Charlotte Wessels' 'The Obsession' - Album Review

Whilst messy band break-ups are always sad to see, often positive things can come from such strife. The schism which occurred in the Dutch symphonic metal band Delain in early 2021 came as a shock, as the band were one of the best and most creative in the genre at the time, and they seemed to be on really fine form following the release of 2020's Apocalypse & Chill (which I reviewed here) - an album which saw the band pushing themselves further than ever before. It easily the most expansive and experimental Delain album to date - but, sadly, it is one that never really got its flowers due to it being released a month or so before the COVID-19 pandemic. I saw one of the few shows which took place in support of it and the band were on fire - so I was genuinely surprised when news of the split came a year later. Perhaps there had been on-going disagreements behind the scenes or perhaps the pandemic saw focuses and views shift - but, whatever the reason, Delain's founder Martijn Westerholt was left as the only remaining band member, with the other members all leaving together. Westerholt has since assembled a new line-up of Delain, comprised of some new and some returning faces, and released the strong Dark Waters (which I reviewed here) last year. Delain are still a force to be reckoned with despite the major line-up change, then, but what became of those who left back in 2021? Thankfully, they are still working together - although vocalist and songwriter Charlotte Wessels is the one leading the charge. After Delain's split, she started to write and record new music herself - and released it via Patreon, dropping new songs here and there for her fanbase. To my shame, I have not heard any of the music from this period. I am not a streamer and I do not like to consume music one song at a time via Patreon - so I never really got on board the Wessels train. I have loved her voice and songwriting since first getting into Delain in the late 2000s, and I also have the album she did under the Phantasma name with Serenity's Georg Neuhauser, but I was not interested in the bite-sized manner in which she was releasing the songs and, from the snippets I have heard, the style of music she was pursuing was not really for me. She has since released all of her Patreon songs as two albums: 2021's Tales from Six Feet Under and 2022's Tales from Six Feet Under Vol. II; but I am yet to take the plunge. I really should, but I am not convinced that they will be for me. What is for me, though, is her latest album, The Obsession, which was released last month. Whilst it is technically her third solo album, it was the first to actually be conceived as such - with the previous two feeling more like compilations. It also sees her returning to her metal roots - mixing her knack for huge vocal melodies and snappy songwriting with tech metal riffing, a slightly progressive feel, and shades of the symphonic metal with which she made her name. Guitarist Timo Somers (Vengeance; Delain; Carthagods; Arjen Lucassen's Supersonic Revolution), bassist Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (Detonation; Delain; Coldbound), and Joey de Boer (Purest of Pain; Delain; Dear Mother) all return from Apocalypse & Chill - with Sophia Vernikov on keyboards rounding out her core band.

There are a few guests along the way, but Wessels and the aforementioned musicians drive everything heard on The Obsession - with Wessels writing all of the songs and Somers helping with the arrangements. Vikram Shankar (Meridian; Gravity; Threads of Fate; Silent Skies; Redemption) is also credited with working on the arrangements, as well as with orchestrations and keyboards, so he was likely an unofficial sixth band member as this album was coming together. The Obsession does not sound like Delain all that much, but Wessels' distinctive voice and vocal mannerisms help to link the songs here back to her past. The opening keyboard motif to kick-off track Chasing Sunsets and the melodic guitar lead which takes over are somewhat reminiscent of some of Delain's more recent work, though, but once the song's main grinding riff crashes in the vibe is much heavier overall. Somers' riffing throughout this album is pretty dry and tech metal-inspired - and this works nicely alongside Wessels' shimmering voice and the plentiful orchestral and synth work throughout. Not every song here is heavy, but there is certainly plenty of metal to found on the album. The riffing here drops away during the verses, though, which are very vocal-focused, despite some jazzy grooves whipped up by the rhythm section, before Somers crashes back in for a hooky pre-chorus and chorus which are tough and memorable. A later, stripped back version of the chorus brings the best out of Wessels vocally, alongside some fluid synths, whilst a prog metal instrumental flourish later brings the song to a loud conclusion. Dopamine features the first of two guest vocal spots, with Simone Simons (Epica) adding her voice to the driving anthem - which reminds me quite a bit of the Dutch gothic metal scene of the 2000s. There are certainly shades of Delain here as a result, then, with a furious opening riff backed by some double bass drumming, whilst the verses are a bit more stripped back with chugging guitars sitting behind the vocals. Wessels sings the first verse with Simons taking over for the second one - with the two ladies joining force for a playful and memorable chorus which is one of the album's hookiest moments, particularly when the main hooks are sung against the returning opening riff. The two ladies have sung together previously and their voices always work well in harmony - and they sing a later bridge section in tandem, under which some knotty guitar leads sit. The Exorcism opens slowly, eschewing the big riffs of the past couple of tracks. Mournful clean guitar melodies and some simple percussion sit behind Wessels' distant vocals, which set a somewhat gothic and atmospheric tone, before the heavy guitars crash in - further emphasising that gothic feel. The dynamic piece shifts back and forth between this oppressive guitar-led heaviness and the somewhat dark folk of the intro - with the verses generally feeling hypnotic and atmospheric, and the chorus a barrage of heaviness and repeated vocal hooks. A heavier bridge section later sees Wessels deploying some harsh vocals, too. There is at least one instance in Delain where she did this in a very limited capacity which I can think of, but this bridge section sees her growling in a big way - and it works well as a contrast to her usual hooky delivery.

