Delain bathes in moonlit success with "Moonbathers"

Delain has become one of the most renowned exponents of the prolific wave of Dutch symphonic metal. To continue their ascent to world fame, it has looked up to the sky and bathed in moonlight with its most recent album, Moonbathers. Till now, all of the records of the band have been very well received, which has made the hype for Moonbathers as high as can be.

Delain released its first album, Lucidity, ten years ago. Then, the band was a collaborative project directed by the former keyboard player of Within Temptation, Martjin Westerholt, vocalist Charlotte Wessels and various musicians from renowned bands. Now, that project has turned into a solid symphonic metal band that has only harvested success, in spite of all its line-up changes. Their latest success is Moonbathers, which arrived in the middle of a very extensive tour.

In general, the music of Moonbathers shares the main characteristics of their previous records: short songs, catchy refrains and an optimistic tone. However, it is an album that has a lot of variety. On one hand, listeners can find "bombastic" symphonic pieces - like the ones of their first records, and on the other, there are songs that sound gothic and industrial, like the ones on their more recent albums. All of them are surrounded by a serious, but positive, atmosphere. In Moonbathers, it is easy to tell that all of the members of Delain love what they do. Very few albums are able to transmit that sensation. 

The general theme within the lyrics is the idea that the human being is the most wonderful creature on Earth, but also the most destructive. In that context, there is a latent conflict between the fight against inner demons and their liberation.

Delain now has two guitarists and it is very noticeable. Moonbathers has a lot of guitar. Very different dynamics can be appreciated in songs such as "The Glory and the Scum". On one side, there are very rhythmic and percussive riffs, and on the other, there are very melodic passages.

Timo Sommers' guitar solos are very distinct, but the new guitar player, Merel Bechtold has also her fair share of badassery. The blend of their styles is so good that it is hard to tell what each guitarist is playing.

Moonbathers has very interesting orchestral passages. The most remarkable are the ones of the first song, "Hands of Gold", and the ones on the last one, "The Monarch". They definitely bring back the symphonic element the band had left aside in their previous album, The Human Contradiction. 

In this order of ideas, Martijn Westerholt is very clever on balancing the use of keyboard as an instrument with a sound of its own and keyboard as a substitute for an orchestra. In songs like "Suckerpunch", Westerholt stands out with the use of both electronic and orchestral effects.

There's a lot to say about the vocals in Moonbathers. Charlotte Wessels sings better in each album she records. With her sweet and nasal timbre, Charlotte hits each note with gracious confidence. In tracks like "Hands of Gold", she unleashes all the power of her voice. At the same time, in tunes like "Chrysalis - The Last Breath" and "Danse Macabre" she shines with clean and ethereal notes.

Another new element that Moonbathers adds to the music of Delain are the backing vocals of guitarist, Timo Sommers. These are most evident in "Turn the Lights Out", a piece with a beautiful melody and the spirit of the classics of the band.

Among the tunes that appear in Moonbathers, there is one that is radically different from the others: "Scandal", a cover of Queen. This version projects the freshness and good vibes within the band at this moment in time. One can tell that the band had a blast recording this one. It kicks ass!

In my opinion, the only defect that Moonbathers has is that, for some reason I can't really identify, it is not very memorable. It has everything: good songs, good melodies, relatable lyrics, clever hooks and great pacing. Nevertheless, it is nothing extraordinary. Even the collaboration with the talented Alissa White-Gluz in "Hands of Gold" is a little grey. 

In spite of it being a bit overshadowed by other releases of Delain, Moonbathers is an album with great songs, that is very easy to listen to, and preserves the freshness of a band that can offer a lot to music fans. It is a great appetiser for the releases of the last quarter of 2016, which are very promising.

What did you think about Moonbathers? Please, comment and share.

Tarja Turunen's The Shadow Self - Song by song

The Shadow Self is the most ambitious album, to date, of symphonic metal diva, Tarja Turunen. An army of renowned musicians and a whole record as “prequel” sent the expectations of fans to the sky. Is it really worth listening? Has Tarja Turunen released the album all of her fans were expecting?

Tarja Turunen announced the arrival of her new album, The Shadow Self, with great anticipation. As part of the promotion of the album, she published a mind-blowing list of well-known musicians; released an entire record as “prequel”, and made several trailers.

