I must confess my surprise as I listened to this album for the first time. Not being familiar at all with Delain, but expecting another female fronted metal band replica, I was pleased to discover that Delain has both talent and their own unique sound. “April Rain”, the second album from this Dutch symphonic gothic metal band, contains 11 tracks and an additional bonus ballad on the special edition.

Delain has produced an album of really well-developed songs with solid instrumental passages that run the full spectrum from light to heavy, even within individual songs. The songs are varied and unique, remaining fresh with additional listens. ‘Stay Forever’ starts out fast and heavy and boasts a great melody. ‘Control The Storm’ is a powerful song, intensified by the guest vocals of Marco Hietala (Tarot, Nightwish).

A huge part of the formula is the lead vocalist, Charlotte Wessels, who also wrote the majority of album’s lyrics. Wessels has a fabulous voice that is strong and pleasing to the ears. The smoothness of her singing and her pronunciation reminds me of Karen Carpenter, who had a simply incredible voice.

This is an impressive album from Delain that deserves a good listen.

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