Mother Earth (Within Temptation album)

Last updated

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
Within Temptation's "Mother Earth" (2000)
Rapid orchestral strings move to the forefront on the chorus of this title track from Within Temptation's second album Mother Earth.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The sound of Mother Earth was a departure for the band. According to Robert Westerholt, the album was a natural progression of their first album Enter , as the band didn't want to release the same kind of music twice. As a result, they opted to make the songs on a faster tempo and change the tone of the lyrics. [7] In a 2008 interview with Faceculture, den Adel states that Mother Earth was "a little bit older, a little bit more knowledgeable about how we wanted to sound, even then, of course you grow, so we had a better picture of how we wanted to sound. We didn't want to have the grunt vocals anymore. We felt like everyone was using that as a gimmick, and we didn't want to have it in our music anymore because of that...and also we were very much enthralled by a movie at that time, Braveheart , which was very Celtic, and that's how our album became very Celtic because we were so in love with the soundtrack of the Braveheart movie. So inspired by that, the album came out that way...I still love that album very much...it came together in a very natural way. The songs were sometimes written in a day, it did take time to work it out more, the way it sounded in the end, but it was like the ideas and the whole concepts of certain songs were written mostly in one day, the chorus and the verses." [8]

According to Metal Injection, the album critical and commercial success can be attributed to the combination of its musical ambiance and the imagery the band presented at that time, citing the landscapes from the Mother Earth music video as an example of the great blend between their musical style and visual presentation. [9] Louder Sound also pointed the bombastic and cinematic characteristics present on the album, highlighting the use of synthesizers and strings. [10] Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad pointed the visual aspect of the concerts at that time as another contributing factor to the growing popularity of the band, as the stage decoration, the band members outfits and the use of pyrotechnics suited well the epic aspect of their sound and lyrics. [7]

Reception

Mother Earth
Mother earth.jpg
Studio album by
Within Temptation
Released24 December 2000
RecordedJune–August 2000
StudioStudio RS29, Waalwijk, Netherlands
Genre
Length53:49
Label DSFA
Producer
  • Oscar Holleman
  • Anthony van den Berg
Within Temptation chronology
Enter
(1997)		Mother Earth
(2000)		 The Silent Force
(2004)
Singles from Mother Earth
  1. "Our Farewell"
    Released: 22 January 2001
  2. "Ice Queen"
    Released: June 2001
  3. "Mother Earth"
    Released: 2003
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [11]
Chronicles of Chaos Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Metal Hammer (Ger) 5/7 [13]
Rock Hard 7.5/10 [14]
Sea of TranquilityStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [15]
(remastered)

The album, which was considered the band's breakthrough, received positive reviews particularly around Europe. AllMusic rated the album 4+1⁄2 stars, the reviewer calling it "easily one of the best releases of 2001", and praising it for its "mature and confident sound" and Sharon den Adel's "elusive and intangible presence", adding "The rise of goth/prog metal seemed to reach a peak at the turn of the century, with an endless supply of bands offering their own spin on the subgenre. Only a handful of these bands seem to have anything interesting or unique to offer... With the release of Mother Earth, there was little doubt that the cream of the crop had indeed risen to the top... A landmark release that set new standards for creativity, musicianship, and taste – not just for goth/prog metal, but for any style of music." [11] German magazine Rock Hard awarded the album a score of 7.5 out of 10 and considered it an improvement over their debut album, Enter, praising den Adel's vocals and the catchiness of the songs, locating the album between pop music and gothic metal. [14] Chris Flaaten, from heavy metal webzine Chronicles of Chaos, also pointed the renewal the band showed in the album in comparison to their debut, and gave the album a positive score of 7 out of 10. The reviewer praised the instrumentals and how it was managed well in what refers to establishing the fantasy-like setting the album presents. However, he considered that while the band had gotten "more epic", they also got "more mellow", citing the "easy listening" aspect as a weakness for those who seek intensity on the metal genre. [12]

