Within Temptation Albums Ranked

I’ve got a list of bands that I love and Within Temptation are very close to the top. All seven of their studio albums offer something very different that you wouldn’t find on any other albums that much. They were never as popular as some of the chart bands, but their loyal fan base and great music is enough to get them noticed. Whatever type of metal or rock they sing, one thing that remains the same is Sharon’s amazing vocals. The harmonies from Mother Earth and The Silent Force and Sharon’s vocals made me fall in love with the band.

At the time I first listened to Within Temptation, I wasn’t even aware they were metal or rock. Their music is hard to define. I listened to a combination of mainstream music on the radio, music video channels and whatever my family had at home. The majority of it was chart stuff. The first time I heard Within Temptation was through a fan-made music video about Pokémon. Then I discovered more of their songs through other anime music videos. Back then I was more of a singles person, but now I would say I’m an album person now.

Back when I listened with Within Temptation they were often compared to Evanescence and people said they were simular and I always thought it was bonkers. Amy Lee and Sharon den Adel are like the rock/metal equivalent to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera with the way they’re compared. In my opinion I think all four of them are brilliant and different.

I like how Within Temptation are brave and not afraid to change their sound but still remain true to their roots in some degrees. A lot of their modern albums I think appeal to mainstream tastes, but I also love how their old albums attract more nicher fans. This is another ranking I’ve found hard to rank because I love Within Temptation so much and never get tired of their albums.

I loved the fantasty themes in their earlier works, the raw emotions of their later albums and the political themes in their more recent work. There’s a lot of character in their songs.

7. Hydra

Favourite song: What About Us

Starting the list is one of Within Temptation’s more recent albums called Hydra. The duet between Tarja and Sharon in What About Us is amazing. I also love the song, Silver Moonlight as it’s a throwback to their older style whilst also using their modern sound. It’s a good album and it’s clear they did a lot of experiments, some I didn’t think I would like, but ended up liking like And We Run because I don’t listen to a lot of rap music.

A Deluxe version of the album includes covers the band did of some more well known songs, some I think are better than the original.

6. The Unforgiving

Favourite song: In The Middle of the Night

I remember when this album first came out people were complaining that they had gone too pop. Which I never really understood because mainstream music nowadays seems to be about partying, clubbing, romance and sex. None of that is present on this album.

The album is a concept album to compliment a series of comics and short films. It’s really creative. I haven’t read the comics, but I’ve seen the short films and music videos. Can’t seem to find the comics anywhere though.

5. Resist

Favourite song: The Reckoning

Resist is a really good follow up to Hydra. I loved how heavy it is. The Reckoning is a brilliant album opener and I love the political themes in Raise Your Banner. I saw them in 2018 in Manchester as part of their Resist Tour and it was magnificent. I was lucky to be at the front. I have a feeling a lot of the songs on this album will go on to be staple songs in future tours.

4. The Silent Force

Favourite song: Memories

The first four albums have a very special place in my heart. It’s hard to say weather Mother Earth or The Silent Force were their breakout albums because I started following the band in 2005. Angels was the first song I heard from the band and I thought it was terrific because I had never heard anything like it before. Memories and Somewhere are still some of the best ballads the band have ever done in my opinion.

Sharon has always been very good at putting character and emotion in her voice. You don’t hear any of her witchy sounds, but she still sounds like an angel.

3. The Heart of Everything

Favourite song: Our Solemn Hour

I thought it was impossible for Within Temptation to step up from The Silent Force, but I was blown away by this album. Everything about it is beautiful from the production to the aesthetics. The album cover is terrific. It explores a lot of emotions and I love the music video to Frozen because it told a great story even though it was sad.

2. Mother Earth

Favourite song: Mother Earth

Mother Earth is a one of a kind album. The Kate Bush influences are obvious, but the characteraction in the songs are unique. A lot of nature themes and dark stuff on this album like Dark Wings and Make Believe, but also some light songs like Perfect Harmony and Never Ending Story.

For some reason I didn’t like Ice Queen when I first heard it, but now I love it. I think the title track is amazing. You can hear a lot of Sharon’s range and capabilities in this album. This album is my workout playlist, very different to your average workout list you can find on streaming websites, but it keeps my pumping more than those sort of playlists do.

1. Enter

Favourite song: Candles

The saddest thing about this album is that many people don’t know that it even exists. If I hadn’t had found out about it on Wikipedia. I think people who know Within Temptation through their new stuff will be in for a culture shock. The lyrics are empathetic, dark and still have that beautiful soothing feel. The production is rough compared to their more recent stuff, but taking into account they’ve just started out, it’s a great debut.

The album has a lot of my favourite tracks like Grace, Restless, Pearls of Light and Candles. I had to rip the songs from YouTube to get the album on my iPad along with their first EP, The Dance. Back when I first listened to it, the album was hard to get in a physical format. The only I could find was a Japanese edition on eBay that was £50. As a full-time student with no job and only on £30 a week, it was way out of my budget.

Luckily, their label decided to rerelease the album and The Dance EP together which made me happy.

Within Temptation are a band that deserve the acclaim and success that they’ve received. They rarely perform any Enter tracks anymore, but when they do, it’s a special treat.