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It’s not often that a review starts at the end. But with Charlotte Wessels’ hard-hitting new album ‘The Obsession’ the end is the only place to start.
In 2021 Wessels created a song for her Patreon community called ‘Soft Revolution’; calling it special would be a huge understatement. Self-written/performed/and produced in her home basement studio (Six Feet Under Studio) it featured Wessels performing the song solo, with all the instruments created digitally. Spine-tingling from start to finish, the mantra of “I’ll do all things they said I couldn’t do” on ‘Soft Revolution’ struck a chord and was the pick of the bunch from both of the compilation albums of Patreon material that the Dutch artist physically released: ‘Tales From Six Feet Under’ (2021) and ‘Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II’ (2022).
A short while later Wessels recorded an extended live version with fellow ex-Delainer Timo Somers alongside her on guitar – check it out HERE – and by now the song had sprouted wings, and soared to new heights with a stunning, extended solo from Somers. Emotional, hopeful, uplifting, and defiant; ‘Soft Revolution’ is the sound of an artist capturing lightning in a bottle, all from a basic, home studio. Imagine how it would sound with a full band alongside her, and professionally mixed and mastered? With that in mind, only one song could bring ‘The Obsession’ to a conclusion: ‘Soft Revolution (2024)’.
Etiquette – and common sense – means beginning the album at the beginning, but three songs into the review stream and the urge to skip to the last track is overwhelming and the need to know what ‘Soft Revolution’ sounds like with a full band is too strong to resist. Without completely giving the game away, ‘Soft Revolution (2024)’ is spectacular. There is a sharp intake of breath from this reviewer at the exact moment where the rhythmic drumming from Joey Marin de Boer (another ex-Delainer) stops and Wessels comes in with the line “I call for the monsters the witches/To come out tonight/And dance with me under the stars…” just as the entire band crashes in with a glorious explosion of sound. Hairs stand to attention at quite a profound moment which, in terms of reimagining a song, can only be compared to the first time one bears witness to the legendary performance of Floor Jansen hitting THAT note in ‘Ghost Love Score’ at Wacken in 2013. Come the end of the year, it will take something special to beat ‘Soft Revolution (2024)’ to Track of The Year.
The first thing to point out regarding ‘The Obsession’ is exactly how well Wessels has created a band vibe in the truest form of the word. Had it been Charlotte Wessels and a bunch of faceless, nameless studio musicians, the album might not have sounded as strong as it does. Alongside Wessels, Timo Somers, and Joey Marin de Boer, are another ex-Delain bandmate Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (bass), as well as Sophia Vernikov (piano/Hammond). The wonderfully expressive cello work of Elianne Anemaat also features, as do stunning arrangements by Vikram Shankar. Guest appearances come from Simone Simons of Epica (‘Dopamine’), and Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz (‘Ode To The West Wind’).
As varied and eclectic an album as you are as likely to hear this year, ‘The Obsession’ bursts to life with the opening track ‘Chasing Sunsets’; an intoxicating mix of heavy, proggy guitar licks from the ever-impressive Somers (easy to see why the maestro Arjen Lucassen enlisted him for Ayreon’s live band) and dreamy, almost-lullaby-like vocals from Wessels, it ensnares the listener from the first moment and doesn’t let them go until the last note fades out. ‘Dopamine’ continues the method of mixing different vibes – the rhythm section claims this one for themselves – and with Simone Simons joining Charlotte on co-vocals two-thirds of The Sirens from Epica’s ‘The Alchemy Project’ are reunited on this breathtaking track.
‘The Exorcism’ is intriguing. Fantastic contrasts throughout. A gentle intro that teases the track is going to go in one direction, only for the band to blow that notion out of the water with short, explosive bursts of music that start mixing with Wessels’ hypnotic vocals. The blackness comes with Wessels’ harsh vocals as she screams “Stay away, be gone” at the darkness that she thought had long since gone but has started to creep back in. The heaviest song on the album – both musically and lyrically – it slaps harder than the reigning Slap Fighting Championship heavyweight champion. Such a powerful song, and a stunning example of the growth in Wessels’ vocal range.
Had ‘Soft Revolution (2024)’ not featured on ‘The Obsession’ then there is the chance that ‘The Crying Room’ might have been the standout track on the album (although, that does change daily). Multi-faceted with many, many twists and turns (and featuring a stellar drum sound from Vandenberg’s Joey Marin de Boer) it is perfect for someone stumbling across Charlotte Wessels on a random Spotify playlist. Haunting, soothing, epic, and yet heavy when it needs to be; it takes some beating, especially Somers’ rocket-fuelled guitar solo mid-song. Somers also makes himself heard on the Marc Bolan-like stomp of certain parts of ‘Praise’ and one can only hope that this makes the setlist on the upcoming tour. ‘All You Are’ highlights the softer side to Wessels’ vocals and comes packed with some stunning arrangements; a track that ebbs and flows in the best way and further enhances the fact that Wessels has the most soothing voice in rock/metal today.
With ‘The Obsession’ Charlotte Wessels has created an almighty quandary with setlists: what does she leave out? So many of these songs are raising their hands saying “pick me” (‘Vigor And Valor’ could grow into an almighty prog-tastic jam) and along with the previously released material there is easily a two-hour set here.
A spellbinding triumph from start to finish.
Review – Dave
Available 20th September via Napalm Records
Photo credits – Tim Tronckoe
CHARLOTTE WESSELS LIVE 2024/25
Festivals 2024
14.09.24 NL – Rotterdam / Baroeg Open Air
04.10.24 NL – Utrecht / TivoliVredenburg – Ronda
11.10.24 NL – Drachten / Poppoadium Iduna (with Kamelot & Ad Infinitum)
Festivals 2025
27.-09.07.25 FI – Helsinki / Tuska
06.-09.08.25 ES – Villena / Leyendas del Rock
15. -17.08.25 NL – Eindhoven / Dynamo Metal Fest
More to come…
Friend of a Phantom EU Tour 2024
Supporting VOLA
01.11.24 DK – Århus / Voxhall
02.11.24 SE – Gothenburg / Pustervik
03.11.24 NO – Oslo / Vulkan Arena
08.11.24 SE – Stockholm / Fryshuset Klubben
10.11.24 DE – Berlin / Columbia Theater
11.11.24 PL – Krakow / Hype Park
13.11.24 CZ – Prague / Meetfactory
14.11.24 AT – Vienna / Flex
15.11.24 DE – Munich / Backstage Halle
16.11.24 CH – Zurich / Komplex
17.11.24 IT – Milan / Live Club
19.11.24 DE – Cologne / Kantine
21.11.24 FR – Paris / Petit Bain
22.11.24 UK – London / Heaven
23.11.24 UK – Nottingham / Rescue Rooms
24.11.24 UK – Glasgow / G2
25.11.24 UK – Manchester / Club Academy
26.11.24 UK – Bristol / SWX
27.11.24 LU – Esch-Sur-Alzette / Rockhal
28.11.24 NL – Eindhoven / Effenaar
29.11.24 DE – Hamburg / Markthalle
CHARLOTTE WESSELS online:
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