Accolades

PublicationListRankRef.
Metal Hammer 20 Best Albums of 2000—

Commercial performance

When first released, by the end of the year 2000, the album entered the charts only in the band's home country at position eighty-two, peaking at position sixty-seven at the beginning of 2001 before falling off the charts. [17] Two singles were released that year, the first for the track "Our Farewell", which failed to enter any charts, and the second for the track "Ice Queen", which debuted at position seventy-three in June 2001 and disappeared from the Dutch charts right after. [18] With the release of a second version of the single due to a better elaborated music video, the song started climbing the Dutch and Belgian charts, resulting on a new sales boost for the album, which quickly re-entered the charts and ended up peaking at the third position on both countries in 2002. [17] As a result, from the intense airplay of the music video on Dutch music TV channel The Box, mainstream radio stations opted for also playing the song despite it being too heavy for their audiences. [7] Over the course of that year, the album reached platinum status in the Netherlands, with sales in excess of 80,000 copies, and gold status in Belgium, with sales in excess of 25,000 copies. [19] [20] With the album receiving distribution in new European countries by the beginning of 2003, [7] it also managed to enter the German, Swiss and Austrian charts. In Germany, the album peaked at number 7 [21] and was later certified platinum on the country, with sales in excess of 200,000 copies. [22] By the beginning of 2004, the album also entered the Norwegian charts at number seventeen, peaking at number eleven three weeks later. [23] In 2021, two decades after its release, the album reached a second platinum status in the Netherlands, totaling 160,000 copies sold in the band's home country. [19]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Sharon den Adel, except where noted; all music is composed by Robert Westerholt, except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Mother Earth" (music: R. Westerholt, Guus Eikens)5:29
2."Ice Queen"5:20
3."Our Farewell"5:18
4."Caged"5:47
5."The Promise"8:00
6."Never-ending Story" (music: Oscar Holleman, René Merkelbach)4:02
7."Deceiver of Fools"7:35
8."Intro" (instrumental; music: Merkelbach)1:06
9."Dark Wings"4:14
10."In Perfect Harmony" (music: Gerarda Matheeuwsen, Holleman, Merkelbach)6:58
Total length:53:49
2000 limited edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
11."World of Make Believe" (unreleased track)4:45
Total length:58:34
2003 German special extended edition
No.TitleLength
11."Deep Within" (live at Lowlands, Biddinghuizen, 2002)4:21
12."The Dance" (live at Lowlands, Biddinghuizen, 2002)5:12
13."Restless" (single version)4:41
14."Bittersweet" (unreleased track; lyrics: den Adel, R. Westerholt; music: Martijn Spierenburg, den Adel)3:21
Total length:72:21
2003 German standard edition
No.TitleLength
11."Restless" (single version)4:43
12."Bittersweet" (unreleased track; lyrics: den Adel, R. Westerholt; music: Spierenburg, den Adel)3:21
13."Enter" (live at Utrecht, 1998; music: R. Westerholt, Richard Willemse)6:39
14."The Dance" (live at Utrecht, 1998)4:53
Total length:73:25
Roadrunner Records 2007 UK and 2008 US editions bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Deceiver of Fools" (live at Java-eiland, Amsterdam, July 22, 2005)7:25
12."Caged" (live at Java-eiland, Amsterdam, July 22, 2005)4:45
13."Candles" (live at Java-eiland, Amsterdam, July 22, 2005)6:59
14."Ice Queen" (live at Java-eiland, Amsterdam, July 22, 2005)5:10
Total length:78:08
2022 expanded edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."World Of Make Believe"4:52
12."Bittersweet"3:20
13."Jane Doe"4:30
Total length:66:28

Personnel

Within Temptation

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Belgium (BEA) [35] Gold25,000*
Germany (BVMI) [36] Gold150,000^
Netherlands (NVPI) [37] 2× Platinum160,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Within Temptation</span> Dutch symphonic metal band

Within Temptation is a Dutch symphonic metal band founded 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. Their most prominent and well-known sound is described as symphonic metal, although their earlier material, such as debut album Enter, was mostly gothic metal, with Enter also having a hint of doom metal. In an interview, den Adel said they fell into a symphonic rock genre with various influences. In another interview, den Adel stated that "We consider ourselves more an atmospheric melodic symphonic metal/rock band... In my opinion, we are not a gothic band but we have gothic elements".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon den Adel</span> Dutch singer

Sharon Janny den Adel is a Dutch singer who is the lead vocalist and one of the main songwriters of the symphonic metal band Within Temptation. She has been a performing musician since the age of 14, and is a founding member of Within Temptation, along with Robert Westerholt, in 1996. She was also elected to be the Dutch chairperson of the jury for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.

<i>Enter</i> (Within Temptation album) 1997 studio album by Within Temptation

Enter is the debut studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation, released by DSFA Records in 1997. After the band became more widely known in foreign markets, it was released by the independent label Season of Mist in North America in 2007, and re-printed by Nuclear Blast in 2014. It was produced by Lex Vogelaar, founder of the Dutch death metal band Orphanage, and had to recorded, completed and mixed within three weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Westerholt</span> Musical artist

Robert Westerholt is a Dutch musician, known as the guitarist and co-founder of the symphonic metal band Within Temptation. He also writes music for the band along with his partner and band vocalist Sharon den Adel. He used to work in human resource management before his career with Within Temptation.

