ShareWithin Temptation performing their Bleed Out Tour at The Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Monday 18th November 2024.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
The Dutch symphonic metal band, Within Temptation, visited the UK in the course of their Bleed Out Tour and made a stop at the Motorpoint Arena on Monday night. Led by vocalist Sharon del Adel who is undoubtedly the focal point of the band, they performed many songs from their 2023 album of the same name.
The night began when large digital screens showed headstones in a field full of sunflowers for the opening song We Go To War before the album title track Bleed Out got everyone’s early attention.
Following up with three other songs from the album, Ritual, Don’t Pray For Me and Wireless, del Adel quickly let the crowd know that her voice left them nowhere to hide as her stunning and distinctive tones soared throughout the entire set with gusto and determination.
For A Fool’s Parade the band were joined by Ukrainian vocalist and producer, Alex Yarmak who proudly sang out the lyrics that supported the Ukrainian plight, before former Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen dueted with del Adel for a delightful The Promise.
The rest of the band were astounding to watch. The musicians made up of bassist Jeroen Van Veen, guitarists Stefan Helleblad and Ruud Jolie, keyboard player Martijn Spierenburg, and drummer Mike Coolen, shredded through the entire set with an infectious passion that was a joy to watch. Their versatility made the entire set feel like it was jumping between a group of ballads and a cacophony of metal tracks.
From the impassioned, cosmically synth driven Supernova to the crushingly tectonic notes of The Reckoning, they delivered an epic wall of sound. One of the band’s signature tunes, Faster, finished the main set, before Our Solemn Hour began a four song encore, which included the gentle paced All I Need, before Tarja returned for the rocking Paradise (What About Us?).
To round up the night was the sensational Mother’s Earth that saw the band ending a night that had seen bulky metal tones and beautiful symphonic touches captivate the crowd.