Within Temptation - An Acoustic Night at the Theatre Review
Posted by Daniel Wilcox on 11.10.2009
The normally massive tracks of Within Temptation are stripped down and displayed at a dazzling acoustic performance.
Within Temptation - An Acoustic Night at the Theatre
Review by Daniel Wilcox
Sharon den Adel – vocals
Ruud Adrianus Jolie – guitar
Robert Westerholt – guitar
Jeroen van Veen – bass
Martijn Spierenburg – keyboard
Stephen van Haestregt – drums
Track listing:
1. Towards the End
2. Stand My Ground
3. Caged
4. All I Need
5. Frozen
6. Somewhere [feat. Anneke van Giersbergen]
7. The Cross
8. What Have You Done [feat. Keith Caputo]
9. Pale
10. Memories
11. Forgiven
12. Utopia [feat. Chris Jones]
For many, the release of Within Temptation’s An Acoustic Night at the Opera will be a source of much frustration. Not because it’s not a really good record, because it is, but because the band has opted to record and release two live records (this and last year’s Black Symphony), rather than focus their efforts on putting out a new studio album. The band has, however, assured fans that new material is in the works and a new record is therefore likely to surface at some point in 2010.
And for now, there is at least “Utopia,” the track tacked onto the end of this record just to ensure that fans do get a glimpse of what new material may sound like. The song features little-known Liverpudlian singer Chris Jones, and his voice, although nothing extraordinary, does a really sound job of working alongside den Adel’s, one of the strongest and most recognizable vocals in the genre, I’d argue. The track is acoustic so as to fit the vibe of the live portion of the album and really is a nice little surprise tacked on the end, but also shows off a side of the band that most people wouldn’t have heard before. It’s a stripped down track with no big orchestral arrangements, vocals that are almost holding back at times, and all in all just an impressive ballad by two good singers. I wouldn’t mind more tracks recorded in this style to appear on the band’s upcoming studio release.
Onto the live, acoustic portion of this album then, which occupies the other 11 tracks. Sharon den Adel and co. cover most of the band’s most popular songs here, save for a couple of my personal favourites in “The Howling” and “Our Solemn Hour.” Always important in live albums, the crowd noise on this record is more polite as you’d expect at an acoustic gig. There’s lots of hand clapping but for the most part you don’t notice that there’s a live audience, but all in all it makes for a very intimate sound that really sets the music apart.
The star of the show here is obviously the vocal of Sharon den Adel, who is still one of the prettier women in the genre despite her having had two children. But as breathtaking as she is to look at, her appearance pales in comparison to her vocal, which takes centre stage here and dominates, partly because it doesn’t have to compete with a barrage of orchestral elements. Instead those big arrangements are replaced by soothing violin and piano accompaniments that in some cases, compliment these songs better than the big, overblown orchestras do. A special mention for Keith Caputo and Anneke van Giersbergen, whose guest vocal performances match up to those of den Adel on the tracks “Somewhere” and “What Have You Done” respectively.
This represents a side of Within Temptation that hasn’t really been seen before. Normally their live shows are designed to blow the audience away. Well An Acoustic Night at the Theatre does that in a different way, as it pulls you in to a mesmerizing tranquillity driven by a fantastic vocal performance and great songs in their rawest form. If you’re a fan of this band and weren’t sure whether you’d be into this, or a fan of good music in general, this is an easy recommendation.
Essential downloads: “Caged,” “Frozen,” “What Have You Done,” “Memories” and “Utopia.”
The 411: While it may not totally satisfy those fans yearning for a new studio album, the merits of this record are the for all to see. While the chosen track list may be missing of the band's most memorable and accomplished tracks, this is still a fantastic live acoustic performance from a band who many didn't think were capable of such a thing. Sharon den Adel's voice shines more than ever and is the centerpiece of as good a live album as you'll hear all year.
