Lucidity - Delain

As far as symphonic gothic metal bands go, Delain are among the most enjoyable, though still a little inescapably dull. Formed by ex-Within Temptation keyboardist Martijn Westerholt who dominates the soundscape alongside by the pleasant vocals of Charlotte Wessels, this is a heavily symphonic band that thankfully avoids the operatic clichés of groups such as Nightwish, relying on something more atmospheric and frankly, less cheesy. All of the songs are performed at a relatively slow tempo and exude eloquence in their synthesised orchestral bombast, with only a couple of deviations from the standard formula. Opener 'Sever' is more orchestral, 'See Me in Shadow' ...