Moonbathers

Moonbathers
Studio album by Delain
Released	26 August 2016
Recorded	2016
Studio	Mantis Audio, Wateringen and Trypoul Studios, Neerkant, Netherlands
Genre	Symphonic metal[1]
Length	47:24
Label	Napalm
Producer	Martijn Westerholt
Delain chronology
Lunar Prelude (2016) Moonbathers (2016)
Singles from Moonbathers
"Suckerpunch" Released: 7 February 2016 "The Glory and the Scum" Released: 5 August 2016 "Fire with Fire" Released: 12 August 2016

Moonbathers is the fifth studio album by the Dutch symphonic metal band Delain. It was released on 26 August 2016 worldwide.

It features one guest appearances from Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy, ex-The Agonist). Just like We Are the Others, this album does not feature Marco Hietala (Nightwish, Tarot). It is also the first studio album with Ruben Israel (Lesoir) on drums and Merel Bechtold (MaYaN, Purest of Pain, Karmaflow) on guitar.

Background

According to lead singer Charlotte Wessels, the lyrics on the album has a theme of death. This was unintentional and she only realized after reviewing the lyrics she had written. The songs "Danse Macabre" and "Chrysalis (The Last Breath)" were inspired by a film script, however she didn't specify which.^[2]

• "Scandal" is a Queen cover.
• "Turn the Lights Out" was inspired by DC comic series "The Sandman" by Neil Gaiman.
• "Hands of Gold" contains fragments of "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" by Oscar Wilde.
• "Suckerpunch" and "Turn the Lights Out" were previously released on Lunar Prelude.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Hands of Gold" (featuring Alissa White-Gluz)	Charlotte Wessels, Guus Eikens, Martijn Westerholt	5:10
2.	"The Glory and the Scum"	Wessels, Eikens, Westerholt	4:04
3.	"Suckerpunch"	Wessels, Eikens, Hendrik Jan de Jong, Westerholt	4:10
4.	"The Hurricane"	Wessels, Eikens, Westerholt	3:45
5.	"Chrysalis - The Last Breath"	Wessels, Eikens, Westerholt	5:26
6.	"Fire With Fire"	Wessels, Eikens, Westerholt	4:09
7.	"Pendulum"	Wessels, Eikens, Westerholt	3:42
8.	"Danse Macabre"	Wessels, Eikens, Westerholt	5:07
9.	"Scandal" (Queen cover)	Brian May, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Roger Taylor	4:04
10.	"Turn the Lights Out"	Wessels, Eikens, de Jong, Westerholt, Timo Somers	4:15
11.	"The Monarch"	Wessels, Eikens, Westerholt	3:40
Total length:			47:24

Bonus CD
Track listing
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Suckerpunch" (Live in the Netherlands)	Wessels, Eikens, de Jong, Westerholt	4:22
2.	"Turn the Lights Out" (Live in the Netherlands)	Wessels, Eikens, de Jong, Westerholt, Somers	4:42
3.	"The Glory and the Scum" (Live in the Netherlands)	Wessels, Eikens, Westerholt	4:23
4.	"Don't Let Go" (Live in the Netherlands)	Wessels, Eikens, Westerholt	4:18
5.	"The Glory and the Scum" (Orchestra)	Wessels, Eikens, Westerholt	2:40
6.	"Hands of Gold" (Orchestra)	Wessels, Eikens, Westerholt	4:57
Total length:			25:20

Personnel

Delain

• Charlotte Wessels – clean and harsh vocals
• Timo Somers – lead guitars, backing vocals
• Merel Bechtold – rhythm guitars
• Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije – bass guitar
• Martijn Westerholt – keyboards, backing vocals, orchestration, producer
• Ruben Israel – drums

Additional musicians

• Alissa White-Gluz (ex-The Agonist, Arch Enemy) – guest vocals on "Hands of Gold"
• Guus Eikens – additional guitars
• Hendrik Jan de Jong (Nemesea) – writing credits (3, 10)
• Oliver Philipps – additional guitars, additional keyboards
• Mikko P. Mustonen – orchestration

Production

• Arno Krabman – drum recording
• Bas Trumpie, Imre Beerends – mixing (10), drum recording
• Guido Aalbers, Oliver Philipps – vocal engineers
• Fredrik Nordström, Henrik Udd – mixing (1 to 9, 11)
• Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York
• Glenn Arthur – cover artwork, additional paintings
• Wendy van den Bogert-Elberse – design
• Sandra Ludewig – photography

Charts

Chart (2016)	Peak position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[3] [4]	53
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[5]	23
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[6]	37
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[7]	15
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[8]	31
French Albums (SNEP)[9]	93
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[10]	17
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[11]	128
Scottish Albums (OCC)[12]	34
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13]	18
UK Albums (OCC)[14]	50
US Top Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[15]	5

References

1. http://www.soniccathedral.com/webzine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1333&Itemid=35l
2. http://sonicshocks.tumblr.com/post/149071897053/interview-delain-charlotte-wessels-by-matt
3. "Austriancharts.at – Delain – Moonbathers" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
4. http://oe3.orf.at/charts/stories/2602614/
5. "Ultratop.be – Delain – Moonbathers" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
6. "Ultratop.be – Delain – Moonbathers" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
7. "Dutchcharts.nl – Delain – Moonbathers" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
8. "Delain: Moonbathers" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
9. "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes - SNEP (Week 35, 2016)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
10. "Offiziellecharts.de – Delain – Moonbathers" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
11. "Moonbathers – Delain". oricn ME inc. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
12. September 2016 "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
13. "Swisscharts.com – Delain – Moonbathers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
14. September 2016 "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
15. "Delain – Chart history" Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums for Delain. Retrieved 8 September 2016.