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Review: Delain - April Rain
Delain
www.delain.nl
April Rain

Label: Roadrunner Records
Year released: 2009
Duration: 45:42
Tracks: 11
Genre: Gothic Metal

Rating:
4/5


Review online: April 5, 2009
Reviewed by: Sargon the Terrible
Readers' Rating
How do you rate this release?

Rated 4.26/5 (85.19%) (27 Votes)
Review

I have been waiting for this one. Delain took me by surprise with their debut Lucidity back in '06, and the album grew on me over time, so that I like it even better now than I did then. The debut album was a more studio project, but the response was so great that Martijn Westerholt had to recruit a real band and go out on tour. April Rain is the result of a full band collaborating, and is both more professional and less individual.

Part of what I loved about Lucidity was the depth of the songwriting and the often fragile vocal lines that imparted a very personal, idiosyncratic feel to the whole affair. April Rain is bigger, bolder, and more straightforward. The vocal production is lush, adding layers to Charlotte Wessels' warm, feminine voice. I miss some of the delicacy thus sacrificed, but she sounds too good for me to really argue with. The big, booming chorus of the title track will sweep you into the album, but more involved and less poppy sounding songs are here too, don't worry. "Control The Storm" stands out as maybe the best song, with Marco Hietala again providing guest vocals. "Start Swimming" is another good one, showcasing the band's dynamic shifts from heavy to smooth – something they do more deftly than maybe any other band.

If you liked Lucidity, then this is not an album to miss. Indeed any fans of modern Goth Metal bands like Autumn or Within Temptation will love this, no question. April Rain is a bit more commercial than I was hoping for, but I can't seriously argue with such fine, memorable songwriting. A worthy follow-up to the promise of their debut.

More about Delain...
Review: April Rain (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: Lucidity (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Moonbathers (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: The Human Contradiction (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: We Are The Others (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: We Are The Others (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
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