♫Within Temptation: The Unforgiving- Review♫

"We are the things you see out of the corner of your eye."

Concept albums have always had a strong appeal to them that I just simply admire. For those not familiar with the term, a concept album is a collection of music that either tells a story through melody/song, or where all tracks on an album share an overall connection in theme. Every now and again musicians try their hand at a concept album, usually with varying results. As an avid fan of both storytelling and music, concept albums almost always have my attention in some degree or another.

When it was announced that Dutch symphonic/metal band Within Temptation was going to be releasing their first concept album in 2011 I was all ears. Having only just begun listening to the band about four years prior, I found myself immediately attached to their unique brand of music. Even though they had not yet done a concept album proper, the group always had a strong emphasis on story in their songs.

Within Temptation was first formed in 1996 by lead singer Sharon den Adel, and guitarist Robert Westerholt. Since the band's formation they've produced 5 studio albums, a live acoustic album, and a live concert album orchestrated by the Metropole Orchestra. They've been attributed as one of the fore-running bands of modern symphonic metal with a female lead singer. Their most notable releases have been the albums Mother Earth and The Silent Force. The single "Ice Queen" (their most successful single to date) is largely responsible for bringing them into public prominence in 2001 when it hit number 2 on Dutch charts.

The Unforgiving is an interesting piece to dissect due to its history. Originally the band wanted to write a soundtrack meant for a film, but instead opted for something within the realm of literature, as movies can fall into major delays. They were introduced to writer Steven O'Connel (Bloodrayne, Dark 48) who had actually failed to impress the band upon their first meeting, when he suggested doing a comic story involving zombies and fantasy. The band stated that they were looking for something more mature and meaningful than something they considered superficial and convoluted. Upon a second meeting though, O'Connel managed to impress them with an idea that would be about people who had done bad things in life, not because they themselves were bad, but because they had made bad decisions. The group loved the concept and gave the go ahead for writing to begin. With the story set-up in place, comic artist Romano Molenaar (Witchblade, The Darkness, X-Men) was attached to create art for the album cover/inserts, as well as sequentials for a comic tie-in.

Oh Snap!

Three short films were made around the album singles "Faster" "Sinead" and "Shot in the Dark." The group chose to do vignettes to better present the story, and to avoid the common restrictions associated with music videos. The first film titled Mother Maiden was released in January 2011 and featured "Faster" with the other videos set to follow in the coming months. Shot almost entirely in black and white, each video progressively revealed the story and characters, mostly set in flash-back scenarios. While featuring taboo topics such as domestic abuse, suicide, and drug addiction, they are addressed with a good deal of maturity and tact.

Set in modern times, an old woman known as Mother Maiden has been conducting a secret crusade against those she calls Dark Hearts ("a vile one who preys upon the innocent") for over the last few centuries. Under the guise of mythical beings, those in her employ are people who had died with regret or sin on their souls. She gives them a chance at redemption by hunting Dark Hearts so that they may find peace. The primary focus is on a particular agent, a single mother, Sinead who had died a prostitute feeding her drug habits.

While the story could be considered somewhat cliche' in nature to some, it is filled to the brim with a lot of deep heart felt emotion, and an interesting narrative setup. The character of Sinead feels appropriately tragic, and her quest for personal redemption was compelling in its presentation. The short films coupled with the special edition of the album were all engaging to watch and exhibited great cinematography, showcasing the narrative and band extremely well. As associative pieces to the album they only added to the overall experience The Unforgiving had to offer instead of making it.

This album does mark a change and departure in sound for Within Temptation. The heavy emphasis on bombastic symphonics that they have become known for has been noticeably diminished for a more diverse/contemporary formula, and this isn't exactly bad. Bringing in elements of 1980's synth pop-rock, high tempo symphonic metal, and hauntingly emotional power ballads, Within Temptation creates a uniquely cinematic roller-coaster effect. In fact I would even go so far as to say that The Unforgiving may very well be not only the band's most accessible album, but also their best album to date.

