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Evanescence ➢ Who Will You Follow

In a new interview with Ukrainian metalhead Vladyslav Stadnyk, who goes by the name Metal Pilgrim, WITHIN TEMPTATION frontwoman Sharon Den Adel spoke about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the follow-up to the band's 2023 "Bleed Out" album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We're not finished yet. And with that always comes a tour, but we're still trying to hopefully manage everything in time. So that's something we have to decide very soon. And still working, as we speak, on new material, recording stuff. But as we're gonna take a different take on music — it's gonna be so different from the last album again. For us, it's gonna be huge, going further away from everything, skills we have never played before. So you go check which skills we haven't played yet — really different kind of music and different take on music in every way. We'll probably take some live musicians extra with us, like vocalists on tour, that are gonna be singing live, backup things and stuff like that."

Asked if the "social activism part" of WITHIN TEMPTATION's lyrics, which was so prevalent on "Bleed Out", will be present on the upcoming LP, Sharon said: "Not as much as the latest album, but there will be songs still about that, especially as the world has gone crazier from the last few years. And it's always an inspiration for us. We've always been political, engaged, but with the last album, we've been so openly vocal about what we are, where we're standing, how we think. But now we're taking an even broader spectrum of more countries, different countries as well. And also because as social media brings everything so close to you, you feel like there's so many things to talk about. And everything has effect on each other — what happens in America, what happens in Iran, what happens in many countries, it all is all connected. We can't see it loose from each other again. It's, like, how much Russia is involved, even in the Middle East. And we hardly talk about that, and people sometimes don't connect it, although I think everybody is now more informed than ever because it's so obvious."

Sharon previously talked about WITHIN TEMPTATION's upcoming album earlier this summer in an interview with Metal Hammer Germany. She said at the time: "Well, I think, of course, things have changed — musically a lot, I think. How we started, we grew up with the music and, yeah, always followed new influences that we enjoyed very much and implemented that into our music with the style that we already had. And so that was our evolution, I think, in a way throughout the years. And every time a little bit. But this time, what's coming up next, it's gonna be huge. It's such a different thing we're gonna do that.. I know I love it, what we're gonna do, but I hope everyone else is not gonna be completely blown away in a bad way, and I hope they will be blown away in a good way. But the sound is gonna completely change with the next album. Like 100% difference."

Asked if she could elaborate on that a bit, Sharon said: "No, I can't. [Laughs] The thing is, why I can't tell you yet is because we're still recording and still developing, so it can still change a little bit here and there. So before I say it's gonna be jazz music, you'll think [a certain way], and then it turns out to be more metal anyway. Then the change is not that big. But it's gonna be, yeah, huge."

WITHIN TEMPTATION has eight studio albums under its belt, all accounting for more than four million record sales.

Prior to the release of WITHIN TEMPTATION's most recent LP, 2023's "Bleed Out", the band shifted its focus from putting out albums to releasing a series of singles, enabling the bandmembers to indulge themselves into their creative processes with no production or time restraint and release new music within a heartbeat, resulting in both the band and fans always being on the forefront of newly inspired music.

WITHIN TEMPTATION's work has received numerous international awards, including a World Music Award, MTV Europe Music Awards, a Metal Hammer Award and many more, as well as millions of streams on their hit songs such as breakthrough song "Ice Queen", "Paradise (What About Us?)" (featuring Tarja Turunen) and a collaboration with Jacoby Shaddix of PAPA ROACH on "The Reckoning".

WITHIN TEMPTATION has previously headlined all the major festivals in Europe — Download, Hellfest, Wacken Open Air, Graspop Metal Meeting and Woodstock Poland — among other major events. During the lockdown, WITHIN TEMPTATION achieved great success with its virtual event "The Aftermath", a spectacular online show that, thanks to the very latest technology, allowed the band to stretch the boundaries of reality.