Band:	Within Temptation
Album:	The Silent Force
Style:	Symphonic metal
Release date:	November 15, 2004
A review by:	Jeff

01. Intro
02. See Who I Am
03. Jillian (I'd Give My Heart)
04. Stand My Ground
05. Pale
06. Forsaken
07. Angels
08. Memories
09. Aquarius
10. It's The Fear
11. Somewhere
12. A Dangerous Mind [Premium edition bonus]
13. The Swan Song [Premium edition bonus]
14. Overcome [bonus]
15. Towards The End [bonus]
16. Destroyed [bonus]
17. Jane Doe [bonus]
18. Say My Name [bonus]

The new Within Temptation, oh my god, we are waiting for it since a lot of time now? Enough of all this re-editions, enough of all this cd singles, we wanted a real new album? And after four long years, we have it!!! "The Silent Force" is out damn finally? But some really important questions remain: how it is? Is it good?? Is it bad??? Will we have some musical changes in it? Yeah I suppose that you all wondered that like me? And well I have some answers yes?

When I saw on MTV, the video clip of their first single "Stand My Ground" honestly I can't lie, I said to myself, "damn dudes, what are you doing?"? I'm a fan of Within Temptation, since the beginning, I think that Sharon is certainly the best female singer of all the Metal scene in reason of the clarity of her voice, this kind of voice that you can only have with great female singers in general like a Kate Bush for example. But I'm sure of one thing if "Stand My Ground" is certainly a good song to catch some newbies into the music of Within Temptation, I don't think it was a good choice to keep some old fans? Why??? Well this is in my opinion the recurrent problem of this album. I will be clear, "The Silent Force" is a good album but it suffers of some important problems, which are first: the arrangements. I can't understand why Within Temptation needs to uses some electronics sounds in backgrounds that only bands like Linkin Park or Evanescence use. Try to imagine it, if you only remove first all this little sounds of the chorus, the albums could sounds totally different and it could be more the Within Temptation that we like.... Maybe in fact all this sounds are here to give a music a bit more soft and to give a chance to some people who are not really into Metal to listen to Within Temptation?
My 2nd regret in fact comes from the irregularity of the songs of this albums. Let me explain you my feeling. The album start with an amazing symphonic intro, and then comes two very excellent songs [the 2 best songs of the album, in my opinion] "See Who I Am" and "Jillian", two very catchy songs, very symphonic, very powerful. And then come some songs like "Stand My Ground", "It's the Fear" [even if the chorus is good], "Memories" or "Pale" this is not really new, very basic, and even "easy" in comparison to the 2 others songs or to some other very good ones like "Forsaken" or "Angels" [and I don't talk about the songs of their old albums]. At the end we have two very different parts on this album. The good songs that remind me of the real Within Temptation [oki it's a bit "sweeten" in comparison of the past but it's remains ok?] and some songs which are a bit uncoloured? That's a shame for me, because at the end, it misses something in this album: all the magical parts that we have in "Enter" or "Mother Earth".
As I said before don't believe again that this album is a bad one, at the opposite, through some songs that you know now, you will see that Within Temptation remains a great band. I saw them in Paris for the promotional live of the album and believe me the new songs are perfect played live, and like each time it was good. But some songs of the albums make that album more average than good. That's sad but true, Within Temptation did operate a real change with "The Silent Force", for some songs it's more Pop, or even Variety than Metal, but luckily some songs are damn good don't worry?
And of course don't worry about the production, you already understood it's really good? The orchestration [by a real classic orchestra] and the chorus made by a real choir give depth to the songs. The sound is perfect and I must say that the idea of producing a very cheap album without a booklet to give the chance to those who don't have a lot of money [or to convince some others to buy it instead of burn it?] is a good idea. I have another regret however [I promise, that's the last one?] I remember that Within Temptation was in the past an Atmospheric Doom/Gothic Metal band, and now, that's not new, we were all sure of it before the release of the cd, no Death vocals by Robert but above all, no songs with a length exceeding 4:55? Humm I think that you understand my feeling?

Well well, at the end, I must say it, "The Silent Force" is a good album, I'm sure that a lot of people will be into Within Temptation's music with it [don't forget the old albums in that case?]. But however this is not perfect and a bit too "sweet" for me. This is not bad I say it again some songs are excellent, but some others? have nothing to do on an album of a band of the quality of Within Temptation? In comparison of their precedent albums, Within Temptation have lost the magic in their new songs, but no doubt that this album will be a total succes for some of you? and will be also a bit dispointing for some of us?