Within Temptation – Hydra
Origin: Netherlands
Genre: Symphonic Metal/Rock
Released: January 31st, 2014 on Roadrunner Records
Within Temptation have changed their style quite a bit since their Enter/Mother Earth days of the late 1990s. Gone are the dark gloomy gothic riffs and hooks, and the fantasy and nature themes are no more. Instead we have accessible metal/rock that is very radio friendly that relies on Sharon den Adel’s vocals, which are very pretty and a strength of the band, Hydra in particular, relies on several guest vocalists which include: Howard Jones (ex-Killswitch Engage), Xzibit (yes, that Xzibit), Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish), and David Pirner (Soul Asylum).
The album isn’t bad, at first I was dubious, with the change in styles and the array of guest vocalists, but the album really is a diverse and dynamic affair that certainly picks up in ambition a bit at right around the halfway point. That being said, there are some points on the album, where the flow just dies as the music slows down for the occasional love song that could never hold my interest; and overall is fairly inconsistent despite its diversity. Certain tracks, simply come across as derivative and lack any sort of musical hook, but the album isn’t bad.
Recommended If You Like: Nightwish, Delain, Lacuna Coil, Epica
Recommended Tracks:
1. Let Us Burn
2. Dangerous (features Howard Jones)
4. Paradise (features Tarja Turunen)
Sharon den Adel – Vocals
Robert Westerholt – Guitars
Ruud Jolie – Guitars
Jeroen van Veen – Bass
Martijn Spierenburg – Keyboards
Mike Coolen – Drums
Stefan Helleblad – Guitars
strong
/p