I wasn't sure how I felt when Within Temptation announced the release of An Acoustic Night at the Theatre -yet another live album with alternative versions of previous songs. After hearing these songs on albums and live on Black Symphony, I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear more of the same. I decided to try it out because I'm a hardcore WT fan -and was relatively happy with what I found.

Even though An Acoustic Night at the Theatre features songs we've all heard before, the acoustic spin was surprisingly enjoyable and gave songs a warmer, more intimate feel. I actually felt like I had some time to breath here, as opposed to Black Symphony, which was non-stop high-octane action from start to finish. An Acoustic Night at the Theatre also allowed for Sharon to show off just how beautiful her raw voice is (before studio production) and re-focus the energy of WT on her pure, angelic vocals.

I was, though, a little surprised (and slightly disappointed) by the track list here. Many of the songs chosen translated far too easily to acoustic since they were already slower paced, such as "Memories," "Forgiven," "Frozen," "The Cross" and "All I Need." I admit that I have to forgive the selection of "Somewhere" because I loved this version even more than the Black Symphony one -despite the fact that Anneke's vocals were recorded. Something about it just felt warmer to me -stronger and more sincere.

Other songs took a greater risk. For example, "What Have You Done" was very interesting to hear acoustically; while "Caged" was a bold and strangely engaging choice (even though it sounds so completely different) and "Stand My Ground" just seemed to lose its punch (part of what I originally liked about this song was the power behind it).

The only truly new item here is "Utopia," which was also released as a single. "Utopia" features a duet between Sharon and guest vocalist Chris Brown. While Sharon sounds as gorgeous as always, I wasn't too excited about the song -it just didn't have a unique sound to it and I found it to be kind of flat.

Generally, this CD is best for hardcore WT fans. While the songs sound a little warmer and more intimate (and are kind of a nice break after Black Symphony), they wouldn't appeal much to casual listeners or those who are new to the band or genre (I suggest going right to The Heart of Everything for these folks). But I have to admit -Sharon sounds like an opera angel here and her voice is mesmerizing.

After casually tossing off a couple of great symphonic rock albums (The Silent Force and The Heart of Everything) Within Temptation then owned the place with The Black Symphony. A spectacle of rare quality which, as the saying goes, was `bigger than Ben Hur'. Quite literally in some respects given that the video screen that backed the stage for that gig WAS in fact the largest ever used in Europe up to that time. So just how do you top such a stupendous example of musical shock and awe? Easy - you don't try. Within Temptation have here chosen to go in many ways into the opposite direction of bombast and excess by releasing a CD of recordings of acoustic versions of some of their symph rock classics.

And what are the results? Well pretty darn good all told. Sharon Den Adel sounds in fine voice here, her tone almost reedy somehow and piercingly fragile at times. The band - almost by definition in such a release - are somewhat to the rear on this CD though the overal instrumetation is bolstered by the presence of a string quartet. And it must be pointed out that sometimes the band does plug in those amps to create semi-acoustic presentations of some of the numbers.

Overall this CD works in allowing the listener to hear a different format of songs they probably already know in a way that works - always something to be aware of when bands try to do something different with songs their fans already love. The inclusion of some of the same guests from The Black Symphony set (Keith Caputo & Anneke Van Giersbergen) helps in a way to create a feeling of continuity with their recent past and adds variety to the vocal chores - I mean Sharon has a great voice but too much of even a good thing can be a problem at times too huh?

Taken in isolation this tastefully produced release is a fun album and perfect for when you want to play something in mixed company or when you don't want to crank something that will kill your goldfish. And topped off with the bonus new track of Utopia featuring Chris Jones - a track totally in keeping with the rest of the albums mellow remit it must be said. Taken in the context of their overall career this is a nice hiatus, you get the sense of a band taking a breath and taking stock. And taken in both contexts this CD is one any fan of Within Temptation will want in their collection.

I discovered Within Temptation over Christmas with this CD "An Acoustic Night at the Theatre." After listening to the CD I wanted to hear more from them...especially the original versions of the songs, so I ended up purchasing "The Heart of Everything" and "Mother Earth" within a week (and then "Silent Force" about a month later). All I can say is WOW! This band is incredible. The melodies, rhythms and Sharon's vocals have completely won me over. And they are so consistently good! I can listen to each CD all the way through. That is so rare these days. So many CDs today have only 3-4 decent to great songs on them, and yet Within Temptation manages whole CDs of great songs.

I say this is a great introduction to Within Temptation because the acoustic versions of the songs highlight the melodies and Sharon's voice, and leave you wanting more. And so you do what I did - go out and buy the original versions of the songs and find they are even more incredible. It is actually very interesting to hear the differences between the acoustic set and the original versions and you find yourself listening a little more closely to everything to pick out the changes. The audience during this live performance was very respectful so there is little noise from the crowd while the songs are performed; you'd almost think it was done in a studio except for the applause between songs.

I now have "The Heart of Everything," "Mother Earth" and "Silent Force" in rotation in my car, and I also purchased the blu-ray "Black Symphony." When I want something a little quieter I throw in "Acoustic Night at the Theatre." I love and recommend them all.

I was familiar with many of the selections on this CD, yet found that the acoustic representation of those songs increased my appreciation of the significant talent of this ensemble.

If you're hoping that it'll be on par with Alice in Chains' or Nirvana's MTV Unplugged, you might want to curb your enthusiasm just a tiny bit. That having been said, this album has some really cool, stripped-down versions from the Dutch melodic metal band's catalog.

You still get some higher energy ones like "What Have You Done Now?" but a lot of them are slower songs that are more suited to the acoustic genre. At the end, the bonus track "Utopia" is just brilliant. I'd say that song alone is worth buying the album for.

So if you can soothe your inner, savage, metal-loving beast long enough to embrace some alternative versions of some of your favorite Within Temptation songs, this is a great record. But if you're expecting it to be a definitive collection of their very best stuff done acoustically, you might be a tad disappointed. However, I would insist that this is a must-have for any fan of Within Temptation's music.