Recording and development

Initially, the original plan was to release a stand alone single in order to promote the Worlds Collide Tour with Evanescence.^[6][7] Scheduled to start in March 2020, the tour had to be postponed four times due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing rules, until it happened in late 2022.^[8][9] Even so, the band decided to release "Entertain You" during the lockdown period, as the song was already finished.^[6][7][10] The single was officially announced by the end of April 2020, and subsequently released on 8 May.^[11]

During this period, a series of other singles were released as soon as they were recorded, as a way for the band to staying active before the recording of a full album and also of keeping in touch with the fans. According to den Adel, this was a strategy the group had already decided to pursue for the next release before the outbreak of the pandemic, and its occurrence happened to leave the band in a context in which this form of recording and releasing would also fit well.^[12] In July 2020, the singer commented during American radio show Full Metal Jackie that the group had two more songs already recorded, as well as some demos.^[13] A second single titled, "The Purge", was released on 20 November 2020 along with a music video.^[14][15] On 18 February 2021, den Adel stated that that the band were planning on releasing more singles in this independent format, still unaware if that material would be present in a future album or not, as they had other tracks already recorded.^[16]

In mid 2021, when concerts were still prohibited due to the social distancing rules, the band recorded a special virtual concert entitled "The Aftermath". A new song, "Shed My Skin", was presented in the concert and also released as a promotional single. It featured the German metalcore band annisokay, who also appeared in the concert and the promotional music video taken from it.^[17][18]

After the decrease of the pandemic and the relaxation of the safety measures, which allowed live concerts to happen again, the band opted to continue with this form of releasing songs as a way of leading up to a next studio album. However, the format of the album was still unclear at that time of the writing process, and den Adel commented that the latest singles would probably not be contained on the full release.^[19] The fourth of these then stand-alone singles, "Don't Pray for Me", was announced on 22 June 2022^[20] and released on 8 July.^[21] Another single, "The Fire Within", was released on 9 December. This song, however, was originally recorded back in 2019, and then considered an outtake. Its promotional music video featured images captured during the Worlds Collide Tour.^[22]

On 18 May 2023, a fifth stand-alone single, "Wireless", was released.^[23] During an interview for the British magazine Rock Sound in June 2023, den Adel stated that a new studio album would probably be released before Christmas.^[24] On 18 August 2023, the album was announced alongside a sixth single, both called "Bleed Out". With the confirmation of the eighth studio album, it became known that the band opted for maintaining the previously independent singles as a part of the whole release, with the exception of "The Fire Within".^[1] According to guitarist Stefan Helleblad, those singles did not have to be mixed again in order to be part of the album, as all the tracks were recorded with the same team and recorders.^[25]

Other songs featured on the album that were not released as a stand-alone single, such as "Ritual", were also conceived a few years prior.^[12] As the song had not fit the band previous release, Resist, and neither den Adel solo project My Indigo, it was momentarily shelved. After being re-worked, the song ended up fitting the main musical ambiance and thematic line of Bleed Out, so it was added to the final tracklist.^[26] However, there were also other songs recorded during that period that did not make the final cut of the album.^[12]

Musical style and influences

Bleed Out further develops Within Temptation's preference for experimenting with their sound and incorporating new musical influences on each full-length release. It was described as darker and heavier than some of its predecessors, featuring down-tunes and more guitar riffs.^[27][31][32] According to den Adel, the nature of the themes addressed had direct influence on the darker tone in the instrumentation of some songs on the album.^[33] The singer made less use of operatic influenced vocals, giving space to other singing techniques and also adventuring on lower registers.^[32][12] The album incorporates elements of symphonic metal,^[27] metalcore,^[29][26] and gothic metal,^[34][35] as well as some hints of gothic doom^[27][32] and djent.^[31][36]

Music and lyrics

According to main lyricists Sharon den Adel and Robert Westerholt, all tracks on the album are somewhat related to the concept of freedom.^[30][27] For writing the songs, they took inspiration in societal issues, as well as their repercutions on the inner lives of people. The depthness and seriousness of the themes addressed led the band to a darker and more melancholic musical approach.^[37]

