience, no problem but they will have to know that they're not playing anymore the music that they used to play and I hope that they can understand that their old fans can be a bit disappointed by this new musical orientation. Even the voice of Sharon is not so good this time. Maybe that some of you will not understand these words but I discovered Within Temptation with "Enter" and I hope that you can understand that it's a bit hard for people like me to follow the road of the new Within Temptation now.
But all is not bad of course. Personally I have nothing against Within Temptation and I didn't write this review to say only that the new album is a bad album because that's not right too. As an example, the orchestrations on "The Heart Of Everything" are really great and give something magic to the music of the band. Also, the fact that the album doesn't have any more this typical "American" trendy production that we had on the previous release is a great thing and some songs like "Our Solemn Hour" or "Hand Of Sorrow" with their really good melody are good examples that the band can still write good songs if they want (even if of course it will never be comparable to the ones on "Enter" or "Mother Earth"). Plus, we have real some big riffs sometime but it's not enough to save the release in my opinion. It will depend of your musical tastes actually. If you don't mind to listen to some sweet commercial Metal, it will be ok. If you hate such music, please go away as soon as possible.
The new Within Temptation is a new deception for me. I'm sure that some of you will like it a lot but for me, it's a bit too "sweet" and uninspired to be a good album. Where is the magical spirit that we were able to find on the old albums? I don't know but not on "The Heart Of Everything" for sure. It's not even possible to find good songs like "Jillian" or "See Who I Am". What have you done? That's the question yes? With "The Heart Of Everything" you only released an album formatted for the radio and TV and that's a bit sad. This is not the worst album ever but Within Temptation is able to do something better.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 6 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by Jeff | 04.05.2007
Rating:
8.5
8.5
|
Rating: 8.5 |
Behold Within Temptation, probably one of most popular symphonic metal bands out there. After Mother Earth was released many fans were surprised that the band changed the style of their music. But the album itself was one of the best of that year so its success basically covered up the fact that this band was heading towards a different pathway in metal (gothic/doom metal to symphonic/gothic metal). Then The Silent Force was released in 2004 and we all now knew that Within Temptation was not coming back to their original style for now. But behold their 4th studio album The Heart Of Everything and boy there were a lot of fans who were worried that this band was done (if they were not satisfied about (The Silent Force being more symphonic metal/rock). Read more ›› |
Rating:
8.7
8.7
|
Rating: 8.7 |
After the miraculous fame of The Silent Force and the criticism that was attach to it, fans of the symphonic/gothic metal act Within Temptation didn't know what they could exactly expect from them. Leaving the common gothic/doom metal setting many bands were approaching in those day for a more orchestral theme, they created The Silent Force. Also if you haven't listened to the The Silent Force it was basically a show off or a brag on mezzo soprano powerhouse Sharon Den Adel. The Silent Force was not all dandy and perfect. But it did prove that Within Temptation was not just another passing by symphonic metal band. They were up there next to bands like Therion and Nightwish. Read more ›› |
Comments
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck elite Posts: 40071  |
Totally agree with this review, and nothing more to add. Well about WT being commercial... they have won the Dutch pop music export award yet once again. Which means they are the biggest selling Dutch band (in all sorts of genres) abroad.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| velvet Posts: 62  |
Hmm... Ok, this is not a great album. For me 'Enter' will always be my favourite WT album, and 'Mother Earth' was stunning , but I can't agree that 'The Heart of Everything' is awful, although I can agree that 7 is a perfect rating. What Have You Done aside (and it is the most shocking song I have heard in awhile, just terrible) I think that the orchestration, Sharon's voice and the general energies of the songs are better than 'The Silent Force'. At least on this album the band sound like they care about what they are playing! I found The Silent Force sterile, bland and worthy of no more than a 6, so for me 'The Heart of Everything', while nothing compared to WT's first two albums, is a step a better direction. Having said that, seeing them live on this tour wasn't as great an experience as at bloodstock, as the place was packed out with Kerrang reading emo kids... The anger. 'What Have You Done' got a better reaction than 'Mother Earth' if you can beleve it...
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| GT Coffee!! staff Posts: 5101  |
I totally agree with the review, which is very good. An average album without anything special.
