Within Temptation – Paradise (What About Us?) E.P.

Simon Bower 17 September 2013 Album Reviews

‘Paradise’ = noun, “a place or condition of great happiness, where everything is exactly as you would like it to be”. A description never more apt.

Continuing their relentless march towards conquering the globe, Within Temptation throw out this four track E.P. ahead of next years highly anticipated sixth studio album, which according to all the rumours, promises to be their most adventurous and diverse to date.

The opening and main track “Paradise (What About Us?)” could easily be described as every Female Fronted Metal fans utopian song, featuring as it does an amazing duet between Sharon and Tarja, who surprisingly, had never met before working on this project. The result is mind blowingly good, continuing as it does, Within Temptation’s leanings towards melodies and catchy choruses as opposed to the darker Gothic Metal of years gone by, although, having said that, this track is actually a good deal heavier and punchier than a lot of the bands recent compositions. The lead vocal duties switch between the two, verse by verse , before coming together for the chorus to send shivers down the spine. Tarja’s classically trained warbling suit’s the track to a tee, making for the perfect foil for Sharon’s earthier, more natural sound, and clocking in as it does at over five minutes in duration, it’s a track that will have you hitting the play button again and again.

The remaining three tracks on the E.P. are clever ’teasers’ of what lies in store for the new album, being demo versions of songs that presumably will appear in their complete and polished state nearer the time. Although rough around the edges, the quality shines through, “Let Us Burn” sounds potentially immense, a real Symphonic masterpiece in the making. “Silver Moonlight”, whilst starting slowly, quickly transforms into a sing- a- long, jump- a-long track, complete with the welcome return of a Death Metal growl vocal to a Within Temptation song (interesting to see if it makes it to the final version) and is probably my personal favourite of the demo crop on offer. Closing track, “Dog Days” comes across as a much slower paced affair but still packs a mighty punch, a wonderful drum sound backed by piano section and yet again an amazingly catchy chorus, completing an excellent E.P.

2014 promises to be the best and most important in the bands history to date, potentially, the new album could propel them to the very top of not only Rock and Metal but to the general music audience as well, add to that the upcoming world tour ( revised and rescheduled dates below) and these really are exciting times indeed.

Track Listing;

1. Paradise ( What About Us?) – feat. Tarja
2. Let Us Burn
3. Silver Moonlight
4. Dog Days

Released on the 27th of September.

http://www.within-temptation.com/

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Revised and rescheduled tour dates;