Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metal Storm | |
| Blabbermouth | |
| Sputnikmusic | |
| Lords of Metal | |
The album earned positive reviews from critics and mixed reviews from fans. Critic Martin White, from Blabbermouth, gave the album a score of 9 in 10 stars, stating that "amazingly enough, the thick instrumentation and Sharon's angelic delivery are never at odds with each other — a rare feat when it comes to music as complex and involved as Within Temptation's is." Although, the listeners rating from Blabbermouth earned a score of merely 6.5 stars out of 10.
Sputnikmusic classified the album as "excellent" and gave the album a score of 4 star out of 5, praising den Adel's "crystal" vocals while stating that "Sharon does sing like an angel" and classified the album as "melodic" and "atmospheric", but criticized the excess of keyboarding and drumming.
Lords of Metal was very positive and gave the album 9.4 out of 10, stating that the album is "one of the most outstanding cd’s of the year". The website also compared the album with the two previous albums Mother Earth and Enter allegating that "it lacks the variety of ‘Enter’ or the finesse of ‘Mother Earth – but it remains one of the best albums recorded on Dutch soil in the last ten years."
Review coming from Metal Storm magazine was less positive, saying that it's just "a good album" and also compared with the band previous albums, stating that the band "lost their magic in their new songs".
Read more about this topic: The Silent Force
Famous quotes containing the word reception:
“But in the reception of metaphysical formula, all depends, as regards their actual and ulterior result, on the pre-existent qualities of that soil of human nature into which they fall—the company they find already present there, on their admission into the house of thought.”
—Walter Pater (1839–1894)
“To aim to convert a man by miracles is a profanation of the soul. A true conversion, a true Christ, is now, as always, to be made by the reception of beautiful sentiments.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Aesthetic emotion puts man in a state favorable to the reception of erotic emotion.... Art is the accomplice of love. Take love away and there is no longer art.”
—Rémy De Gourmont (1858–1915)