----  Dreams are made so we don't get bored when we sleep
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| Raziel X Posts: 117  |
Yes, this album isn´t as good as the previous ones. I liked Enter, Mother Earth also, and Silent Force was my favourite, because it contained some of the most beautiful and heartbreaking ballads I have ever heard in that time /also Our Farewell from ME is great/. What I can say about this? Howling is great song /like Stand My Ground/, What I have done is mediocre, Frozen is OK, Solemn Hour is also OK, Heart of Everything is a good song /but it has stolen the few riffs at the beginning from Ayreon - The Human Equation - Day 2/ and Hand of Sorrow is a great song I have expected to hear more on a new album. So the first half is still OK in my opinion. But what ruins this album is its second half. If you like this kind of music /like on Silent Force/ - try new After Forever, which isn´t perfect, but if WT had done their new album at this level of quality, it would be sufficient.
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| Bitch Boy Posts: 1353  |
I agree with this review too. The production is good though, but it's because, as you Jeff have said, that American-ish type of production, so it can be more catchy. I prefer "The Silent Force", it was catchy but it was a better album.
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| Bas Retired Staff elite Posts: 5591  |
well seems like a number of people totally agree with you, i dont though  you already knew my stance on this album of course, but i'll say it again, i think it's really great. of course it's not really a "metal" album, but then again in my opinion it doesnt always have to be. thus musicianship is simple, that's true. but it's also very easy to listen to and it's catchy and extremely pleasant music the question is mainly if the listener is able to accept a more mainstream-music oriented album, this here is one of those cds of course, but it's one of the best of them at the moment
---- BAS - Beautifully Accented Sexiness
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| dancingdecember Posts: 264  |
this is not a hate speech..belive me i appreciate all kinds of experimental and new stuff but... i saw the video on tv.they cant be more gay.even gayer than the last album.this has nothing to do with metal.these bands are pop bands and they dont deserve our attention on this site.i dont care what you will say to me and im an openminded person.but its not openmindedness to give 7 to a pop band in a metal site.once they were good now they are lower than that evanescence which they are trying to be.so if these type of albums worth 7 so others are 77?every album gets 7 by worst chance and i dont get it.theres no bad albums out there?thers no better albums in bands' discography and if there were they are only better by 1 or 2 points?if it doesnt have to be metal then it doesnt have to get a review on a metal site.if its ok with bands to go so low then its doesnt matter if we dont pay attention to them anymore.just hand it to the others who like them.and if they wanna read a review about these mtv bands then they should go to a site with mtv reviews.or..at least people only listening to these kinda bands dont say they listen to goth(or symphonic) metal or any metal.be aware of what you are listening and be aware of bands trying to get your "metalhead" attention(money) and mtv culture-mainstream people's money at the same time and still caliming to be metal.i dont say those bands who apeears on mtv should be banned but they were always there and we loved them in that way.i hate those bands which sells out in a cheap way.there are bands which sold out but still kept making some metal and we continued to listen to them maybe.but to make this kinda cheap tactics to be like other bands with female vocalists is so playing us for fools... in short:bands...you dont need to suck up to masses in these ways.i feel sorry for you.you can change you can do whatever you want you are not our slaves but at least dont pretend like this is your "timely evolution",we all know whats its all about (this post evolved from WT to all bands in this mentality)
---- i'm super, thanks for asking
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| Susan Smeghead elite Posts: 6941  |
What a high rating for such a negative review! If you really feel the album deserves a 7 (which is a high rating IMO) then your review sure didn't reflect that. You have several paragraphs about how bad the album is and just a few sentences about how the orchestrations are nice on a few tracks. If I'd read the review first I would have expected to see a 5 or 6 rating at the very highest. It just doesn't add up!  BTW I do agree with most of what you said in the review; this album is so common and pointless! I miss the pre-fame early days of "The Dance" .... 
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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| Damned-In-Black Posts: 212  |
^ I have to agree, the rating seems too high considering the review itself. Personally, I thought the album was very, very weak. 5 for me, or perhaps even 4, because some songs I'd consider just plain bad. The previous album had a couple of good songs, Mother Earth was brilliant. Here there really is nothing worthwhile, for me.
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| Hyvaarin Posts: 1487  |
Written by Susan on 05.05.2007 at 00:45 My thoughts exactly. An "uninspired" album "only released...formatted for the radio and TV" that gets described as a "deception" being rated a 7 is ABSURD.
---- "Summoned By Words Never Spoken Before..."
