by Joe Mis
– Senior Columnist —
Dutch symphonic metal masters Within Temptation have released a masterful DVD/Blu-Ray/double CD live recording entitled Let Us Burn – Elements & Hydra Live In Concert. Anyone who claims to be a fan of the band owes it to themselves to pick this one up as it captures all magic that makes Within Temptation a spectacular live band – wonderful technical performances, strong songwriting, well known guests, a spirited delivery, and the unmatched vocals of Sharon den Adel. Please note that this review only addresses the audio CDs.
Rather than being a traditional “double-live” release, Let Us Burn was recorded at two separate events – the band’s 15th anniversary Elements concert in 2012 (November 13th at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp), and the final night of the Hydra European tour in 2014 (Amsterdam’s Heineken Music Hall, May 3rd). The band took great care while recording these shows, making sure the true flavor of their acclaimed live performances is presented in the best possible way, resulting in one of the better sounding live releases in recent memory.
There are number of spectacular moments on these CDs. On Elements, the rousing versions of “In The Middle Of The Night” and “Faster” – with the latter featuring great bass / drum coordination – are quite good. Sharon’s vocals on the piano-driven “Fire And Ice” and the powerful “Angels” are some of the best she’s done, and Spierenburg’s keyboard work on these songs is as close to perfect as can be. The enthusiastic audience participation makes the inspiring “Stand My Ground” special. den Adel sounds like she is putting everything she has into her vocals on “The Last Dance” and “Say My Name” – two songs that arguably sound better live than in their studio versions.
The Hydra concert’s version of “Iron” is excellent, passionate, and fiery. The guitar breaks are brief but explosive. The acoustic versions of “Sinéad” and “Whole World Is Watching” are amazing vocal pieces, and beautifully recorded – the guitars are crisp and clear, and not washed out by the keys. The band does a superb job of kicking in backing vocals on “Let Us Burn,” adding layers of complexity and depth that are a bit unexpected in a live performance. Sharon’s vocal performance on the ballad “Edge Of The World” is nothing short of stunning, and her duet with Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage) on “Dangerous” works well despite the vast differences in vocal style. The whole band kicks into high gear on the gritty and energetic rocker “Covered By Roses” and the punchy “What Have You Done” (a solid duet with Keith Caputo, vocalist for Life Of Agony).
The recording is top notch. The overall sound is built primarily around den Adel’s voice (and at times it is easy to become so captivated by her delivery that the rest of the band simply fades from notice). The mix also enhanced the crowd sounds without allowing them to overpower the music. There are few flaws in the recordings – occasionally the mid-range sounds seem to be a little weak leaving vocals and deep drums as the dominant sounds, but on the whole the live sound and “live experience” is well preserved. The Hydra concert seems a little livelier and warmer than Elements, but that is more than likely due to different recording methods and techniques. Since two distinct concerts are presented, there are a few duplicate songs – 7 in fact. Only the acoustic version of “Sinéad” is really different from concert to concert. While a bit disappointing if you are listening back-to-back, recall that these shows were recorded more than a year apart. However, it would have nice to hear a few more obscure tunes instead of so many repeats…
Let Us Burn is a massive release, and is highly recommended for fans of Within Temptation, symphonic metal, and female fronted metal. It should win the band many new fans, and is great starting point for those wishing to join the WT bandwagon as the songs traverse their entire catalog from 1997 to the present. This monster double album (170 minutes, 32 tracks) is a true treat for all symphonic metal fans.
Genre: Symphonic Metal, Symphonic Rock
Band:
Sharon den Adel (vocals)
Ruud Jolie (guitar)
Stefan Helleblad (guitar)
Jeroen Van Veen (bass)
Martijn Spierenburg (keyboards)
Mike Coolen (drums)
Robert Westerholt (guitars at Elements and growls on “Silver Moonlight” at Hydra)
Martijn Westerholt (keyboards on “Candles” at Elements)
Michiel Papenhove (guitars on “Candles” at Elements)
Guest vocalists: George Oosthoek (Elements – “Candles”), Tarja Turunen (Hydra – “Paradise”),
Howard Jones (Hydra – “Dangerous”), Xzibit (Hydra – “And We Run”), Keith Caputo (Hydra – “What Have You Done”)
Track Listings:
Elements Concert
1. Iron
2. In The Middle Of The Night
3. Faster
4. Fire And Ice
5. Our Solemn Hour
6. Stand My Ground
7. Angels
8. Sanctuary (Intro)
9. The Last Dance
10. Say My Name
11. Candles
12. Sinéad
13. The Promise
14. Mother Earth
15. Ice Queen
16. Stairway to the Skies
Hydra Concert
17. Let Us Burn
18. Paradise (What About Us?)
19. Faster
20. Iron
21. Edge Of The World
22. In The Middle Of The Night
23. Dangerous
24. And We Run
25. Stand My Ground
26. Covered By Roses
27. Mother Earth
28. What Have You Done
29. Silver Moonlight
30. Whole World Is Watching
31. Sinéad
32. Ice Queen
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Website: http://www.within-temptation.com/
Hardrock Haven rating: 8 / 10
