The band went through numerous style changes, blending various genres throughout its career. Their debut album Enter and early singles were in vein of gothic metal. From Mother Earth (2000) album onwards, the band shifted to symphonic metal genre, which brought Within Temptation to popularity. Their recent albums, starting with The Unforgiving (2011), lean towards alternative rock and synth rock . In an interview, den Adel described her band's style as symphonic rock 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".
History
After the release of their debut album Enter in 1997, the band became prominent in the Dutch underground scene. It was not until 2001 that they became known to the general public, with the single "Ice Queen" from their second album Mother Earth, which reached No. 2 on the Dutch charts. This was followed by the band winning the Conamus Exportprijs, a Dutch music award, four years in a row, and a fifth in 2016. Their next albums The Silent Force (2004) and The Heart of Everything (2007) debuted at No. 1 on the Dutch charts and expanded their international recognition. In 2008, they released Black Symphony, a live album recorded with the Metropole Orchestra. This was followed in 2009 by An Acoustic Night at the Theatre, another live album, this time with acoustic renditions of the songs.
The band's fifth studio album, The Unforgiving, was released in March 2011 and was one part of a transmedia effort, alongside both a comic book series and a series of short films that together encompass a story. The album saw the band increasingly venturing on new musical territories outside symphonic metal. Their sixth studio album, Hydra, was released in early 2014 in Japan, Europe, and the United States. The album advanced the band's exploration of new musical genres and features guest appearances from various artists: Finnish singer Tarja Turunen, who appears in the lead single "Paradise (What About Us?)"; Howard Jones, former vocalist of American metalcore band Killswitch Engage; Dave Pirner, lead vocalist of American alternative rock band Soul Asylum; and American rapper Xzibit. The band had extensive airplay on BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom with one of the songs from the album, "Whole World Is Watching" featuring Pirner.
Their latest studio album, Resist, was released in February 2019 and incorporates influences from other musical styles such as industrial and EDM. By 2016, the band had already sold more than 3.5 million albums worldwide.
Members
Current members
Sharon den Adel – lead vocals (1996–present)Robert Westerholt – rhythm guitar, unclean vocals (1996–present; from 2011 studio only)Jeroen van Veen – bass (1996–present)Martijn Spierenburg – keyboards (2001–present)Ruud Jolie – lead guitar (2001–present)Mike Coolen – drums (2011–present)Stefan Helleblad – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2011–present)
Former members
Michiel Papenhove – lead guitar (1996–2001)Martijn Westerholt – keyboards (1996–2001)Dennis Leeflang – drums (1996)Richard Willemse – drums (1996)Ivar de Graaf – drums (1996–1998; 1999–2001) and live bass (2022)Marius van Pyreen – drums (1998)Ciro Palma – drums (1998–1999)Jelle Bakker – lead guitar (2001)Stephen van Haestregt – drums (2002-2010)Nicka Hellenberg – drums (2010; session musician)
Discography
Studio albums
Enter (1997)Mother Earth (2000)The Silent Force (2004)The Heart of Everything (2007)The Unforgiving (2011)Hydra (2014)Resist (2019)Bleed Out (2023)
Live albums
Black Symphony (2008)An Acoustic Night at the Theatre (2009)Let Us Burn (Elements & Hydra Live in Concert) (2014)Mother Earth Tour (2023)The Silent Force Tour (2023)Worlds Collide Tour (Live in Amsterdam) (2023)
Compilations
The Q-Music Sessions (2013)The Artone Sessions (Acoustic) (2024)
External links
English Wikipedia
Memories
Within Temptation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not leaving me alone behind.
There's no other way.
I prayed to the gods let him stay.
The memories ease the pain inside,
Now I know why.
All of my memories keep you near.In silent moments imagine you here.
All of my memories keep you near.
Your silent whispers, silent tears.
Made me promise I'd try
To find my way back in this life.
I hope there is a way
To give me a sign you're OK.
Reminds me again it's worth it all
So I can go on.
All of my memories keep you near.
In silent moments imagine you here.
All of my memories keep you near.
Your silent whispers, silent tears.
Together in all these memories
I see your smile.
All the memories I hold dear.
Darling, you know I will love you
'Til the end of time.
All of my memories keep you near.
In silent moments imagine you here.
All of my memories keep you near.
Your silent whispers, silent tears.
