The first two songs to emerge – The Quest And The Curse, and Beneath – were and are hugely impressive, cementing what appeared to be a comeback few would have predicted.

A CD titled Symphonic Dark Waters was released in August 2023, containing an acoustic version of "Mirror of Night", a piano version of "Hideaway Paradise", and the orchestral versions from the limited box edition's third disc. The whole album has a very well-produced feel, and there is a good variety of songs to keep you engaged. With some former members in tow, Martijn has recreated the sound of before, new vocalist Diana sounds similar to Charlotte and the album is packed full of great tunes. DELAIN magnificently manages to never lose touch of their characteristic sound, making them a constant without ever standing still.

She has the biggest shoes to fill on the band's seventh album Dark Waters, replacing longtime singer and face of the band Charlotte Wessels, who departed to pursue a solo career.

even a few songs that still remind me of older material, largely "the quest and the curse", and "invictus" (btw AWESOME to hear marko hietala doing his magic in it.The downside, perhaps, is that so much attention has been given to elevating this away from the norm that focus on the actual writing has not been as sharp as previously. In the end this is full of energy, catchy lyrics and melodies, and enough substance to make it great. Rejoining the fold and bolstering DELAIN's continuity are original guitarist Ronald Landa and original drummer Sander Zoer, while new members - terrific vocalist Diana Leah and bassist Ludovico Cioffi - continue to evolve their sound. There are a few occasions where the music has more elements of the old Within Temptation in his keyboard sounds - no bad thing - and the album is very well produced, a big epic sounding record, and a very pleasant surprise!

While not their finest hour, the very existence of Dark Waters – and the fact that it doesn’t suck – is a marvel, and live shows will hopefully rekindle their fanbase’s once rabid loyalty. The vocal department holds new adventures with guest singer Paolo Ribaldini, who also highlights the hauntingly beautiful “Beneath” as the ultimate hymn. Pop-induced opening track “Hideaway Paradise” shows exactly that by inducing a dream-like feeling flirting with melodic metal guitars, while the ballad-like dark track “Mirror of Night”, featuring Within Temptation guitarist Ruud Jolie, entices the listener with unfathomably catchy lines and melodies.Singer Sharon den Adel guested on Delain's 2006 debut Lucidity, and in 2023 Within Temptation's Ruud Jolie lends his guitar talents to "Mirror of Night," a dynamic number that has both quiet piano sections and heavy cinematic parts. What we have here are many elements of symphonic metal married with 80s sounds that are catchy as anything that comes out these days. DELAIN's renowned orchestral arrangements, highlighted by modern shadings, set new standards and manifest the five-piece on top of the scene.