But dig a little deeper and it soon emerges that, behind the scenes, there was a growing dissatisfaction with the Hydra era that helped create the hole the band eventually found themselves in. The scene had been set for Within Temptation to consolidate their position as one of modern metal’s most important bands. Hydra’s lead single, Paradise (What About Us?), featuring former Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen, has racked up more than 50million views on YouTube, while the touring cycle for the album included both a headline slot at Bloodstock festival and, most significantly, a show at London’s legendary Wembley Arena.
Within Temptation’s previous album, 2014’s Hydra, ushered in their most successful chapter yet, landing career-high positions in charts around the world including the UK (6), the US (16) and their homeland (a return to Number 1, after previous opus The Unforgiving just missed out). This rather significant roadblock could hardly have come at a worse time. One of metal’s premier power couples, the Dutch duo have guided Within Temptation for over two decades graduating from the class of symphonic metal bands that emerged from Europe in the late 90s, they’ve since become a modern rock powerhouse, consistently churning out critically acclaimed albums while building one of metal’s largest and most dedicated audiences.
Where some band partnerships offer an endless clash of egos, theirs is a relationship built on mutual trust, understanding and, ultimately, a shared vision for a band that has spectacularly defied the odds. Robert dressed in a white hoody and jeans, Sharon in a suit jacket and black top, they complement each other as only couples do often finishing each other’s sentences or politely correcting one another’s answers, a tag team whose dynamic doesn’t eclipse their own personalities. The pair seem in a relaxed and amiable mood as we chat over lunch in a restaurant high up in the Amsterdam Tower: a 22-storey modern build overlooking the Netherlands’ capital city on what is a bright and humid late-summer afternoon. While Sharon and Robert may have started the year in a state of flux, you wouldn’t know it from speaking to them now.
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