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.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Within_Temptation
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)
The Truth Beneath the Rose
Within Temptation Lyrics
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No longer I can justify the bloodshed in His name
Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose?
Pray with me so I will find the gate to Heaven's door
I believe it would justify the means
It had a hold over me
Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast
The veil of my dreams deceived that I have seen
Forgive me for what I have been
Forgive me my sins!
Pray for me 'cause I have lost my faith in holy wars
Is paradise denied to me 'cause I can't take no more?
Has darkness taken over me, consumed my mortal soul?
All my virtues sacrificed, can Heaven be so cruel?
I believe it would justify the means
It had a hold over me (forgive me my sins)
Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast
It is the darker side of me (forgive me my sins)
The veil of my dreams deceived that I have seen
Forgive me for what I have been
Forgive me my sins!
I'm hoping, I'm praying, I won't get lost between two worlds
For all I have seen the truth lies in between
Give me the strength to face the wrong that I have done
Now that I know the darkest side of me
How can blood be our salvation
And justify the pain that we have caused throughout the times
Will I learn what's truly sacred?
Will I redeem my soul, will truth set me free?
(Forgive me my sins) blinded to see the cruelty of the beast
It is the darker side of me (forgive me my sins)
The veil of my dreams deceived that I have seen
Forgive me for what I have been
Forgive me my sins!
Within Temptation's song The Truth Beneath the Rose is a powerful contemplation of doubt and forgiveness in the context of religious violence. The lyrics express the singer's internal conflict as she struggles to come to terms with the contradictions of seeking the truth in the face of the horrific bloodshed committed in the name of religion. The chorus repeatedly begs for forgiveness for the sins committed in the pursuit of this truth, as the singer ultimately questions whether the path to redemption and salvation is through this violence. The song is a call for introspection and reflection, asking the listener to examine their own beliefs and question whether the means justify the ends.
The lyrics also use the image of a rose as a metaphor for the beauty and danger of truth, as the petals of the rose can be soft and delicate while the thorns can be sharp and dangerous. This duality is highlighted in the chorus with the line, "Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose?" The rose represents the pursuit of truth, both its beauty and its potential for destruction through violence and extremism. The song asks whether it is possible to find the truth without causing harm, and if forgiveness is possible for those who have committed violence in the name of a higher cause.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me strength to face the truth, the doubt within my soul
I need the courage and willpower to confront the uncertainty and skepticism inside of me.
No longer I can justify the bloodshed in His name
I can no longer rationalize or defend the violence done in the name of a higher power.
Is it a sin to seek the truth, the truth beneath the rose?
Is it wrong or immoral to search for the hidden or unknown reality?
Pray with me so I will find the gate to Heaven's door
Join me in supplicating in the hopes of discovering the entrance to paradise.
I believe it would justify the means
I think the end goal would make any actions taken to achieve it worthwhile.
It had a hold over me
It had power and control over me, affecting my thoughts and actions.
Blinded to see the cruelty of the beast
Unable to perceive the harshness and brutality of the situation.
It is the darker side of me (forgive me my sins)
It is my inner evil or wickedness that I ask forgiveness for.
The veil of my dreams deceived that I have seen
The illusion of my dreams led me to believe something that wasn't true.
Forgive me for what I have been
Please pardon me for who I was in the past and the actions I took.
Pray for me 'cause I have lost my faith in holy wars
Please pray for me as I have lost trust and belief in the righteousness of religious conflicts.
Is paradise denied to me 'cause I can't take no more?
Am I barred from entry into an idyllic place because I cannot bear anymore?
Has darkness taken over me, consumed my mortal soul?
Is my spirit now dominated and consumed by darkness or evil?
All my virtues sacrificed, can Heaven be so cruel?
Have I given up all my positive qualities, and would Heaven really be so harsh?
I'm hoping, I'm praying, I won't get lost between two worlds
I have faith and am supplicating so that I do not become stranded or uncertain between two different realities or beliefs.
For all I have seen the truth lies in between
From all that I have witnessed, the reality or actuality is neither one extreme nor another, but somewhere in the middle.
Give me the strength to face the wrong that I have done
Empower me to confront and acknowledge the mistakes or harm I have caused.
Now that I know the darkest side of me
Now that I have become aware and cognizant of my innermost evil tendencies.
How can blood be our salvation
How can violence or bloodshed be a means to secure our redemption or deliverance?
And justify the pain that we have caused throughout the times
And validate or legitimize the hurt and suffering we have inflicted repeatedly in history.
Will I learn what's truly sacred?
Am I going to apprehend what is genuinely valuable and holy?
Will I redeem my soul, will truth set me free?
Can I save or restore my spirit, and will discovering the truth liberate me from my struggles and conflicts?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARTIJN SPIERENBURG, SHARON DEN ADEL, ROBERT WESTERHOLT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind