The Heart of Everything

After listening to "The Heart of Everything", I was extremely disappointed. I thought that they hit a new low..becoming more Evanescence than ever. While the latter point still stands, the album grew on me after a couple of listens. It strays away from metal, sure, but were they ever close to metal after "Enter"? "Mother Earth" was more ambient than metal, "The Silent Force" showed the band entering the pop-rock area...but at least "The Heart of Everything" is heavier (which is at least a step in the right direction).

The guitars are there, the drumming is heavier than ever, and the riffs are superb. The choruses are catchier and much more memorable than "The Silent Force". Within Temptation have established a "rock" sound, keeping all the choirs and orchestrations which were very frequent on their previous album and blending them in their now heavier music (two thumbs up for that).

One thing I didn't particularly like about "The Heart of Everything" is Sharon's vocals. Don't get me wrong, I love her voice. But I feel she could do more with it, like she did on "The Silent Force". Gone are those heavenly vocals on the previous album. Her voice is not more straight-forward, which, although very disappointing, fits perfectly with the new sound.

The albums kicks off with a killer track. "The Howling" starts with a typical Within Temptation intro, and is a very catchy track (commercial, yes, but by no means bad). The next track is the reason why I didn't give this album a 90. "What Have You Done" is a horrible, horrible track. It's as though Linkin Park exploded in those 5 minutes. The intro is promising (not the single version, that is), but as soon as the singing starts, it's horrid. "Frozen" falls in that same commercial trap, but it's bearable.

From "Our Solemn Hour" onwards, the album doesn't fail to disappoint once. The title track is more or less one of the best Within Temptation songs I've ever heard. It's five minutes of pure beauty (opening music and all). "The Cross" and "Final Destination" are also fantastic tracks, with the latter being one of my personal favourites. "The Truth Beneath The Rose" is also marvellous...easily one of the most beautiful songs on this album.

In conclusion, I don't regret purchasing this. It is easily one of the best albums by Within Temptation, and a step up from the previous two. It is also the last album to have ample symphonic elements. Worth purchasing (I'd stay away from any editions with bonus tracks, since the more of "What Have You Done" you listen to, the faster your ears will die)

Best tracks: The Heart of Everything, Final Destination, The Truth Beneath The Rose