Within Temptation

[Serena]

Keep an eye on the website, this Friday. There is an important announcement coming up!

It has a face (more than one)…
It has come to life…
Be aware!

[Serena]

Within Temptation collaborated with several special guests on ‘Hydra’: Tarja Turunen, Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum and metalcore hero Howard Jones, formerly of Killswitch Engage as well as US hip-hop icon Xzibit.

Robert: “Xzibit is amazing. ‘And We Run’ song is about how you’ve got to live your life now. He’s rapping at full force on this song, it’s really heavy.” Sharon adds: “Xzibit brings a new element to our music that we’ve never had before! It’s a new cross-over and we love it!” As for the mighty Tarja, Sharon recalls: “The way she delivers those high melody lines left us all speechless. We had a great time, and the fans responded beyond our expectations.”

One of the album’s heaviest tracks, ‘Dangerous’ was recorded with the former Killswitch Engage singer Howard Jones, whose epic vocals are a perfect fit for Sharon’s. “I always loved Howard’s voice,” she says. “He makes the song even heavier than it already is. That song is one of my favorite songs on the record and one of the fastest we’ve ever written. It has the most bass drums we’ve ever used, too, and a very fast riff which we doubled with synths. It’s not a typical synthesizer, though – it’s distorted like a guitar, and it’s very aggressive.”

‘Hydra’ goes from strength to strength with ‘Whole World Is Watching’, featuring Soul Asylum’s singer Dave Pirner. “When we wrote ‘Whole World Is Watching’, Dave was at the very top of our list. He has such a captivating voice: it made the song exactly how it needed to be.“

[Serena]

It’s official: Within Temptation’s sixth studio album is called ‘Hydra’ and will be released on the 31st of January, 2014.

Tracklist:
1.   Let Us Burn
2.   Dangerous feat. Howard Jones
3.   And We Run feat. Xzibit
4.   Paradise (What About Us?) feat. Tarja
5.   Edge Of The World
6.   Silver Moonlight
7.   Covered By Roses
8.   Dog Days
9.   Tell Me Why
10.   Whole World Is Watching feat. Dave Pirner

[Serena]

Deluxe Box Set
Aside from the digital premium version, Hydra will also be released in a deluxe box set including exclusive items many of you have been asking for, for a long time:

Within Temptation - Hydra - Deluxe Box Set

* Hydra 18-track album including bonus tracks in the form of a media book with a hot foil print cover, featuring a 100 page booklet consisting of unique photos
* Double gatefold black vinyl version of the album including bonus tracks
* Instrumental version of the entire album
* Songbook with sheet music of the songs of the album
* Hydra guitar pick
* Packaged in an especially designed LP-sized box

Pre-order the Hydra Deluxe Box Set:
Within Temptation web shop | Nucearblast.de | EMP.de

Eventually, Hydra will also be available as a jewel-case CD version, a double vinyl LP, and a Special Edition Double CD with the media book.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMyF2LvUGuo

[Serena]

Sharon @ MFVF

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEVrSkcEl8o

[Serena]

Studio update
Another word from Robert: When we started writing for Hydra 2 years ago we had nothing, no idea where and how it would end and moreover, not when it would end. And now we are sitting here with a finished master, of a complete new album with over 50 minutes of new blasting songs, which can't wait to be unleashed into the world. We never get bored by that feeling and it surely is of the best feeling we know. All the blood sweet and tears are forgotten, as if they have not even been there. Well, the reality was quite the opposite. We have set our goals higher then ever before.

We wanted to write an album to blow, first of all ourselves away. We wanted to do better than we think we even could (sounds weird huh). We wanted it to be a real Within Temptation record, but heavier, more musically challenging, pushing borders and frontiers with new elements and influences, and at the same time bring back more from our early metal roots... a bit like the past and future at the same time.

A year ago, it felt like we had an impossible task to do, like building a mountain with our bare hands. Now it's like we are on the top that mountain, enjoying the view we mysteriously were able to build, but really don't know how we did it anymore.
But that's how it should be, how an album should be born. In a mysterious uncontrollable way with a will of its own.

Now just be carefull when it will be unleashed January the 31st…Hydra is not without danger.

Haha well that almost sounds serious huh? Back to real life… we are not done, not by far. Next week we are recording TWO new videos. Very much looking forward to meet Dave and Howard and hope we will have some free time to spend together, next to shooting the videos.

Now the master of Hydra is done we all (and that's including you too) once again found a very valid excuse for a celebration this weekend.

So have a nice one and keep track of Twitter, Facebook and such for updates on the videoshoot and if you would happen to miss those, than there always is of course the next newsletter.

So anyway till next week and stay strong!

Cheers and take care !!!

