Delain – Interlude

Releasedate: 2013; Label: Napalm Records
By: Thorsten Hendriks

‘Interlude’ is Delain’s 4th album and a very promising one! The variety of styles on this CD makes it very enjoyable to listen to. The songs are very well composed with excellent lyric writing skills, the instruments complements eachother and Charlotte Wessels voice is not overpowered by them. The album contains 13 tracks; the first 7 are studio versions and the remaining 6 are live recordings from previous albums “We are the others” and “April Rain”. This album features three covers; Track 4 ‘Such a Shame’ was originally a hit for Talk Talk in 1984 but Delain have turned it into a proper metal version. Track 5 ‘Cordell’, originally by The Cranberries in 1996 and Track 6 ‘Small Town Boy’ which was originally a hit for Bronski Beat in 1984, again very good renditions of well known songs. Track 7 “We are the others” is a balled version of the song from the album with the same name.

This band has evolved over the past 8 years and it certainly can be heard in their music. The compositions are stronger and the overall quality has improved massively. Their new single “Are you done with me” shows Charlotte’s vocal skills; from ballad like seductive tones to high and long sustained notes you usually only hear in operas. This track is very easy to listen to and will bring you to an emotional state similar to the lyrics.

“Breathe on me” Track 1 sounds very familiar in a way but it definitely is a new song. Strong rocking riffs and vocals could make this song very popular. The second new song “Collars and Suits” (track 2) sounds very much like the sound of other female fronted metal bands, I do not need to mention the obvious ones. An incredible sound to this song makes it another contender for being the favourite. The live tracks of the next 7 songs are of very decent quality and they show that Delain are able to compete with the more established names when it comes to live performances. Very polished sound and good interaction with the crowd.

Track 9 – “Mother Machine” (LIVE) starts with that eerie, creepy sound but when the orchestral arrangement kicks in, followed by strong metal riffs and drums, it gives you the feeling that this band know exactly what they’re doing. Next is “Get the devil out of me” (LIVE), one of my personal favourites, excellent vocals laced with heavy bass riffs. “Milk and Honey” (LIVE) throws you off the scent with a very techno like introduction and continues this trend mixed with the recognisable metal sounds. Track 11 – “Invidia” (LIVE) is a good example of their ability to mix styles; the intro reminds me of some of the songs by Swedish industrial metallers Deathstars. However Charlotte’s voice brings a new dimension to the composition and it becomes an exceedingly well arranged composition. “Electricity” (LIVE) has got that typical metal and orchestral mix in the musical arrangement, loud riffs are interrupted by slow parts where vocals are the most important instrument. The last track “not Enough” (LIVE) is an upbeat very strong metal influenced song which showcases Delain’s ability to sound as good live as they do on their studio albums.

I would definitely recommend buying this (and previous albums) as you would not regret it – even if you are not a symphonic or female fronted metal music fan. Delain’s INTERLUDE album has been released just in time to accompany their support performances with Within Temptation’s European Tour during January and February 2014. If you cannot wait that long: go and see them at Metal Female Voices Festival in Wieze, Belgium in October 2013.

Line up:
Charlotte Wessels – Vocals
Martijn Westerholt – Keyboards
Sander Zoer – Drums
Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije – Bass Guitar
Timo Somers – Guitars

Tracklist: 01. Breathe On Me 02. Collars And Suits 03. Are You Done With Me (new single mix) 04. Such A Shame (Cover) 05. Cordell 06. Smalltown Boy (Cover) 07. We Are The Others (new ballad version) 08. Mother Machine (live) 09. Get The Devil Out Of Me (live) 10. Milk And Honey (live) 11. Invidia (live) 12. Electricity (live) 13. Not Enough (live)

Links:
Delain Official
Delain Facebook