Symphonic rock outfit Within Temptation will release a forthcoming live album, 'An Acoustic Night at the Theatre', due out December 15. The release will be available via all digital music providers, while physical copies will be available exclusively at the newly-launched Roadrunner Records web store, http://store.roadrunnerrecords.com.

In November 2008, Within Temptation embarked on a sold-out, intimate theatre tour in their native Europe, complete with seated audiences. The setup afforded the band the opportunity to rearrange several classics from its extensive catalogue to suit an acoustic performance. The album was recorded at the Muziekcentrum Frits Philips in Eindhoven, Holland on November 30 of last year. The performance was beautifully captured and demonstrates the simplified and stripped down side of the band.

Guitarist Robert Westerholt explained, “I was fascinated by the idea of giving our audience a much more individual experience by focusing on the essence of our songs and reducing the show to a minimum. At the same time the acoustic arrangements and sounds let you hear different influences in our music. For example, some Celtic elements which I think come out best when played acoustically.” Vocalist Sharon den Adel adds, “To show this other side of Within Temptation has been a dream of mine for quite some time. It was great to see that not only our existing fans but also people seeing us for the first time enjoyed it so much.”

Special guests include Life of Agony’s vocalist Keith Caputo for the single “What Have You Done.” Caputo guested on the album version, so it was only appropriate that he contributed to the live song, as well. Additionally, The Gathering’s Anneke van Giersbergen joins den Adel for a powerful partnership on “Somewhere.”

Of additional note, the album also contains the brand new song Utopia, written during the rehearsals for the theatre tour. A duet with UK singer-songwriter Chris Jones (who Sharon met while working with world-famous DJ Armin van Buuren on his track In And Out Of Love), Utopia will also be available as a digital single prior to the album release. The band are set to film a video shortly with director Oscar Verpoort. Poignantly written, Utopia is about two lovers who can't be together because they are separated by their contrasting dreams of the ideal life. "The only way to be together is for one of them to sacrifice their dream,” clarifies Sharon. “It really is about this one moment that we each inevitably experience: reaching a point in your life where you have to decide what you want your future to look like."