The Heart of Everything - Dark Publications

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Album Details
2007 Issued Fourth Studio Album by the Dutch Symphonic Metal Band. Within Temptation Once Again Prove Themselves as Peerless Purveyors of Quality Gotihic-tinged Rock, Produced Again by Daniel Gibson and Mixed by Stefan Glaumann (Rammstein). While the Epic Grandeur of the Band's Sound Remains, it Now Coexists with a More Contemporary "organic" Feel. Nowhere is this Highlighted More Than on the Single "What have You Done" (Featuring Life of Agony Vocalist Keith Caputo), which Manages to Be Both Passionate and Punchy. Elsewhere "Frozen" is a Classic, Streamlined Ballad and "The Howling" Swirling Tour-de-force.

Customer Reviews: Read 28 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Almost a comeback from "Silent Force" March 5, 2007
13 out of 19 found this review helpful

After the canonical goth-metal masterpiece Mother Earth, they had produced a tough act to follow, even for themselves. The Silent Force, four years after Mother Earth was a hollow rendition of their past efforts. I would contend that they're starting to work their way back up to that level with a slightly different, even grittier sound.

In The Heart of Everything we get nothing like the haunting "Our Farewell" nor the bombastic "Ice Queen" that made Mother Earth so great, but this offering is still nothing to be sneezed at.

"The Howling" is a worthy, attention-grabbing album opener, and it establishes the high stakes that the band (I assume) is intending to place on this album. They need to redeem themselves after The Silent Force, and God forbid they do anything like Lacuna Coil's Karmacode. This track is a positive beginning, with high-energy riffs and lyrics. 9/10

"What Have You Done" is a total disappointment. It was the single from the album, and track 2 should always be one of the stronger tracks on an album. Instead, this comes off as a nu-metal duet ballad of sorts, with a male vocalist that sounds too much like Fred Durst. If you like Evanescence, you should love this song, but Within Temptation can be so much more than this. 6/10

"Frozen" was a bit of a surprise. It starts out again like a Tori Amos song, but ends up a 4:30 love ballad that rocked my socks off. It possessed all the elements for a hit song, but there was a little too much noise in it. It's solid, but it lacks the compositional rhythm that makes a truly superb goth metal track. The lead guitar was also relatively boring, and it relied on repetitive licks that could have been spiced up a bit. 8.5/10

"Our Solemn Hour" is something i'd expect from Therion, not Within Temptation. It's over-the-top, operatic, and cheesy. Don't get me wrong, it has its moments, but there are strange sound clips or a backup male vocalist in the background that are impossible to hear. It's layering for the sake of layering rather than to achieve a unity of affect. If you're going to have lyrics like "Santus, Espiritus, redeem us from our solemn hour," you'd better have earned it. Avantasia is the only group from whom I can take Latin lyrics. 6.5/10

"The Heart of Everything" shows Sharon delving into the lower registers with her voice for a more masculine, aggressive sound. It's interesting, but nothing exceptional. 8/10

"Hand of Sorrow" has a classic Nightwish-esque intro, that melts into a Within Temptation ballad. Puts me in mind of "10th Man Down" by Nightwish, actually, both in lyrics and music. Luckily, Within Temptation has nailed it. 9/10

"The Cross" reminds me strangely of Tori Amos, and it takes a surprising turn from most of Within Temptation's music--the lyrics are more reasonable even, less angsty and juvenile. It really does sound like Tori Amos with a distorted guitar. 9.5/10

"Final Destination" is total filler crud. 5/10

"All I Need" is a slow, maudlin ballad that is a shallow imitation of "Our Farewell". It has its charms, i suppose, but I can't get past the lyrics and the whininess on this track, as I can manage with some of their other slower tracks. 7/10

"The Truth Beneath the Rose" seems to echo the earlier energy of the album, but it should more than likely have been a B-side. It has more of the operatic drivel that they tried to employ earlier in the album. This sounds a bit like Leaves' Eyes.

"Forgiven" begins with a beautiful piano intro, and Sharon's voice takes on a more muted quality from its usual whiny harshness. It approaches magnificence, and even (gasp) subtlety. This is hands-down one of my favorite tracks from the band, and I forgive the Sun/Clouds lyrics in a song where lyrics should be paramount. 10/10

If you didn't like The Silent Force and were a Within Temptation fan, get this album. I can forgive the filler tracks and call the entire elbum a 9/10.

4 out of 5 stars

Not their greatest, but still praiseworthy. April 30, 2007
7 out of 10 found this review helpful

Within Temptation are back with their latest arsenal of symphonic rock and metal songs bound to infest themselves in the listener's mind for days on end, and while The Heart of Everything may not benefit from strong orchestral emphasis (as seen on their previous album), it will surely retain WT's loyal fanbase, and will no doubt be their key to crack into the US market.

