Within Temptation

Within Temptation is a Dutch symphonic metal band founded in April 1996 by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. They have also been classified under other genres, with critics praising the band's experimentation and musical versatility. By 2016, the band had sold more than 3.5 million albums worldwide.

After the release of their debut album, Enter (1997), which was still rooted in gothic metal, Within Temptation became prominent in the Dutch underground scene. It was not until 2001 that they became known to the general public, with the single "Ice Queen" from their second album, Mother Earth, which reached No. 2 on the Dutch charts. This was followed by the band winning the Conamus Exportprijs, a Dutch music award, four years in a row, and a fifth in 2016. Within Temptation's next albums, The Silent Force (2004) and The Heart of Everything (2007), debuted at No. 1 on the Dutch charts and expanded their international recognition. In 2008, they released Black Symphony, a live album recorded with the Metropole Orchestra. This was followed in 2009 by An Acoustic Night at the Theatre, another live album, this time with acoustic renditions of the songs.

The band's fifth studio album, The Unforgiving, was released in 2011 and was one part of a transmedia effort, alongside both a comic book series and a series of short films that together encompass a story. The album saw the band increasingly venturing on new musical territories outside symphonic metal. The group advanced the exploration of other musical genres in their subsequent releases. Their sixth studio album, Hydra, was released in early 2014 and featured a wide range of guest appearances from other artists. Their seventh studio album, Resist, was released in 2019 and incorporated influences from styles such as industrial and EDM. Bleed Out, their latest studio effort, was released in 2023 and contains influences from metalcore and djent, alongside hints from their initial gothic metal inclinations.