Within Temptation

In a recent interview, Within Temptation’s Sharon den Adel sounded hurt by the comparisons of her band’s newest music to Evanescence. Hurt she may be but she shouldn’t have been surprised. Deliberate or not, whether they’re just coming from the same place or have absorbed similar influences, The Heart of Everything resembles the Evanescence debut more often than it sounds like older Within Temptation. Granted, Mother Earth is the Within Temptation album I know best, but I miss the bombastic orchestration offset by ethereal melodies and messages. Songs like "Our Solemn Hour” or "Hand of Sorrow” lean more in that direction but rock riffs and nu metal groove dilute much of the rest. Even Keith Caputo’s guest vocals sound more gimmicky than soulful. Mind you, if you like dark contemporary rock with gothic ornamentation, Within Temptation still write solid, ear-catching songs that are vastly better than any recent Evanescence single. The heart of the disappointment is that it’s all just a little more ordinary than Within Temptation once were.