WITHIN TEMPTATION: MOTHER EARTH

SCORE: 90/100

This is as close as one can get to a musical fairytale - although it might run a little bit long and slow, it's more than worthwhile in the long run.

'Mother Earth' is a lot more folk-esque than the band's debut, with elements of Celtic folk making this album feel like a bright, scenic metal daydream that only Within Temptation could dream up and pull off.

It's a huge departure from the goth sound of their debut, opting for more Celtic influences after the band became inspired upon seeing the film 'Braveheart'. The vocal performances on the album are almost similar to Kate Bush in terms of tone - and this album feels much more cinematic than their previous work.

The band created a more fine-tuned and nature-esque image for themselves, going in a different direction and removing their gothic elements in favour of something more symphonic in nature - den Adel's vocals taking the front seat while the instruments help to ground her into something much more powerful despite her herself being a force to reckon with.

When compared to 'Enter', this album feels a bit like a letdown due to Within Temptation having a perfectly catered gothic metal sound before this album released. They opted to stop using metal vocals due to it being used as a "gimmick" in other music, and the band went for a softer, more folk-esque sound instead - which isn't a bad thing by any means, but it isn't what fans of their first album might be wanting.

'Mother Earth' is full of stunning compositions, and the ballad 'Our Farewell' is a completely stunning track that builds the atmosphere for the album incredibly well. The more tender moments help to give this album more structure and theme; leading to everything coming together into stunning arrangements.

The album has a great structure, sometimes running slightly long, but coming together well. It isn't what I wanted it to be per say, but it manages to be a pleasant surprise in the end - once adjusted, this album is a beautiful piece of symphonic metal.

It's a softer album than one might expect it to be, but it still manages to be almost as striking as their debut - just in a very different way. It isn't what was expected after their debut, but it made sense for the band to dive deeper into a new direction for a more creative output.

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