Black Symphony


Black Symphony is a live album, DVD and Blu-ray Disc from Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation. It was released worldwide on September 22–24, 2008 and is available on 2-disc DVD, 2-disc CD, and Blu-ray. Sony Poland announced this item to be released on 3LP. Release is due Friday 28 December 2018.

Information

The release consists of two discs. The first one contains the homonymous special concert that features the band accompanied by The Metropole Orchestra, the Pa'dam Choir, and special guests including George Oosthoek, Anneke van Giersbergen of Agua de Annique and Keith Caputo of Life of Agony. It was filmed by 14 HD cameras on February 7, 2008 in a sold out concert at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam. The album was certified Gold in the Netherlands. Besides the orchestra, choirs and special guests, the concert featured some elaborate extra production apart from the band's common tour performances, such as choreographed circus performances, pyrotechnics, fireworks and special lightning. The album was also one of the pioneers of the blu-ray format release. Music technology magazine Sound on Sound constructed a special article about the making-of process of the DVD, such as the mixing and the editing, and the use of new technology in it.

Reception

The double release was well received among music critics. Adrien Begrand, from Popmatters, praised the band's current recognition in Europe and considered that the main concert structure and production was a worthy opportunity that only a few successful bands could embrace. Begrand, while praising den Adel's performance overall, considered the excess of ballads on the setlist as a low point. He ended his review stating that the release is "in all, a classy package befitting a very classy band, and a sure-fire fan pleaser."

Content

DVD 1

Within Temptation & Metropole Orchestra: Black Symphony.

Recorded live at The Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands on February 7, 2008.

Extras

Backstage Report

  1. Interviews with the band, conductor Jules Buckley, members of the orchestra, Keith Caputo and various fans outside the Ahoy. Presented by Dennis Weening.

    Documentary

  2. 30-minute documentary with exclusive never-seen-before footage. Interviews with band members on the band's history and on Black Symphony. Produced by the NPS, Netherlands.

    Countdown Black Symphony

  3. A short overview of all the happenings on the day of the show, from when the production starts in the morning, until showtime in the evening.

    DVD 2

Bonus Concert

Recorded live at The Beursgebouw, Eindhoven, Netherlands on November 24, 2007.

Music Videos

The Making Of...

  1. Frozen
  2. The Howling
  3. All I Need

    World Tour Impressions

  4. An hour of exclusive footage recorded on the road by Within Temptation in the US & Canada, Europe, Turkey, Mexico, Colombia, Japan and the UK.

    Extras

  5. TMF Awards Benelux
  6. The Dutch Pop Award Show
  7. Photoshoot Erwin Olaf
  8. Orchestra Recordings

    Specs

/NTSC format. Contains Dolby Digital 2.0, 5.1 and DTS 96/24 surround sound, filmed in high definition, widescreen. Subtitled in English. Coded region-free, with a total running time of 470 minutes as it also contains both CDs of the Ahoy concert.

CD track listing

Europe and Japanese version

The Band

Album Charts

Year-end album charts

DVD Charts

Year-end DVD charts

Certifications

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