 

As I highlighted in my review for The Brightest Void, in my opinion, all of Tarja’s previous albums had fallen short in relation to the singer’s talent. Nevertheless, I hoped that The Shadow Self would be, at best, a decent album. Fortunately, for me and for all of Tarja’s fans, my forecast was wrong and, at last, Tarja Turunen released something that matches her talent. I’ll say it right away: The Shadow Self is a true jewel.

The Shadow Self is a dark and elegant album that has the shady side that all human beings hide as a theme. Its main virtue is that the orchestral and heavy elements make a perfect combination. The drums, the heavy guitars, the strings and the electronic elements are blended to perfection, in order to create a cinematic listening experience directed by the piano.

The work of Tarja Turunen as a vocalist cannot receive anything but praises. She has mastered the art of mixing her operatic technique with heavy metal. She invented it and she nails it. Each note that she sings is expressive and natural. There are very few voices as beautiful in the world as Turunen’s, and in The Shadow Self she shows an outstanding confidence. Her voice flows without effort over melodies of great quality.

The Shadow Self is a very diverse album. Each song has very particular sounds and flavours. For that reason, the best way to approach this album is for me to write separately about each song.

Innocence:

It’s a very strong mid-tempo song that introduces The Shadow Self with great strength. From hearing the first notes of the piano, the listener can tell that it’s an exceptional song. The melody of the verse has a lot of character, but what really shines is the chorus. The strings, the piano and the drums accompanying the passionate rendition of Tarja Turunen make “Innocence” a majestic piece.

I find the lyrics of “Innocence” very clever. They talk about how, as life goes by, one goes opening doors in one’s conscience that one cannot unopen, and that’s the way innocence gets lost.

The only objection I have for this extraordinary piece is that it stops abruptly for a piano solo that cuts the flow of the song. I found it unnecessary. It’s one of those inherited indulgences from Tarja’s previous album that make songs drag. All in all, from my point of view, “Innocence” is a magnificent song.

 

Demons in You:

This piece is radically different from the previous one. Its intro is bizarre and baffling. It sounds as if it was written by Primus. What follows is one of the heaviest songs of Tarja to date.

It is an experimental track, in which Tarja shares vocal lines with Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy, ex-The Agonist) over a bed of powerful guitars and a potent beat. It’s a fabulous mix of talents. During the verses Tarja sings and Alissa grunts, Afterwards, both intonate a very memorable and melodic chorus.

 

No Bitter End:

This song appears in the “prologue” to The Shadow Self, but with other arrangements. It is a happy single with a catchy chorus, but it isn’t the most colourful crayon in the box.

As I mentioned in my review for The Brightest Void, the guitar in this son is dreadful and that isn’t improved with the new arrangement. On the contrary, the solo is even uglier.

Love to Hate:

At this point, The Shadow Self returns to the dramatism of “Innocence”. “Love to Hate” is a very intense tune that talks about the people that enjoys the misfortunes of others out of envy.

The main melody of “Love to Hate” is a piano motif that guides a very theatrical and orchestral song. The exotic combination of sitar and guitar match perfectly with all that goes on within the song.

The voice of Tarja is on point in this song. It is one of her more dynamic and emotional renditions in The Shadow Self. She moves very comfortably between whispers and operatic blasts.

Supremacy:

Muse is not my cup of tea, but Tarja makes everything sound good. It is very similar to the original, but it has the added value of Tarja Turunen’s warm and operatic voice replacing the whiny voice of Matt Belamy.

The Living End: 

It is a breather within The Shadow Self’s intensity. It is a very pretty acoustic ballad, in the style of the songs that Bryan May and Kerry Ellis play together. The bag pipes in the background give it a very special touch.

Diva:

This was something that was missing in Tarja’s career: a pirate song. It is an epic, orchestrated waltz with a very histrionic performance by Turunen.

“Diva”, definitely, is one of the most original pieces in The Shadow Self and one of my personal favourites.

Eagle Eye:

This is the second song that appears in The Brightest Void as well. And how could they miss the chance to record it twice, being such a great piece? In this occasion, the arrangements are a little more “industrial” and the guitar parts are slightly different. Nevertheless, the chemistry of the voices of the Turunen brothers is still the hook of the song.

Undertaker:

The piano melodies with the rock band as background are recurring sounds on this album. This piece retakes the style of the first two records as a solo artist. It could fit perfectly in What Lies Beneath. It has a catchy refrain and very tasteful atmospheric, orchestral passages.

Calling from the Wild:

This song appears flimsy, compared to the rest of the tracks in the record. As it seems, every album needs a filler song. It’s enjoyable, but it is just too bland.

