Within Temptation frontwoman Sharon den Adel has teamed up with rising Ukrainian metallers Blind8 for a brand new single. The track, titled Labyrinth, arrives ahead of the two parties heading out on the road together this Autumn, as Blind8 will serve as one of Within Temptation's support acts when the Dutch symphonic metal icons tour Europe, starting later this month.
The team-up continues Sharon den Adel's deeply personal connection to Ukraine, having visited the country's capital of Kyiv earlier this year to film a video for Within Temptation's recent single A Fool's Parade. The track was written as a pro-Ukraine anthem in light of its ongoing war with Russia.
“Labyrinth is not just a song," says Sharon of the collaboration. "It's a testament to the enduring power of music. And even with Roman, the singer, and Ihor, the bass player currently having been mobilized and in training for the war, BLIND8 continue to defy the odds, proving that even in the most challenging times, art can shine a light in the darkness.”
Listen to the song below.
Talking to Metal Hammer back in March about deciding to go to Ukraine itself to shoot a video for A Fool's Parade, Sharon den Adel explained that she felt it important to continue highlighting the country's continuing struggle in the ongoing conflict, which escalated when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
"I wanted to do it because I want to keep pointing out how It's very important to keep supporting them," she said. "And by being there, the story gets bigger. If I would have done the video at home, people would say, ‘Why would you do it at home? It doesn't give anything to the story.’ I want to keep the attention on Ukraine, and to keep people thinking about it, because news just fades away very quickly. News today is old news tomorrow. It's the same with the war. The war doesn't stop. I know a lot of people are tired of it, but Ukraine doesn't have that luxury to be tired of the war because then they'll lose."
