this Hydra acts hardly dangerous)

Early Gothic / symphonic metal with female vocals was once quite popular and Within Temptation had a brought forth by many bands of this genre. Today the genre seems to be pretty much dead and Within Temptation are next Nightwish probably the last vestige of that era. The main reason that both bands now celebrate great successes and have except themselves to fear no real competition more, is probably the musical development of both bands. Nightwish and Within Temptation have but from their early days in the course of time and place, each with major record labels in the back and catchy rock / pop elements increased to a mainstream audience.

Since Nightwish still have much work with orchestral elements to Within Temptation perhaps even more removed from their early days, the Gothic Metal in the vein of the debut album "Enter" or the symphonic elements of "Mother Earth" and "The Silent Force" is not in any case more much left. A significant price correction has been switched with "The Heart Of Everything" sought. Way from Gothic Metal, away from the symphonic elements and the high vocal style and towards catchy rock / pop songs with a Sharon Den Adel their voice clearly uses different.

Of this we can grow what you want, of course, wants each musician and each band can also live from their music, I personally found "The Heart Of Everything" now times more likely on average and its follow-up album "The Unforgiven" quite a letdown, too was trimmed in my eyes to pop music, the guitars were partially barely visible. The album "The Q-Music Sessions" where diverse pop songs have been covered, fit somehow to this development ...

So now comes with "Hydra", the 6th studio album by the Dutch. Compared to the direct predecessor album "The Unforgiven" falls on the guitar again play a greater role and "Hydra" thus yet again looks a bit harder. This has partly to do with the guest vocalists on "Hydra" is also working simultaneously with 4 guest musicians namely Tarja Turunen (you have to imagine well-unspecified;)), Howard Jones (former singer of Killswitch Engage), Xzibit (I won the "Pimp My Ride" rapper ..) and Dave Pirner (singer of Soul Asylum, "Runaway Train" is probably the best known song). This has somehow what of "make it or break it" and a certain marketing strategy, after all, were to "Dangerous" with Howard Jones, "Paradise (What About Us)" with Tarja and "Whole World is Watching" with Dave Pirner even video clips rotated thus falls on that just specifically with the guest musicians large advertisement is made. It only thing missing is "And We Run" with Xzibit, but it would not surprise me if soon to this song a video is turned ...

Of these 4 guest musicians contributed mainly "Dangerous" with Howard Jones can positively surprise, just here the hardness screw is clearly turned upward, one so fast and hard song you have probably not heard of Within Temptation, not only by the distinctive and expressive vocals by Howard Jones "Dangerous" which of Killswitch Engage. Very strong song and for me a highlight of the album.

Although the collaboration with Tarja I would have expected a little more again, "Paradise (What About Us)" still sounds most like a classic Within Temptation song earlier days (which was to be expected anyway), unfortunately Tarja singing is terrible so a presence like that of Sharon. It was mixed in my opinion, into the background where I already ask myself whether it would not even afraid that they one Sharon steals the show ... I think at least if one already has the opportunity to work with a Tarja Turunen could have been more can make out of it, Sharon and Tarja sing for me rather than past each other that they inspire to peak performance. Here in my opinion, much more was inside ...

"Whole World is Watching" with Dave Pirner (or there is even a separate Polish album version of "Hydra" where the song with the Polish singer Piotr Rogucki was taken) is a rather lovely rock / pop ballad whose proximity to Dave Pirners main band Soul Asylum (which I have no idea whether the still exists ..) is to deny not quite. Very nice ballad but not really something special.

So is still missing "And We Run" with Xzibit and here the views are probably differ greatly. It's all well and good that music are planned and the extent to which rape by Xzibit however suit a song like "And We Run" is difficult to assess. Musically shimmers here namely after a long time the style of "Mother Earth" by even Sharon sings again in higher spheres which it has identified in the past. From I found the guest post by Xzibit rather inappropriate just with this song at the beginning. I would have first requested if they had refrained from work but live "And We Run" with the video recordings and Xzibit contribution from the tape actually surprisingly good, at the concerts where I was there was "And We Run" rightly celebrated. Yet somehow the impression that "And We Run" remains as a renewed attempt acts Evanescence with "Bring Me To Life" to compete with (similar to "What Have You Done")

So much for the four guest contributions from the rest of album is still "Edge Of The World" worth mentioning. This is a classic ballad in the vein of "Mother Earth" and "The Silent Force" and quite convincing. On the last two albums, the ballads were for me actually rather minor weak points, as opposed to "Whole World Is Watching" is "Edge Of The World" because of its proximity to "Mother Earth" / "The Silent Force" finally back a ballad which can convince.

And otherwise? The great announcement that guitarist Robert Westerholt on "Silver Moonlight" after a long time Grunts is contributing micht worth mentioning. The debut album "Enter" the song has musical namely almost nothing in common, ultimately, it is not much more than a rock song in the vein of "The Heart Of Everything" where the Grunts are actually inappropriate. Apart from these are anyway only very discreetly identify short in the chorus, because you could have let it be gone ....

Stay still, "Let Us Burn", "Covered By Roses", "Dog Days" and "Tell Me Why", these songs are rather average, "Let Us Burn" and "Tell My Why" act guitar-oriented and would thus well " Heart Of Everything "fit," Covered By Roses "and" Dog Days "again pursue the more oriented on pop course of" The Unforgiving ".

What remains is an album where the quality fluctuates back and forth. Highlights are especially "Dangerous" and "Edge Of The World". Also, "Let Us Burn" grows with each listening and quite convincing, "Paradise" is basically a musical good song (unfortunately goes just Tarja singing my feeling rather under) and now I would "And We Run" with swabs to include better songs. The rest of the songs are in my view rather average to disappointing initially I had times where "Hydra" 2 star, now (update 03.27.2015) but the new Nightwish album "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" published and compared, I think " Hydra "but for the better album. After I evaluate "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" with 2 stars I correct the evaluation of "Hydra" up to 3 stars.

For Bonus CD: this I think rather superfluous, the cover songs "Radioactive", "Summertime Sadness", "Let Her Go" and "Dirty Dancer" one knows of "The Q-Music Sessions" on this album are still also 7 other cover songs above therefore would rather not recommend this CD to access, so this makes me not too much sense (apart from that I think the single cover songs not really succeeded but that everyone should decide for themselves ...). The Evolution tracks from "And We Run", "Moonlight Silver", "Covered By Roses" and "Tell My Why" I find unnecessary, here a part of each song will be played in different versions each successively. This is perhaps how the songs have evolved over time, however, I find the whole thing as inaudible. If anything, it would in my opinion made more sense to the songs to be published in a full previous version instead of a song part is repeated several times. As I said for me a rather superfluous bonus CD.

Finally, my feedback to Digibook per se: it's all very well that this is with a nice thick (there should be about 100 pages) Booklet however comes I feel it is criticism that the CDs are not firmly anchored in CD Trays but in Sleeves (ie cases) be kept and you have to shove the CDs of this out and again. CD scratches and damages are preprogrammed by the Thin "Deluxe Edition" grumbles, quite honestly I will never understand this policy of CD storage in Sleeves, some CDs I have thus been much good stuff gotten so I would advise their own jewel cases for CD use storage.