Silent Force Review

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(More customer reviews)With "The Silent Force", WT scores a direct hit, capable of satisfying fans in all backgrounds without coming across as shallow or "watered down". Silent Force contains the trademark WT angelic vocals, but with far more organic and original symphonic orchestration and backing choirs than any of their previous works, following a widening trend in the wake of other "operatic" female vocal-fronted bands like Nightwish, Epica, or Octavia. (Though not to say WT are pretenders to the throne and playing copycat. They were one of the original pioneers of this sound many years ago, and have matured and refined this sound to the present magnum opus of The Silent Force.)
The Silent Force is anything but silent, and the album envelops you into a very rich and textured musical environment, weaving Sharon's beautiful vocals into a tapestry of crunchy guitars and lush orchestration. The chorus and anthems are epic, the softer songs are tender and moving, and the heavy parts just plain rock. This album has something for a wide range of music fans: from Evanescence-type music fans, to Gothic metal fans, to those who prefer "intelligent" symphonic music, or who are just looking for something different than the usual top 40 pop-tart music.
The first single released from this album, Stand My Ground, was purely designed to be a single, and sticks out from the rest of the songs on the CD. It is not stylistically representative of the rest of the songs on the album though by itself it is pretty enjoyable to listen to. Though some fans have cried foul and "sellout" when hearing this track on the radio (and I admit that when I first heard the single on the radio, I got worried that the new album would be entirely like Stand My Ground) it serves to give WT a foothold on the cookie-cutter radio and TV stations, which I have little problem with.
Stand out tracks that immediately captivate the listener and run through one's mind long after the CD has been turned off are Jilian (an orchestrated and epic metal anthem), Memories, Forsaken, See Who I Am, and It's The Fear (catchy chorus, probably a good choice for the second single).
All songs on this album are good, and the long wait after WT's last album was sure worth the wait. Buy this album, and disappointment will not be found!

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For this 2004 album Within Temptation used foreign producers and Russian Choirs. Includes the hit single 'Stand My Ground'. Deluxe limited version contains digipak with cardboard sleeve, 26-page songbook, 2 bonus tracks 'A Dangerous Mind' & 'The Silence' plus video clip.

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What Lies Beneath Review

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(More customer reviews)Tarja returns with an album that's great improvement over her previous album, "My Winter Storm". Tarja is an accomplished singer, but "What Lies Beneath" shows us she has grown as a songwriter and established herself as an artist in her own right. She even goes a step further and also produced the album. I think this was a bold step and shows her confidence has grown, as has her desire to challenge herself. While WLB has its weak moments, I think it's overall a strong album. The lyrics and music are much stronger than they were for MWS, and the songs are diverse. One issue I had with MWS was that several songs were so similar in tempo and construction that they blended together. Tarja seems to have faced the weaknesses of MWS and mostly avoided the same mistakes. Another strength is the talented musicians Tarja assembled for WLB are also given a chance to shine.

"Anteroom of Death" is the album opener and an ambitious song. The various tempo changes could have gone awry and reduced the song to a mess, but it works very well here. Guitars are used to their full advantage, and the vocal parts allow Tarja to use her voice in various ways. The inclusion of Van Canto during the choir parts gives the song a Queen-like feel. A fun, theatrical song. 5/5

"Until My Last Breath" is one of the more commercial-sounding songs on the album, with a catchy riff and fast tempo. UMLB is a pretty basic rock song, but it's solid musically and vocally. My only complaint is the breathing at the end of the song. I don't the way it sounds and don't think it adds anything to the song. 4/5

"Dark Star" features Phil Labonte on vocals. I don't know much about him, but his voice and Tarja's mix well together. The song begins with chanting and then the guitars burst through aggressively. The song has a fast, catchy hook. The lyrics are pretty interesting too, and I sense some political overtones to the song. 5/5

