Within Temptation have reedemed us from our solemn hour – report of their show in Barcelona

The 9th concert that I ever saw in my life was in 2018 in Milan, at Fabrique where Within Temptation played with Beyond The Black as part of their tour to promote their record “Resist”. And now, about 150 concerts later, here I am seeing them again, for the first time abroad. Me and my fellow Chaoszine colleagues took a plane to Barcelona to take part in the Bleed Out tour, this time to promote their newest release.

Blind8

The night begins with an Ukranian band, Blind8, on stage about 5 minutes before scheduled time, which is always something very nice. They all look super young and yet very comfortable on stage. What struck to me the most of them though, was the stories they told about their native country. We got to learn that the lead singer and bass player served in the army and with a QR code on the screen throughout their entire performance, everyone could donate money to try and save them from being enlisted again. It was something really special to see them live in such a context, and it was a very good performance overall.

Photo: Dario De Marco.

Annisokay

The evening continues with German band Annisokay, and they deliver a very energetic performance with their super hyped post-hardcore. The group is very at ease on stage, jumping, walking and entertaining the crowd that now has grown in number. There’s a very delightful surprise for everyone, when during “Like A Parasite” Sharon Den Adel comes on stage to duet with the group. We can’t even rest from this absolute banger that the crowd goes wild once again when the band decides to play a cover of Linkin Park, “One Step Closer“. I really enjoyed the displays that the band had on stage that sometimes showed the lyrics of their songs, and other times some intriguing videos or scenes. This is exactly what we want to see from live shows!

Photo: Dario De Marco.

Within Temptation

Last but not least, it’s time for the headliners to be on the stage at the Palau Sant Jordi. While many of the tracks in the setlist are rightfully taken from the latest release “Bleed Out”, the group doesn’t spare the audience with surprises and old hits. To begin with, a duet with Alex Yarmak on “A Fool’s Parade“; after the performance, Yarmak also takes the time to urge people to donate and help Ukraine in the conflict, with another QR code that surfaces on the screen with which we can contribute to the cause. Then, the queen of Finland herself, Tarja Turunen, graces the stage and performs one of her solo songs (“I Feel Immortal“) and two Within Temptation tracks (“The Promise“, “Paradise“) duetting with Den Adel. I became a fan of WT during their “The Heart of Everything” era, and my all-time favorite song from their discography is “Our Solemn Hour” taken from that album. You’ll understand my disappointment when, in the previous tour (Worlds Collide with Evanescence) they played that track only in selected cities and not in the one that I was able to attend. You’ll also understand my joy to hear that very song with my own ears that night. I am still floating on cloud nine! The encore ends with “All I Need” and “Mother Earth“, that drive the audience to scream and appreciate the performers even more. So, all in all, it was really worth it to fly to Spain and witness the Bleed Out tour. I sincerely hope you all will, too!

Photo: Dario De Marco.