When I first listened to this album (half asleep on a tour bus in France, mind you), I wasn't sure what to think. There are some notable changes from the band's last album: Sharon's vocals don't quite come off as angelic as they did on "Jillian" or "Dark Wings," instead remaining in a somewhat lower key for the majority of the first few tracks - with virtually none of the high-pitched screeching that distinguished them from the rest of the symphonic metal pack. "The Howling" is a good example of this - much of the verses feature shouted vocals from Sharon that may take some getting used to, but actually suit the song quite nicely.

The next two tracks, "What Have You Done" and "Frozen" were rather disappointing for me. The first makes "Stand My Ground" look like Dark Tranquillity, and I can only assume that this was forced by the band's label. Anyone who said this song sounded like "Bring Me to Life" was right on the mark. Half the vocals are done by Life of Agony frontman Keith Caputo, and as far as I'm concerned, he's no longer welcome on a WT song again. :P That aside, there's really little here to maintain my interest, and "Frozen" is nothing to write home about either. Sharon's vocals seem strained during the chorus, similar to those of Alanis Morissette's, but not in an attractive way.

Fortunately the album picks up its pace with the appealing "Our Solemn Hour," which will surely win over a live audience. The strangest track of the album, the title track, follows, which marks the biggest departure for Sharon - entirely abandoning her falsetto roots for a deeper, grungier vocal. And this time their experimentation worked. "Hand of Sorrow" revisits the older days of WT, sounding closer to Mother Earth-era writing than anything else.

Another favorite, "The Cross," benefits from a well-rounded chorus and better-than-average lyrics, while "Final Destination," a slightly less memorable but altogether decent track should please fans. "All I Need" is the second ballad from the album (they usually come in threes), and while not their finest ballad to date, still surpasses "Frozen." "The Truth Beneath the Rose," the longest track of the album is a success - combining a beautiful symphonic intro with reflective lyrics that may or may not have been inspired by the Beauty of the Beast. Our third ballad, "Forgiven," is also a winner, stripped down to a keyboard and Sharon's beautiful vocals that will send chills down your spine.

Overall, I think this was a very good buy. It doesn't look like the band will surpass their magnum opus, 2000's Mother Earth, but that doesn't mean they'll stop putting out other great albums for their fans. While there are a couple misses, the majority of the songs here are hits and I hope any Americans with taste in music will make the wise decision to buy this CD when it's released domestically in July.

Highlights: The Howling, The Heart of Everything, Hand of Sorrow, The Cross, The Truth Beneath the Rose, Forgiven

5 out of 5 stars

The Melding of Silent Force and Mother Earth March 24, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

This CD is a step up from Silent Force in my view. I love Silent Force however, it was all mainly symphonic and operatic in the manner that Sharon den Adel sang mainly in her high pitch. I love her voice, and you really get to experience the tremendous range she has! This can be reflected in The Heart of Everything, The Howling, Frozen and so on. It made me question, when I first heard these tracks, who's the woman with the deep, slightly gruff voice, and than I realized it was Sharon. Wow.

Also, the tracks incorporate more 'rock and roll' like in their earlier CDs as well as the symphonic tones from Silent Force. Neither is over done-it's a very nice blend.

Now to be specific about the songs:

1. The Howling-A very catchy, Within Temptation-esque tune! It has a choir, yet exudes a harshness with the smooth combination through the intertwining of Sharon's high, and low pitch voices singing together. Also, the subtle growling of Robert Westerholt (I believe) and the angry drums, help to give it an aggressive, anxious ambiance. It speaks of the horrors of battle, whilst facing it head on. 8.5/10

2. What Have You Done Now is very mainstream with the intention to catch on in America, and indeed it IS catchy. Caputo and Sharon sound nice together, though I feel a richer more mellow male voice would have been more poignant. The lyrics are a little poor, and campy. I think it's a decent song to grab attention in the USA, where WT's typical songs may not have made it right away with the crud we listen to. Though it's not true to the standard WT sound, I think it is a good song, and sounds nicer on the CD with the operatic piece that was cut out for the video(s). 6.5/10

3.Frozen is not one of my favorites. It's a good song, and does not have the choir or symphony backing them up. Just nice guitar and drums! I just don't like the melody and rhythm. To me, it sounds a bit mainstream in the way of Evanescence (but better of course). 6/10

