Delain
The Human Contradiction
Napalm Records
2014
I guess it was a matter of time for Delain to go big, play in the Premier League and compete with the major names of the genre. You see this band had potential from the very start but as all things in life they needed the right time & place. The base was their previous album, “We are the Others”, and now they just setting things straight.
Charlotte Wessels sounds more wonderful than ever, the songwriting is stronger than before & you can actually feel the band’s positive energy & aura on every track. The guest appearances of Marco Hietala (Nightwish, Tarot) on “Your Body is a Battleground” & “Sing to Me”, Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy, ex-The Agonist) on “The Tragedy of the Commons” & George Oosthoek (ex-Orphanage, Kutschurft, Celestial Season) on “Tell Me, Mechanist” are giving the apt diversity that the album needed. The specific tracks are some of the top moments on the album.
Long time collaborators, and kinda extra members, Guus Eikens (ex-Orphanage) who has co-written every track along with Charlotte and Martijn & Oliver Philipps (Everon, Satyrian), who also does some vocals on “My Masquerade”, have once more played a vital role so as to deliver an excellent final outcome. The album has a huge production. It was produced by the keyboardist Martijn Westerholt, mixed by Fredrik Nordstrom (Dream Evil, Arch Enemy, Dimmu Borgir, Dark Tranquillity, HammerFall etc.) and Henrik Udd (Dream Evil, Firewind, Powerwolf, Spiritual Beggars etc.) & mastered by Ted Jensen (Metallica, Alice in Chains, Dream Theater, Within Temptation, Chimaira, Ghost, Kreator etc.). I think any further commenting on the album’s sound is pointless!
It doesn’t really matter whether I say that “The Human Contradiction” is the band’s most complete work to date or not… it truly speaks for itself! The blending of modern, atmospheric, symphonic, metal, rock, pop & gothic elements has been done magnificently & artistically on “The Human Contradiction”. The song arrangements are also remarkable. It seems that Within Temptation have found some truly strong competitors here… but don’t take it the wrong way since there’s a ‘special bonding’ between those two bands. Delain have played their cards right and they are ready to reap the benefits. Come what may “The Human Contradiction” is a stunning modern symphonic/gothic metal album…
Charlotte Wessels sounds more wonderful than ever, the songwriting is stronger than before & you can actually feel the band’s positive energy & aura on every track. The guest appearances of Marco Hietala (Nightwish, Tarot) on “Your Body is a Battleground” & “Sing to Me”, Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy, ex-The Agonist) on “The Tragedy of the Commons” & George Oosthoek (ex-Orphanage, Kutschurft, Celestial Season) on “Tell Me, Mechanist” are giving the apt diversity that the album needed. The specific tracks are some of the top moments on the album.
Long time collaborators, and kinda extra members, Guus Eikens (ex-Orphanage) who has co-written every track along with Charlotte and Martijn & Oliver Philipps (Everon, Satyrian), who also does some vocals on “My Masquerade”, have once more played a vital role so as to deliver an excellent final outcome. The album has a huge production. It was produced by the keyboardist Martijn Westerholt, mixed by Fredrik Nordstrom (Dream Evil, Arch Enemy, Dimmu Borgir, Dark Tranquillity, HammerFall etc.) and Henrik Udd (Dream Evil, Firewind, Powerwolf, Spiritual Beggars etc.) & mastered by Ted Jensen (Metallica, Alice in Chains, Dream Theater, Within Temptation, Chimaira, Ghost, Kreator etc.). I think any further commenting on the album’s sound is pointless!
It doesn’t really matter whether I say that “The Human Contradiction” is the band’s most complete work to date or not… it truly speaks for itself! The blending of modern, atmospheric, symphonic, metal, rock, pop & gothic elements has been done magnificently & artistically on “The Human Contradiction”. The song arrangements are also remarkable. It seems that Within Temptation have found some truly strong competitors here… but don’t take it the wrong way since there’s a ‘special bonding’ between those two bands. Delain have played their cards right and they are ready to reap the benefits. Come what may “The Human Contradiction” is a stunning modern symphonic/gothic metal album…