For some bands, taking risks with a formula for success can end horribly wrong. Take Risk, Load or Chinese Democracy as proof. But for others, expanding their sound can result in exciting twists and turns and a larger fan base. This is what Within Temptation is going for with its fifth album, The Unforgiving, the most varied and daring album of its career. Not to discredit the earlier work, but this band has come a long way from the little folk metal band with the enchanting fairy singer.

Accompanied by a comic book made specifically for the album written by Steven O'Connell (BloodRayne, Dark 48) and a series of short films, The Unforgiving tells the story of Mother Maiden. Long story short: Mother Maiden resurrects the dead and, with their help, rids the world of evil. Within Temptation easily could have released another by-the-book gothic metal album. But instead they throw this “concept” at us, and what we hear is a newly reshaped sound influenced by equal parts rock, metal, power metal, pop, ‘80s and graphic novels. And you know what? I get it. The whole gothic metal, female-fronted subgenre has become entirely too predictable—pretty girls singing choir over metal. Even if they were one of the best at it, the band obviously felt it was time for a change.

The first two songs released were the ‘80s-rock-driven “Faster” and the more traditional Within Temptation song “Where Is the Edge.” Every review will say this, but I’ll say it again; “Faster” —although an awesome, catchy tune—is basically a rerecorded version of HIM’s cover of “Wicked Game.” Whether you liked those introductory songs or not doesn’t really matter because the rest of the album is entirely different. The opener, “Shot in the Dark,” is like a tribute to the band’s ‘80s hard rock influences; it reminds me of Heart or Whitesnake. With the up-tempo power metal of “In the Middle of the Night” and “A Demon’s Fate,” and the fist-pumping gallop of “Iron,” we’re led through a trio of songs that is Within Temptation at its heaviest and most diverse. Guitar solos are big on The Unforgiving, as well, and did I mention the massive orchestration and keyboards that put Evanescence to shame? For those sensitive hearts out there, there’s still the more gothic ballad-type songs like “Fire and Ice,” “Lost” and the heavenly album closer, “Stairway to the Skies.” But the standout here is the pop-driven “Sinead,” a song that could be the result of any female pop star singing metal. This is another one that carries a big ‘80s influence with a danceable beat and synths.

I can’t believe it took me this long to mention the voice and face of the band, but one thing remains a constant: Sharon den Adel is the most talented and underrated female metal vocalist, and her performance is as memorable and melodic as ever. Isn’t it about time she won an award or something? At this point in her career, Sharon has dropped most of her high-pitched soprano singing and instead uses a mid-range, more rock and even pop vocal for a majority of the album. In a perfect world, she would go down as the best female metal siren of her generation.

The album has some cons, but only a few: A lot of the lyrics have a generic feel, perhaps a fallback of trying to reach a wider audience. The band seems to take riffs straight out of “Sweet Dreams,” “Nothing Else Matters” and the aforementioned “Wicked Game.” Mother Maiden, the main character of The Unforgiving, appears on the spoken word intro “Why Not Me” and briefly in “Iron,” and I would have liked more of her throughout the album to better tie the story together.

With The Unforgiving, Within Temptation has released an album every bit as good, yet drastically different than the phenomenal 2007 album The Heart of Everything, which I rated as near-perfect. This one is different; less dramatic, more fun and loose, and it only gets better with each listen. It doesn’t have that immediate impact as THOE, but I think over time fans will grow to appreciate it and love it even more. In other words, this is maybe the band’s best yet.