Within Temptation is a band that has never been afraid to evolve and push the boundaries of their sound. From incorporated classical symphonic elements from the past in albums such as Mother Earth, or The Heart of Everything ,to delivering a futuristic sound in their most recent album Resist. Back in March of 2020 titled Entertain You, which showed a catcher side of Within Temptation with more attitude. It is becoming harder to categorize them in a specific sub-genre. This is a good thing, because Within Temptation is able to constantly experiment keeping it interesting for all of us and them as well. Sharon Den Adel has her own voice and she can do so much with it. From operatic styles, to modern hard rock styles to collaborating with many artists all along the spectrum of music. You still know it is her and with her eclectic voice, she can still tie all the different styles of Within Temptation together. Within Temptation is not a gothic band, they are not a symphonic metal band, they are simply Within Temptation. 

In their new single The Purge, everything that makes Within Temptation such a unique band comes full circle. This track alone almost serves as a retrospective of everything we know and love. With lyrics similar to elements from The Silent Force, to incorporating elements of both classical and modern symphonic elements from The Heart of Everything and Resist, this song can serve as a soundtrack to many places through many different times. 

Starting off with a sci-fi like sound effect, it instantly sets a tone left off of their newest album resist. When it kicks in full force, it instantly immerses you in a realm of power and intensity. The lyrics are super relatable as Sharon uses her signature voice to guide us through the hard hitting rhythm. As Sharon whispers “it pulls me down” the song does exactly that. It lightens up for a few seconds to brace you for impact. Then Sharon unleashes her full range in her as the instrumentation of the riffs, synths and rhythm section fully support it. The music is so engaging you immediately get into the story. This song clearly tackles the difficult task of “self realization” and how it can sometimes be an epiphany for some and utter turmoil for others. This track represents the positive and negative effects of something that every human goes through with its music and lyrics. Melodically, this track delivers the power and strength that many need right now. This track is able to make us strong while feeling chills at the same time. 

Using past and present sounds, Within Temptation has come full circle with their new track The Purge and we look forward to see what they will incorporate next. With how well this track constantly builds up while remaining engaging and fulfilling, it flows so perfectly with melody in the voice and the instrumentation. Within Temptation has done it again.