Only yesterday we learned Within Temptation will shortly release their new single, “The Reckoning“. This will be the first single since their 2014 live release “Let Us Burn: Elements & Hydra Live in Concert“. Today, we learned the possible name change of the seventh Within Temptation studio album, or will it be something else?

Break

The Dutch rock band were quiet since 2016. This all due to personal circumstances of lead singer and singer-songwriter Sharon den Adel. She was going through a rough time with family and health issues. She took a step back to relax and to get new inspiration and motivation for her band Within Temptation, which she formed back in 1996 with guitar player Robert Westerholt.

She eventually started writing songs, but turned out not to be Within Temptation tracks. She created her own solo project, “My Indigo“, with very personal tracks. She already announced Within Temptation will be back on the road in 2018, with new music coming up and the seventh full length studio album to drop in 2019.

Raise met anders

July 2018, we discovered a new Within Temptation track. Uploaded by founder and guitar player Robert Westerholt, on Apple Music Connect. A heavy track with male vocals of Anders Friden. The track was shared online by many fans and fans loved the new sound of the Dutch rock band. Their announcement of returning to their roots, with more heavy music, seemed to work out with this “The Heart of Everything“-sound. The track was later removed from all platforms by the bands’ management.

Later the same month, guitar player Ruud Jolie announced to be on Fuerteventura for business. Leaked images and videos showed the recordings of a new music video, for a track which is yet to be announced. Yesterday we learned, their upcoming single will not be this track, but will it make its debut on the seventh full length studio album? The future will tell us…

The Reckoning

Within Temptation started hinting to their seventh era, with removing their profile images, cover images and bios from various social media platforms. They then started uploading cryptograms and hints, from which one was uploaded yesterday. Resist Temptation. By accident, we then stumbled upon a new domain for Within Temptation which gave us all the information which we needed. Resist Temptation with “The Reckoning” are coming to us, next Friday.

New album or band name?

Their new website features new visuals, a new video and new music. But also a GIF which leads us to the question: “Will Within Temptation change their band name?”. In various old interviews, lead singer Sharon den Adel told that she was unhappy with the name Within Temptation for a long time. It gets misspelled a lot, it’s too long and complicated. She found peace with it eventually, but took a long time.

Back in 2008, Sharon and her then longtime partner and guitar player Robert Westerholt went through a break-up. Sharon then started experimenting in music and collaborated with the Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren, and created the massive hit “In and Out of Love”. She announced, during the 2018-TV show “Liefde voor Muziek“, she and Robert found love and peace again and got back together. Their 2011 record “The Unforgiving” is the ultimate reply to this all, a record about love, relationships and the dark times you can experience during it.

Now, a couple years and a few albums later, new music is coming up. However, the band name Within Temptation has its question marks. Their new domain, which is publicly online, shows us a GIF and a movie which replaces the name “Within Temptation” with “Resist Temptation”. Will the end of Within Temptation be near – with a name change to Resist Temptation? Or is Within Temptation planning to have a album release with the name “Resist Temptation”?

New album coming soon

The seventh full length studio album of the Dutch rock band Within Temptation, will be released somewhere 2019. Their album is scheduled to be a big concept album with heavy and bombastic music. The artwork reminds you of The Matrix in a different universe. The album title, yet unknown, will be released during the first quarter of 2019. The first preview we will get in a week. “The Reckoning” is coming…

It might still be possible, Within Temptation becoming Resist Temptation. To be continued…

Until that moment, enjoy the teaser below. “The Reckoning” is scheduled for release Friday 14 September 2018.