Within Temptation

I recently discovered a Dutch symphonic rock band called Within Temptation.  Yes, Sharon den Adel does sing in English, with occasional spurts of Dutch when performing live. 

How did I come across this Dutch export you ask?  True story.  I was killing time on Youtube one night and came across a video with a title like "10 Hottest Chicks in Metal."  Of course, I had to click on it since I'm sympathetic to the metal movement and couldn't think of a single female metal lead singer.  After seeing clips of ten bands, there was only one that stood out musically, based on the criteria explicitly set out in the video.  Apparently there is a cottage industry of these "Evanescent"-esque bands in Europe, all with the same template - a gothy looking siren, backed by scary looking dudes.

This is the band I've been waiting all  my life for: a band that is as comfortable getting heavy as it is with slow ballads, with pop and classical sensibilities, fronted by a lead singer with the voice of an angel...and the looks of one to boot.

There was only one thing they were missing...virtuoso guitar solos.

Fortunately, it looks like their latest album coming out in March 2011 will check that final box for me.

Oh, and my favorite band of all time, Van Halen, also Dutch.  Pure coincidence.  The VH bros are both born in Amsterdam, so they count as Dutch.