All three of the album's singles are incredibly catchy and memorable (and ironically enough radio friendly) with crunchy guitar chords built on high energy vocals. The talented (and very lovely) Sharon den Adel's voice is in top condition here, as she hits a wide range of powerful notes that literally sends chills up my spine every time I hear her sing them. Harder and heavier tracks such as "In the Middle of the Night" "Iron" and "A Demon's Fate" have quickly become what I consider to be a true example of a band achieving the ever so sought after "epic" sound/feel. They also stand as my personal favorite songs as I feel they are the truest to the band's older days while still keeping with great contemporary appeal. Power ballad pieces such as "Stairway to the Skies" and "Fire and Ice" have such passionate lyrics that the first time I heard them I'll admit that it felt like someone was cutting onions next to me. Within Temptation has proven with this album that they are not afraid of mixing their sounds and playing with their chemistry. Personally I couldn't be happier about them taking the chance on experimenting because this disc was an all around awesome listen from pretty much start to finish!

Great lyrical content and top notch art helps to further the cinematic/epic feel of the story.

That isn't to say that the album is perfect. Sadly The Unforgiving does have a track or two that falls a tad flat when considering how good the rest of it is. The song "Lost" just didn't resonate with me at any major point, nor did "Murder" or the bonus track "Utopia." I'm not saying that the pieces are particularly bad, they're just not nearly as memorable when compared to the likes of the rest of the album. Thankfully the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses here and none of the scores feel like they break the CD's pace. Despite the few small hiccups, I would say that if you find yourself on a extended road trip this would make for a good traveling soundtrack.

More old-school Within Temptation fans may be turned off by the band's adjustments in sound. While I do feel they have managed to retain their overall vibe, some may see this as the album where the band "sold-out" by going for a more mainstream appeal. Honestly though I think The Unforgiving works as an excellent gateway for new fans to discover the group and maybe even get into their previous work. By having the more varied approach the buy in for new listeners doesn't seem as large or risky.

The beautiful artwork of Romano Molenaar I feel deserves special mention as it can be found throughout the entirety of The Unforgiving's packaging. His sleek/dark vision of the characters really helps to further sell the ideas set up in the story and it has me very interested in reading the comic tie-in. The choice to go with a more sketchy design on the inserts is something I'm rather fond of as well, and it made going through the case's contents a very visually pleasing experience.

Bonuses on the special edition DVD were brief but informative. They go over the making of the short films, and the formation of the story to a very minor extent. I felt a more in depth look at the storyline or sister comic would have made the extra features more complete, but what was done was serviceable. Other bonus tracks such as "I Don't Wanna" "The Last Dance" and "Empty Eyes" were all fine tunes that gelled quite well with the album's themes. While none of them were as iconic as the dedicated tracks they were still a good listen.

Behold the band!

Overall, as a first attempt at a true concept album I feel Within Temptation has passed with flying colors. Granted some tracks do fall a little flat when compared to the other amazingly awesome scores, but at no point does the album feel like it breaks pace with its story or theme.

While some old school Within Temptation followers may be turned off by the switch in their sound, I think this album will only serve as a great gateway into the band's discography for newer fans.

The story can be seen as a fairly formulaic one, but is still emotionally compelling, with a unique premise to boot. Due to the evocative short films and the gorgeous album artwork I definitely have an interest to read further into the tie-in material for the mythology and the characters. So in that regard the album is a success.

I can honestly say that The Unforgiving is a great CD from a wholly solid band. On more than one occasion I've found myself listening to the disc from beginning to end just because I enjoyed it so much. Speaking as a child of the 1980's I can honestly say that its rockin' 80's vibe really got me jamming out to some of its tunes. Sometimes you just can't go wrong with 80's rock!

Positive Factors

• Strong mix of sounds bring out a unique and cinematic feel to the album's story.
• Legitimately interesting and emotionally compelling characters/plot.
• Catchy/iconic lyrics coupled with high energy instrumentals and passionate vocals for almost every song.
• Awesome short films and gorgeous album artwork only add to the overall feel instead of making it.
• Change in the band's formula makes for a very accessible album to new fans, while still feeling true to their original style.

Negative Factors

• A few tracks fall flat when compared to the much stronger ones. Not bad, just not memorable.
• Old-school Within Temptation fans may scream betrayal at the shift in sound.
• Bonus materials could've gone deeper into the content of the album.

Final Rating: Splenderiffic!