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    Album Of The Week Album Of The Week - 16/05/2026 The Unforgiving – Within Temptation This week we have the first of my 12 albums selected from Dutch symphonic metal band, Within Temptation, their 5 th studio album, released in 2011. Within Temptation first came to my attention in the early 2000’s when I was exploring the whole realm of heavy metal much more especially with bands that were incorporating gothic and symphonic elements into their music. In 2004 I bought their 3 rd album, The Silent Force, after hearing the song Stand My Ground on a cover CD from one of the metal magazines of the day. I was impressed by the combination of the metal power yet flowing melodies aided by synths and orchestration. Topping this was the impact of lead vocalist, Sharon den Ardel, whose big voice matched the scale and breadth of the music itself. It was Sharon alongside partner and now husband, Robert Westerholt, who formed the band in 1996 and they have been the creative ...
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Album Of The Week 2026 - Archive

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   Album Of The Week 2026 - Archive Album Of The Week - 03/01/2026 Dark Fields - Show of Hands We kick off 2026 with a band that have made a massive impact on my music listening, the Devon based folk duo, Show of Hands, who comprise of singer/songwriter/musician Steve Knightley and the multi-instrumentalist and folk legend Phil Beer, formerly of the Albion Band. This week’s album, Dark Fields, is the fourth of my 32 Show of Hands albums to be selected as my album of week and its an album that has a special memory, as I bought it at a gig we attended at the Exeter Phoenix soon after Julie & I started following them. Dark Fields, released in 1997, is actually the bands 6 th  album although the first 3 were cassette only and are now long out of print. Therefore, Dark Fields is the third main release album and continued the success and acclaim Show of Hands had garnered from their previous 2 albums. In 1996, Show of Hands surprisingly booked the Royal Albert Hall and even...
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