Within Temptation might have emerged as leading lights in symphonic metal at the dawn of the millennium, but in the 26 years since their debut their sound has evolved drastically, from an early propensity for goth metal to embracing pop metal sensibilities and filling arenas around the world. These are the 10 songs that have defined that journey.
Mother Earth (Mother Earth, 2000)
Evoking a fairy tale world of crystal lakes and enchanted forests, Mother Earth embraced symphonic metal, albeit with a folkier, less bombastic edge. This is Within Temptation at their purest and prettiest.
Stand My Ground (The Silent Force, 2004)
On Stand My Ground, the band perfected a blend of anthemia and dark-edged splendour that has defined their music ever since. Almost two decades on, it is still one of their most enduring anthems.
What Have You Done (The Heart Of Everything, 2007)
Turning every dial in Within Temptation’s arsenal up to 100, with melodramatic vocals, hulking guitars and an absolute belter of a chorus, this is the band at their most electrifyingly overblown.
Our Solemn Hour (The Heart Of Everything, 2007)
A Winston Churchill speech, a choir singing in Latin and a sense of imminent apocalypse – 16 years after its release, Our Solemn Hour still sounds as urgent and relevant as ever.
Faster (The Unforgiving, 2011)
Boasting one of their most irresistible choruses, Faster dialled down the band’s symphonic inclinations for razor-sharp pop metal. The first step in the band’s transition from symphonic royalty to arena mainstays.
Paradise (What About Us?) (Hydra, 2014)
However incohesive Hydra was as an album, it gifted us this thunderous, unforgettable duet with ex-Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen, and for that, we are eternally grateful.
The Reckoning (Resist, 2019)
With a little help from Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix and a buzzing electronic backbone that added a whole new dimension to the band’s sound, with The Reckoning, they entered a gigantic new era.
Supernova (Resist, 2019)
Written following the death of Sharon’s father in 2018, Supernova is a powerhouse of a track. As she sings, ‘These days when I’m lost, I search the skies’ over glittering synths and colossal guitars, it perfectly captures the enormity of grief.
The Purge (Bleed Out, 2023)
Face it: no one makes fists-in-the-air anthems better than Within Temptation. The Purge, a cathartic command to eradicate any toxic presences in your life, simply begs to be screamed at the top of your lungs.
Wireless (Bleed Out, 2023)
Not only is Wireless the band’s heaviest and most overtly political song yet, it brings every one of their sonic eras together as a perfect culmination of past and present.
Bleed Out is due October 20 via Force Music