"Underneath" is a soaring piano-based ballad. This song seems to be about finding the strength from within to overcome challenges. The song is both sad and uplifting at the same time, and Tarja's voice is warm and alive here. While the song is piano-based, there are the usual guitars and drums that make this song more of a power ballad. 4/5

"Little Lies" is probably the heaviest rock song on the album. While the guitars are heavy, the bass and drums are just as important to the song. Doug Wimbish and Mike Terrana do some of their best work on WLB in this song. Tarja does a great job of expressing exasperation and occasional sarcasm with her vocals. The song to me is about thinking for yourself and not taking what the media feeds us at face value. My one quibble is that the awesome drum solo should have been brought more to the forefront. It has a bit of a hollow sound on the album. 4/5

"Rivers of Lust" is about child prostitution and in my opinion is the album's strongest ballad. The song does a good job of tackling this sad topic. Tarja's vocals take the listener from sorrow to frustration and anger. She really makes you feel the tragedy. The music takes the listener on a similar emotional journey. The song begins with the lone sorrowful piano and strings are slowly adding as the song builds to eventually include choir. 5/5

"In for a Kill" has a great groove. The strings enter aggressively, then the powerful guitars more or less kick you in the face. Rhythm plays an important role in this song as well. The drums and bass sound fantastic. The song includes Tarja's signature "operatic" vocals in the chorus, and she uses it to great effect here. I've read in interviews with Tarja that this song was inspired by both James Bond and sharks. I liked this song when I heard an early incarnation from a 2009 Halloween concert, and the finished product delivers. 5/5

"Montanas de Silencio" is gorgeous. I don't know what else to say about it. The song is mostly Tarja vocalizing with her singing in Spanish towards the middle of the song. The song is sweeping and lush with a dream-like quality to it. 5/5

"Falling Awake" is a fast, upbeat song with a strong anthem. The song is about finding your own strength to follow your dreams. This is the one that features Joe Satriani on guitar, and his solo really gives life to the song. 4/5

"The Archive of Lost Dreams" is the last ballad on the album. The song is elegant, but I think it sounds too similar to the superior "Rivers of Lust". In addition, this song continues the story that began on the bonus track "Naiad". So, the lyrics don't make sense unless you've already listened to "Naiad". If you have the deluxe version, then this is no problem. But I imagine some people who buy the standard edition may ask themselves why she's singing about a naiad. So, it doesn't make much sense that TAOLD is included on the album without "Naiad". Out of the two though, I think "Naiad" is the better song. 3.5/5

"Crimson Deep" is the album closer. This is a fantastic song, and one of the strongest on the album. With pounding rhythm (double drums from Will Calhoun and Mike Terrana) and aggressive bass and guitars, this song does stand out from the rest for me. The thoughtful lyrics and Tarja's passionate vocals are icing on the cake. The song is about seven and a half minutes, and the song keeps up the pace and doesn't sound "too long". 5/5

"We Are" (bonus) is the first of the bonus tracks. This song is OK. It isn't bad, but it doesn't grab me either. This song is representative of the major weakness of MWS for me, which was great vocals but music that was bland a lot of the time. So, I'm glad this isn't a part of the regular album. 3/5

"Naiad" (bonus) is another song that shines, and I wish it had been included on the album either in place of or as a companion to TAOLD. This song inspired the theme of WLB and also inspired the album's title, according to Tarja's blog. "What lies beneath" is one of the lines in the song's chorus. Tarja's voice is warm and mysterious, and the music (as with MdS) has a dream-like quality to it. The bass line is cool, and the violins are a great addition. The lyrics are lovely and poetic. I agree with reviewer Amanda that the song is a little longer than I think it needs to be, but I still think this a beautiful song. 4/5

"Still of the Night" (bonus) is her cover of the classic Whitesnake song. I thought Tarja's cover of "Poison" on MWS was awful, so I didn't have any expectations for this cover. I was pleasantly surprised and think it's pretty good. Julian Barrett does a great job of adapting John Sykes' excellent guitar work on the original without sounding like he's trying to copy Sykes' style. Tarja's hits the right notes vocally. Her voice begins as girlish-sexy, but gets a little grittier as the song progresses. The addition of orchestra and choir give the song an epic feel and distinguishes the cover from the blues-rock original. Even though this is good, I'm glad it's a bonus and doesn't take up room on the regular album. I'd rather hear an artist's original work than a cover. 4/5

I'm really pleased with this album and the direction in which Tarja seems to be heading musically. If you weren't crazy about MWS, I wouldn't give up on Tarja and give this album a chance.

