The wait for WITHIN TEMPTATION’s worldwide fan base is over! Featuring special guest & classically trained singer Tarja Turunen, the video for the title track off WITHIN TEMPTATION’s new 4-song EP is now available for viewing on Vevo: http://vevo.ly/swfAf7
The Paradise (What About Us?) EP will be released digitally in North America on October 1st and can be pre-ordered now on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/WT-Paradise-iTunes
The collaboration with Tarja (former NIGHTWISH vocalist) is indeed unique. WITHIN TEMPTATION fans have been speculating on the identity of the guest vocalist for some time, but very few expected this combination; while the two respective bands are seen by many as the pioneers of their genre, they are also seen as competitors. However, WITHIN TEMPTATION’s frontwoman Sharon den Adel reveals: “Tarja was our instant favorite partner for this! When we listened to the demo version of ‘Paradise,’ it was clear that her classical voice would fit perfectly.”
When the two vocalists shared their first conversation via Skype about joining forces, they realized they’ve both been touring the same worldwide festival circuit for over 15 years but had never previously met in person. Sharon laughs, “It’s strange that so far we’ve never had the opportunity for a chat and a glass of wine together!”
The collaboration perfectly suits the central theme of “Paradise (What About Us?).” The song is based on the speech given by retired four-star general Peter van Uhm of the Royal Netherlands Army on May 4, 2013 (Dutch Liberation Day) next to the Dutch National Monument. “His speech made a deep impression on us,” remembers Sharon den Adel. “His message being that the creation of a better world is only possible when you don’t think about ‘yourself’ or ‘them’ but just think about ‘us’.”
Following a discography that has sold an excess of three million albums, the 4-track Paradise (What About Us?) EP is the first new material released by WITHIN TEMPTATION since the 2011 album, The Unforgiving, which debuted in the U.S. at #50 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. The EP will include demo versions of three new tracks - “Let Us Burn,” “Silver Moonlight,” and “Dog Days” - that will provide fans with an insight into the band’s songwriting process. Finished versions of the songs will be part of the band’s upcoming as-yet-untitled new studio album, set for release in North America in early 2014.
The first leg of WITHIN TEMPTATION’s world tour will launch at Cable Factory in Helsinki, Finland on February 26th, 2014. Dates are available on the band’s official Facebook page.
ABOUT WITHIN TEMPTATION:
Masters of elegance, melodrama, and symphonic grandeur, WITHIN TEMPTATION are not just one of the most distinctive and charismatic bands to emerge from the metal scene in recent times; they are also one of European metal’s greatest success stories of the last decade.
Formed in 1996 by guitarist Robert Westerholt & vocalist Sharon den Adel and ably assisted by bassist Jeroen van Veen, the Dutch quintet set out to create music that would strike a sublime balance between the bold, evocative sweep of cinema soundtracks and the brooding, gothic splendor of the finest dark-hued rock & metal of the modern age. A well-kept secret in the Netherlands for the first few years of their existence, the band exploded into the mainstream spotlight across Europe with the release of their second album, Mother Earth, in 2000. Within a few studio albums, WITHIN TEMPTATION experienced huge commercial success in their native country as well as around the world.
Visit WITHIN TEMPTATION online at www.WITHIN-TEMPTATION.com.
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