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.
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.
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.
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