Band : Within Temptation & The Metropole Orchestra
Title : Black Symphony
Label : Gun Records / Sony
Distribution : Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Release date : October 2008
Review : double-DVD

Black Symphony is the registration of one of the highlights in the history of Within Temptation. The band performed on February 7th 2008 at the great The Ahoy (Amsterdam, Holland) before a huge audience, in collaboration with the Metropole Orchestra and the Pa’dam choir (and an appearance by stilt walkers). And I cannot but being positive about this live performance. The sound and visuals are superb, and what’s more, the members (and most guest members, including the choir and orchestra) are in top condition. And I have to admit that I’m extremely impressed by the evolution singer Sharon did undergo! Even though I did like their orchestral and Gothic-inspired Symphonic Metal from the very beginning, I always found Sharon a disturbing element. Both live and in the studio I almost couldn’t listen to her vocals, I’m afraid. It did really hurt my sensitive little ears. But now her voice has grown so much and I dare to pretend that she must be one of the best melodic / classical schooled female singers in the worldwide Metal scene. Both low and high vocals are sung correctly, and the passages from low to high, or in the other direction, are almost faultless. Her voice is powerful, fix and full, and that may be one of the surpluses of Within Temptation nowadays. As said, also the other performers are ‘acceptable’: Pa’dam with the orchestral, symphonic and / or Gregorian chants, the splendid orchestra with its driven members, and guest vocalists George Oosthoek (e.g. Pleurisy and ex-Orphanage) and the beautiful Anneke Van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering, currently in Agua de Annique). Only Life Of Agony’s Keith Caputo is… Never mind, it fits perfectly to the song What Have You Done, the worst mistake ever created by Within Temptation.
Besides this nice concert registration, the DVD does contain bonus material, of course. Disc One gives information on the concert (backstage report) and a documentary (band’s history, including some interviews), and Disc Two brings other interesting extras. First there is a bonus concert, also with a fine sound and visual quality, recorded at the end of last year in Eindhoven, and of course a few video clips have been put on this compilation (more specific: What Have You Done, Frozen, The Howling and All I Need) (+ the making of). And finally, the disc does contain other additions, among which Within Temptation’s collaboration on the Benelux TMF Awards and the Dutch Pop Awards, and so on.
Highly recommended to DVD-fans / Within Temptation-fans!

--/100

Ivan Tibos.