4.Our Solemn Hour is lovely! It's chorus boasts beautiful latin, perhaps not as potent as they would like because I don't think they combined Sharon's voice with the choir as well as possible! This starts feeling more like our beloved Within Temptation, yet new in a positive way! Sharon sings in a pleading manner; very sweet and effortless. The chorus has some nice guitar arrangement meshed with the choir. The Winston Churchhill in the beginning empowers it a bit also. The theme is of being ignorant to something hazardous we are doing or is occuring hence causing misery and suffering upon ourselves or others presently or in the long run. Also, if we don't soon take action for what we have done or is happening, we'll be damned. 9/10

5. The Heart of Everything is a strong piece. It demonstrates Adel's deep range, and has a dynamic feel to it. It's one of my favorites, and is a great title song. The lyrics talk about not sacrificing your faith and beliefs even when faced with a force who is challenging you; perhaps even forcing you to repent for your convictions. Basically, standing up or even martyring yourself for what you stand for. 10/10

6. Hand of Sorrow is classic WT in my opinion. I love the piano in it, and the sweet story to it. The lyrics and music are pretty, and it has a rock-edge to it. It speaks of a boy who is torn between love and honor, as well as doing things he does not wish to under oath. In lay man terms, the desire to break away from conformity or what others want you to do; the want to break away for your dreams but doing so would cause problems. 10/10

7. The Cross is very eccentric. The lyrics are well written with some nice metaphors and they take some creative innovation playing around with Sharon's voice in the background throughout it. I think sometimes they stuck in a little too much of the Oh-Oh-OoOoh sounds Sharon makes though. It speaks of a bitter relationship with a friend, family, lover, etc. and how no matter what you do, you always get the short end of the stick. They are ignorant of your feelings and all you have done for them. You bear the weight of it like a cross. However, you cannot escape your love for them and loyalty...you are a slave to their selfish negligence. 9.5/10

8. Final Destination is a filler song to me. Both The Howling and this come from a game, however this one just doesn't do much for me. It's ok. 5.5/10

9.All I Need I've heard a lot of good about, nevertheless, I can't stand this song. It's very mellow, yet boring. It sounds even more mainstream than WHYDN. Some will find this ballad pretty, but Forgiven stomps right on its face. I personally don't like it. 5/10

10. The Truth Beneath the Rose is a beautiful song! I love it and it has the best lyrics in the whole album. The message is pristine: The truth beneath the rose is seeing that under the grandeur of religion or politics that cause hatred or bloodshed, the truth is ugly...and is it justified? It refers more to Christianity, but I feel that's because its easier and more well-understood to explain metaphorically through. Why would God want us to judge, hate, or to an extreme battle those who do not see our way, in order for us to go to heaven? Is feeling that way a sin too? 10/10

11. Forgiven is a gorgeous ballad speaking of...forgiveness. If you liked 'Our Farewell' you will appreciate this song too! Great piano and melody...softly and fluently sung. 10/10

These were just my interpretations; these songs can have many if you look deeply.

One agitation of this, is that there is only 11 songs-2 made for something else essentially! It's been awhile since the Silent Force, and some more material would have been nice. =]

Otherwise, its a beautiful album, which I recommend highly.

4 out of 5 stars

Some really good songs, and some very cheesy commercial tunes May 6, 2007
5 out of 8 found this review helpful

It is very difficult to review this album without mentioning that the single "What Have You Done" is the wrong choice for a choice track off this album. I would have chosen "The Howling" or the title track "The Heart of Everything." There are some very epic songs on this album, perhaps four or five. However, the rest of the album suffers greatly from simplistic lyrics and riffs that are catchy in a bad way. The MTV crowd will eat up "What Have You Done" but those looking for good symphonic metal will love "The Howling" and "The Truth Beneath the Rose." This is barely heavy metal, but half of the album is really good, so I will give it four out of five stars.

5 out of 5 stars

What Have They Done Now? March 28, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I really loved the earlier album "Silent Force" but this is even better! The vocalist, Sharon, proves that she is even better than Tarja Turunen (from Nightwish), and the whole band proves that they are not "a poor man's Nightwish". This album has much differen kinds of songs, and they all are great. The songs "The Howling" and "What Have You Done (feat. Keith Caputo)" have been played in radios but I prefer more the songs "Frozen" and "The Cross". It seems that Within Temptation have decided to make something newer than just pale melodic metal with opera vocals. Sharon's voice is delightful! She can sing so beatifully and her voice is not just an opera voice without depth. The last song "Forgiven" is a beautiful beautiful ballad! The lyrics are even better than in "Silent Force". There seems to be some Christianity in lyrics...could it be that...?
Stars: Frozen, The Cross, Our Solemn Hour

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