Despite Cioffi being announced as Delain's bassist last year, his contributions to the album appear to be minimal. The bass throughout seems to be performed by another alumnus in Epica's Rob van der Loo - with Cioffi being brought into the fold after the bass had been laid down. I think he is responsible for the occasional harsh vocals heard here, though, but the focus vocally is understandably on Leah. As is typical of a Delain album, there are a few guest appearances throughout - but the first couple of songs focus on the strengths of the new line-up. Hideaway Paradise kicks things off, and the song opens slowly - with some simmering keyboards which Leah soon sings over sweetly, stepping into the spotlight right away. As such, the album opens slowly - but the understated intro works well. The shimmering nature of her voice shines, and when the rest of the band crash in fairly soon after all seems to be business as usual. Landa's guitar riffing is crunchy, but as is typical the guitar playing is pretty rhythmic and relatively simple throughout, whilst Westerholt's keyboards are a mix of atmospheric strings and more synth-based electronics. The verses are filled with such atmospherics, which allow Leah's voice to shine, whilst the choruses are a bit crunchier - with Landa's guitar more present to kick the song up a gear. The focus throughout, though, is on hooks - and the song is one of the album's most instantly-memorable tracks. The chorus is a real ear-worm, with the closing refrain that repeats the song's title being one of the things that will stick with new listeners. The Quest and the Curse follows, which introduced the new line so well last year. It is heavier overall than Hideaway Paradise - with Landa's guitar playing essentially driving everything. It is the only song here that he is credited with co-writing, so it is unsurprising that the guitars are more prominent - with the opening riff, which often resurfaces throughout the song, being packed full of weight. The whole song just has more punch overall than the opening cut, too. The verses have a bit of a groove to them thanks to the riffing and Zoer's drumming - whilst the chorus soars with a big string backing, whilst harsh vocals add further weight after Leah's initial big melodies. The song is more overtly symphonic than some of Delain's poppier material, with plenty of bombastic strings and a big choral arrangement during a dramatic mid-section. It still very much feels like classic Delain, though, and it feels like a song that will become a setlist staple going forward. Another single in the form of Beneath comes next, and it is the first of three songs here to feature the vocal talents of Paolo Ribaldini (Seraphiel; Skiltron). Delain are no stranger to duets, and there are a handful here - but the focus throughout is still generally on Leah. Ribaldini only contributes to the song's chorus, but his rich voice helps to add depth - whilst Leah shimmers during the crunchy verses, which are backed by some hypnotic, rhythmic guitar riffs. Ribaldini is also credited with co-writing a couple of the songs that he appeared on which, along with the fact that Westerholt's wife Robin La Joy (Eye of Melian) wrote most of the album's lyrics, makes me wonder if much of this album was put together before the current Delain line-up was finalised. This should take nothing away from the performances here, though, and Beneath is another strong song. The chorus, with Leah and Ribaldini's voices intertwining, works nicely - and there is even a brief solo from Landa which adds some additional guitar firepower to what is generally a dramatic song.
Mirror of Night features another guest, but this time in the form of guitarist Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation; For All We Know). Delain have never been the most guitar-focused band as previously alluded to, so I am not really sure what Jolie brings to this song that Landa could not - particularly as there is no feature solo moment for Jolie. That being said, though, the song is another enjoyable one. The riffing throughout is crunchy enough, with Zoer creating some rhythmic grooves thanks to his double bass patterns, whilst the epic-sounding chorus, which slows the overall pace, is a real showcase moment for Leah. During Mirror of Night's chorus she really lets rip and sounds very powerful - which is later contrasted against a piano-only rendition of the chorus towards the end. This showcases Leah's range nicely, and four songs into Dark Waters is clear that Westerholt has made a good choice where her appointment is concerned. Tainted Hearts is the first of only two songs which Leah wrote the lyrics for - which makes me wonder if it was one of the last songs written for the album. It is interesting, too, that the two songs which feature Leah's lyrical input are some of the album's poppiest moments. It is my understanding that Leah's background is in trance music - so it is perhaps not surprising that her songwriting contributions are more pop-orientated. This is no bad thing, though, and Delain have always had a healthy dose of pop in their sound. The song is still pretty weighty, though, thanks to some big guitar riffs - but the chorus certainly feels a lot more anthemic overall. She sings the chorus is a much more full-bodied way, which pushes the melodies to the fore, and this ensures that it sticks in the