Black Symphony

Seasoned purveyors of arena rock for the socially disengaged, Holland's Within Temptation have been carrying the symphonic goth metal torch far longer than contemporaries like Epica, Leaves Eyes, and Evanescence. That experience shines through the manufactured gloom on Black Symphony, a live CD/DVD recorded at Rotterdam's Ahoy Arena with a 60-piece orchestra, 20-voice classical choir, circus performers, and enough pyrotechnics to knock the Moon out of orbit. Like any orchestral metal outfit worth its salt, the band kicks things off with an ELO-meets-The Lord of the Rings-inspired "Ouverture" that seamlessly runs into the group's 2005 hit, "Jillian (I'd Give My Heart)," before descending into a set that relies almost entirely on material from 2007's Heart of Everything. It's as big, ballsy, theatrical, and overly melodramatic as one would expect (Life of Agony's Keith Caputo reprises his studio role on the delightfully over the top "What Have You Done"), but it's executed perfectly, as evidenced by the 10,000 screaming fans who were lucky enough to sell the show out. ~ James Christopher Monger