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The wait is over! Tarja (Turunen), the original singer of Nightwish, returns with her first album in almost three years and her The End Records debut! A veritable musical prodigy, a soprano singer-songwriter and composer, as well as a student of the world-renowned Sibelius Academy, Tarja is the most successful Finnish woman rocker, effortlessly fusing metal, classical and pop-rock.What Lies Beneath is the follow up to My Mnter Storm, which was hailed a coup in North America and went platinum in Finland. The release of What Lies ... will be followed by a major market tour of North America and you can expect all the marketing details to fall right into place! Digital and traditional media are already chomping at the bit to get a piece of Taqja ...the fans are right behind. Expect major visibility and sales from this Nordic wonder!

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Mother Earth Review

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(More customer reviews)Well dear reader, you're in for a real treat! Mother Earth was released in 2001 and it's still selling strong around the world. In fact two years later it seems to be picking up steam.
For an album to sell 100,000 copies in tiny Holland it has to be something special. Initially, this blockbuster CD was only released in selected parts of Europe. When customers throughout Europe started clamoring for it they rectified the problem. Mother Earth is also starting to make waves in the good old US of A as well, apparently by word of mouth, since, to my knowledge, it doesn't get airtime.
What is Mother Earth? Possibly the best Gothic-metal CD ever made! Previous releases by this group included beauty and the beast style growls, which is common for this sub-genre of music in Europe. Fortunately that was waived for this wonderful album, which, I think, helped the band get to another level.
Within Temptation consists of:
Sharon den Adel (Vocals), Robert Westerholt (Vocals, guitar), Martijn Westerholt (synths & keyboards), Ivar de Graaf (drums), Jeroen Van Deen (bass), Michiel Papenhove (guitars).
The founder of Within Temptation - Robert Westerholt - sure hit gold when he found the sensational vocalist, Sharon den Adel (his former? girlfriend). She has the most impressive voice this side of Celene Dion. In fact some reviewers have anointed her the current best soprano around. "the new Annie Haslam" of Renaissance fame. I can't disagree, her singing is exquisite, powerfully delivered and emotional. And the music, which is also fabulous and oh so pretty, is in the celtic/symphonic/gothic vein with varied but mostly medium tempo and large production orchestral segments featuring strings, horns, guitars and organs. Also contributing to the album are arranger Rene Merkelbach and a small choir. All songs are way above average with my favorites being "The Promise", "Deceiver of Fools", "Ice Queen" and the title track "Mother Earth".
A brief summery of the songs
"Mother Earth" starts with lush keyboards and the choir, before the guitars raise the tempo and intensity. Sharon's incomparable voice soars above the choir and everything else enhancing, not obliterating the rich textures set forth.
"The Ice Queen" is a powerful up tempo number, heavily orchestrated with a catchy melody and lyrics which are easy to memorize. Originally released as a single, this song made the best connection with the audiences during their tour.
"Our Farewell" changes direction a little since it's a pleasant light number featuring Sharon in a simple mix of piano with orchestral accompaniment.
"Caged" continues the lighter mood with the introduction of woodwinds, however the tone changes once Sharon's voice joins in, singing her anguish, as a woman, for being misled and deceived.
"the Promise", the longest song which, along with "Deceiver of Fools", is my favorite, powerful guitar work with heavy orchestration and of course, Sharon's impeccable voice.
"Never ending story" is a balladic song during which Sharon is backed by piano and members of the choir.
"Deceiver of Fools" begins quietly and then alternates between heavier, fast paced sections and quieter parts where Sharon's voice, double tracked, carries the melody.
"Into/Dark Wings" a heavy guitar lead, evolving into a near east sound and then Sharon again, this time joined by friend and fellow artist Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon)on a cameo guitar solo.
"In Perfect Harmony" this light, happily pleasant song is mostly Sharon with a light accompaniment of acoustic guitar a spacey keyboards.
On another note, Sharon, who is the busiest of the band members, performed as a guest singer on two albums: Ayreons, Into the Electric Castle and After Forever's, Prison of Desire.
Within Temptation's distinct sound doesn't compare well with any other bands I can think of but there are similarities to Lacuna Coil (more progressive), After Forever (another great vocalist but male growling - also from Holland), and the English band, Edenbridge. Do yourself a favor and see what the biggest selling album in Europe sounds like. I think you'll like it.
This is an ESSENTIAL GOTHIC-METAL ALBUM!

