Enter (Within Temptation album)

For the album by post-rock band Russian Circles, see Enter (Russian Circles album)

Untitled

Enter is the debut studio album by Dutch rock band Within Temptation, released by DSFA Records in 1997 (see 1997 in music). The album prominently features lead singer Sharon den Adel's vocals as well as guitarist Robert Westerholt's gruff death metal growls. Lex Vogelaar, founder of Orphanage, supplied the guitar parts for 'Pearls Of Light', as well as producing the album, and Orphanage vocalist George Oosthoek performed some of the growls on 'Deep Within'.

Recording

One week after they signed with DSFA, Within Temptation started recording Enter. The tracks on the album were new versions of the tracks that had appeared on Within Temptation's demos. It was recorded in Studio Moskou, Utrecht, and it was completed and mixed within three weeks. Robert Westerholt remembers that "it was incomparable to the first recordings we did earlier, this one was much more professional. After all a nice experience, but a very quick one. 'Enter' was recorded in two weeks and mixed in three days, so it was very difficult for we couldn't take time to develop songs. But it was a nice experience - it was our first album!" Vocalist Sharon den Adel recalls that "I only had one and a half days to record my parts and it was quite hectic, just a short warm-up and then 'Go'!"

Style

The album's style is very instrumental compared to the band's later works. Many of the songs have longer instrumental sections and fewer lyrics. On several songs Westerholt provides growling (in contrast to later albums on which it is rarely used).

The lyrics focus on darkness, death, emptiness, ghosts, and war instead of fantasy, love, and nature on later albums. Enter has been classified as Gothic doom by some critics.

Future of the album

Although it didn't enter the Dutch album charts in its release year, Enter eventually rose to #32 in 2002, after the great success of Ice Queen.

As of 2004, songs from this album Enter aren't performed very regularly anymore by Within Temptation. The title track from Enter was last performed on major concert at the Java Island in Amsterdam during The Silent Force Tour. The song however didn't appear on the DVD of the concert. The only single of the album, Restless, was performed a couple of times during the band's last tour, including the 2007 Fanclub Day their UK tour and at the Beursgebouw in Eindhoven. This last recording is included in the second DVD of the Black Symphony release.

The album, along with The Dance were re-released in the US on September 18, 2007 by the label Season of Mist.

Track listing

1. "Restless" – 6:06
2. "Enter" – 7:14
3. "Pearls of Light" – 5:14
4. "Deep Within" (Feat. George Oosthoek) – 4:30
5. "Gatekeeper" – 6:43
6. "Grace" – 5:09
7. "Blooded" – 3:37
8. "Candles" – 7:07