By Jase Walker
Heading towards the end of the year I get to play out the last month with one of the biggest shows this year with one of the biggest metal bands to come out of the Netherlands, Within Temptation. Some difficulty to start with getting things arranged but it came through in the end and I’m now ready to get stuck into a huge show at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome. Along for the ride are Ukrainians BLIND8 and German synthy metalcore outfit annisokay, who blew me away supporting Electric Callboy in Manchester.
BLIND8 get things kicked off slightly early but are not rolling with anything particularly advanced production wise other than a screen behind them with a QR code asking to donate towards the aid effort in Ukraine. It does feel like their mix has been neutered a bit as it sounds slot quieter than it probably could be for a show of this size.
That being said it does still sound pretty decent and well balanced given the venue and such, they’ve got a lot of passion they’re putting into the show as well which is great to see. They tried to get the audience to do the sit down and jump up thing that’s been pretty common for the last couple of years but the crowd sadly weren’t really interested in it.
Overall though BLIND8 have operated their set with really enthusiastic energy that’s come across well despite the sound mix being a bit thin to start with. I’ve enjoyed their show and it also felt like it was too short when they said it was time for their last song of the set. I truly hope that their touring alongside Within Temptation has had the impact they wanted in addition to being a great opening slot for them. Off to a good start for this evening I think!
I feel like I’ve barely blinked before I started hearing annisokay start their set after I got a beer outside the arena part. I feel like their sound mixing is much kinder to them than BLIND8 as their bass and overall low end comes across much stronger to the point of feeling it in my legs. They’re clearly upped the ante on their production as well as they now have a couple of screens that flash images of desolate worlds and spacey things and various lyrics very similar to the sort of thing that Architects roll with lately.
annisokay’s sound is beginning to feel better suited for bigger stages over the past couple of years and tonight’s performance at Ziggo Dome is really showing that. annisokay showcases the sort of metalcore style that is incredibly prominent coming from Germany right now, synths, big riffs, mixed vocals that keep the verses brutal and the choruses upbeat and epic. This 4-piece know they need to capitalize on playing huge shows like this with any means possible and it comes across fantastically well. I do wish I had a bit of a better view of the crowd to gauge the larger response but I am very much part of the swathes of standing people tonight and the Dutch are bloody tall.
They’ve even got a brief guest spot from Sharon of Within Temptation for ‘Like A Parasite’ and presented her with a massive bouquet after the song! Not only that but following it up with a surprise cover of Linkin Park’s ‘One Step Closer’ which is clearly enthusing a ton of people down the front. While I get the feeling that annisokay aren’t quite ready for a stage of this size in their own right, this set definitely proves that they’re on the right track for it though. They’ve got the right sort of grit to keep pushing and reaching for greater heights and establishing their fanbase along the way.
annisokay are a real class act and they’ve definitely not let this opportunity escape them, a real fun set and hopefully they’ve left a solid impression on this crowd tonight.
Prior to the show from Within Temptation, they’ve put on a slide show giving personal thanks to all of the crew and bands that have been part of this tour which is a really nice touch.
Before they properly take the stage, the backdrop lights up with a huge video the height of the stage, this is truly going to be an epic experience before they’ve even really started. And as it turns out, it’s not just spanning the height of the stage, but the entire width along with the physical ‘ruined pillars’ present on stage.
This production is absolutely wild, it’s truly an epic layout that the band is fully taking advantage of, Sharon on vocals regularly jumping up the middle of the central screens fairly often too. And as with a lot of symphonic metal bands over the last few years, they’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from the more extreme bands that have pushed the bar on lower tunings and expanded string guitars which works so incredibly well. Within Temptation repay the favour of annisokay by inviting them into the stage for guest vocals and guitars as well for the main show. When bands that are established and huge do what they can to bring others up along with them is a brilliant show of respect and love.
Within Temptation are clearly passionate about doing what they can for the Ukraine relief effort as the QR code to donate to the aid effort is very prominently displayed several times across the show. The sound mix for this show has been absolutely incredible too, I often find arena shows can lose a lot of grunt because of the sheer amount of open space but not in this case. The bass guitar and strength of the drums is felt in every beat in my chest and legs while the rest of the band from the keys, guitar, and excellent vocals gets across brilliantly too.
But sadly as with all shows, we’ve hit the end and it’s time for the encore. I’m actually stunned that such a show so late in the year could potentially upset my list of best shows of 2024 in the way that it has but you don’t often get to see a show like this. Within Temptation have shown that despite their clear size throughout the ÜK and Europe, they have not lost sight of the process that brought them to this point considering the guest spots they’ve had tonight. Within Temptation are clearly titans within the metal world and no less in their home turf of the Netherlands, but this by no means shows they’ve lost touch of that slow, agonising slog that took them to this point.
Within Temptation has an extensive back catalogue of music to rely on and tailors it to create a wonderful show, but also takes the time to weave in the bands they carefully select to support them. This is a true example of a band that loves the scene and wants to nurture it in the best possible way. Tonight’s show at Ziggo Dome has been nothing short of truly spectacular, from the sound to the visuals, Within Temptation have gone from a band that happened to fill festivals in the middle of the day to a true unstoppable force in their own right.
To see the end of a massive tour like this (and, as it turned out, their final performance with keyboard player Martijn Spierenburg) and to experience Within Temptation absolutely crush it on home turf is a real treat.
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