The training was responsible for this compendium of impeccable songs consisted of Sharon Den Adel on vocals (Except singer, described as a mezzo soprano, charismatic frontwoman), Robert Westerholt and Ruud Jolie on guitar, Jeroen Van Veen on bass, Martijn Spierenburg on keyboards and Stephen Van Haestregt on drums.
The album, released during the first half of 2007, is so far the last studio of the band, while awaiting the start of the new record, "The unforgiving" , to within a few weeks. The publisher was the American Roadrunner Records, usually devoted to groups of more extreme or aggressive tint. WITHIN TEMPTATION , however, has a distinctive European sound, but with a slight whiff Americanized in some of his compositions, which was not present in their first CDs.
To be faithful to the truth, this record is a parade of hits, one song after another. The first half of the album is simply unstoppable, and from the two initial tracks, "The Howling" (terrific example of how to conceive a great song) or the equally bombastic "What Have You Done" , probably the spearhead of this terrible record, a sensational topic that includes the tiny guest Keith Caputo, lead singer of Life of Agony (had something to do with the record in this detail?), an excellent counterpoint vocals with Sharon Den Adel .
Then, the disc still sound wonderful countryside passing by, somewhat calmer in the beautiful ballad "Frozen" , before rising again with the ultra radiable "Our Solemn Hour" where we can listen a catchy chorus to a fault. The first half of the plate comes at a good port with the song that gives title to it, followed by "Hand of Sorrow" different composition easily identifiable, very high level.
In the second half, may decline a little hypothetical "meter hits" but never falls quality of songs, which determines as a result this album simply unforgettable. "The Cross" is-certainly-one of the best tracks, not only of this album, but the entire race WITHIN TEMPTATION. In it we can appreciate the versatility and Sharon Den Adel without doubt one of the best singers in the world.
"Final Destination" down a step, but not because it is magnificent, is that his predecessor "The Cross" is superlative. "All I Need" is in our opinion the weakest point of the CD, but it is clear that the same is an issue that could be cut for any band dissemination of style, which, except Nightwish - consider all well below these Dutch.
Registration is closing with the last two songs: "The Truth Beneath the Rose" , the longest in duration, where emotions rise again after the previous "All I Need" , and the final "Forgiven" , a beautiful ballad where again the vocal cords of Sharon shine in full.
To summarize, we can say which, to our taste- "The Heart of Everything" is one of the greatest albums of the decade ended, one of those superlatives and monumental works that have no waste, which has no filler tracks, and which is very difficult to remove from the compactera. It's like a Greatest Hits , but no: in fact it is a board study of a band that squeezed the end of their enormous creativity, his innate songwriting talent and his remarkable ability to create the best songs in style.
In our humble opinion, "The Heart of Everything" deserves a ten in all aspects.
commented: Javier Parente To OXIDE .-
