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Within Temptation is a band from the Netherlands. Founded by guitarist Robert Westerholt and vocalist Sharon den Adel, their music is variously described as symphonic metal with gothic metal influences.
Long-term partners Westerholt (on guitar) and den Adel (vocals) began the band in 1996, quickly adding Jeroen van Veen on bass guitar, Martijn Spierenburg at the keyboard and (following a succession of short lived-drummers), Ivar de Graaf. They were quickly offered a recording contract and signed to DFSA Records later that year, beginning work on their first release.
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Enter (1997)
Enter, the debut album, was released in 1997. The album was well received and the band embarked on a four gig tour across the country, after which they were asked to perform at the Dynamo Open Air festival in Eindhoven, one of the Netherlands' largest heavy metal festivals. The band rounded out 1997 by embarking on their first international tour, of Germany and Austria.
The Dance (1998-1999)
In 1998 the band continued to tour actively - their profile had elevated them to the main stage at Dynamo for the 1998 event. However, Within Temptation had released no new material (and did not have plans for a second album at this point), to which end they elected to release an EP, The Dance.
Finally taking a break from touring, 1999 was largely a sabbatical year for the band. They took the opportunity to construct their own studio, as well as returning to personal pursuits, with plans to return to the fold the next year.
Mother Earth (2000-2003)
2000 was an eventful year for the band as they returned to touring, playing three Dutch festivals; Waterpop, Bospop and Lowlands. In addition they went to work on their second album, releasing Mother Earth in the Low Countries on December 1st. The album was a hit, receiving positive reviews across the board and rooted itself in the Dutch charts.
The first single from Mother Earth, Ice Queen, was regarded as the breakthrough release for the band; in 2001 it climbed to number 2 in the Netherlands but was their first number one single when it climbed to the top in Belgium. Later that year, second single Our Farewell charted successfully in both countries. The success rebounded to Mother Earth, which continued to climb in the Dutch album chart, ending the year at number 3.
2001 also saw a number of changed in personnel; Ruud Adrianus Jolie was added as a second guitarist, and drummer de Graaf was replaced by Stephen van Haestregt.
The band achieved wider still appeal in 2002 with their first concert in France and even a headline gig in Mexico City. They attained their first major award, the Dutch Silver Harp. They bolstered this by embarking on a major international tour supporting Paradise Lost in 2003 and re-releasing Mother Earth on the GUN Records label across more European countries; it was a particularly large success in Germany, where it went platinum and reached number 7 in the charts; the re-release of Ice Queen also charted well in the top 30. In turn the Benelux regions got a different release, a cover of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill. The band highlighted music festivals across the Netherlands and their Mother Earth tour DVD claimed the prestigious Edison Award. |
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