
Sharon den Adel of Within Temptation
in January 2006, Within Temptation won the Dutch Pop Prize and the Dutch Export Prize (for the best-selling Dutch artist outside the Netherlands) :: this was the third time in a row they had won the Export prize
just notice the ‘Pop’ label :: although they have successfully toured throughout Europe, none of their singles or albums were given wide releases in America :: it’s not until 2008 that all their albums had full release in the US :: the power of the internet music sites, nonetheless, makes Within Temptation appear on just about every list of best gothic/symphonic metal, even in the States

Anette Olzon of Nightwish
Nightwish, on the other hand, promoted themselves through singles and videos in the States, and were rewarded with MTV airplay :: also, again in large part due to the web, the replacement of Tarja Turunen with Anette Olzon added significantly to their public awareness
the 2007 Nightwish album Dark Passion Play went to No 1 in four countries, and Top 10 in eight ::t he recent album release from Within Temptation, Black Symphony, will probably be their most successful, especially as it is the first one with major label support :: Nightwish, on the other hand, had support from both their strong niche labels – Century Media and Nuclear Blast
it may be too early to decide which of these is the best gothic/symphonic metal band, so let’s make them first equal – for now, at least :: your comments are welcome
Tags: Nightwish, Within Temptation
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