Within temptation mother earth track list

Something like this would be acceptable for a song or two on an album ballads mostly , but in this case, it's the other way round - only 2 or 3 songs are slightly in the metal area. Sharon's vocals, while pleasant on their debut, fall short on "Mother Earth". It's as though she's trying way too hard. For example, I have no idea what was the point of her voice on "Caged" sounding so harsh at one point, and so soft and serene at another.

The thing is, Sharon Den Adel has an amazing voice, and on some tracks, it's as though she's trying to destroy that. However, it's not all bad after all. The orchestrations are rather pleasant, especially on the opening sequence on "The Promise", which sounds similar to "Gatekeeper" on their debut which is a very good thing. Too bad the vocals killed that song. The backing vocals are also something which strike my fancy. Though not very frequent like on "The Silent Force", they are quite enjoyable and "save" a couple of songs; namely "Caged" and "Dark Wings".

In conclusion, I won't recommend this album to anyone who likes metal. If you enjoy Enya or something of the sort, this could be right up your alley, but if you're expecting something like Tristania's "Beyond the Veil", look elsewhere. Nonetheless, there are a couple of tracks which are very enjoyable, despite their flaws. The rest are more or less terrible. If you have to buy this, I'd strongly suggest buying the edition with "World of Make Believe".

Even though it's barely metal like most of the album, the opening music, orchestrations and catchy chorus make it one of the best tracks here. As I really appreciated the very popular singles by Within Temptation like the inspiring and dreamy "Mother Earth" and the catchy and magic "Ice queen", I decided to buy the entire album. I realized that this album was a rather calm album with a couple of ballads like "Our farewell", smooth folk tales like the highlight "Caged" where Sharon den adel sings in a surprisingly diversified and motivated way and a lot of instrumental passages or long instrumental introductions to the main songs.

The problem is that those calm parts are inspiring when they are used in a well dosed but finally most of the album gets stucked into this peaceful tranquility. I have nothing against wuthering and soft albums if they are well executed, but the peaceful kitsch harmonies and the too high pitched and innocent voice make me feel bored as the pseudo-epic kitsch and way too long "The promise" begins until "In perfect harmony" fades out if I have not fallen asleep before by listening to this repeating Disney movie score kitsch.

Sometimes the album really reminds me of Lorena McKennitt, Enya or the early works of Krypteria but a lot slower and less diversified. Without a doubt, this is an album to relax and dream and does a good job as a background music for romantic hours or longing autumn nights next to a window or fire place.

Those who are expecting symphonic metal songs shall not be mislead by the two popular singles as this is rather an ethereal chillout album for hours and hours of meditation.

But at least, this is a quite unique and natural approach to the genre and will surprise any fan of the later works of the band where big orchestrations and heavy guitars have taken the place of the softly instrumentalized songs. That's why I give a few points more than usual for the originality and uniqueness of this album even if it sometimes bores me to death. Mother Earth was the album that originally started Within Temptation on the fast track of commercial success. Ice Queen, for whatever reason, managed to top charts around the same time and became an instant hit among the fanbase and any who heard it, and it seemed like these folks were the best thing to happen to gothic metal, based both on their following success and the opinions of virtually all fans.

album: "Mother Earth" (2000)

In reality, it was only a matter of time until the downward spiral into mediocrity and boredom were complete, but not before this album fought for it's dear life to show some last-ditch effort of talent and originality. Too bad it lost.

Like a good number of other bands in this area, vocals are the main point with Within Temptation. Sharon Den Adel has a truly unique style of singing: Her voice ranges in pitch from that of a maimed cat to sweet and motherly, coving no middle ground whatsoever. Think that bit sounds a bit harsh?

Not only do her quasi-operatic parts sound ridiculously bland, hovering just short of outright cracking, but it's almost as if she's trying to sound harsh and abrasive, especially on Dark Wings and Caged. Alas, I shouldn't knock her too much for it, for she utilizes this style of singing far better than most, and it still lends to being slightly pleasing to the ears, even despite the tediousness of her more grating vocal sections. There isn't a whole lot to work with in the way of positives when it comes to the other instruments.

