Rockhal, Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg5th December 2024
Within Temptation - “Bleed Out 2024 Tour”
WITHIN TEMPTATION have almost reached the end of their European tour and played their penultimate show of the “Bleed It Out” tour at the Rockhal in Luxembourg on Thursday night. The grand finale will take place in Amsterdam on Friday. WITHIN TEMPTATION is a Dutch Symphonic Metal band formed in April 1996 by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. They have been classified by critics as gothic metal and symphonic metal, although each album contains other influences outside these genres. Critics have noted the band’s experimentation and musical versatility. By 2016, the band had already sold more than 3.5 million albums worldwide.
Music & Performance
The band opened their stunning show with ‘We Go to War’. Bathed in red spotlights, they played the powerful, martial song in front of a video wall of destroyed backdrops. Several metres of smoke shot up to the ceiling. This was followed by the title song of the tour, ‘Bleed Out’, as blood red drops glided across the video wall. For the fourth song, ‘Shed My Skin’, ANNISOKAY’s Christoph Wieczorek such as Rudi Schwarzer joined the band on vocals and guitar. This was followed by classics such as ‘Shot in the Dark’ and ‘Stand My Ground’ to the delight of the crowd. The stage itself was very atmospheric, with chandeliers on the ceiling, arches on the sides and screens in between creating a special atmosphere without being overpowering. The visual effects were technically impressive - there was a different, appropriate visualisation for each song.
Lead singer Sharon den Adel’s outfits also attracted a lot of attention. No wonder: the Dutchwoman is a trained fashion designer and designs her own stage outfits. The duet with Alex Yarmak from Kiev was a special moment. Together they sang ‘A Fool’s Parade’ and addressed the war in Ukraine. The message was somewhat lost during the song, but the subsequent appeal for donations for Ukraine’s air defence was met with much applause. Although the audience was not over the moon, they sang and clapped along enthusiastically - perhaps because it was a Thursday night and the Rockhal was not sold out. Nevertheless, the audience clearly enjoyed the show and demanded an encore with loud applause. The show ended with three more songs, including the wonderful finale ‘Mother Earth’.
On this night, WITHIN TEMPTATION showed once again how difficult and important it is to balance entertainment with a political message. With their clear commitment to the Ukraine, the Dutch band certainly didn’t win any friends, especially as the serious issues at times may have affected the atmosphere of the concert. But it is precisely this courage to put their finger in the world’s wounds that deserves respect - there are far too few bands who dare to do so.
Setlist
01. We Go to War
02. Bleed Out
03. Ritual
04. Shed My Skin (with ANNISOKAY)
05. Wireless
06. What Have You Done (with Alex Yarmak)
07. Shot in the Dark
08. Stand My Ground
09. A Fool’s Parade (with Alex Yarmak)
10. The Promise
11. Supernova
12. Angels
13. Faster
14. Paradise (What About Us?)
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15. Our Solemn Hour
16. All I Need
17. Mother Earth
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 9
Sound: 9
Light: 8
Total: 8.5 / 10
All Pictures by Elena Arens
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