[.ca] Mother Earth

Very special:
I normally don't write reviews, but I listened and enjoyed this album so much, that I thought it really deserved a good review. I like fantasy books a lot, and this music reminds me of them. Each song is a magical story on its own. This album is absolutely worth listening, and I hope to see a new album of them soon.

This is grand!:
First I have to give comment to my fellow countryman's review. He or she says that there was nothing like this in Holland. And he/she is wrong. Long before Within Temptation there was The Gathering who were an example for WT. These days you have allso After Forever from these parts of the world. Anyways. I know Within Temptation from the start. The first time I saw them live was in 1997. About the album: This album is GRAND, there's no doubt about that. Sharon sings beautifully, as always and the music is more open for a broader public than the previous albums. This album which contains 'celtic', melodic (let's say Loreena McKennitt meets Dream Theater) gothicmetal could be appreciated by your mother.Mine did anyway. The band even has a big hit with the song Ice Queen here in Holland and allso in Belgium. Who could have predicted that!? You can put this cd on any time of day, and you'll still appreciate it. It's strong, full of emotions and it can bring tears to your eyes. You won't be sorry when you buy this one. And if you do buy it, and like it, buy their cd Enter and allso check The Gathering. I'm sure you'll like them as well. Slán

Not again...:
The critics told me The Gathering was a wonderful band. I bought one of their discs, liked it, but wasn't blown away. Then they said After Forever was simply the greatest thing to grace the music industry. Bought one of their CDs and didn't care much for it. So what did I do? Fell victim to the same lure and bought Within Temptation's "Mother Earth" (albeit not for $43; I got it from Napalm Records for about $18, which is still way more than I should've paid). Let's start with production. The guitars sound like they're synthesized because someone didn't integrate the production layers properly. The guitarists are no different than the ones you'll find in Lacuna Coil; they only really needed one and there aren't any mind-blowing leads. The only musician that really stands out here, aside from the synth guy, is the guest musician they brought in to play the flutes. Now, to everyone's favorite, the vocalist. Sharon den Adel has got to have the most annoying voice I've ever heard this side of The Sins of Thy Beloved. I mean, Anneke van Giersbergen and Floor Jansen did not blow me away like they did everyone else, but at least I could see why a lot of people liked their voices. Listening to Sharon is like shoving a screwdriver into your eardrum. She's whinier than Dani Filth and often gets way off-key (either that or whoever designed the vocal structures did a really bad job). So, should you buy this? If you like Lacuna Coil and Elis, then maybe. There are no male vocals, so it lacks the variety of those two bands, but is on about the same level in terms of accessibility and complexity. I would not call it gothic metal by any means; if anything, it's pop music with some guitars, in the vein of Lullacry but not as heavy. If you're considering buying this album, then you should a) find a website that provides some samples and b) find a place where they sell it for a reasonable price.

Mother Earth:
This CD is one of the best one's I have ever heard. It's highlights for me are "all the songs" but if certain ones would have to be pointed out. Ice Queen, has a dark and mystical rift along with the haunting vocals which gives it a very touching sound. Deceiver of Fools is yet another great track, the combination of chants and rock is truly breathtaking. And In Perfect Harmony is just the type of song that makes you realize why we love this CD so much, the perfect track to listen too if you were to say.. be driving alone on a stormy night. But in general all the songs are of amazing caliber and leave this album as one of the highest favored I own. In conclusion it's a real shame alot of great artists such as Within Temptation, Theatre of Tragedy, Nightwish etc, have not reach full potential in America. I live in Canada and most of our radio airplay consists of nonsense or that new blend of music that consists of POP/Hip Hop! Hip Pop ?!? What is the world coming too ?

Absolutely beautiful:
For their second outing, the Netherland's Within Temptation dumped the male "death metal" growling, which was a good choice. It's been done to death (excuse the pun) by every Goth-Metal band around and with a singer like Sharon den Adel, why would you want anyone else taking up space where her lovely voice could be heard? While the band hinted at some Celtic moods on their first release, they dive head-first into that quality on "Mother Earth," which gives them an increasingly unique sound among many sound-alike bands in this genre. Sharon's voice is beautiful, as always, and the songs are perfectly-suited to her vocal style and range. An especially nice moment is the CD's second track "Ice Queen," which has been a big hit in Europe. Why they're virtually unknown in the U.S. is beyond me!

• Mother Earth
• Ice Queen
• Our Farewell
• Caged
• Promise
• Never-Ending Story
• Deceiver of Fools
• Intro
• Dark Wings
• In Perfect Harmony
• World of Make Believe \o*\c