Resist

Resist is a work on which WITHIN TEMPTATION, while based on symphonic grandeur, boldly took in electronic texture and sharp pop hooks. Heavy guitar, programmed-like beats and expansive synthesizers create tension, through the center of which Sharon den Adel’s clear, strong voice runs. It is a challenging record that steered greatly toward a modern sound. On “The Reckoning,” “Raise Your Banner” and “Supernova,” star guests such as Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix and In Flames’ Anders Fridén take part. Songs like “Endless War,” “Mad World” and “Trophy Hunter” breathe the band’s full playing too. They lightly cross the borders of metal, alternative and electronic rock. It is a challenging, catchy record that made themes of oppression, resistance and self-determination resonate more directly.