Within Temptation and Annisokay set Leipzig on fire with their “Bleed Out Tour”

For almost three decades, Within Temptation has been at the top of symphonic metal. And they haven’t quieted down one bit! On the contrary, they take a stand – whether with songs that fight for world peace or call for love for all. The band and their songs are unique, captivating their fans again and again!

And now, they’re back live again! Finally! On October 16th, 2024, a long line of people formed in front of the Haus Auensee in Leipzig to celebrate, sing along and be captivated by the songs of the exceptional Dutch band Within Temptation as part of their “Bleed Out 2024 Tour”.

At 7:30 p.m., the band Annisokay took the stage, well-known to Within Temptation fans since their collaboration on the joint single “Shed My Skin”. For Annisokay, it’s a kind of homecoming! Founded in 2007 in Halle (Saale), just around the corner from Leipzig, the band impresses with a mix of Metalcore, Post-hardcore and Rock. Two powerful voices create a dynamic interplay on stage: Rudi Schwarzer with his intense shouts and Christoph Wieczorek with his clean vocals. Together with Peter Leukhardt on bass and Nico Vaeen on drums, they unleash songs from their recent albums upon the audience, clearly loving what they do and doing what they love. And the audience responds to the band’s enthusiasm with loud applause.

To get fans excited for the upcoming tour, the bands covered selected songs from each other, which they released on YouTube. Christoph Wieczorek covered Within Temptation‘s “Don’t Pray For Me”, while Sharon den Adel chose “Like A Parasite”, which was now performed live for the audience – with Sharon den Adel joining the stage. A wave of enthusiasm swept over her and Annisokay, and together they energized the fans. What a joy it was to watch and listen to these passionate musicians.

With their cover of Linkin Park‘s “One Step Closer”, even the last people in the audience joined in singing and the venue shook. Of course, the hits “Human” and “Calamity” were not to be missed either!

Annisokay – a pure delight to experience live!

“Here´s to being human
Gods of temptation
Feast till the downfall
Grow into the ending
Like tombstones in the sun”

Setlist Annisokay:
Into The Abyss
Throne Of The Sunset
Ultraviolet
Like A Parasite (with Sharon den Adel)
GYST
One Step Closer (Linkin Park Cover)
Human
Coma Blue
Calamity
STFU

I’m honestly still completely blown away by this concert evening. Admittedly, I’ve been a fan of the band for almost 24 years and about 19 years ago, I saw Within Temptation live on stage for the very first time. Back then, there were fewer people in the audience who could sing along to their songs, but even then, WT‘s music had a certain magic to it and the voice of the enchanting Sharon den Adel gave goosebumps…

It’s just before nine p.m. when the lights in the hall are dimmed and the intro starts. The stage is enveloped in fog and bathed in red light as the band Within Temptation takes the stage, greeted with cheers!

With the opener “We Go To War” the Dutch band kicks off the spectacular evening, just as they did with their latest album “Bleed Out”. An absolutely stunning and charming Sharon den Adel steps onto the stage wearing a mask. Magical, delicate, fragile, yet so powerful, intense and full of fury are the adjectives that come to mind. And the six passionate musicians rock the stage. 110% from the very first minute!

It’s so much fun and pleasure to watch each band member: Mike Coolen, who plays the drums with such intensity or Martijn Spierenburg fully immersed at the keyboards. Ruud Jolie, alternating with Stefan Helleblad, takes over the stage on the right and left of the charismatic frontwoman Sharon, firing up the crowd. And of course, Jeroen van Veen, who plays the bass both calmly and somehow wildly. This band is an absolute dream, truly one of a kind!

And then there is the wonderful siren and exceptional singer Sharon den Adel, in a dress that evokes a bit of the earlier days and yet feels so wonderfully new. With her voice, she guides us through the new songs from the latest album, which take center stage at the beginning of the evening: “Bleed Out”, “Ritual”, “Wireless” and “Shed My Skin” for which Annisokay singer Christoph Wieczorek returns to the stage as vocal support.

The second part of the concert, with the exception of “Fool’s Parade” is primarily dedicated to the band’s older songs: “The Reckoning”, “Shot In The Dark”, “Stand My Ground” and “The Promise”. For “Fool’s Parade” the Ukrainian musician Alex Yarmak joins Sharon on stage and together they perform the song with its message against hate and against war:

“So shut your face
Stop pretending like you don’t know
When all is said
You’re still searching ways to burn my name
I hate your face
Your crusade is just a fool’s parade
A fool’s parade, a fool’s parade”

And the fans celebrate, enjoy and sing along loudly. In Haus Auensee, the atmosphere is continuously at its peak!

And then Sharon starts singing “Supernova”, a song that she and the band wrote for her late father, dedicating it now to everyone who has experienced such a loss. This song, along with her exceptional voice, hits straight to the heart and here and there you can see a tear – myself included! There’s no other way!

“Angels”, “Paradise (What About Us)” and “Faster” form the regular conclusion of the evening. But the fans unanimously demand an encore, which they get with “Our Solemn Hour”, “All I Need” and the classic “Mother Earth”.

What a concert evening! Outstanding!

Within Temptation is a band that continually reinvents itself and stands by its values, even if it means losing followers on Instagram. A band that never gets boring and is simply top-notch and a sensation live. You just can’t get enough of the band and the breathtakingly beautiful voice of Sharon den Adel!

“As long as I dream, it ain’t over, over
I’ll break the chains of gravity
Oh, I long for your fire, yeah, I long for your fire
My heart is lost between the stars”

A side note: For all 33 concerts, the official live bootlegs can be purchased on the Dutch band’s website www.within-temptation.com. A unique souvenir of a phenomenal evening!

Setlist Within Temptation:
Intro
We Go To War
Bleed Out
Ritual
Shed My Skin (with Annisokay)
Wireless
The Reckoning
Shot In The Dark
Stand My Ground
A Fool’s Parade (with Alex Yarmak)
The Promise
Supernova
Angels
Paradise (What About Us)
Faster

Encore
Our Solemn Hour
All I Need
Mother Earth

Outro
For the Love Of The Princess (Braveheart OST)