The opening track, "We Go to War", takes inspiration from the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine. It features crystal-clear synths, foreboding choirs, heavy tech-metal riffing,^[38] and double-bass drumming.^[31] The track was constructed to depict a universe in crisis^[27] and describes the devastating effects of war.^[39] "Bleed Out" draws inspiration from the death of Mahsa Amini and the protests regarding women's rights in Iran that followed such event. This affected den Adel intimately as she had lived in the Middle East as a child, before moving to other places.^[5][40] The track features a more traditional approach to the group earlier symphonic metal elements,^[27] thumping guitar riffs, and emotional and impactful vocals contrasting with the heavy instrumentation.^[39][12] "Wireless" is another song inspired by the war in Ukraine. It addresses war propaganda and the control governments often have over soldiers as a means to send them to war.^[23] The track was supposed to be called "Mark of Cain", in reference to Cain and Abel, as a way of alluding to the killing of people from neighbour countries in war.^[27] It features electronic music elements intertwined with heavy guitar lines.^[31] "Worth Dying For" is instrumentally the fastest track on the album, and also touches on the subject of war. It features symphonic metal and djent elements that recalls Meshuggah, with fast guitar work, a guitar solo, and a skipping rythmn.^[39][31] The song "Ritual" approaches the subject of women having the power to seduce and take initiative in a male-dominated world. It takes inspiration from the movie From Dusk till Dawn.^[41] The first version of the track was originally composed before Resist was released, but it was shelved. Then, the band decided to re-work the track, as it would fit Bleed Out thematically and musically. They made the guitars and bass lines heavier, drawing inspiration from Type O Negative.^[26] "Cyanide Love" also addresses war in its lyrics. The verse "Sunflowers will soon be growing over your grave" is a reference to a viral video of a Ukrainian woman who offered sunflower seeds to a Russian soldier, so they could grow in his grave after his death.^[27] The slower instrumentals contain elements of gothic doom and transmit a sense of dread.^[31][32]

"The Purge" revolves around the themes of redemption, self-reflection, and acknowleding the harm done by one to others and also to themselves.^[42] The track is built on a backdrop of synthesizers which focus on den Adel's vocals, and contains electronic music elements used in a manner closer to some of the band's previous releases.^[32] "Don't Pray for Me" addresses the act of forcing one's own beliefs onto somebody who does not share them, as well as the struggle people often have to undertake in order to be themselves within certain imposing and restrictive scenarios.^[43] Inspiration for writing the song occurred when den Adel was asked by Kerrang! magazine to prepare a special essay for International Women's Day. The singer chose to do research and write on the variation of abortion laws in different countries. As den Adel noted several religious parties trying to enforce their views upon the laws on the topic, she also decided to comment more widely through a song on the act of imposing worldviews onto other people.^[44][45] In a interview for Finnish website Chaoszine, the singer spoke of being moved by the 2022 Oslo shooting as well, a mass shooting targeted at the Oslo LGBT pride event which had happened one day prior to Within Temptation's concert at the Norwegian festival Tons of Rock. The fatality culminated in the pride march being cancelled and the festival security having to be strenghtened.^[46][47] The track features mainly gothic metal influences and a dark atmosphere.^[39]

The track "Shed My Skin" sees the band venturing within the metalcore subgenre, in combination with their traditional symphonic metal essence. As den Adel had been listening to some metalcore artists, she decided to experiment with the style. After the song was finished, the German band Annisokay was invited to be featured in it, as den Adel considered that they had the quality of transitiong throughout different heavy metal subgerenes without losing their identity.^[48][49] Three different vocalists are present on the song. Besides den Adel's vocals, Annisokay's members Christoph Wieczorek and Rudi Schwarzer provide male clean and harsh vocals, respectively. Lyrically, it discusses the constant changes and adaptions people pass through life.^[29] "Unbroken" is another song that dwelves on personal issues.^[50] It is also supported by electronic influences.^[32] The last track, "Entertain You", was the first one to be recorded and released. Its lyrics point out the bad habit of self-gratification at the expense of others, specially minority groups. It deals with the victimization and exploitation of people who have different characteristics and ways of living.^[6] According to den Adel, the way specific groups of people often exclude, mistreat, and harm the ones they call "different" was the main inspiration for the song.^[10] The lack of equal rights directed to minority groups was another subject related to the main topic of the song.^[51] Writing for Distorted Sound magazine, Issy Harring commented that the track closes the album with an important message also for the alternative communities and subcultures, as it encourages them "to be completely themselves regardless of any ridicule that may be thrown their way".^[39]

Tour

A European arena tour, called the Bleed Out Tour, was announced on 4 October 2023. It is scheduled to happen between October and December 2024.^[58] The band is also set to play at selected festivals in Latin America in April 2024, including the Brazilian edition of the Summer Breeze Open Air in São Paulo^[59] and The Metal Fest in Chile^[60] and Ecuador.^[61]

Accolades