Within Temptation - Resist (2019)

Very far removed from their days of being a Symphonic Metal powerhouse (“Mother Earth” and “The Silent Force”), Within Temptation returns after four years with “Resist”. Attempting a dead cat bounce, the band puts out an extremely overproduced release that while it might appeal to the fans the band has gained since “The Unforgiven”, it will probably completely turn off their older fan base. We rarely write bad reviews these days as we rather save the time and energy for good releases that deserve to be heard, but “Resist” was just asking for it.

The album kicks off with the first single, “The Reckoning” a song that takes about 20 seconds to realize it will be bad. With Jacoby Shaddix on guest vocals, yup, the dude from Papa Roach, this track starts the trend of overproduced tracks. The song, while trying to be heavy and melancholic falls completely flat due to their lack of imagination and passion. The trend continues with the futuristic “Endless War”, which at least has some old school vocal arrangements… at times, and the vanilla “Raise Your Banner”, which features Anders Fridén on guest vocals.

By the time “Supernova” started, we were wondering if we could power through the whole album. The band is relying on the same formula since “The Unforgiven” to make ‘catchy’ songs that are just plan repetitive. Are there any redeemable qualities of this release? One could say that the orchestra arrangements are good at times, like the beginning of “Holy Ground”, but are quickly ruined by some odd vocals like the raping-ish lines in the song. The guitar work is quite dull across all songs, making it sound heavy, but with lack of direction.

For us, the most salvageable tracks in this release are the catchy “In Vain” and “Mad World”, but still far away from the band’s best. When not using their formulaic approach, there are some interesting sections on songs like “Firelight” and “Trophy Hunter”, but the desire to sound more radio friendly kills the vibe instantly. Overall, “Resist” is one of those albums that new fans might like, but older fans will just detest. The band has been lacking the charisma and intensity of outfits like Delain and Amaranthe, that put out heartfelt songs filled with catchy arrangements. We wished that WT would have changed names a while ago, instead of continuing to release mediocre albums.

Label: Spinefarm Records

Release: February 1st, 2019

Genre: Symphonic/Alternative Rock

Country: Netherlands