Band: Delain
Title: April Rain
Label: Roadrunner Records
Distribution: Concreteweb Promotion Office - CNR
Release date: 20/03/2009
Review: CD

Because of his sickness (Pfeiffer disease), Martijn Westerholt needed to leave Within Temptation in 2001, at the moment this band became a very well-known name outside the borders of the Netherlands. However, he never stopped writing, and soon he started Delain. A first demo tape was recorded in 2002, but it was in 2006 that the name of Delain started getting an imported name within the (international) (female fronted) Gothic Metal scene. Roadrunner released the debut, Lucidity, on which Martijn was helped out by well-known artists such as former Within Temptation-colleague Sharon den Adel, Jan ‘Örkki’ Yrlund (Imperia, Angel, Satyrian, Two Witches, ex-Ancient Rites etc), George Oosthoek (Pleurisy, Kutschurft, Orphanage), Liv Kristine Espenœs (Leaves’ Eyes, Liv Kristine, ex-Theatre Of Tragedy), Ariën van Weesenbeek (ex-God Dethroned, Epica, Down Till Dawn a.o.), Marco Hietala (ex-Nightwish / Sinergy / Tarot) and others. In mean time, Delain and Roadrunner released some singles, among which the title track from this second full length.
This time Martijn, who did take care of the production too, worked with vocalist Charlotte Wessels (who did some session work for Infernorama and To Elysium), former Infinite Dawn-guitar player Ronald Landa (also male backing vocals), bassist Rob van der Loo (Freak Neil Inc., ex-Sun Caged, ex-Triple7, ex-Filth, ex-Exivious, …) and drummer Sander Zoer of Nemesea-fame. The album lasts for 45:47 minutes, was co-produced (drums) by Oliver Philipps (Ancient Rites, Satyrian, Liar Of Golgotha, Imperia, Angel etc), and it was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (Hatesphere, Aborted, Axamenta, Deadlock, Scarve and lots of others). Marco Hietala, by the way, does guest vocals on one song, Control The Storm.
April Rain goes on in the vein of the debut recording, with one exception: this one is much more mature. Because Delain seem to be a ‘band’ now (even though the line-up isn’t definitive yet), the compositions sound more professional. Charlotte’s vocals don’t bore and go well with the rhythmic Gothic-oriented songs. The tempo varies from slow to mid-tempo, which creates a not that evident Doom-influence. The rather catchy, melancholic and quasi poppy-romantic music is less bombastic than, let’s say, Within Temptation, not as progressive as Autumn, nor as symphonic as Nightwish, yet again the spirit behind it is comparable. I am not that excited whole the time - therefore April Rain is too ‘safe’ and too ‘clean’, I think. But I’m sure this will be appreciated by every fan of (see higher), as well as Leaves’ Eyes, Epica, (early) Theatre Of Tragedy, Sinphonia, Lacuna Coil and relatives. And besides, Holland is one of the leading countries when it comes to so-called female-fronted (Gothic / Symphonic) Metal bands and projects (e.g. Within Temptation, The Gathering, Epica, After Forever, Asrai, Infinite Dawn, Autumn, Asrai etc), and Delain resides within the higher regions, that’s an evidence.

78/100

Ivan Tibos.