Sharon, Ruud, Stefan, Martijn, Jeroen, Mike and Robert

Within Temptation


   
   

[Serena]

Ruud grabando

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv2X1VnielY&

[Serena]

Album update
Another album update from Robert: This week was video week. We were shooting 2 videos. Normally this means a lot of stress, very little sleep and risking pneumonia because you're waiting all day and night, mostly in the cold outside filming at outside locations. Ofcourse it's all worth it, if you get a good video, but the thing with videos is that you're never guaranteed of a good result.

On the other hand that's maybe also what we like about them. We love challenges, both physically and creatively, and taking calculated risks once in a while makes you feel alive. Talking about risks that make you feel alive… well that's actually everything what the video for 'Dangerous' is all about. It's really going to be breathtaking and heart pulse raising. At least that's really what it did with us looking at the first material.

This time the whole shoot was a bit out of the ordinairy. Outside you could already feel winter is on it's way, but we were sweating like hell and banging like crazy inside a huge, but a very comfortably warm filming studio.

The shooting days were not that long so we also had plenty of time to show Dave Pirner, who flew over to record the video for 'Whole World is Watching' with us, a little bit of Amsterdam. We had a lot of fun together and despite there is so much to do and to see in Amsterdam, we still ended up talking about music most of our time. Guess we never get enough of that.

[Serena]

What also made this shoot really special, is that since 10 years we were working with director Patric Ullaeus again. Patric was the one who made our video for 'Mother Earth'. That video actually was our first serious music video. Also even after so many years we still like that video a lot. I guess he also has laid the basis for a lot of videos after that one because we learned so much from him about making videos at that time.

But of course also this shoot didn't go complete as we planned. The initial plan was to shoot the video for 'Dangerous' here in Holland, together with Howard Jones but some unforseen events changed those plans, so we will probably be filming Howard somewhere in the next weeks.

This time it's not going to be long before you get to see how this video turned out as it prob needs to be finished and released on Youtube within a month.

Anyway there is so much more to tell about these videos but we will do that next week because now…
It's time to celebrate the weeeeeeekend.

Have fun and hang on till at least the next update !

Take care !!!

Sharon, Ruud, Stefan, Martijn, Jeroen, Mike and Robert

Within Temptation

[Serena]

HYDRA song by song:

Let Us Burn: It crashes and bangs at all corners. The opener Within Temptation shows her magnificent page. However, Sharon stops the wild dance before she screams the escalating chorus through the speakers. If one wants to actually hear again immediately. The line "Let us burn" is the mantra.

Dangerous, And We Run: Now it gets really wild. Worried Howard Jones already for astonishment, drop the listeners now definitively ears off. The American rap icon Xzibit steps up to the mic and bangs with Rhymes around. The strange thing: It fits perfectly into the thick sound of the song. Metal to the booty shaking!

Paradise (What About Us): already known from the EP - and, yes, the song also works in the context of the album wonderfully. Two magnificent voices throw themselves repeatedly to the balls. Powerful, emotional and epic. The currently provide this quality only Within Temptation.

Edge Of The World : finally allowed to be cuddled, but this epic ballad can not fire the first time. To unspectacular and smooth effect the result. The chorus seems a little hectic. For the grand finale, the guitar may be involved.

Silver Moonlight: A typical Within Temptation song, one might say at first. First, Sharon languishes on their archetypal Art Then the thunder is heard before suddenly appear growls. Since ENTER you have not heard such a thing. For fans of the old school one hit!

Dog Days: The most beautiful verses of the album mate with a classic chorus that goes into the ear immediately and do not want to get out so quickly. For some fans may be too classic, for sure other THE perfect song.

Tell Me Why: crash. Bumm. Immediately. Sharon sings like a siren against the musical apocalypse and tames it with a soft vocal melody. The chorus works through the big sounds a bit overweight. More for the U.S. market.

Conclusion: Within Temptation fans can breathe easy, because HYDRA is the perfect successor of THE UNFORGIVING. More bombast, more outliers - but also more metal. Though lacking an over-hit, but this album sounds like, despite all the variety of a piece. Audrey Dujardin

You can read more in the new number of Metal-Hammer.de http://www.metal-ham...-dio-u-v-m.html

[Serena]

Album update
A new update from Robert: New music on vintage albums. Hooked on Vinyl now !

Sharon has been doing interviews all week long and is in Paris at the moment. All this traveling and long days of talking is pretty tiring, but she is really enjoying herself because of the great reactions she is getting on Hydra. We are ofcourse far from objective but it is still good to hear that the press feels the same magic in this album as we do. Most describe it has a our heaviest, musically most refreshing and bravest album with at the same time influences of our early past.

