Although the goth metal genre seems somewhat past its peak in 2014, the Dutch Delain cannot complain about international attention. For example, the release of their fourth album The Human Contradiction goes together with performances in Russia and America, among others. Delain, which once started as a separate project of Within Temptation keyboardist Martijn Westerholt, has grown over the years
… into a close band with singer Charlotte Wessels as a strong asset. The Human Contradiction especially shows how pleasant and mainstream goth metal can sound. Everything is dosed - from the sawing guitars to the classic intermezzos - and never goes down with its own bombast (as may sometimes happen with Nightwish). Wessels has a pleasant and educated voice that she does not abuse or force anywhere, even in the heavier passages it continues to sound warm and organic. In short, The Human Contradiction is a top-notch sounding record with beautifully arranged compositions and arrangements. At the same time it sounds more innocent than ever, like metal music that has been neatly tailored for a large audience. (MR)more
