The Heart of Everything

• 以女主唱Sharon den Adel美声震撼欧陆，荷兰歌德金属名团最新大作 • 丰富融合欧式与美式摇滚调性，宽广拉长WT音乐新视野，打入英国榜Top40 • 首波强打单曲〈What Have You Done〉，站上波兰季军+芬兰Top4+荷兰Top7，请来硬蕊摇滚团Life Of Agony主唱Keith Caputo搭腔 在多为男性主导的摇滚圈中，女主音常常被受到忽视，然而在Nu-Metal走红之际，其中冷艳女声加上歌德式音韵辅佐下，让Evanescence/伊凡塞斯瞬间成为新世代摇滚迷们膜拜对象，喜欢Evanescence的乐迷又有新的选择，Within Temptation不仅轻易征服欧洲摇滚铁汉，更站上国际舞台，让全球更多乐迷体验她们的无穷魅力。 欧洲各国金属乐仍不受到世代转变而稍为停滞，反而更加丰富且旺盛蔓延打动至美国、日本等醉心摇滚文化之族群心中。来自荷兰的Within Temptation(以下简称WT)，在原属The Circle吉他手Robert Westerholt离团后，邀请同团伙伴Jeroen van Veen(贝斯手)与Michael Papenhove(吉他手)另起炉灶，再加上Robert女友Sharon den Adel担任主唱，亲弟弟Martijn Westerholt负责键盘手一职与鼓手Dennis Leeflang等六人在1996年正式成军。虽顺利签入荷兰DSFA Records，却传出鼓手Dennis与其他团员不合退团换上Ivar de Graaf。1997-2004年陆续问世《Enter》、《Mother Earth》、《The Silent Force》等三张卖座专辑，吸引金属大厂Roadrunner Records赏识，签下美国发行权。 迈入乐坛第十年之际WT推出第四张专辑《The Heart Of Everything》，首度登上英国金榜Top38位置，更为丰富融合欧式与美式摇滚调性，宽广拉长WT音乐新视野。Sharon柔美哼唱拉出〈The Howling〉序幕，接着壮丽歌德摇滚气势弥漫全曲，Sharon转为强而有力的声调，掉入伊凡塞斯Amy Lee的错觉中；首波强打单曲〈What Have You Done〉，站上波兰季军+芬兰Top4+荷兰Top7，弦乐凄美与吉他急促飙奏下，一场古典与现代的强烈冲突上演着，在顺耳动听的迷人气息围绕下，也不失金属乐该有的重击声响，请来美国Roadrunner旗下硬蕊摇滚团Life Of Agony主唱Keith Caputo搭腔，简直是依凡塞斯〈Bring Me To Life〉二部序曲现身；结合美声歌德乐派，气势磅礡的管弦乐辅入与紧密厚实吉他刷扣之〈The Heart Of Everything〉，同时惊喜聆听Sharon扮演天使与魔鬼般的双重嗓音诠释；长达七分余钟的〈The Truth Beneath The Rose〉，持续恣意散发神秘冷调情感，传达深远辽阔声音张力，史歌般的壮烈豪情在各桥段衔接中激爆漫延。WT华丽的管弦乐合奏、明亮丰富的乐器层迭包裹、唱诗班的合音歌咏为主导，可完全不输Evanescence。 Any goth metal band fronted by a woman post-2003 is going to be compared to Evanescence, whether they like it or not. And while they're probably sick to death of hearing this comparison, Within Temptation's fourth full-length overall, 2007's The Heart of Everything, will especially garner some comparing/contrasting to Amy Lee and company. But here's the catch for newcomers to the band: Within Temptation has been around longer than Evanescence. That said, give a listen to the male-female duet "What Have You Done," which sees Within Temptation frontwoman Sharon Den Adel paired with Life of Agony's Keith Caputo — and guess what song it sounds a bit like (yes, you guessed it: "Bring Me to Life"!). Elsewhere, the sextet isn't afraid to get downright symphonic, even on the ballad "Frozen" plus the metallic rock of the title track and "Hand of Sorrow" (the latter of which combines both approaches, sounding a bit like Meat Loaf's latter day epics). And you've got to love a song that was inspired after a viewing of Braveheart (the aforementioned title track), which explains the sweeping "cinematics" that are on display throughout The Heart of Everything. ℗ 2007 Roadrunner Records