WITHIN TEMPTATION's SHARON DEN ADEL travels to Ukraine to film music video for new single 'A Fool's Parade'
18-03-2024
On April 5, 2024, WITHIN TEMPTATION will release their brand-new song, “A Fool’s Parade”, which marks a collaboration with the talented Ukrainian producer Alex Yarmak. According to a press release from WITHIN TEMPTATION‘s publicist, “A Fool’s Parade” “highlights Russia’s pretense regarding the war, and condemns its lies, ongoing crimes and brutal intentions.”
The song, released as a harbinger of the much-anticipated “Bleed Out 2024 Tour”, is a powerful expression of what the press release calls “WITHIN TEMPTATION‘s commitment to continue shedding light on the ongoing existential struggle that Ukraine is facing against Russia’s cruel invasion.”
For the recording of the accompanying music video for “A Fool’s Parade”, Sharon den Adel — the frontwoman of WITHIN TEMPTATION — is currently in Kyiv, Ukraine. The music video is being directed by renowned Ukrainian video director Indy Hait.
With involvement in initiatives such as the Ukraine Aid OPS foundation, WITHIN TEMPTATION aims to keep drawing attention to Europe’s much-needed support for Ukraine’s defense.
In a June 2023 interview with James Wilson-Taylor of Rock Sound, Den Adel spoke about the lyrical inspiration for WITHIN TEMPTATION‘s “Wireless” single: “When the war started in the Ukraine, we were in the studio writing songs, And it’s one of the songs that we wrote. And it is about war, of course. It’s about a soldier going to war and thinking he’s going to liberate people, do good stuff and be a hero and everything, but then he finds out that he’s been lied to by media but also government. And then he finds that he can’t go back because he’s already in his army gear, for instance. You can’t go forward, you can’t go backward because you have your buddies next to you and you’ll all die in the field. And in front of you, you have a mission impossible almost.”
The Dutch singer continued: “So that’s what we try to do — maybe also shine a light on certain situations within the war. It’s just we’re storytellers — it’s like amplifying a certain kind of emotion that people could feel in this situation.”
Asked how she and her bandmates decided to use Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as inspiration for one of their songs, Sharon said: “Well, from my point of view, it’s not just their war. I really believe what some people are saying — it’s really our war as well. Because it’s next to us. They already said, they’re not gonna stop at Ukraine; they’re gonna go further. And a couple of hours flying from my home, it’s already Kyiv. So it’s also our war. I think we should be aware of the fact that this is a danger for all of us. They won’t stop. And hopefully — we wanna keep this a little bit alive in our own small way by writing about it and talking about it and waving a flag on stage about it.”
WITHIN TEMPTATION‘s latest album, “Bleed Out”, came out in October. The LP features the singles “The Purge”, “Entertain You”, “Wireless”, “Bleed Out” and “Don’t Pray For Me”. They also released a video for the song “Ritual” for Halloween.
Watch “Ritual” below.
While calling to mind the work of legendary animator Ralph Bakshi and the Rotoscope school of animation, the video for “Ritual” calls out the behavior of male sexual predators in the workplace, the street, the sports-field and more. What if women behaved as aggressively 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 badass woman fought back in the most terrible way.
“So get ready for blood, violence, fangs and humor. Happy Halloween to you all!”
WITHIN TEMPTATION will embark on the “Bleed Out” European headlining tour in the fall of 2024. The trek will be in support of the band’s upcoming album, “Bleed Out”.
The tour starts in October 2024, with the U.K. leg kicking off in November at the Cardiff Utiliia Arena (October 15), followed by London’s Wembley Arena (October 16), Nottingham Motorpoint Arena (October 18) and Leeds First Direct Arena (October 19),ahead of the band continuing their run across the rest of Europe into December.
Tickets for the “Bleed Out” 2024 tour are available for pre-sale to dedicated fans now, with the general sale launching at 9 a.m. BST on Friday, October 6.
“Bleed Out” 2024 tour marks WITHIN TEMPTATION‘s return to indoor venues after the successful “Worlds Collide” tour featuring WITHIN TEMPTATION and EVANESCENCE as co-headliners. During this tour the band performed at some of Europe’s largest and most iconic venues in the autumn of 2022, including The O2 in London, Accorhotels Arena in Paris, and Ziggo Dome in the Netherlands.
