Resist (stylized as ЯƎSIST) is the seventh studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation.

The album followed the band's pattern of incorporating new musical elements on each release, this time featuring more electronic, pop, and industrial influences.

Lyrically, the band opted to focus more on political themes, a subject not explicitly approached by them on previous records.

After extensive promotion and touring for the album Hydra, between the years of 2014 and 2016, lead vocalist Sharon den Adel went through a process of exhaustion and suffered from a writer's block.

As these songs were not rock oriented or fit for the band, she then decided to release them as a solo project entitled My Indigo (2017).

It was also stated by the vocalist that this album was the most difficult one to be done by the band, as they didn't have any direction up until den Adel had recovered from her burnout and managed her personal problems.

[14] The album features Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix, In Flames' Anders Fridén and Arid's Jasper Steverlinck as guest vocalists.

[15] Fridén was invited to sing on "Raise Your Banner" as the band considered his experienced screaming voice would fit well the atmosphere and lyrics for that song.

After meeting Steverlinck on a Flemish TV show at the beginning of 2018, den Adel invited the singer to do a part on the song as she found that they had a real connection and their voices matched well together.

[17] Regarding on when the musicians were invited as guests for the album during the recording process, den Adel commented that the band first writes a song and only after that they think of possible names.

[15] "We always try, but I think we succeeded a little bit more with this than with previous albums, to take steps forward more in progression and how the band evolves sound-wise.

[5] For the record, the band aimed to approach a more futuristic style while not discarding their original symphonic metal and bombastic musical roots.

[19] The title of the album itself, according to den Adel, represents "not being put in a box and refusing to do what other people are trying to influence you in a way that you might see just one side of the story".

She had also found herself intrigued and annoyed by the algorithms behind merchandising offers and purchasing suggestions, and felt that it was putting people on boxes according to their supposed personal tastes based on what they look for in the internet, restricting them from having new interests and points of view.

[24][25] The singer stated that the loss of individuality might even compromise democracy, as people are fed information that is calculed by their personal tastes and positions, difficulting them to search or understand other worldviews.

[29] The track contains outer space references and metaphors relating to a person that still wants a sign from the afterlife of someone already gone, and searches for it on the skies.

[18][27] It features mainly EDM influences while also containing orchestral passages and verses sang by a choir, and was originally conceived as an uptempo, symphonic, and dreamlike song.

[31][25][24] "Mercy Mirror" is another personal song, and it deals with forgiviness on a relationship that has been hurting the people involved for years by not saying or discussing issues the proper way.

[37] The first single, entitled "The Reckoning", was released the day after the official album announcement, on 14 September 2018, alongside a lyric video.

[42] Dutch newspaper AD.nl stated on their website that the band was looking for extras for a new music video, in which the recording would be taking place on 7 October 2018, in the city of Zaandam.

[43] A few days later, the Dutch newspaper Tubantia stated that the chosen song was "Raise Your Banner", and the music video would be directed by Rogier Hendriks.

This first indoor part of the tour counted with German and Brazilian bands Beyond the Black and Ego Kill Talent, respectively, as opening acts.

[53] The band was scheduled to play at the Byblos International Festival in Lebanon, but as the festival was facing violent religious threats for having LGBT supporters Mashrou' Leila on the line-up, the band decided to cancel their concert in solidarity with them and in support of "tolerance, freedom of speech and expression".

[58][59][60][61][62][63] The tour featured special stage and costumes designs related to the futuristic and technological themes of the album.

Steel-like ornaments, special stage lighting effects, projection screens, and fog machines were also used in order to intensify the atmosphere of the songs.

[64] Guitarist Robert Westerholt was part of the visuals selection to set the stage, as the band wanted to create a special concert imagery that would fit the experience of listening to the album.

Beebee was also positive about the new musical styles incorporated on the record, even if it might not please listeners who dislike changes, and its overall flow, stating that the songs "breathe together, and thrive when heard as a whole".

Whilst the positive one welcomed the new elements and styles adopted by the band for the album, the negative one criticized the record as being "radio-pop" and considered some of its compositions and instrumentations "plastic".

[73] AllMusic's James Monger gave Resist a lukewarm review, stating that "in shifting gears to stoke their creative flames, Within Temptation have created an immersive - if not wholly original-sounding - set of songs that play to both their strengths and weaknesses".

[83][84] In the United States, the band was met with their lowest debut to date, entering the charts at position number 129.