The last few years have been quite a roller coaster ride for Dutch symphonic metallers Delain. The bands last album We Are The Others was originally intended for release in early 2012, however a shake up within their label, Roadrunner Records parent company Warner music caused the album to be delayed indefinitely. However, an online campaign by the bands loyal fanbase finally saw the album get released in the summer of 2012 to overwhelmingly positive reviews.
Fast forward to 2013 and Delain is starting the year off in style. Fresh off two performances on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise, a European tour, a new label home with Napalm Records, and a recently announced coveted support slot on Kamelot’s North American Fall tour. The Kamelot tour marks the bands first return to U.S. stages since their debut at ProgPower USA in 2010.
Delain’s first official release on Napalm Records is the special compilation titled Interlude, a collection of unreleased songs, remixes, covers, and live tracks which were recorded during the bands last appearance at the annual Metal Female Voices Festival in Belgium.
The albums leadoff track, Breathe On Me is a melodic pop metal gem, in which lead vocalist Charlotte Wessels sexy, sultry delivery fits the song perfectly. When Wessels sings the line “hitching up my skirt as I start to flirt”, I’m not afraid to admit that I felt as if I was being seduced by her alluring siren song. Collars and Suits is another unreleased track with Delain’s trademark sound that could have easily found its way onto We Are The Others. The song has a great hook, melody, and Wessels strong vocals. The remix portion of the album begins with Are You Done With Me? from WATO. Listening to the original and the remix back to back, the main difference seems to be the new versions symphonic keyboards (courtesy of Martijn Westerholt) are more pronounced in the mix. Interlude also features three covers given the Delain treatment on songs by 80’s bands Bronski Beat (Smalltown Boy),Talk Talk (Such A Shame), and 90’s band The Cranberries (Cordell). All three are unique interpretations of obscure songs with Cordell being the most effective in showing Wessels vocal ability. The most poignant moment on the album is the ballad version of We Are The Others, proving that a well-written song can be performed in different styles and unveil new underlying emotions and meaning. The song was originally a heavy rock anthem dedicated to the story of Sophie Lancaster, a U.K. teen who was murdered in 2007 by a gang of teens simply because she was wearing goth style clothing. Where the original song was an inspiring outsider anthem, the new ballad version is a touching heartfelt and emotional tribute to Sophie’s memory.
The final portion of the album is a collection of live tracks from Delains last performance at MFVF. The tracks represented here (Mother Machine, Get The Devil Out of Me, Milk & Honey, Invidia, Electricity, and Not Enough) have a heavier raw energy in a live setting, proving that Delain are a force to be reckoned with in the studio and performing in front of a live audience with Wessels commanding the stage with amazing confidence. For Delain Nation, Interlude is a great release to tide fans over until their next studio release and is a nice introduction to the band for newer fans. The future is looking very bright for Delain.
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