Review: Ex-Delain Singer Charlotte Wessels Continues to Deliver on The Obsession

When singer Charlotte Wessels amicably announced her departure from Dutch symphonic metal troupe Delain (alongside other members), few fans doubted that her impending solo career would be a success. Indeed, it was, with both volumes of Tales from Six Feet Under (released in 2021 and 2022, respectively) highlighting how well she could merge new techniques with the qualities that made her work in Delain so special. That said, she’s clearly outdone herself once again with The Obsession, a transcendent collection of moving yet forceful and complex compositions that showcases Wessels’ fullest artistic range to date.

Part of the reason Wessels bills the LP as her “first full studio album experience” is that she’s supported by an impressive list of musicians.

For instance, she’s joined by three former bandmates: guitarist/arranger Timo Somers, bassist Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije, and drummer Joey Marin de Boer. Plus, pianist Sophia Vernikov, keyboardist/arranger Vikram Shankar (Redemption, Silent Skies), cellist Elianne Anemaat, and vocalists Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy) and Simone Simons (Epica) help out, too. As a result, The Obsession is kind of like a partial Delain reunion as well; however, it never loses sight of being a spotlight for Wessels’ commanding presence and ability to tackle serious themes (“fear, obsessive thoughts and escapism,” per the official press release).

It’s also worth noting that it was mixed by Guido Aalbers (Muse, The Gathering, QOTSA) and mastered by Andy VanDette (Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater), two legendary experts who surely played a big part in why the record sounds so sleek, varied, and dynamic.

Arguably The Obsession’s biggest strength is its ability to fuse in-your-face symphonic/progressive metal intensity and intricacy with engrossingly expressive and operatic respites.

Opener “Chasing Sunsets” is a superb example of that, as its consistently juxtaposes aggressive musicianship and towering vocals with bittersweet harmonies and tender arrangements. It’s basically a self-contained display of Wessels’ varied specialities, and it’s almost impossible not to get sucked into it. The same more or less holds true for lively successors such as “Dopamine,” “The Crying Room,” and “Serpentine,” as each is equally yet distinctively adept at contrasting epic ferocity and gentle emotional cores.

Elsewhere, though, the sequence leans a bit harder into Wessels’ hellish side (“The Exorcism,” the Percy Bysshe Shelly-inspired “Ode to the West Wind”) or heavenly side (“Soulstice,” “Vigor and Valor”). It even incorporates touches of gospel/R&B (“Praise”), as well as a gorgeously mournful piano-and-strings outro (“Breathe”) prior to its impressively faithful yet revitalized reworking of “Soft Revolution” (which originally appeared on Tales from Six Feet Under).

The Obsession is an album with which you could easily become obsessed. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) From its masterful production and adventurously instrumentation, to its compelling songwriting and endearingly multilayered singing, the collection radiates confidence, purpose, and resourcefulness. For those reasons—and in keeping with Wessels’ intentions—it truly feels like the record she’s been building toward since leaving Delain (if not her entire career).

If you’re already a fan, you’ll surely love it, and if not, well, you will be once you dive in.

Charlotte Wessels The Obsession is out now via Napalm Records. Grab your copy here.

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