Devil's Gate Music
Related Articles
So much has happened in the 8 long years since Delain last performed in Scotland. The UK and the US went head-to-head in the hold-my-beer stakes of electing morons into public office; standing in squares spaced 2 meters apart in car parks for the privilege to buy toilet roll and dried pasta became the new norm; the Scottish men’s football team genuinely qualified for a major tournament (only to get royally pumped); and Fall Out Boy headlined Download Festival. But, more importantly, in 2021 Delain imploded in a surprise split that saw Martijn Westerholt the sole survivor of the project he started in 2002.
This makes the fact that Westerholt returned with a new line-up and a strong studio album (2023’s ‘Dark Waters’) seem all the more incredulous.
Getting a few names from Delain’s past (guitarist Ronald Landa and drummer Sander Zoer) back onboard meant that there was enough Delain DNA to deliver the trademark symphonic sound and keep the name alive. The key was finding a new vocalist to fill the large shoes left vacant by the outgoing Charlotte Wessels; and with Diana Leah, Westerholt has struck gold.
Delain turn to Leah’s material to open the set – opening with something from the Wessels era would bring immediate comparisons and deny Diana the chance to make her mark before judgment sets in – in the shape of the huge and epic ‘The Cold’. Packing so many Delain-isms, it sees the band in familiar territory. Perhaps it’s because it’s the opening night of this 7-date UK and Ireland tour, but the sound mix is off from the start and Sander Zoer’s drums are in danger of drowning out Leah’s vocals. This is a shame because all eyes are on her and it takes a few songs before the vocals begin to break through the darkness of the venue. Most of the illumination is coming from Westerholt’s keyboard stand, Zoer’s drum kit and the mic stands of Leah, Landa, and new bassist Ludovico Cioffi which all light up and make for an impressive visual.
After the live debut of the current single ‘The Reapening’ (taken from the new EP ‘Dance With the Devil’) it’s time for a trio of choice cuts from Delain’s past with the stunning salvo of ‘Burning Bridges’, ‘April Rain’, and ‘Suckerpunch’. Diana is starting to come into her own and her vocal talents (and charm) begin to shine through as the sound issues from earlier fade away. At times, she sounds uncannily like Wessels and is growing well into the role of frontwoman, a role which as a solo performer was previously unfamiliar to her.
Dipping toes back into ‘Dark Waters’ for ‘The Quest and the Curse’, Leah visibly grows in stature and confidence as she is on familiar ground. Bombastic, energetic, epic, with haunting vocals and sweeping arrangements – it is a classic Delain song. ‘Get the Devil Out of Me’ highlights the growing confidence from Leah as she holds the audience in the palm of her hand; coaxing some vigorous jumping out of the front few rows. ‘Your Body is a Battleground’ features a guest appearance that causes everyone to lose their collective shit, and if you are going to one of the remaining dates then try and avoid social media spoilers.
The homestretch is one banger after another; with new songs ‘Moth to a Flame’, and ‘Dance With the Devil’ slotting in perfectly alongside classics like ‘The Gathering’, ‘Don’t Let Go’, ‘Not Enough’, and ‘We Are the Others’. With curfew looming large (and a shortened set) there is no time for the pantomime shenanigans of an encore, and true to their word after the early start scuppered any chance of a VIP meet and greet, the band steps offstage and heads straight to the merch desk to chat, sign whatever is put in front of them, and pose for pics. A very classy move.
Has Martijn Westerholt snatched victory from the jaws of defeat? It would seem so, yes. On the strength of both studio offerings released thus far, and how well the new line-up are performing live, then there still is plenty of life left in Delain.
Main support for the tour are Midlands-based hard rock outfit Stone Broken. As frontman Rich Moss points out, this is the first time in a while that the band has acted as support rather than headlining their own gigs, and admits that he is kinda nervous at the prospect of playing for fans primarily not there to see Stone Broken. Moss needn’t have worried though as Stone Broken are experienced enough to put on a show capable of converting most to their cause. Their Stateside-influenced sound gives the band a commercial sheen perfect for the US and might seem like an odd match-up for a symphonic metal band, but tonight, that match-up works well. It helps that the youngsters are incredibly likeable, especially drummer Robyn Haycock who never stops smiling throughout the entire set.
Those savvy enough to get into the venue early were privy to a masterclass solo performance from the vastly experienced Damian Wilson who is opening these shows. Whether he is performing with an acoustic guitar, sans guitar, or even sans microphone at one point – think witnessing someone like Sir Ian McKellen performing King Lear at The Globe Theatre and you are on the right track – this was a tour-de-force performance. Hell, there is even the chance to munch on chocolate coins that Wilson throws into the crowd after regaling them with tales of being coined by crowds when opening for Ozzy back in the days of Headspace alongside Adam Wakeman. Arguably the finest vocalist that these shores have produced in some time.
Remaining tour dates:
Mon 18th Nov – BELFAST Limelight 2
Tue 19th Nov – DUBLIN Academy
Thu 21st Nov – MANCHESTER New Century
Fri 22nd Nov – BRISTOL SWX
Sat 23rd Nov – LONDON Electric Ballroom
North America Tour
Special Guest: XANDRIA
Support: Edge Of Paradise
07.03.25 US – Phoenix, AZ / The Nile
08.03.25 US – Los Angeles, CA / Whisky a Go Go
09.03.25 US – Sacramento, CA / Goldfield Trading Post
10.09.25 US – Portland, OR / The Bossanova Ballroom
11.03.25 US – Seattle, WA / El Corazon
13.03.25 US – Salt Lake City, UT / Metro Music Hall
14.03.25 US – Denver, CO / The Oriental Theater
15.03.25 US – Lawrence, KS / Bottleneck
16.03.25 US – Joliet, IL / The Forge
17.03.25 US – Detroit, MI / The Token Lounge
19.03.25 US – Columbus, OH / The King of Clubs
20.03.25 CA – Toronto, ON / Axis
21.03.25 CA – Montreal, QC / Fairmount Theatre
22.03.25 US – Cambridge, MA / Middle East
23.03.25 US – New York, NY / The Gramercy Theatre
24.03.25 US – Baltimore, MD / Soundstage
26.03.25 US – Atlanta, GA / Masquerade (Hell)
28.03.25 US – Dallas, TX / Granada Theater
29.03.25 US – Austin, TX / Come and Take It Live
Ticket information, HERE
Review – DG
Delain photo credit – Tim Tronckoe