<i>The Silent Force</i> 2004 studio album by Within Temptation

The Silent Force is the third studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation, released on 15 November 2004, by GUN Records. On 5 August 2008, The Silent Force along with Mother Earth were released in the United States by Roadrunner Records. This album is the first to feature Ruud Jolie on lead guitar, as well as Martijn Spierenburg on keyboards, after Martijn Westerholt had to leave the band due to illness. It is also the first to feature Daniel Gibson as their producer. The album deepened the band symphonic approach, this time featuring more atmospheric songs that resemble the predominant fantasistic lyrics, inspired both by literature and the band members personal lives.

<i>The Heart of Everything</i> 2007 studio album by Within Temptation

The Heart of Everything is the fourth studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation, released by GUN Records on 12 March 2007 in Europe. It was released in North America on 18 June 2007 by Roadrunner Records. The album follows the symphonic metal sound the band had been improving and deepening until then, and is considered by lead vocalist Sharon den Adel as the album in which the band finally managed to achieve this kind of sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice Queen (song)</span> 2001 single by Within Temptation

"Ice Queen" is a song by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. It was released in June 2001 as the second single from their second studio album Mother Earth. The song was the band's commercial breakthrough, and it remains one of the band's most successful songs to date in Europe. It has been featured on the annual Dutch Top 2000 since 2011.

<i>Black Symphony</i> 2008 live album by Within Temptation

Black Symphony is the third live album by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. It was released worldwide on 22–24 September 2008 and is available on 2-disc DVD, 2-disc CD, and Blu-ray. Sony Poland announced this item to be released on 3LP. Release is due Friday 28 December 2018.

<i>An Acoustic Night at the Theatre</i> 2009 live album by Within Temptation

An Acoustic Night at the Theatre is the fourth live album by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation that has been released in October–November 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Within Temptation discography</span>

Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation have released seven studio albums, five live albums, four extended plays and 26 singles.

<i>The Unforgiving</i> 2011 studio album by Within Temptation

The Unforgiving is the fifth studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation, released by Roadrunner Records on 29 March 2011. It was a concept album as one part of a transmedia storytelling project, which accompanied the release of three short films and a series of six comic books. The album followed the band's pattern of incorporating new musical elements on each release, this time marking a major transition point for the band and featuring more pop and 80s influences. Lyrically, the band focused on telling a story with specific characters, also present in the films and comic books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faster (Within Temptation song)</span> 2011 single by Within Temptation

"Faster" is a song by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. It was released as the first single from their fifth studio album The Unforgiving on 21 January 2011. It had its worldwide radio première on 96.3 Rock Radio on the same day. The song was produced by their longtime producer Daniel Gibson, with Stefan Helleblad and Within Temptation serving as additional producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Silent Force Tour (Within Temptation)</span> 2004–06 concert tour by Within Temptation

The Silent Force Tour was a concert tour by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation in support of their third album, The Silent Force. The international growth the band had been facing with the album reflected well on the touring schedule and the locations played, as the band started being able to play in several newly visited countries and at bigger music festivals, such as the Download Festival in the United Kingdom, Wacken Open Air in Germany and the Loud Park Festival in Japan. The concert at the Java-eiland, in Amsterdam, was recorded and released homonymously under the name The Silent Force Tour on November, 2005.

<i>The Q-Music Sessions</i> 2013 compilation album by Within Temptation

The Q-music Sessions is a special Within Temptation cover album in which consists of eleven covers made by the band for Qmusic (Netherlands) and Qmusic (Belgium) in celebration of their fifteenth anniversary. Due to the positive reactions from fans and the radio audience, the band decided to release a special album containing eleven of the fifteen covers made. In June 2021, The Q-music Sessions was released worldwide on all streaming platforms.

<i>Hydra</i> (Within Temptation album) 2014 studio album by Within Temptation

Hydra is the sixth studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. It was released on January 31, 2014 in Europe and on February 4, 2014 in North America. The album contains guest appearances by singer Howard Jones, rapper Xzibit, metal vocalist Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish) and alternative rock singer Dave Pirner. The first single, "Paradise ", was released on September 27, 2013, and featured Turunen as guest vocalist. The second single, "Dangerous", was released on December 20, in which Jones provided the male vocals.

<i>The Human Contradiction</i> 2014 studio album by Delain

The Human Contradiction is the fourth studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Delain. It was released on 4 April 2014 in Europe, and on 8 April 2014 in North America.