brain. As if to counter this, there is a pretty heavy instrumental mid-section which ups the weight of the guitars and delves into a more overt symphonic territory with some dancing strings - before returning to pop with a reprise of the chorus. Building on the symphonic mid-section of the previous song, The Cold really pushes the more dramatic side of the band's sound further. The opening guitar riffing is pretty potent, with Westerholt's strings and keyboards providing dramatic counter melodies. In a way, the song feels like something that could have appeared on one of Delain's first couple of albums - when the band took a more typically-symphonic path. It is a bombastic piece as a result, with Leah pushing herself vocally - whilst Landa comes out of his shell a little with a few busy guitar-led moments including a few leads and plenty of knotty riffs. The song feels like a big statement piece as a result and it is one of the album's heaviest tracks. Moth to a Flame returns to the pop sound of Tainted Hearts, so it should not be a surprise to learn that Leah also wrote the lyrics to it. Despite some pretty sharp riffing throughout, the song is very hook-driven. Westerholt's pomp-tastic keyboards are a mix of modern synth sounds and 1980s AOR bombast, which recall lots of chart-toppers of old, whilst Leah feels truly unleashed here. Her love of a big pop hook can be felt throughout the track - and the chorus really leaps out of the speakers as a result. Delain have been poppy in the past, but this is maybe their biggest pop song yet. It even features a final key-changing chorus to tick another big 1980s AOR box - and it is one of the simplest, yet most fun, tracks here.
The album's final three songs push things a little further, though, with some of the experimentation of the last couple of albums creeping back in. Queen of Shadow has become a real favourite of mine over recent listens - and it is a great mix of anthemic heaviness and some more atmospheric, gentler moments. Ribaldini returns here, and he is featured much more prominently this time. He is generally restricted to the chorus again, but his voice very much takes the lead during it - and his vocal melodies take a slightly different path than what might otherwise be expected, which makes the chorus hit really hard in my opinion. The song is not exactly a progressive epic, but there is something a bit different about it throughout. The approach to melody really stands out in my opinion - and again the vocal interplay between Leah and Ribaldini works nicely. The mix of big guitars and lots of keyboards allows for a full sound, too, and the track just powers throughout the speakers as a result - with the occasional gentle moment standing out and allowing Leah a moment of subtly, before another big chorus kicks in. Invictus builds on this approach, but stretches it out further. Ribaldini adds some harmonies and backing vocals throughout, which gives the verses a unique feel - whilst other sections see Leah deploying some wordless vocal hooks against a dramatic, symphonic backing. Elsewhere, too, some effects-heavy vocals from her are set against modern synth backgrounds - which are definite call-backs to the feel of Apocalypse & Chill. I like the mix of sounds throughout, and how all of these disparate sections flow well together - but the real treat comes later on with the introduction of Marko Hietala (Tarot; Sinergy; Nightwish; Northern Kings), who adds his distinct voice to the song's bridge and later sections. Hietala is, of course, no stranger to a Delain album - and it is great hearing his voice again here. He almost feels like part of the furniture at this point, and his controlled howl blends well with Leah's voice towards the end of the song - with a dramatic Latin-section which sits atop some furious Zoer drumming being a real highlight as the song comes to a close. The album then comes to a close with Underland which, like the previous couple of songs, is also quite expansive. There are no guests to help this time, though, which allows the current Delain line-up to really close things out with a bang. Guitar-wise, the song is busier than usual. There are few moments of respite here, with plenty of riffing throughout, whilst there are other instrumental sections which essentially push Landa to the fore - whilst other sections employ a choir that would not sound of place on an Epica album to push things further. Sound-wise, the song is typical of the rest of the album - but everything just sounds that bit bigger. It is an explosive piece that places huge emphasis on the band's symphonic side, but it is still extremely melodic - with another big chorus which also helps the album close as it repeats as the song fades out. As the album closes, too, any of that initial trepidation seeps away. As sad as it was to see Delain splinter, this new line-up of old and new faces clearly has a lot to give - and the songwriting throughout is typical of Delain's sound, with perhaps more of a focus than ever on pop hooks. I hope that this is the start of a new, successful era for the band - and with the new line-up now fully entrenched and road-ready, I imagine the results will only improve from here.
The album was released on 10th February 2023 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Quest and the Curse.
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