"I can see when you stay low nothing happens. Does it feel right?" asks Sharon Den Adel in "Stand My Ground".
Like all of The Silent Force, the music has a synthetic though not quite tinny quality in its orchestra. The minor key makes the rock beat more comfortable than most rock songs for people affected by it, and the multiple layers to the music flow naturally together. Sharon Den Adel sticks in her high register that is wide enough to astonish in itself, even for those who don't know how expansive her voice actually is. (How many singers can sing from alto through immensely high soprano, or control their voice enough to sound like a different person at will?)
So "Stand My Ground" is the usual accomplishment from Within Temptation, a band whose goal is to make beautiful music. The lyrics, though, are not the band's best. True, they're as clean as always. True, they as usual have a nice little story. But something about the song's story strikes me as off.
The narrator must stand her ground against a nebulous enemy that will probably kill her, but another will stand her ground in her place once she dies. I believe the problem might be all the emphasis on "I will always stand my ground". Okay, so you're standing your ground, but against what? Why? For whom? Nothing of import is hinted. The story is shortchanged from the overemphasis on the character's emotions. A balance even slightly tipped more in favor of telling the story would have produced a much stronger song.
Music: 5/5
Vocal(s): 5/5
Overall: 8/10
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