I have never liked the style of Tarja’s long-time guitarist Alex Scholpp. In my opinion, his sound is just too messy. Besides, I think his riffs are ugly and lack creativity. That mediocrity is a setback for “Calling from the Wild”.

Too Many:

It is a smooth piece that helps the album dissolve until it finishes. Again with the piano as the leading instrument, it is a very theatrical song with lots of changes and dynamics. It is an epic conclusion that closes with a whispered refrain that’s on loop, as a coo, until the song progressively burns out.

After the song finishes, a few minutes pass and (SPOILER ALERT) there’s a mock bonus track. I loved the idea. It reminded me of albums in the 90s, such as Nirvana’s In Utero, in which one had to fast forward twenty minutes of the last son to get to a hidden track.

In my opinion, The Shadow Self is an exceptional album. It is the first record of Tarja as a solo artist in which she fully takes advantage of her voice with creative melodies and interesting lyrics. If her career continues down this path, maybe her next productions could be as majestic or more than the records she made with Nightwish.

What do you think about The Shadow Self? Please, comment and share.

Tarja 10 Years after Nightwish: The Brightest Void

The Finnish soprano Tarja Turunen prepared a whole record of nine songs as a “prequel” to her next album, The Shadow Self. Depending on the taste of fans, this advance could work in two ways: exciting them or preventing them from disaster.

It is hard to believe it, but Tarja has been a solo artist for more time than the time she spent as lead singer of Nightwish, the band that got her to stardom. While Nightwish has been constant with the quality of its records, Tarja seems to be adrift in a sea of experiments that sometimes give fantastic results and others dreadful. Her latest experiment was The Brightest Void, a prologue of nine songs for her most recent album, TheShadow Self.

The Brightest Void is a very diverse mix of original songs, covers and pieces written for other projects, arranged specially for this record. Despite the participation of many different musicians, the album has a very consistent, dark and melodic tone. It mixes loud guitars with orchestral elements, potent drums and electronic atmospheres. At times it is hard rock; at others heavy metal, and sometimes it sounds like the soundtrack of a suspense movie. The only constant element is the powerful voice of Tarja Turunen.

As it must be, Tarja is the centre of attention all the time. It is evident that she is at her best moment as a singer. Her technique has always been perfect, but her voice has never had this level of confidence and boldness. Her timbre is warm, round and expressive. In songs like “Shameless”, she shows her versatility in transitioning from whispered verses to brilliant and powerful choruses.

In my opinion, the piece where Turunen shines the most is “Eagle Eye”, a very rhythmic ballad, with a beautiful refrain that talks about appreciation for life. Furthermore, it has special guests Toni Turunen doing some vocals and respected drummer Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, whose participation is on point.

In terms of song writing, the melodies of this record are a lot more creative than the ones in Tarja’s previous album (Colours in the Dark), and give a lot of more game to her voice. However, their quality is still far from reaching the one of the melodies the soprano used to give voice to in Nightwish.

In the same order of ideas, the songs with the best vocal lines in The Brightest Void are the ones of the heaviest tracks. A very good example is the hard rock piece “Your Heaven and Your Hell”, in which Tarja collaborates with Finnish star Michael Monroe.

Unfortunately, The Brightest Void has lots of weak spots, and the majority of them are recurring vices that appear in all of Turunen’s discography. The most evident of those vices are the stale, dirty and lazy guitar riffs. In most of the songs, it seems that the instrument is only there for the music to sound like metal, but it doesn’t make any substantial contribution to the songs.

Although it’s not a bad song at all, “No Bitter End” has one of the ugliest and dullest guitar lines in rock. It’s as lame as a salad from McDondald’s. From that point until the end of the record, there are no guitaristic achievements to tip the balance.

Another negative aspect of The Brightest Void is the overindulgence with atmospheric instrumental passages in songs. Many of them drag with electronic atmospheres that fail in their attempt to create tension. “An Empty Dream”, “Witch Hunt” and even the cover of Paul McCartney, “House of Wax”, turn out to be painfully boring.

The album has a pretty good closing with a mystic version of Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger” and a new mix of her legendary collaboration with Within Temptation, “Paradise (What about us)”.

All in all, Tarja’s rendition of each song is great and that’s why it’s worth listening to The Brightest Void. Despite its flaws, it could be a great appetizer that establishes the tone for a very good album. Hopefully, The Shadow Self could be the masterpiece that’s missing for Tarja Turunen to shine again like she did with Nightwish.

Have you listened to The Brightest Void? What do you think about it? Please, comment and share,