Within Temptation: Sharon den Adel (vocals); Ruud Jolie (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Robert Westerholt (electric guitar); Martijn Spierenburg (keyboards); Jeroen Van Veen (bass guitar); Stephen Van Haestregt (drums).
Personnel: Pa'dam (vocals); Metropole Orchestra.
Filmed with 14 high-definition cameras and presented in widescreen format and surround sound, Dutch symphonic metal act Within Temptation offers BLACK SYMPHONY, a spectacular visual feast captured here on DVD. Recorded in front of a capacity crowd at the Ahoy, Rotterdam, on February 7, 2008, SYMPHONY sees Within Temptation performing a 22-song set with the renowned Metropole Orchestra and special guests Keith Caputo (Life of Agony), Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering), and George Oosthoek (Orphanage). Bonus features include a documentary, two backstage features, and a CD containing 13 highlights from the magical performance.
Seasoned purveyors of arena rock for the socially disengaged, Holland's Within Temptation have been carrying the symphonic goth metal torch far longer than contemporaries like Epica, Leaves Eyes, and Evanescence. That experience shines through the manufactured gloom on Black Symphony, a live CD/DVD recorded at Rotterdam's Ahoy Arena with a 60-piece orchestra, 20-voice classical choir, circus performers, and enough pyrotechnics to knock the Moon out of orbit. Like any orchestral metal outfit worth its salt, the band kicks things off with an ELO-meets-The Lord of the Rings-inspired "Ouverture" that seamlessly runs into the group's 2005 hit, "Jillian (I'd Give My Heart)," before descending into a set that relies almost entirely on material from 2007's Heart of Everything. It's as big, ballsy, theatrical, and overly melodramatic as one would expect (Life of Agony's Keith Caputo reprises his studio role on the delightfully over the top "What Have You Done"), but it's executed perfectly, as evidenced by the 10,000 screaming fans who were lucky enough to sell the show out. ~ James Christopher Monger minimize