Review by Adam M on February 21, 2019.

Within Temptation has lost a bit of their lustre since the album The Unforgiving.  The music has become more commercial, but lacks the impact of that album.  There is still a lot to like with this band as can be seen from the first track, The Reckoning.  If this song doesn’t have you head banging along you must lack a pulse.  The band concentrates on being catchy, but they don’t have the power that they once had to really draw you in. 

Still, there is a very addictive element to the band’s music that makes them a unique draw in the metal genre.  They have a naturally fun feeling that is hard to find elsewhere in the genre.  Also, Sharon Den Adel has a voice that is passionate and eloquent as it has ever been.  I just don’t find these tracks as impactful as those of The Silent Force, for example.  Still, Within Temptation is worth hearing especially if this is your first exposure to the style.  There is a somewhat beautiful aspect to the band that blends with the catchiness to make Resist a worthy entry to the metal genre. 

Sure, the songs are more accessible now, but they still bring enough of a punch to get interested in them.  The music is still heavy enough to qualify as heavy metal, though there is a rock vibe to the proceedings for sure.  The fact that this band is heavy puts them ahead of tons of pop acts that would lack the kind of power this act delivers.  So, there’s been a bit of a downgrade from previous albums, but there is still a lot to like here.  Within Temptation is one of the bands that is best known because they have a quality vocalist and this is still the case with Resist.  Their music is bombastic enough despite having an accessible edge to it.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10