Delain - Interlude
CD Info
2013
Napalm Records / Austria
13 Tracks & Bonus DVD
English Lyrics
The last few years have certainly been a roller coaster ride for Delain. On one hand they’ve played extensive tours through Europe, big summer festivals, and their first shows in North and South America and even Japan! And don’t forget about multiple appearances at MFVF and what is undoubtedly the coolest metal festival ever: 71,000 Tons of Metal. There were some downsides too, including a few lineup changes and significant record label troubles. Thankfully, the dust seems to have settled, and Delain have joined Napalm Records’ already amazing roster of bands. To celebrate the occasion, they’re releasing a little something for their fans. Interlude, as the name suggests, is a sort of in-between release, featuring a few brand new songs, some fun bonus material, and live versions of older songs recorded at their appearance at the Metal Female Voices Fest’s tenth anniversary edition in Wieze, Belgium this past fall. As the band themselves have stated, it’s a must-have for fans of the band, as well as a good place to introduce all your friends to the band.
Interlude starts off with the new tracks "Breath on Me," Charlotte’s heavy yet sexy tribute to her celebrity crush Nick Cave, and "Collars and Suits," a song about the band’s frustration with the record label troubles they faced in the last few years. You can read the full story behind the songs in Charlotte’s most recent interview with Sonic Cathedral. Both songs show the new cooler and heavier, yet still melodic and catchy side to Delain that we saw on We Are The Others but there’s even a little more experimentation here with the mixing, some additional symphonics, and with Charlotte’s vocals. Following a new mix of the song "Are You Done With Me" (hopefully the band’s new single) from We Are The Others is a cover of Talk Talk's hit single "Such a Shame," a darker, yet strangely softer track that continues the showcase Delain’s new direction, as well as their apparent love for 80's hits.
The next two songs are covers of the Cranberries’ "Cordell," a song the band has been playing at their live shows for years now, and Bronski Beat’s one-hit-wonder gay anthem "Smalltown Boy" that Delain released as a single back in 2009. Both tracks take the original songs and give them that Delain flair that we all know and love, keeping the acoustic soul and passion of the former and adding a bit of heaviness and the band’s signature symphonics to the latter. This is followed by a new ballad version of "We Are The Others" which showcases a more raw and emotional side to this outsider’s anthem.
The second half of the release features live versions of "Mother Machine," "Get the Devil Out of Me," "Milk and Honey," "Invidia," "Electricity," and "Not Enough," recorded at the Metal Female Voices Fest last fall. The recordings are fairly good quality and successfully translate that live atmosphere from a real Delain show. Given that this is the only time I’ve ever actually seen Delain, it’s extra special for me to hear these recordings, which bring me back to that very exciting and unforgettable weekend! Delain really are a great live band and I look forward to seeing them again on their upcoming North American tour with Kamelot this fall.
This release also comes with a bonus DVD that features live footage from MFVF, a backstage documentary, and some music videos. Given that it’s not technically an "album," I won’t assign it a score, but I can say it’s certainly a must-have for all Delain fans!
