Album Review: Delain - Dark Waters

Lineup changes are a tough thing. There are times when a new band member is never going to be able to replace the memory of their predecessor, no matter how talented they might be. Fans get attached to their favorites, and when a band's identity becomes synonymous with that person, moving on isn't easy. On the other hand, when there is a band you have never fully been won over by, and they have a major change, there's an opportunity for a second chance, and perhaps that connection will finally be made. For every Blaze Bayley, we need to remember Bruce Dickinson was once in the same boat.

Delain is one of those bands that has always been on the periphery, where for whatever reason I never got much into their music. Charlotte Wessels is a very talented singer, and the band was good at what they did, but the music didn't speak to me. Will that change now that the lineup has been shuffled?

On the surface, the answer is actually 'yes'. Delain's songwriting on this record is concise and sticky, delivering big choruses that embody the scope of symphonic metal. They have done well to write songs that are beautiful and powerful, while feeling like pop songs spreading their wings to the sun.

New singer Diana Leah is more than capable, with a soft and classical tone when the music is gentle, and rock power when she needs to pump up the choruses. I will never claim to have enough experience to compare her to her predecessor, so all I will say is that she fits right in with what this incarnation of Delain is trying to do.

Songs like "Beneath" and "Moth To A Flame" boast bouncing pop hooks that will certainly get audiences singing along. That rousing quality is one of the best things metal has to offer, when it's done right, and Delain gets it right quite a bit on this record. Of course, it seems like you can't have one of these records without a song like "The Quest And The Curse" throwing in harsh male vocals for some reason. I don't know why so many musicians want their band to essentially cosplay as Beauty And The Beast, but it makes for the least interesting track on the album. While all the others are focused on melodies and hooks, the gruff vocals tread water, which gets you nowhere.

"Moth To A Flame", in particular, is as good a pop song as I've heard in a long time. It trends the furthest in that direction of anything on the record, which is a bit of a shame. I think it proves that if Delain wanted to go even further with that side of their personality, it would be ridiculously fun. Then again, leaving it to stand alone as an infectious little gem makes it stand out as one of the best songs I've heard so far this year.

Only time will tell if Delain has finally made a record that will stay with me, but it sounds like they've come closer than ever with this one. I'm sure it will be a tough album for people who were attached to the previous lineup, but I can only talk from my perspective. For me, Delain has an obvious winner of an album on their hands, which sounds like the start of an exciting new chapter.