So I have revised my simple 'song review' to a whole album review. Getting this blog started as well as everything else going on this week has somewhat set me back from the schedule I want to maintain once I have everything up and running. I think this week I am starting with a Dark, Powerful, Female theme although I don't know why. I do however want the book, album, and movie I review each week to fit into a similar category. For future reference, I want it to be Sunday Book, Monday Movie, and Tuesday Tunes - all reviews and discussion and then a follow up video discussion all three in even more detail which I am hoping to post on Fridays or Saturdays. This week I have decided to review and discuss the album The Heart of Everything by Within Temptation.Release Date: March 12, 2007
GUN Records
Genre: Gothic/ Alternative/ Symphonic Metal
The lead singer, Sharon, has a beautiful, feminine, and strong voice that is also haunting and really captures your attention within seconds of hitting play. Each piece evokes a lot of emotion, from the amazing rise and fall of the guitar and drums and the dramatic lulls in music that are brought back up so intensely - it really is art to my ears.
1. "The Howling"
There are so many interpretations I can think of when I hear the lyrics, but the main thing I hear is that there is a battle being fought. That can be interpreted as a physical battle between two sides or an internal battle between two sides of a person. I have this visual of someone suffering from his or her own hubris and through the mistakes they have made they are dragging other people into the struggle and through it all he or she just wants it to end.
2. "What Have You Done" (featuring Mina Caputo)
This is definitely a song about two people who love each other but circumstances beyond their control are causing them to do things that pull them apart. Despite everything, there is a kind of hope that maybe they can get through it together.
3. "Frozen"
So this song is about someone who had to give up someone they loved or do something that hurt both of them but was ultimately better for the person they are singing about. At least that is the hope or whatever it was, the pain it caused would have been pointless. I think the "frozen" part is because the person singing had to be cold to the other in order to 'sacrifice' to save the other person.
4. "Our Solemn Hour"
This song right off sounds a lot (to me) of that song that Lord Frolo sang in Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. The chanting of "Sanctus Espiritus" throughout the whole song and basically asking for deliverance - to me it sounds like a prayer to God asking for guidance for humanity to show us a better way and lead us out of the dark place where we have put ourselves (supposedly).
5. "The Heart of Everything"
To me, this song is about freeing ourselves from the oppression from what society thinks we 'should' be and holding on to who we are. I think there is also a darker side to the song where someone who feels that they can't be who they are decides to just let it go. The most important thing is making sure you always hang on to who you are because without that you are lost.
6. "Hand of Sorrow"
This song reminds me of those Bard songs from Skyrim - it definitely tells the story of a man who is, as the lyrics say, "torn between his honor and the true love of his life" - now that could mean anything, but in my imagination he has to choose between the woman he loves and the oath he took to serve his king - and if I want to elaborate, maybe he isn't allowed to have a wife, or maybe has been ordered to kill her - intrigue. Anyway, in the end I think he decides to obey his "honor" but he still watches over his true love in secret.
7. "The Cross"
Okay, I really think that if this isn't a song comparing a relationship to Jesus, it is a song about Jesus talking to any person who hasn't converted to that faith. I mean, the chorus says, "Why have you waited to embrace me my dear/Cold is your silence, denying what is real/I'm still wondering why I'm still calling your name/and I wonder, oh I wonder ... /In my heart I still hope you will open the door/You can purify it all, answer my call" - Christians say that 'giving your heart to Jesus and taking him as your saviour will cleanse your sins.' I think that is kind of what I feel it is about. And the song is called 'The Cross' - come on.
8. "Final Destination"
I really feel like this song is inspired by the movie of the same title. If I remember, it is about the main character finding out that Death is coming for him and he or she keeps trying to escape it, but you can't escape fate or death. Eventually they will both find you.
9. "All I Need"
Simply put, I think this song is about falling in love. Someone who has trust issues finally finds someone they want to open themselves up to and all they can say is 'don't tear me down for all I need' Don't hurt me because I need you to love me like you say you do, and I am trusting you.
10. "The Truth Beneath the Rose"
Oh now this one is interesting, I never realized before reviewing this album more in depth but Within Temptation seems to make a lot of religious references in their music. Here I believe they are referencing the Knights Templar and anyone who has read the DaVinci Code by Dan Brown (or seen the movie) should know the reference to the Rose Line - which at the end of the book lead to the final resting place of the Holy Grail. The lyrics are pretty deep but I believe it is about seperating what is actually holy and what is just a greedy conquest of men for power.
11. "Forgiven"
It sounds a lot like someone singing to a loved one who has passed away. Such a beautiful, but sad melody - kind of reminds me of My Immortal by Evanescence. My advice is to not listen to this if you are already sad - this will make it worse.
Review:
The above song interpretations are just what I think they are about, I didn't do any research to see what the band said or what other people thought, I just listened to the lyrics and this is what I came up with. I think music is like any kind of art that has different meanings for different people.
Overall I give this album 8.5/10 Stars. I think they have a really good command of the genre and that their music is really what I need it to be while I am in the mood for it - edgy but almost with a spiritual element to it - maybe that's not the right word, but it is different. I like the different. Plus I have this part of me that really would like to have a great rock star moment on stage one day. I mean, all out with the awesome outfit, lights, smoke, the crowd going insane and me belting out a super bad ass song - These songs could make that happen. Sadly, as much as I enjoy heavy metal, I don't think I could pull off the vocals found in more mainstream Heavy Metal or Rock.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it and if you want to check out the band a little more, here is their website:
http://www.within-temptation.com/
Got any suggestions for Artists/Albums I should review in the future? Let me know!
~Oriona
PS
As I try to catch up and get on track, there wont be any posts this week, although I will try to upload the follow up video to go with this and my previous two posts. Next time I am looking to go into a completely new direction of genre so stay tuned!
Picture Credits:
http://wallpaper.metalship.org/en/wallpaper/The_Heart_of_Everything-34.html
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/within-temptation/images/15412488/title/wt-wallpaper
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