By the time “Moonbathers” was released in 2016, DELAIN was already making serious waves as one of the most promising bands on the symphonic metal scene. Between such successful albums as “April Rain” (2009) and “The Human Contradiction” (2014), it was clear that DELAIN had grown so much and diversified its growing discography. Today, August 26th, we take a look at what “Moonbathers” brought to the band and see how it holds up ten years after its release.
From their debut with “Lucidity” in 2006 to the release of the multifaceted “Moonbathers” in 2016, DELAIN had fully transformed themselves from a studio project to a capable live band complete with amazing albums, catchy songs, and great shows, changing their line-up to suit their touring and recording needs. This ascension wasn’t a fluke but rather the result of hard work and commitment to the cause (as it is always the case). As such, in a new and improved line-up – with the addition of Ruben Israel on drums and Merel Bechtold on rhythm guitar – the band first released the EP “Lunar Prelude” in February, followed by their fifth studio offering, “Moonbathers,” in August. It should be noted that this is the only album to feature Ruben Israel and Merel Bechtold, as the follow-up, 2020’s “Apocalypse & Chill,” was recorded with Joey de Boer on drums while Timo Somers handled the guitars.
When I say that “Moonbathers” is a multifaceted and heavy affair, I am not exaggerating in the slightest, as the album has got just about everything from pop-ish vocal lines on the dance-friendly “Danse Macabre” and full-blown metal pieces in “Hands of Gold” (which feature growls from Alissa White-Gluz) and “Pendulum,” all the way to the moody semi-ballad, “The Hurricane,” and the heartbreaking ballad “Chrysalis – the Last Breath.” The album also boasts some rock-ish melodies in the high-octane numbers “Fire with Fire,” “Suckerpunch,” or the QUEEN cover “Scandal,” while tracks like “The Glory and the Scum,” or “Turn the Lights Out” are about as symphonic and bombastic as anything else in the genre. On the other end of the spectrum, “The Monarch” is a minimalist piece of orchestral music capped off by some digitized vocals. However, the undercurrent of orchestral and choral arrangements that run through this album makes “Moonbathers” one of the band’s most symphonic metal-oriented releases in a while.
With all these moods and soundscapes going on, “Moonbathers” may feel like it is meandering directionlessly through its almost forty-eight minutes of playtime, and while I agree that jumping from one style to another disrupts the flow of the album, it also explores DELAIN’s creativity to the maximum. Moreover, this is where the skillfulness and proficiency of a vocalist like Charlotte Wessels really comes into play as she masterfully adapts her singing to the needs of the songs, going from soft and delicate on the ballads to sounding playful on something like “Danse Macabre,” while on the more rock and metal tracks she sounds more robust and dynamic. Her delivery on the rather upbeat metalized reimagining of “Scandal” is a highlight on this record as well as an intriguing surprise to even have this cover (obviously reworked to fit with the band’s sound).
In the end, this is a double-edged blade, where you either appreciate the versatility of a band and its desire to stretch the borders of its sound in all possible directions, or you mourn the consistency and cohesion of an album like “The Human Contradiction” (2014). Because, if anything, “Moonbathers” is arena rock coupled with some melodic sensibilities and a metallic edge that soars high on tight hooks and grand, shimmering keys. I choose to celebrate “Moonbathers” for the sonic variety it offers, as linear albums tend to bore me, but when a record offers tracks that have such strong personalities with a solid sonic DNA at their core, I engage more with it. Consequently, the mixture of soundscapes and moods offered by “Moonbathers” may be its biggest strength, while its main merit is that it fully realized DELAIN’s genre-fluid sonic identity. It is a vibrant and invigorating album that brazenly showcases DELAIN’s true colors, and though some songs are more memorable than others, its high points far outweigh its shortcomings.
Written by Andrea Crow
Tracklist
- Hands of Gold (feat. Alissa White-Gluz)
- The Glory and the Scum
- Suckerpunch
- The Hurricane
- Chrysalis – the Last Breath
- Fire with Fire
- Pendulum
- Danse Macabre
- Scandal (Queen cover)
- Turn the Lights Out
- The Monarch
Lineup
- Charlotte Wessels – lead vocals
- Martijn Westerholt – keyboards, backing vocals
- Timo Somers – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Merel Bechtold – rhythm guitar
- Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije – bass
- Ruben Israel – drums
Label
Napalm Records
