Invictus” is nothing less than the Magnum Opus of the album - a rock opera in its own right with heavy riffing, choirs and vocal parts performed by Diana Leah, Paolo Ribaldini and Marko Hietala (ex-Nightwish), ending in a bombastic climax where everything comes together. Rejoining the fold and bolstering DELAIN's continuity are original guitarist Ronald Landa and original drummer Sander Zoer, while new members - terrific vocalist Diana Leah and bassist Ludovico Cioffi - continue to evolve their sound. A sonic rollercoaster ride of catchy tunes with explosive elements - ranging from pop to film score-inspired to blistering metal - merge perfectly with Diana’s fantastic voice, showcasing her incredible talent and musical sophistication. Similar to Xandria's line-up issues, I also had worries that Delain will no longer be one of my favourite female fronted metal bands after Charlotte Wessels was out as her voice is so charming with high recognition value.

Queen of Shadow”merges the orchestral and synth-focused soundscapes DELAIN is known for as it weaves melodic heavy guitars that intertwine with orchestral lines and vocal melodies. There are a few occasions where the music has more elements of the old Within Temptation in his keyboard sounds - no bad thing - and the album is very well produced, a big epic sounding record, and a very pleasant surprise! Many songs are strong, catchy and symphonic in best Delain tradition and also the new singer makes a good job, coming close to her predecessor in style. That's contrasted by "The Quest and the Curse," a heavier and moderately paced track with harsh vocals and choirs balancing Leah's ethereal singing. really good, but for me a "masterpiece" has multiple songwriting element, which this is all energy and catchiness throughout the album.What we have here are many elements of symphonic metal married with 80s sounds that are catchy as anything that comes out these days. Thus, many of songs – though enjoyable – don’t come close to those adorning the recent album by outwardly similar German rockers Beyond The Black.

DELAIN's renowned orchestral arrangements, highlighted by modern shadings, set new standards and manifest the five-piece on top of the scene. Pop-induced opening track “Hideaway Paradise” shows exactly that by inducing a dream-like feeling flirting with melodic metal guitars, while the ballad-like dark track “Mirror of Night”, featuring Within Temptation guitarist Ruud Jolie, entices the listener with unfathomably catchy lines and melodies. even a few songs that still remind me of older material, largely "the quest and the curse", and "invictus" (btw AWESOME to hear marko hietala doing his magic in it. Emerging as a brand new start and safe haven alike, Dark Waters, without any doubt, continues the legacy of this multi-million-streamed leading symphonic metal outfit and contains everything DELAIN is loved for and more.Singer Sharon den Adel guested on Delain's 2006 debut Lucidity, and in 2023 Within Temptation's Ruud Jolie lends his guitar talents to "Mirror of Night," a dynamic number that has both quiet piano sections and heavy cinematic parts. The limited box edition features a third disc, containing orchestral versions of "Tainted Hearts", "The Cold", "Invictus" and "Underland". Beneath" is a single for a reason, an appealing song that is given additional variety by Ribaldini's backing vocals. Having been a fan of Delain for many years, both on record and live shows, I was a little worried that Diana Leah becoming lead vocalist rather than Charlotte Wessels, whom I love, may change the band.

DELAIN's MARTIJN WESTERHOLT Announces End Of Band's Most Recent Lineup: 'The Others Have Chosen To Pursue Different Paths' ". A sonic rollercoaster ride of catchy tunes with explosive elements - ranging from pop to film score-inspired to blistering metal - merge perfectly with Diana's fantastic voice, showcasing her incredible talent and musical sophistication. She has the biggest shoes to fill on the band's seventh album Dark Waters, replacing longtime singer and face of the band Charlotte Wessels, who departed to pursue a solo career.You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. Keyboard player and founder member Martijn Westerholt vowed to put a new band together under the same name, a prospect that made most fans hold their heads in dismay. That's also the case on "Moth to a Flame" that opens with acapella singing before the metal kicks in with some of the record's best riffs. Sadly, Ad Infinitum chooses to throw in incomprehensible death metal growling - which I flatly can't stand.