Within Temptation, “The Unforgiving”
Within Temptation, The Unforgiving (2011)
Roadrunner Records
Artist: Romano Molenarr
Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation took a different approach in releasing their 2011 album, The Unforgiving. Blending genres from classic heavy metal to ’80s pop, the band’s sixth studio album became the first concept album for the band, armed with a trilogy of short films and a six-part comic book series.
Initially starting out as a soundtrack to a film, the band shifted to using a comic book series instead to avoid any inconsistencies or production issues that films can undergo. The comic was to be written by Steven O’Connell, who the band met after contributing a track to The Chronicles of Spellborn video game. Romano Molenarr, known for his work on Witchblade, The Darkness and X-Men, would go on to illustrate the series of comic books with the first being released March 18, 2011.
The cover depicts heroine, Sinead, armed with a gun, and other comic characters including Moher Maiden and The Triplets. All of these characters have their own designated short film, which includes also a music video. The interior includes sketches from the comic along with the lyrics.
With the ’80s movie poster inspired album cover for The Unforgiving and interior booklet, it does a great job of tying in elements from the comics, lyrics, and the short film that are included in the release. The interior artwork includes black and white sketches of the characters along with the lyrics.
