Dutch metallers Within Temptation follow the release last week of their brand-new studio album Bleed Out with a provocative, zombie-vampire-gore-fest-splatter-horror video for their current single "Ritual," just in time for Halloween.
Watch it below..
Brutal and brilliantly comedic, whilst calling to mind the work of legendary animator Ralph Bakshi and the Rotoscope school of animation, the video for "Ritual" calls out the behaviour of male sexual predators in the workplace, the street, the sports field, and more. What if women behaved as agressively as the men who seek to take advantage of them, and what if they fought back to exact a terrible revenge?
Singer Sharon den Adel says, "'Ritual' is a sexual song, about seduction and a woman taking power in a male-dominated world. It was inspired by watching Tarantino's movie From Dusk Til Dawn and is a light-hearted moment in our album, which focuses mainly on the political and repressive issues in the world. We have always wanted to do a horror-style video for Halloween, and this song gave us the perfect chance to do that, using AI-technology to create something truly awe-inspiring. But it also addresses some of the recent news-stories of men behaving badly and imagines what would happen if a bad-ass woman fought back in the most terrible way. So get ready for blood, violence, fangs, and humor. Happy Halloween to you all!"
The album Bleed Out has been released to worldwide acclaim, showcasing Within Temptation at the very forefront of contemporary metal, and unafraid to take a social and political stand on many of the issues in the world today. As epic as it is unflinchingly outspoken, Within Temptation have delivered a fist-in-the-air proclamation of both their moral convictions and their fearless approach to music.
RECENT PRESS:
"As massive in scale and as cinematic as any Within Temptation record, Bleed Out sees the Dutch sextet continue to traverse the land of darkness, melancholy and power, but to an even greater extent: it's undoubtedly the band's heaviest record to date, both lyrically and musically" — 9/10 Metal Hammer
"Their most daring, outspoken offering to date" — Kerrang
"Bleed Out is a triumph. The sound of a band magnificently balancing the symphonic leanings that won them an army of fans in the first place, [with] this contemporary, diamond hard edge, without sacrificing any fragment of accessibility." — Metal Talk
The band have just announced a huge arena tour of Europe for autumn 2024. It tour starts in October 2024 with shows at legendary venues such as London’s Wembley Arena (UK), Lotto Arena in Antwerp (BE), Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam (NL) and Adidas Arena in Paris (FR).
WITHIN TEMPTATION IS:
Sharon den Adel — Vocals
Mike Coolen — Drums
Stefan Helleblad — Guitars
Ruud Jolie — Guitars
Martijn Spierenburg — Keyboards
Jeroen van Veen — Bass Guitars
Robert Westerholt — Guitars