All of my memories
speak of a person who has lost someone close to them, and they are struggling to come to terms with the grief and pain. The lyrics show that the person who has passed away was someone who was very important to the singer, who had prayed to the gods to let them stay. The memories of this person are what help the singer to cope with the pain that they are feeling, as they imagine them still being there with them.
The lyrics also show that the person who passed away had made the singer promise that they would find their way back in life. The singer is hoping for a sign from the person to show that they are okay, which will give them the strength to continue on their own path. The memories of this person remind the singer that their life is worth it, and that they can go on even though the person is no longer there.
Overall, the lyrics to Within Temptation's "Memories" are about the power of memories in helping people cope with grief and loss. The singer is using their memories of a loved one who has passed away as a source of comfort and strength, and the memories are what keep this person close to them even though they are no longer physically present.
Line by Line Meaning
In this world you tried
You made an effort in this world.
Not leaving me alone behind.
You ensured that I was not left behind.
There's no other way.
There is no other alternative.
I prayed to the gods let him stay.
I prayed to the gods to let you stay with me.
The memories ease the pain inside,
Memories have the power to soothe the internal pain.
Now I know why.
Now I understand why memories are so important.
All of my memories keep you near.
Every memory I have of you keeps you close to me.
In silent moments imagine you here.
During quiet moments, I visualize you with me.
Your silent whispers, silent tears.
Your whispers and tears are perceived silently.
Made me promise I'd try
You asked me to promise that I would make an effort.
To find my way back in this life.
To discover my way back to this life.
I hope there is a way
I wish there was a method.
To give me a sign you're OK.
To give me an indication that you are okay.
Reminds me again it's worth it all
Reminds me once again that everything is worth it.
So I can go on.
So that I can continue living.
Together in all these memories
We are together in all these memories.
I see your smile.
I visualize your smile.
All the memories I hold dear.
All the memories that are precious to me.
Darling, you know I will love you
Beloved, you know I will love you.
'Til the end of time.
Until the end of time.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Sharon J. Den Adel, Martinus J. E. Martijn Spierenburg, Robert Westerholt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lilbopeep8878
In this world you tried
Not leaving me alone behind.
There's no other way.
I prayed to the gods let him stay.
The memories ease the pain inside,
Now I know why.
All of my memories keep you near.
In silent moments imagine you here.
All of my memories keep you near.
Your silent whispers, silent tears.
Made me promise I'd try
To find my way back in this life.
I hope there is a way
To give me a sign you're OK.
Reminds me again it's worth it all
So I can go on.
All of my memories keep you near.
In silent moments imagine you here.
All of my memories keep you near.
Your silent whispers, silent tears.
Together in all these memories
I see your smile.
All the memories I hold dear.
Darling, you know I will love you
'Til the end of time.
All of my memories keep you near.
In silent moments imagine you here.
All of my memories keep you near.
Your silent whispers, silent tears.
All of my memories
🥺🖤🥰
@valkohh
One of those songs bringing memories from the times past.
@confuseddino8605
This will get lost in a sea of comments, but... My mom used to be the caretaker of this small, old castle that you see in the video (Schloss Marquardt, Germany). I used to play soccer with my dog in the big banquet hall and play all around and inside the castle. This video holds a close place to my heart. Truly beautiful "memories" for me, personally. I was 10 when this was filmed and not much later I became a huge Within Temptation fan and am still to this day. I deeply regret not asking for an autograph when they were right there, filming in our little castle haha
@ymichel7593
Wow, what a privilege to have actually hosted them, even though you probably didn’t even realize how lucky you were. As the old-timer that I am now, it’s good to know that our youth still enjoys bands like them. Thank you for sharing your story, and I hope that one day, you do get that autograph 😅
@JosephScott001
Wow!! Wow! Damn wow!😮
@suzanneverkerk9065
You were very young back then. Cool to read where it's filmed! I hope you ask and get one. ❤
@k.grillmayer606
Respect
@ratacross_arg
Incredible story. I mean.... it's amazing! Not just the fact that Within Temptation was there, that the song is freaking fantastic, but the memories, YOUR memories steal the show. All the best from an argentinean is Minnesota.
@yautjaxenomorph9472
2024, and i still come back to this song
@Kek_88328
30.01.24 ))
@wanderingdayz
Me too ❤