Human Contradiction

What a wonderful way for Delain to make a huge statement to the metal world - "we are ready for big time!" Lushly packaged in a hard-bound, beautifully illustrated 2CD digipak, the band has delivered their latest contribution to the metal world. Lucidity (2006) and April Rain (2009) - great releases in their own right - hinted at the phenomenon that was to come. And then We Are The Others (2012) paved the road further with a somewhat more accessible/commercial sound. With The Human Contradiction Delain has firmly planted themselves in the fertile ground of gothic/symphonic metal greats alongside Within Temptation, Epica and Nightwish. While it shouldn't be surprising - Westerholt cut his teeth in the genre with Within Temptation - it has taken some persistence, patience and perseverance. The opening track "Here Come the Vultures" appropriately dispels any myths as ethereally voiced Charlotte Wessels declares "I'm not in it for the fame but for the pain." In other words, they are in it for the music and not for the commercial success. And if that's not enough, Nightwish's Marco Hietala (Nightwish) makes a huge statement of endorsement by guesting on 2 songs. The first 4 songs are flawless, perfectly maintaining the balance of power, passion and catchiness. Things drop off only slightly with the more pedestrian "Tell Me, Machinist" where the harsh vocals cut into the mix. It's good but others have done this better. "Sing to Me" is a wonderful duet between Charlotte and Marco blemished only by the unnecessary cussing (it seems uncharacteristic and out of place for these guys). It's a great song with a great message otherwise. This song is followed by the synth pop-infused "Army of Dolls," probably one of the best songs on here, with its extremely seductive and catchy chorus and heavy riffing. The album closes out well with the crunchy "Lullaby" and the anthemic "The Tragedy of the Commons" (the latter with Alissa White-Gluz guesting on vocals). As a whole this is the most consistent and compelling release to date for Delain. Now it's time for a live DVD/blu-ray, or better yet North American tour.Disc 2 contains 2 bonus songs, 5 live songs from 2013 and 2 orchestral arrangements of songs from this release - a very lengthy and worthwhile bonus - the live songs clearly the highlight for me. They showcase Delain as a viable and powerful band (and not just recording phenomenon) which serves to cement my love for them even more.

Delain has always shown great potential, getting better and better with each album. Charlotte Wessels has long been one of the best kept secrets in metal; but what set their albums apart from other bands was the incredible production, the detailed mixes, and the passionate performances. The entire band dials it up yet another notch on "Human Contradiction," which picks up right where "We Are the Others" left off. Furthermore, it adds even more melody and aggression, making for a more balanced album with tighter songs. Witness the sheer brilliance of "Your Body is a Battleground," the beauty of "My Masquerade," and the deep metal groove and occasional screams that punctuate "Tell Me, Mechanist." Delain is a band headed in the right direction, expanding their sonic palate and keeping all the original elements that made them great. They are now superior in many ways to a lot of the bands in this genre who paved the way for them. This is a great purchase, not only for the quality of the music here, but for the amount of music you get as well. Two CD's with nine tracks each; a lot of bang for your buck.

I was a tad disappointed when I first heard this latest DELAIN album, as the others are remarkable epics, especially April Rain.But after a few spins it's growing on me and there are indeed some brilliant moments on this one, so YES, it is well worth the purchase.Let's face it, albums are so dirt cheap these days, you really can't lose anyway, but this is one that you will be proud to own and display.Probably the best production yet heard on a Delain album, the songs are a departure from the stylings of the previous two, but standouts likeStardust, Your Body is a Battleground, and Sing To Me, maintain that Delain epic-ness we've come to expect. All the other tracks are somewhat experimental but each have their merits. I really can't wait to see what these guys do next, and let me say this... Lead singer Charlotte Wessels isa freaking godess!!! She has to be the best female singer on the scene today - PERIOD. She is truly a gift from a higher power, and I'm not at all religious, so that's saying something. BUY IT.

This band is very close to the style of Within Temptation. They have a female front singer and the entire band is tight and the music will hit you in the chest & heart. I own the bands entire catalog and i have not found a song or CD that was not recorded or produced with any faults. This is a must buy. Vendor is excellent. Product always arrives as stated and his delivery time is very very quickly.

Delain began with a more pop metal approach among the other bands in this genre such as Epica, Nightwish, or Within Temptation. For example, “April Rain” was catchy and easy to listen to, but not particularly ambitious. However, with each album Delain has improved its craft. The songwriting is richer, the lyrics more interesting, and Charlotte Wessel continues to grow in her vocal interpretation.Those steady improvements come together in this album. Though the songs vary in quality, there isn’t really a weak entry here. There's pleasant variety in pacing, "metalness," and power. The lyrics explore the theme of the album’s title, and I’ll let you explore that yourself. Most of all, Wessels is pushing herself as a lyricist and a vocalist. It’s the band’s best work yet, and may help them move into the top tier of the symphonic metal category.

What a return to form, with Lullaby my favourite song of the year, an absolutel melodic slice of rock perfection, especially when the end kicks in. Intelligent, twisting songs which sometimes can take a few listens, this feels like a leap forward to me, a natural evolution and has firmly planted them as a band who should stick around for quite some time. My only very VERY slight criticism would be that sometimes I wish Charlotte would let rip a little more, she has a lovely melodic voice but occasionally I'd love to hear her really put everything into it. My favourite album of last year possibly, here's hoping Nemesea's impending album lives up to it :)

I was apprehensive before I listened to the cd as I doubted Delain could produce three classic full cd's in a row. But the have, proving Delain have the best composer and female singer in heavy rock. This combined with a great rhythm section and production makes the cd sound great. More metal heavier gtr sound than their previous cd The Others, but the songs still remain melodic.The special edition has extra studio, live and orchestral tracks with a nice double digi pack making it worth the extra cost.

It took me a while to get used to The Human Contradiction. Same thing happened with We Are the Others, which I felt was not like previous ones, but I grew to like it, and The Human Contradiction goes back to be "more metal", IMO. After listening to it many times, I like it a lot. The music feels complex and interesting.The bonus disc is nice and IMO worth the extra price. Having the lyrics is also appreciated, but the red on black is hard to read. The box is too wide to store in standard CD storage, so I'm not sure where to store this album.

Nowhere near as good as Lucidity and April Rain. I picked it up again hoping that I'd missed something the first time round, but no, it's a bit weak compared to those others. I've not heard the latest one so I'll try before I buy.

Seen this band 3 times now. Have all their albums. Although I like what they do, especially Lucidity (the first album) they really have not progressed. If compared to for instance Xandria, here one see or rather hear how their music has matured. Would recommend it solely for the fans who like the complete set.