Sharon's voice carries Mother Earth almost entirely, and when I believe the album itself would sound better if simply limited to her voice and a backing piano, that should raise some serious concern! There are two guitarists on here, but the guitars do so little themselves that it feels incredibly wasted and pointless. The best guitar work on this album isn't even done by the damned band members!

Instead, the two member guitarists are left playing extremely simple riffs at best, otherwise merely standing there and looking pretty, refusing to take any risks or put forth more than the absolute bare minimum of effort required. Perhaps there's two guitarists so they can alternate between songs? Now there's an idea! Drums aren't much better, but at least they're doing something constant throughout. The drumming is, like their guitar brethren, elementary and basic; plodding along in a makeshift beat to Sharon's voice. I'm amazed the guy doesn't fall asleep during the album, because surely nobody could willingly drum so mundane and trivial throughout the album.

Perfect opportunities for a power nap I suppose. I don't think I'm asking too much here; something in the way of interesting drum composition. The keyboards and quasi-orchestral bits manage to rescue Mother Earth and save her from falling into the pits of utter failure, bringing it back to mere mediocrity, and only because I'm a complete sucker for the introductory sections of Deceiver of Fools and The Promise.

I admit that I enjoy the clashing of gongs and the steady rising of keys, and I'm going out on a limb and stating that those are composed pretty well. Beyond that; however, the keys are really just another instrument added for the sake of needing a complete sound. Forget flashy, catchy, intense, or enthralling; none of those adjectives can be applied to Mother Earth's keys, which is an awful shame.

Every single instrument is either flat out bad or underwhelming, and these two words are supposed to not follow suit, like they could save Mother Earth? Composition is nothing but bland, though not outright terrible. I'll give credit to In Perfect Harmony and Deceiver of Fools; they're composed better than the other eight songs.

About the only variation present is the difference between mediocre gothic rock songs and boring ballads, but they all wander about in aimless circles just the same. I can't recommend Mother Earth to anybody within the metal culture. I suppose if fans of Within Temptations notorious American-based counter part Whom I'll never name in this or any possible future reviews would enjoy this, but that's probably it.

Hell, the only reason I keep this album around still is for pure nostalgia Although that's a personal story and has no bearing on this review. There isn't a single standout song here; only small bits of certain ones, such as Arjen's presence on Dark Wings. Conversely, there isn't a single outright atrocious song either; instead, all ten tracks exist on the same plane of dull and boring. Mother Earth showcases the epitome of mediocrity in gothic metal, and doesn't do anything to remotely help this already bastardized sub genre's image.

But hey, Within Temptation is sitting on an income significantly greater than most metal bands, so surely they're doing something right, right?

Fuck you, commercialism. Oh wow, apparently there's a bassist? I call bullshit. And it means, amongst others, Mother Earth. This album would be atrocious for this simple reason alone: everything on it sounds so FAKE. Everything reeks of easiness, laziness, and above all money. Nightwish have sold out? Indeed, they certainly have. I think you''ll like it.

Duane Daum. In order to provide you with an optimal website and so that we can continually improve it, we use cookies. By continuing to use this website, you consent to our use of cookies. Page of. CD - Blu-ray - CD-Digi - Mini-CD-Digi - 9. Utopia Within Temptation feat. Chris Jones. Paradise What About Us? The Heart Of Everything.

Kommt zwar nicht ganz an "Ice Queen" heran, aber trotzdem!! Zuletzt editiert: Ist doch super! Mehr davon Gutes Arrangement, alles super! Gesang gut,Melodie gut, Instrumente gut, Video gut, alles gut. Musik mit Sinn. Ich habe eben "Can You Hear Me? Jetzt weiss ich es wieder. Aber wenn man sich die Charts anschaut, wird eine tolle Band wie diese nie erfolgreich in der Schweiz sein, da Houzzz Alweer bijna 7 jaar oud, pfff!!!

De tijd komt met de jaren!!!