Within Temptation will stream their first arena show with orchestra on social media: watch Black Symphony live at Rotterdam’s Ahoy Arena on Thursday, April 30, at 7.30 PM UK time, on the band’s Facebook, YouTube or Twitch channel. For the first time in their career, Within Temptation bundled their strength with the Metropole Orchestra (led by Jules Buckley) and a 20-voice classical choir, lifting the band’s fast-driven and bombastic tracks to an even higher level. Within Temptation performed the spectacular show on February 7 2008 to 10.000 fans, surprising them with appearances by special guests Mina Caputo (Life Of Agony), Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering) and George Oosthoek (Orphanage) while covering every hit from their discography up to 2008, including Mother Earth, Stand My Ground and All I Need. News is expected soon from the WT camp about upcoming activities, hopefully, that will mean new music. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Mina Caputo
BOOK REVIEW: Michael Alago and Laura Davis-Chanin – “I Am Michael Alago: Breathing Music. Signing Metallica. Beating Death.”
Everybody has a story.
There are many words of wisdom born from the soul of Michael Alago that he has shared in his memoir. Most know him as the music industry legend that signed Metallica to Electra Records and helped guide them on the path to being the biggest band of all time. The Drew Stone documentary Who The F*ck Is That Guy: The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago (now on Netflix and Amazon) shined a light on him that he deserved for decades. But there is so much more to his story, to the person than bands he signed, and who whom he rubbed shoulders with. The film was a terrific introduction to his life and times and why he deserves the credit he does. The book slowly peels back the years, all the wonderful and terrible things that life can bring and all the in-betweens. A lot of formative times with his family growing up in Brooklyn, dear friends, loves and losses. A terrific tapestry of experiences, stories, and reminiscences. There are many standout movements, including instances of Michael being surrounded the greats of the music and art world; Jerry Brandt, Bill Graham, Danny Fields, Bob Krasnow, Robert Mapplethorpe and many more. It’s cool enough to have met those people, but what really matters is listening and learning from greatness when it comes across your path. He did just that. Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Life of Agony – The Sound of Scars
Older, wiser, better, stronger. That could very well be the 2019 tag line for Life of Agony. Since the bands’ return a full-time band from their hiatus, the have continued to evolve and improve, year over year. Anybody can get on stage, take a paycheck for nostalgia’s sake. No, not this band. Their approach to new music has been inspired. Their comeback album, 2017’s A Place Where There’s No More Pain (Napalm Records) was a powerful reminder of what made this band vital in the first place. Now on The Sound of Scars (also Napalm), the band returns to the scene of their original triumph, to continue the tale. Continue reading