Soulstice also opens slowly, with some stark piano chords - over which a staccato drum beat forms a base for Wessels to sing over. This is a very interesting song vocally, with Wessels laying down a lot of different vocal layers to create a big and atmospheric sound. Instrumentally, the song is more stripped back than anything else here up to this point. The piano chords are the main driving force, but the drums are perhaps what stand out the most - whilst there is a bit of a guitar chug at points, albeit mixed into the background. This sparse sound allows all of the vocal layers to shine, and the interplay between all of the different vocal tracks creates an ethereal and interesting sound. Occasional bluesy guitar leads add depth, and there is one slightly crunchier chorus later on, but overall the song is pretty compact - providing something of an atmospheric break following three heavier pieces. The Crying Room was one of the songs which stood out on my first listen to the album, and it remains a favourite. It also starts slowly, but like many of the tracks here it is a mix of slower, atmospheric moments and heavier, metallic moments. It is not as heavy as some of the earlier pieces, but there remains plenty of crunch - with the chorus really kicking through the speakers thanks to the tight riffing and some strident vocal hooks. There is something mournful about the chorus hooks, which again remind me of that Dutch metal sound of a couple of decades ago - with crunchy guitars and some soaring synth leads sitting nicely behind Wessels' emotionally charged vocal delivery. The verses are slower, though, and a piano-led bridge section later adds to the song's varied feel - with this bridge later expanding into a more involved version of the chorus, complete with some melodic guitar leads. Ode to the West Wind features the second guest singer of the album - with Alissa White-Gluz (The Agonist; Arch Enemy) lending her talents to the track. The track returns to a heavier sound overall, with a cold synth pulse opening things up before a verse with staccato guitar/synth stabs sees Wessels singing in a slightly mechanical manner alongside these industrial vibes. White-Gluz is another who has sung with Wessels a number of times in the past - and their voices again intertwine nicely during the spacier parts of the track, before she unleashes some of her signature growls during the song's heavier moments. The track is pretty rocking throughout, with even the verses containing a strong groove, but the chorus and a later bridge section are much tougher overall - with plenty of harsh vocals and a symphonic metal flair thanks to some big orchestral arrangements and occasional guitar lead. Serpentine calms things down by opening with some delicate piano melodies - over which Wessels starts to sing. The opening moments of the song are melancholic, with the piano and vocals essentially all that is heard - although some distant drumming soon adds a little more depth. The song does grow from this slow start, but it never really becomes a metal monster like some of the other tracks here - with the track feeling like a big ballad throughout. There are crunchier moments, with later choruses feeling a bit more metallic, and Somers also cuts loose with a pretty big guitar solo - which suits the ballad-esque feel. This is not an album packed with solos, but the guitar solo here adds some extra spice to the track which is welcome.

Praise opens with a mid-paced guitar riff, and the track overall takes a bit of a different path to many of the others here. There is something of a strange classic rock strut here which differs from the more metallic and atmospheric sounds heard elsewhere - with bands like Muse and Queen a bit of a touchstone. Bass-heavy verses and some strident piano melodies help to drive the mid-paced verses - before an epic chorus takes over which features big choral vocal hooks and a driving hard rock beat. Some of the choral vocals feel a little gospel-esque in their delivery, which brings late period Queen to mind, whilst the song overall just has a different and grander overall sound without relying on the guitar crunch or the paired back sounds which generally define the album. All You Are is another somewhat slower piece, with ballad-like tendencies, but its overall sound is dense and gothic - with a good mix of heavier sections and ethereal vocal-led moments with simple atmospheric backings. Piano and strings do a lot of the heavy lifting here alongside Wessels herself - whilst there are sections which rumble with a little more heaviness thanks to a strong guitar backing, which later culminate in a soaring guitar solo which Wessels harmonises with. It is a hard song to describe, really, as it shifts in tone so gradually as it moves along, with even the heavier sections not feeling all that different from the more atmospheric moments, giving the song a chameleon-like feel. Vigor + Valor returns to a much heavier sound. It opens slowly, with some distant vocals and strings, but it is not long before a massive tech metal riff kicks in - with Somers' dry heaviness giving the album a real kick following a few less heavy moments. As is typical, though, the song is not heavy from start to finish - but it certainly feels more weighty than the last few tracks. Wessels also takes a different path vocally, too, particularly during the verses. Her verse vocals are drenched in effects, and she sings in a fast-paced manner against grinding backing guitars and ringing piano notes - before a heavy chorus kicks in which sees her singing more traditionally against a doomy riff. The variety of the piece helps it to stand out and it is the last truly heavy piece here. Following the brief orchestral instrumental Breathe;, the album then comes to a close with a full band version of Soft Revolution - one of the songs from the Patreon sessions. I have not heard the original but I imagine that this new version is quite different. Distant drums and synths early on back Wessels' vocals as she sings the verse lyrics - before the chorus feels heavier overall, adding weight to another song which feels somewhat ballad-adjacent. The more straight forward chorus, when backed by the chugging guitars and synths, actually sounds quite a lot like Delain - something which I cannot say about too much else on the album. The rest of the song does not, but it is perhaps one of the most straight ahead choruses here and it reflects the poppy edge which Delain always had. There is a melodic guitar solo, too, and the easy on the ear track rounds out the album nicely - even though it feels a bit less quirky than anything else here. I like how Wessels has explored quite a few different flavours on the album, though, and her songwriting feels more expansive here than it did within the confines of Delain. I am glad to see her return to more metallic sounds, too, following her previous solo work - and I hope that she manages to keep this core band together, as I would love to hear this sound developed further going forward.

The album was released on 20th September 2024 via Napalm Records. Below is Wessels' promotional video for Chasing Sunsets.