Talking about the past... I'm really excited about these special versions we are making of this album. Next to a CD with a 100 pages (which is more like a book), we have a special vinyl version of the album for the deluxe box set.

Today I received the test pressing for the Hydra vinyl. It's been really, really, really long since I played a vinyl record. But man, I get excited instantly, holding this vinyl in my hands. Much more than a download, it feels like something special... Almost something secret. Only when you put it on the player and it starts spinning with the needle on it, it will reveal itself to you. Taking this whole big thing out of it's sleeve and putting it on the player already is something that creates tension. Then the boom and cracks you hear when the needle hits the record for the first time... wow... how cool is this.

The music starts playing... damn it sounds good. I didn't expect that. I was expecting the sound to be a bit thinner than the digital version, but instead it actually sounds warm and fat.
It's also really cool when you accidentally bump the player and it speeds up and slows down for a second. It's really much more of a living thing. You really have to treat the album with respect.

As the album exceeds 50 minutes in length, it is printed on two vinyls. So every 2 or 3 tracks you have to turn it around. Haha this is soooo cool. I'm afraid I'm hooked. I'm going to start ordering more vinyl from now on.

A very good opportunity to use the weekend for.
So much fun :-)

Hope you all also have a great weekend with a lot of vinyl parties !

Till next week !!!!

Sharon, Ruud, Stefan, Martijn, Jeroen, Mike and Robert
 
Je suis arrive!!!

[Serena]

Within Temptation’s show in the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam (NL) on the 2nd of May is sold out! Don’t worry if you didn’t have the chance to get tickets yet, though: the band will do an extra show in the HMH on the 3rd of May!

These two shows in the Heineken Music Hall will be the first shows in the Netherlands after the release of the new album on the 31st January 2014.

Ticket sales for the extra show start this Friday (December 6) at 10.00 (GMT+1). Starting Friday, you can immediately pre-order ‘Hydra’ along with your HMH tickets, to make sure you receive the album on the day of release. Keep an eye on the website for a ticket link.

Sharon: “We are excited that our first show in the HMH sold out so incredibly fast! The heavy sound of Hydra demands a location where this will come across right, hence the choice to do a show at the Heineken Music Hall, which is designed for a great sound. This will be the first time we are performing at the HMH, and it is amazing we can announce an extra show.”

 

[Serena]

Album update
This week's album update is from Sharon: Hi everyone,

The time has come to promote our new born 'Hydra'.
Last week and a half  I went to Finland,  spent two days in France, two days in Germany and one day in the Netherlands; for a second round of interviews in the Wisseloord studios and another day of international phoners. Next week it's going to be two days in the UK and there are more international phoners coming up, sometimes through Skype as you can see on one of the picture below. Got blisters on my tongue of all the talking…

Robert's been working on a new radio mix for the US, they want more guitars and here in the EU they'll probably want a bit less guitar on the radio…lol. While we've finished the album, it's not finished at all. There' are always still so many things we need to do: radio-edits/phoners/photo sessions, videos, etcetera...
In January, we will have a heavy promotion schedule and we'll be going to a lot of different EU countries to play at radio stations and we'll also go to the US. We're going to do promotion over there and we are planning another tour in the US for 2014.

I was really happy to get so much positive feedback from the interviewers and radio stations as they are the first feedback we get on our new stuff. There was one though, who surprised me the most. A few weeks back we had two days for members of the press to come over and hear the new album. It were metal/rock/ gothic /mainstream magazines and radio people. There was one guy, from a metal magazine, and he was really not liking the song 'AND WE RUN' with Xzibit and he was really clear and honest why he didn't like it. It's not easiest thing for us but ok, it was his opinion and we do understand why, it's all about  people having a different taste and that's ok.

I saw him again last week, in Germany and he said,' I have a confession to make; I'm really getting into the song now and it's really one of my favourites'. I all most fell of my chair when he said it and than he added, 'actually everyone at our magazine is loving it and it's being played in the office a lot'. How cool is that? :-)

Robert is still working on the new stage set up for the upcoming tour and those who would like to get a peek, you'll have to watch "join the beat", it's a cool Dutch TV program about music. They came to our studio and they filmed a lot including the stage set up in a early stage. It will be broadcasted this Monday on NED 3 (channel 3 Dutch television).

Ok that's all for now!
Ciao, Sharon :-)

Sharon, Ruud, Stefan, Martijn, Jeroen, Mike and Robert

[Serena]

Last week, Sharon visited Rock Antenne in Munich to talk about the new album.

Watch the video below to hear her explain why the album is called ‘Hydra’, to hear more about the collaborations on the album and hear a first snippet of the upcoming single ‘Dangerous’!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzeWpSrheyU

[Serena]

Dangerous (ft Howard Jones)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6O4KZVmuVs