“Bleed Out” 2024 tour dates:
Oct. 05 – Belgium, Antwerp, Lotto Arena
Oct. 06 – Germany, Cologne, Palladium
Oct. 08 – Norway, Oslo, Sentrum Scene
Oct. 09 – Sweden, Stockholm, Annexet
Oct. 11 – Finland, Helsinki, Ice Hall
Oct. 14 – Germany, Berlin, UFO
Oct. 15 – Germany, Hamburg, Sporthalle
Oct. 16 – Germany, Leipzig, Haus Auensee
Oct. 18 – Hungary, Budapest, Barba Negra
Oct. 19 – Germany, Munich, Zenith
Oct. 21 – Austria, Vienna, Gasometer
Oct. 23 – Germany, Frankfurt, Jahrhunderthalle
Oct. 24 – Czech Republic, Prague, Sportovni Hala Fortuna
Oct. 25 – Poland, Łódź, Atlas Arena
Oct. 27 – Denmark, Copenhagen, Falkoner Salen
Nov. 15 – UK, Cardiff, Utilita Arena
Nov. 16 – UK, London, Wembley Arena
Nov. 18 – UK, Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
Nov. 19 – UK, Leeds, First Direct Arena
Nov. 21 – France, Paris, Adidas Arena
Nov. 23 – Spain, Barcelona, Palau Sant Jordi
Nov. 24 – Spain, Madrid, Palacio Vistalegre
Nov. 26 – Portugal, Lisbon, Altice Arena – Sala Tejo
Nov. 28 – France, Toulouse, Zenith
Nov. 29 – France, Grenoble, Summum
Dec. 01 – Italy, Milan, Alcatraz
Dec. 02 – Switzerland, Zurich, The Hall
Dec. 03 – Germany, Stuttgart, Porsche-Arena
Dec. 05 – Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Rockhal
Dec. 06 – Netherlands, Amsterdam, Ziggo Dome
VIP ticket packages are available to offer fans the chance an unforgettable experience, including meet-and-greets and exclusive merchandise.
For tickets, VIP packages and more information, visit www.within-temptation.com.
“Bleed Out” signifies a bold leap forward for the band. From contemporary, hard-hitting, and djenty riffs to soaring melodies displaying their symphonic roots, WITHIN TEMPTATION has created a sonic journey that fuses diverse musical styles and thought-provoking themes. This is an album that is as epic as it is unflinchingly outspoken, and now more than ever, this is a band who isn’t afraid to make a stand on issues the members care about.
Also watch the previously released videos for ‘Entertain You’, ‘Shed My Skin (feat. Annisokay)’, ‘Don’t Pray For Me’, ‘The Purge’ and visualiser for ‘Wireless’ below.
Reflecting the tumultuous state of the world, Within Temptation has drawn inspiration from events such as the murder of Mahsa Amini in Iran and the war in Ukraine. Sharon: “The war in Ukraine has influenced us a lot. As artists we are inspired by the world. We are storytellers, and I think as human beings, these are things we should be talking about.”
Bleed Out will be released on October 20 worldwide on multiple formats – get your copy on vinyl, CD or even on cassette! go to www.within-temptation.com for more information or pre-order via your favorite record store.
Track listing:
1: We Go To War
2: Bleed Out
3: Wireless
4: Worth Dying For
5: Ritual
6: Cyanide Love
7: The Purge
8: Don’t Pray For Me
9: Shed My Skin (feat. Annisokay)
10: Unbroken
11: Entertain You
In recent years, WITHIN TEMPTATION shifted their focus from releasing albums to releasing a series of singles, enabling the bandmembers to indulge themselves in their creative processes thus delivering freshly inspired music. The group has released “Entertain You”, “The Purge” and “Shed My Skin”, singles that have all thrilled their fanbase, had great critical reception in Europe, peaked in the Top 20 of the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator charts and topped the official German charts. In July, WITHIN TEMPTATION also released the official Jeb Hardwick-directed music video for “Don’t Pray For Me”. It was the fourth single of the band’s independent releases and will lead up to WITHIN TEMPTATION‘s next studio album.
WITHIN TEMPTATION‘s last album, “Resist”, was released in February 2019 through Spinefarm Records, the specialist hard rock label of Universal Music Group.
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