- Country: Netherlands
- Style: Symphonic metal
- Label: Napalm Records
- Release date: 10 February 2023
After the 2021 split that left Martijn Westerholt as the only member standing, Delain had a lot to prove. Dark Waters, their seventh album, answers the question with a rebuilt line-up: new singer Diana Leah, returning veterans Sander Zoer on drums and Ronald Landa on guitar, and Ludovico Cioffi on bass.
Leah is the real story here. She has a warm, slightly smoky tone that is quite different from Charlotte Wessels, and she handles both the big pop hooks and the darker moments with ease. “The Quest and the Curse” is pure Delain, with a huge chorus and pulsing keyboards, and “Moth to a Flame” is just as instantly memorable.
The guests add some weight too. Paolo Ribaldini trades vocals with Leah on “Beneath” and “Queen of Shadow”, and Marko Hietala joins in on “Invictus”, the heaviest and most epic track on the record. A few mid-album songs feel a bit by-the-numbers, but overall this is a confident restart.
Best tracks:
The Quest and the Curse
Beneath
Moth to a Flame
Invictus
Author’s rating: 7.9/10
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