Delain – Moonbathers

The songs on "Moonbathers" hew a bit too closely to the Symphonic Euro Power Metal template at times, staying on the lighter side, with some pop-rock sensibilities. At best, there are sections of the songs where all of the elements converge to make something magical - see the chorus of ‘Suckerpunch’, ‘Chrysalis - The Last Breath’, and the climax of ‘The Hurricane’ for the best examples. Remarkable that they can create such a catchy song with chorus lyrics of: "Suckerpunch the demons from my dreams." At worst. . . it can sound like the soundtrack to an early Jean-Claude Van-Damme film.

But, these songs are assembled and delivered with the assurance of a band that's been doing this for over a decade. They're well-written and eminently listenable. The qualities of theatricality, fun, and cheesiness are strong in the saturated production, which, along with Wessels' singing and the infusion of orchestral instrumentation sounds with the standard guitars et al, brings us close to Disney Princess Metal. It's appropriate that the one cover here is of a Queen song, the semi-obscure ‘Scandal’, from "The Miracle" album. Hokey, upbeat, optimistic, and without guile - - could be said of late-period Queen as well as Delain. And matching Freddie Mercury on vocals is no small feat, but Wessels shows that she's clearly up to the task.

Overall, if you dig Power Lite with strong female lead vocals, then this will definitely be a hit.