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| Jeff Freaky Admin elite Posts: 7078  |
I wanted to put 6 first (i don't think that the album deserves less... all is not horrible it's average imo)... but I wasn't not sure... and believe me, it's not so easy to rate albums here... But you're all right and only fools doesn't change their thoughts... let me fix this mystake then...
---- Come with us to Hellfest 2011!
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| Deadsoulman elite Posts: 8004  |
Well I've not listened to this album yet (only that song with Keith Caputo that I really don't like - let Evanescence play like Evanescence, they do it much better). My opinion for the moment is based on the songs I've seen live. They were extremely bland and boring. So I'm happy they are successful but like Jeff I discovered them with Enter so the music they're playing now is a bit hard to take. It took me some time to like The Silent Force but I don't know if that will happen with this one.
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| SirenOfTheStyx Account deleted |
SirenOfTheStyx
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I saw What have you done on You Tube. It didn't make me feel like buying the album - but I felt the same with the first single from the Silent Force and I happened to like the rest of the album, so maybe I'll reconsider ... But here is a question for ppl who also saw the video clip : do you understand what she reproaches the man with ? she says "what have you done", and I feel like asking "yeah, what has he done"... did he cheat on her, commit suicide.. ? No idea. So please, if you catch a hint...
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| Dark Cornatus Powerslave elite Posts: 4330  |
My girlfriend bought me this album, first spin i thought nothing, but as usual first spin is not always accurate. A few spins later, nothing. I didnt want to let her think she bought me a bad album, so i really did try to get into it, i did get into The Hand of Sorrow and Our Solemn Hour, but only as songs id rate 3.5/5, they dont call me to listen to them as other songs do. Sharons vocals are really poor on this album too, i liked her Kate Bush-esque vocals on songs like Ice Queen, this is just boring. @bas: your point is valid, yet it answers your question. Alot of people here are not open to the avenue of mainstream, it is just unappealing to some, or most really? They dont want to hear bands play this style, they cant help that, i am one of them, i know i am not open minded to other styles of music, i listen to Most metal, some classic rock, some folk and a little classical. That isnt a broad range really, because 80% of what i listen to is Metal, 15% classic rock, its just me, and alot of people are similar. So your point is correct, but you cant expect people to like it, when so few accept this style of music as enjoyable or listenable.
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| Damned-In-Black Posts: 212 |
@aga - Sirenia's album may have arguably been more catchy & radio-friendly etc, but it was also much most interesting than this. Not deserving of 8.4, certainly... But not bad musically. Though I was very disappointed with the band's new path and havn't purchased the album despite promises to the contrary. Off-topic, though... I can't say I'm disappointed with Within Temptation, because I rather expected something weak considering their last few offerings. @Bas - point taken, but in my opinion, Mother Earth was a very commercial album. That album was catchy and interesting despite that. All in all, it was great! Here we have another commercial album, which is neither catchy nor interesting. That is its failing in my eyes - not the fact that it is commercial. It's really just quite weak. I'll grant it the fact that mostly it's pleasant to the ears, but what good is pleasant-sounding music when there's nothing to really grab you? Just my thoughts...
