Within Temptation is a
Dutch symphonic metal band founded in 1995 by vocalist
Sharon den Adel and guitarist
Robert Westerholt. They have always been classified by critics as
gothic metal or
rock, although the "gothic" influence varies with each album. Their most prominent and well-known sound is described as
symphonic metal, although their earlier material, such as debut album
Enter, was mostly
gothic metal.
Enter even had a hint of
doom metal. In an interview, Den Adel said they fell into a
symphonic rock genre with various influences. In a later interview with Dutch music platform
3VOOR12, den Adel stated that "we consider ourselves more a symphonic rock band ... in my opinion, we are no gothic band".