"There used to be loads of bands like U2 and Bob Dylan who were all about politics, but apparently that’s not really the thing anymore." Within Temptation's Sharon Den Adel on nu metal, tennis and the importance of caring

2023 was a banner year for Within Temptation, with the Dutch symphonic metal legends releasing latest studio album Bleed Out to critical acclaim and hitting the European festival circuit hard in the summer. Judging by our recent catch-up with frontwoman Sharon Den Adel, however, they're only just getting started. Here's what she had to say.

How has 2023 been for you? 

“Intense! We came back from Christmas last year and Robert [Westerholt, guitar] was like ‘so 9am tomorrow, our producer is coming and he’s going to stay here for the next two weeks’. I was like, ‘oh, okay… wish I’d known – I’ve not even finished the lyrics yet!’ That sums up how the year has been though, constantly moving to the next thing. Now the holidays are here and I can finally look back and admit that yeah, it’s been an amazing year.”

Have you had much push-back on Bleed Out’s more political content?

“We got a lot of media attention that we were surprised about, a lot of news channels even talking about the record because of its political content. There used to be loads of bands like U2 and Bob Dylan who were all about politics, but apparently that’s not really the thing anymore. To us, it’s less politics and more about thinking about the kind of world we want to live in and how we can see that happen. A lot of people think ‘well, it doesn’t affect me’, but everything will affect us ultimately. We need to communicate with each other.”

For all the political talk, Ritual has been described as Within Temptation’s “kinky” song… 

“I mean, I’d say more ‘sensual’ than kinky ha ha. It certainly raised a few eyebrows, it’s basically the Barry White version of Within Temptation.”

What can we expect of the Bleed Out tour next year?

“Well, we need to plan out the stage and make it really spectacular. We do everything ourselves, so it takes a few months at least to really plan all the concepts and figure out how they work on different stage sizes. We’re going to South America, which we haven’t done for a long time, so we’re really excited for that, but we’re not doing festivals so if you want to see us, you need to go to those headline dates!”

In the early 2000s nu metal was the big thing – was there any pressure to trade corsets and orchestras for hoodies and turntables?

“No, but we always felt pressure from within to reinvent ourselves with each new album. We definitely took some elements from nu metal – not to sound like it, but to find ways that it could fit in with what we were doing. But how we sound and look is such a vital part of our DNA – we’re not going to wear hoodies on-stage!”

Will Within Temptation ever do another covers record?

“Yeah, absolutely! When we did our last one, it was actually done bit-by-bit for a radio station [Q-Music in Belgium], while we were also writing for Hydra, so it was very full-on. It was crazy, but fun at the same time because you really learn stuff from working on covers of other artist’s songs.”

You travelled around a lot when you were growing up - where was your favourite place to live?  

“I have beautiful memories of all the countries I lived in, but if you really twisted my arm I’d say Suriname. The people there were so sweet and colourful. It was easy to make friends there; I actually had more difficulty when I came back to the Netherlands. Everybody was always outside, doing things and that’s how I felt too, wanting to go out and meet friends, go on adventures.”

Outside music, what do you do to relax? 

"I play a lot of tennis. I’m a tennis addict – I go to lots of games too, and when we’re on the road we always try to watch it on TV. We even get coaches in to give us lessons; my dream is to have our own Within Temptation tennis tournament with the crew.”

What does 2024 hold for you? 

“I’m working on a new project actually, but it’s still related to Within Temptation. I’ve always been fascinated by fashion and there is a company near me that are making clothes using mushrooms, which means they’re biodegradable. I’m working with them on a 3D corset and some clothing for the next tour, which also means there will be less waste. It looks like a mix of plastic and leather, but it’s all mushrooms!”

Originally published in Metal Hammer #382