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| Bas Retired Staff elite Posts: 5591 |
Written by Dark Cornatus on 06.05.2007 at 14:19 yeah i know it, i already knew while writing my post of course. i think its kind of sad though, most people into metal hate pop for the sake of it, of course metal is usually superior in terms of musicianship and more diverse in terms of songwriting, but in my eyes although most pop is bullshit, there sometimes still are a few diamonds among the trash oh well, nothing we can do about it eh? Written by Damned-In-Black on 06.05.2007 at 14:45 well i should note here that mother earth was never able to grab me, i like the silent force and the new album a lot, but mother earth has always just bored me just a matter of taste i guess
---- BAS - Beautifully Accented Sexiness
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| Jg1 Posts: 59  |
Although it might not be "true metal", I wouldn't call it pop. Bands like Within Temptation have something that pop music cannot reach. The genre is sometimes called atmospheric metal. This title has two sides - atmospheric and metal. WT's metal side might be weak, but the other side, "atmospheric", still exists, as strong as always. So, they are not so tr00 and if you don't like it, it's your choice, but that doesn't make them pop music. The fact that radio-listeners might like some songs doesn't make them bad. I would not take the title "metal" away from them. As mentioned before me, many other bands play softer style too and are still called metal. Why is WT not metal? They music is strong and has good, powerful guitars. Sure, the riffs they use are not same as "true metal", but that makes me ask, what is the metal WT is not? Doom, power and black for example use very different playing style, so there is no single metal style that can be used to say "this is the prototype of metal". So, their metal is another kind of metal. You might not like it, but then again, power-fan doesn't like doom or black fan doesn't like power and that doesn't make doom or power less metal, and it same with this soft atmospheric metal, being a bit different it does not make it non-metal. Also orchestration, choirs, Sharon's vocals(which are still good though different and way over any pop singer), poetic lyrics, epic topics, bombastic composition, and so on are much more linked to metal than pop. Pop doesn't have such characteristics. But metal does. I think the atmoshpere with symphonics and such is part of metal as much as agressive guitar riffs(I know that oldschool metalheads might disagree), and WT does have metallic atmosphere, well, at least it's much closer to metal than pop rock. Pop music makes light songs, but WT, though it might not be your style, is deep. Radio-listeners might listen to these songs and enjoy them, but I doubt they will connect to the music and appreciate it on the same level as the metal-listening WT fans do. And even if you say its not metal, I like the album very much. I don't really care what it is labelled, labels are just labels. I know that it isn't pop, it has the strenght, beautiful emotions, great melodies and depth that I am looking in music and that's all I need, call it whatever you want. It's one of the most beautiful bands I know. I like what they do, I wouldn't expect "We are TR00!!!! We love SATAN!!!! ROAAAAAAAARR!!! KILL!!!!" from them, now that would suck. 
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| Elodie Artour Slania Posts: 1175  |
Totally agree with this review too.I'm disappointed."The Heart Of Eveyrthing"isn't anything special.Well,there are some songs which are okay,but that's all. EDIT:I finally started to like this album!(Nine months after the release,huh...) But I still think it is not a very good one. Well,at least-now I LIKE it!Haha.  SECOND EDIT:On Friday,I bought the special edition of "The Heart Of Everything" album and I fell in love with it! 
---- Speak up dear 'cause I cannot hear you...
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| Susan Smeghead elite Posts: 6941 |
Written by Bas on 06.05.2007 at 19:47 Yes and No. I think it's too harsh on us to say that metallers "hate pop for the sake of it." It's not a I'm-so-cool-I-listen-to-underground-music attitude... it's just taste. The rest of your post (about musicianship and diverse songwriting) is the explanation you're looking for. Personally, I agree that pop music contains many "diamonds in the trash" as you put it. Pop from every decade can be fun and good on road trips For me, though, The Heart of Everything contains no diamonds, just trash, and that's a matter of personal taste.
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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| Lucas Mr. Noise elite Posts: 13427  |
And I think I am the living proof of someone who listens to Suicidal Black Metal and Funeral Doom, and also enjoys some good pop music at the right time. (However, the word 'some' is of huge importance. And fuck, I even read this review!
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?  "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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| aga Account deleted |
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| Nasi2 Posts: 25  |
Written by Jg1 on 08.05.2007 at 11:58 I don't agree with this comment. I would say, instead, that Within Temptation will not ever reach the magic that the best pop music has offered us in the last few decades. Within Temptation will never beat Phil Spector's music, Little Eva's The Loco-motion, Blondie's Sunday girl, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album, etc., because they make music which does sound good but doesn't offer anything to anybody. Pop music, at its best, can make you fly. Just like does the best metal music. Because music is about music, and not about if it is metal, jazz, pop or electro. Within Temptation play music which is not alive, a kind of music that exists only to be played on the MTV. And that makes it pretty awful to me.
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| Damned-In-Black Posts: 212 |
Yeah, Within Temptation have nothing more than a pretty sound. Very hollow and devoid of anything worthwhile beyond that, in my opinion. In short, I agree with all the above. I reviewed this album at my last.fm profile a while back. Didn't exactly heap praise upon it
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| The Alchemist Metalchemist Posts: 1589  |
I've heard some songs, and imo, the album is not that bad, though it's true that they've changed a lot. About the most discussed song: "What have you done" I think that the song isn't tallented, it's catchy, but not that awful. Of course, if you compare it with "Mother Earth" the difference will be enormous And other song I like is "Our Solemn Hour" with a different style too, but this one sounds more like WT, as well as "The Howling" But I have to listen to the whole album to give an accurate opinion about it
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