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2003 reissue of 2001 album includes four bonus tracks,'Restless', 'The Dance' (Live at Utrecht 1998), 'Enter'(live at Utrecht 1998) & 'Bittersweet'. A landmark releasethat set new standards for creativity, musicianship, &taste. BMG.

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An Acoustic Night at the Theatre Review

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(More customer reviews)I wasn't sure how I felt when Within Temptation announced the release of An Acoustic Night at the Theatre -yet another live album with alternative versions of previous songs. After hearing these songs on albums and live on Black Symphony, I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear more of the same. I decided to try it out because I'm a hardcore WT fan -and was relatively happy with what I found.
Even though An Acoustic Night at the Theatre features songs we've all heard before, the acoustic spin was surprisingly enjoyable and gave songs a warmer, more intimate feel. I actually felt like I had some time to breath here, as opposed to Black Symphony, which was non-stop high-octane action from start to finish. An Acoustic Night at the Theatre also allowed for Sharon to show off just how beautiful her raw voice is (before studio production) and re-focus the energy of WT on her pure, angelic vocals.
I was, though, a little surprised (and slightly disappointed) by the track list here. Many of the songs chosen translated far too easily to acoustic since they were already slower paced, such as "Memories," "Forgiven," "Frozen," "The Cross" and "All I Need." I admit that I have to forgive the selection of "Somewhere" because I loved this version even more than the Black Symphony one -despite the fact that Anneke's vocals were recorded. Something about it just felt warmer to me -stronger and more sincere.
Other songs took a greater risk. For example, "What Have You Done" was very interesting to hear acoustically; while "Caged" was a bold and strangely engaging choice (even though it sounds so completely different) and "Stand My Ground" just seemed to lose its punch (part of what I originally liked about this song was the power behind it).
The only truly new item here is "Utopia," which was also released as a single. "Utopia" features a duet between Sharon and guest vocalist Chris Brown. While Sharon sounds as gorgeous as always, I wasn't too excited about the song -it just didn't have a unique sound to it and I found it to be kind of flat.
Generally, this CD is best for hardcore WT fans. While the songs sound a little warmer and more intimate (and are kind of a nice break after Black Symphony), they wouldn't appeal much to casual listeners or those who are new to the band or genre (I suggest going right to The Heart of Everything for these folks). But I have to admit -Sharon sounds like an opera angel here and her voice is mesmerizing.

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2009 acoustic live album from the female-fronted Dutch Symphonic Metal band. This album contains acoustic live tracks that were recorded during the band's sold out theater tour in November 2008. These were very special concerts, as the band added an acoustic set, making their show more intimate. Since the band received great responses to their acoustic tracks, the decision was made to officially release them unto the world. Roadrunner.

