WITHIN TEMPTATION
UNKNOWN VENUE, NETHERLANDS
Epic Dutch metallers encounter some gremlins at the end of days
FOLLOWING IN THE footsteps of Nightwish and Epica, Within Temptation’s The Aftermath completes a trio of livestreams in the last month from symphonic metal’s holy trinity.
Whereas Epica’s fantastic Omega Alive saw the band use copious amounts of fire and spectacular set pieces to elevate the music, like Nightwish’s recent show at the virtual Islander’s Arms, Within Temptation have leaned heavily on technology to take their extravagant sound to a visual conclusion.
The Aftermath fleshes out the dystopian concept the Dutch titans explored on 2019’s Resist, creating four immersive, CGI worlds. During the pre-show, vocalist Sharon den Adel explains that she and her husband, Within Temptation guitarist Robert Westerholt, came up with the postapocalyptic setting during recent discussions as the pandemic spread and deepened across Europe. And tonight, the show is punctuated by interludes from a humanoid head who sets out the storyline: after destroying our planet, mankind’s only chance of survival is to escape Earth and build our future amongst the heavens.