Enter

Released in 1997, Enter is the debut studio album by Dutch band Within Temptation, representing a significant departure from the symphonic power metal sound they would later popularize with Mother Earth. At this stage, the band was firmly rooted in the 'Beauty and the Beast' style of gothic metal, characterized by the vocal contrast between Sharon den Adel and Robert Westerholt. The album leans heavily into doom metal territory, with slow tempos and a focus on atmosphere over technicality. Recorded at Studio Studio in Utrecht, the production is notably rawer and more organic than their subsequent releases. Critics, including AllMusic, have noted its importance in the development of the Dutch metal scene, highlighting its blend of melodic sensibility with extreme metal elements. While it lacks the high-budget orchestration of their 2000s output, its use of keyboards provides a haunting, proto-symphonic foundation that set them apart from their peers at the time.