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Black Symphony (CD/DVD) Review

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(More customer reviews)As a fan of Within Temptation, I have been waiting for this DVD to come out since they announced the show back in February and now it's finally here. This dvd is brilliant, sure it's not the same as the European release but the main concert is what's important here and it's fantastic. There are no other words to describe the vocals of Sharon den Adel combined with a live orchestra. Within Temptation was made for something like this and I love the new arrangements to some of the songs including "Mother Earth", "Stand My Ground", and "Angels". Adding the pyros, video screens, lights, dancers, and sounds made this one of the best live performances ever captured on film.
This version of Black Symphony contains a cd with 13 live songs and a DVD with the full 22 song concert and a few special features:
Backstage report- a 13 minute interview with the band, crowd, and orchestra before and after the show.
Documentary - runs for about 23 minutes and it features the band discussing a little about their career with rehearsal footage from black symphony.
Countdown - 8 minute overview from the day of the show.
For anyone that wants to know the technical stuff, the show is shot in widescreen and contains 2.0/5.1/DTS sound.
Every fan of Within Temptation must pick this up! You won't regret it.

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Black Symphony was a unique concert at Rotterdam's Ahoy Arena on February 7, 2008 sold out months in advance. Within Temptation performed to 10,000 fans with the 60 piece Metropole Orchestra and a 20 voice classical choir, as well as on stage stilt performers, costume changes, and an array of stunning pyrotechnic and lighting effects.

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Mother Earth Live Review

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(More customer reviews)I would love to own this DVD, (Within Temptation-Mother Earth Live) but my DVD Player will only play a disc recorded with the NTCS format. So what's my problem with AMAZON? If you look at the product description, it clearly states that this DVD was recorded with the NTCS format. "NOT SO" It was recorded with the PAL format. I ordered this DVD twice, one new and one used, both were recorded with the PAL format. Ended up wasting time going to and from the post office.

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MOTHER EARTH TOUR - DVD Movie

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The Open Door Review

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(More customer reviews)Major success is a tough act to follow. Selling 6 million copies of its first major label studio album, Fallen, and delivering the mega hits "Bring Me to Life" and "My Immortal", Evanescence and front-woman Amy Lee return with the hard charging new album, The Open Door. Despite Ben Moody's acrimonious departure, Terry Balsamo has made a great songwriting pair with Lee. Drawing its strength from hard guitar riffs and Lee's soaring voice, the record offers quite a few nuggets of pure rock bliss, enough to get your head banging and your stereo blasting.
Opening track "Sweet Sacrifice" flat out rocks, its thundering guitars matching perfectly with Amy Lee's towering voice. "Call Me When You're Sober" is an wonderfully angry song with dual guitars trading rhythm and melody lines. "Weight of the World" is a fast paced rocker that isn't too distinctive. "Lithium" is a nice piano ballad with strings showcasing Amy Lee's vocal and lyrical range. "Snow White Queen" is chaotic and disorganized, but the classically influenced "Lachrymosa" is fantastic, a bizarrly fascinating mix of strings, guitar, piano, and choir that just flat out soars. This song would be a perfect addition to any soundtrack.
"Like You", a mid-tempo piano-based track, smartly keeps the guitars in the back of the mix until the crescendo. "Weight of the World" and "Cloud Nine" are solid up-tempo rockers laced with grinding guitar work while "All That I'm Living For" and "Good Enough" are more piano-based emotional tracks. "Lose Control" has a dark piano melody that bursts into crunching guitar on the chorus. "The Only One" is a dark ode that is one of the strongest songs on the album emotionally.
Strongly produced to take full advantage of Lee's towering voice, The Open Door is full of growling guitar riffs and emotive piano melodies. The songwriting is solid, and in some cases, exceptional. The loss of Ben Moody is more than made up by the songwriting team of Lee and Balsaro, and this album is one sure to please Evanescence fans and make some converts with some of the singles. Recommended.
A.G. Corwin
St.Louis, MO


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The follow-up to their Multi-Platinum Debut Featuring the hit single "Call Me When You're Sober"