<i>Let Us Burn – Elements & Hydra Live in Concert</i> 2014 video by Within Temptation

Let Us Burn – Elements & Hydra Live in Concert is the fifth live album by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. It was released in November, 2014 and is available on 2-disc DVD, 2-disc CD, 2-disc Blu-ray and digital album. The live album features two performances, being the first one the greatest part of the band's 15th anniversary concert at the Sportpaleis, entitled Elements, and the second one the band's performance at the AFAS Live during the Hydra World Tour.

<i>My Indigo</i> (album) 2018 studio album by My Indigo

My Indigo is the debut studio album by Dutch singer and songwriter Sharon den Adel with her solo musical project My Indigo. It was released on 20 April 2018. The track listing of the debut album was released on 31 January 2018 by Within Temptation fansite DontTearMeDown.

<i>Resist</i> (Within Temptation album) 2019 studio album by Within Temptation

Resist is the seventh studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. It was scheduled to be released worldwide on 14 December 2018, but later postponed to 1 February 2019. The album contains guest appearances by singers Jacoby Shaddix, Anders Fridén and Jasper Steverlinck (Arid) and was produced by their longtime producer Daniel Gibson. It marks the longest time gap between the band's studio releases, the last one being issued in 2014. The album followed the band's pattern of incorporating new musical elements on each release, this time featuring more electronic, pop, and industrial influences. Lyrically, the band opted to focus more on political themes, a subject not explicitly approached by them on previous records.

References

  1. ↑ Rose, Rustyn (14 August 2014). "Within Temptation continue to evolve with new album, Hydra". axs.com. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Hydra review by Within Temptation". Ultimate Guitar. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "Within Temptation: 'Mother Earth', 'The Silent Force' To Receive U.S. Release in August". Blabbermouth.net. 10 June 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "WITHIN TEMPTATION - MOTHER EARTH - Music on Vinyl".
  5. ↑ "Within Temptation" (in Dutch). Roadrunner Records. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  6. 1 2 Mother Earth (CD Booklet). Within Temptation. Vlissingen, The Netherlands: DSFA Records DSFA1021. 2000.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. 1 2 3 4 "'Het was een onverwacht sprookje dat uitkwam'" (in Dutch). NRC Handelsblad . Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  8. ↑ "Part 1 video interview Within Temptation". YouTube. 24 October 2008. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
  9. ↑ "#TBT: WITHIN TEMPTATION's Mother Earth Is an Intense Symphonic Escape". Metal Injection. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  10. ↑ "The 10 best Within Temptation songs". Louder Sound. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  11. 1 2 Taylor, Robert. "Within Temptation – Mother Earth review". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  12. 1 2 Flaaten, Chris (14 January 2002). "Within Temptation – Mother Earth". Chronicles of Chaos . Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  13. ↑ "Within Temptation: Mother Earth". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  14. 1 2 Pierce, Ken. "Within Temptation: Mother Earth (remaster)". Sea of Tranquility. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  15. ↑ "Within Temptation: Mother Earth". Rock Hard. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  16. ↑ "The Top 20 best metal albums of 2000". Metal Hammer . 29 September 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Within Temptation – Mother Earth". MegaCharts . Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  18. ↑ "Within Temptation – Ice Queen". MegaCharts . Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  19. 1 2 "Goud/Platina". NVPI . Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  20. ↑ "GOUD EN PLATINA – ALBUMS 2002". Ultratop . Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  21. ↑ "Within Temptation – Mother Earth (Album)". GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  22. ↑ "BLABBERMOUTH.NET – WITHIN TEMPTATION's 'Mother Earth' Certified Platinum in Germany". Legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com. Retrieved 19 March 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  23. ↑ "Plasseringer på Topp 40 album". VG-lista . Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  24. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Within Temptation – Mother Earth" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  25. 1 2 3 "Ultratop.be – Within Temptation – Mother Earth" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  26. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Within Temptation – Mother Earth" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  27. ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Within Temptation – Mother Earth". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  28. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Within Temptation – Mother Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  29. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Within Temptation – Mother Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  30. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  31. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  32. ↑ "Within Temptation: Year-end Belgian Charts". Ultratop . Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  33. ↑ "Within Temptation: Year-end Dutch Charts" . Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  34. ↑ "Within Temptation: Year-end German Charts" . Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  35. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2002". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
  36. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Within Temptation; 'Mother Earth')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  37. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – Within Temptation – Mother Earth" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved 9 March 2022.Enter Mother Earth in the "Artiest of titel" box.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.