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Forever Is the World (Tour Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)Like a lot of my favorite goth-metal bands, these guys have had their ups and downs, along with a few abrupt musical style changes (see "Musique" or "Assembly" ). Then, with the loss of their signature singer Liv Kristine, the band had to weather a new vocalist, as well. Thankfully, the album that came out of that upheaval, 2006's "Storm", was sort of a return to form - the Euro-electro sound of the two previous releases was gone in favor of a more typical gothic metal direction, and overall, became one of my favorite recent albums within that often-repetitive genre . Unlike, say, Paradise Lost, who have felt an increasing desire to abandon the atmospheric gothness of their past, and now try to pummel 15-year old metalheads with a sound that mimics every band who have come after them (just check out their new album "Faith Divides Us"), the new ToT is truly a gothic band again, not afraid of keyboards and atmosphere, and while not a return to the highpoint sounds of the great "Aegis" album, this is definitely the best they've been since then. In fact, "FITW" could best be described as a combo of "Aegis" and "Storm". Thankfully, they also decided to forgo the latest Lacuna Coil approach to "female goth rock", and chose not to produce complete blandness in a desperate search for stardom. For me, that makes this album the best of the genre (although much of this record could hardly even be described as "metal" at all). If you don't mind NOT having your ears hammered for fifty minutes, and thirst for some dark beauty back in your goth, here it is!

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Tour edition of the group's 2009 release. BONUSES include "Empty" (which was the bonus cut on the limited digipak edition) and a 10 track EP "Adennda" which features rare/unreleaded tracks: The Breaking (only found on the vinyl pressing of FITW), Beauty in Deconstruction (original version from the "Storm" sessions), Frozen (Ambrosius remake), Empty (extra album track), Deadland (Tommy Olsson remake), Revolution (Flip Wicked remix), Highlights (bonus track on "Storm"), Illusions (Zensor remix), Empty (E&A wedding mix), Forever is the World (Chamber version). 21 tracks total.

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Only Inhuman: Tour Edition (CD/DVD) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love this cd simply the best from these guys hailing from Falkenburg Sweden. If you like Killswithch engage you will definitely like this group.

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Tour edition includes the cd and a dvd.DVD is Pal region code 0.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Shallow Life Tour Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)I feel repetitive with a lot of my reviews but I suppose this is a good thing because Lacuna Coil is another example of a veteran metal/rock band which continues to deliver quality music time & time again. When you first pop 'Shallow Life' in you think you are hearing another 'Karmacode' but as the CD progresses you can hear a more progressive/melodic Lacuna Coil. Of course Lacuna fans know that the band is melodic but obviously over the last few albums the band has become more eclectic with their song writing & I think it's made them become a much better band...more beautiful melodies, more upbeat songs & just plain catchier music to pump you up! With this deluxe edition of 'Shallow Life' we not only get the excellent album itself but a whole other disc with a mixture of tracks. The first 3 are studio tracks which sound like they were originally left off of the album (the first 2 are great especially "The Last Goodbye".) Tracks 4-6 are live acoustic versions of "Spellbound," "Closer," & "Within Me." These tracks are decent but not really exciting especially since "Within Me" is already a mellow track. And finally the best part is the live "plugged" tracks (7-12) especially "Survive," "I'm not Afraid," "I Won't Tell You," & "Fragments of Faith." Also, I like the expanded artwork much better as there is a lot more pictures of the band in various cool poses & just having fun as well. True fans will love this enhanced version!! Get it!!

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Recorded with acclaimed producer Don Gilmore (Avril Lavigne, Linkin Park, Pearl Jam) at the famed NRG Studios in Los Angeles."Shallow Life" is a huge step forward in LACUNA COIL's musical evolution. With five full-length albums, two EPs, various singles as well as a DVD now to their credit, LACUNA COIL have ensured that each offering further enunciates the subtle, solemn beauty they create.This Deluxe Edition of Shallow Life contains a previously unreleased bonus-material plus exclusive live & acoustic tracks.

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