DELAIN To Focus On Writing And Recording New Album In 2018

Dutch symphonic metallers DELAIN will spend most of 2018 away from the road as they work on the follow-up to 2016's "Moonbathers" LP. "We want to keep low key and a low profile because we want to focus on making the new album — to write it and record it," keyboardist Martijn Westerholt told music journalist Joel Gausten in a new interview. "There were some tours offered, but we declined because we really have to focus on new stuff." Singer Charlotte Wessels added: "We're going to be doing a lot, but you won't be seeing much of it."

Westerholt also confirmed that DELAIN's next album will mark the first time guitarist Merel Bechtold will be involved with one of the band's full-length recordings from the start of the creative process. "That's true, but in our case, it's never a big issue," he said. "To be frank, Charlotte, [studio collaborator] Guus [Eikens] and I already do everything, and we do try — and are very open — to welcome band members to participate on it. But this train is rolling with or without them — preferably with them. But for us, it's not a big issue. We do like to have them involved and stimulate that. For example, Timo [Somers, guitar] did a lot of guitar arrangement on our previous album. I don't think people will hear a big difference. With all due respect to Merel — because she's great — it's not the way DELAIN works, so to say. But I do hope that she will contribute, and she surely has the talent for it. She's very creative, so let's see what happens."

DELAIN spent the last year celebrating its tenth anniversary — from the release of "Moonbathers" and an anniversary edition of its debut disc, "Lucidity", to extensive headline tours across Europe and North America to gracing some of the world's biggest festival stages — and capped it off with the release of its first-ever live DVD/Blu-ray package.

Issued on October 27, "A Decade Of Delain: Live At Paradiso" was filmed at a sold-out gig at Amsterdam's legendary Paradiso on December 10, 2016. DELAIN was joined on stage throughout the evening by Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY),Liv Kristine, Burton C. Bell (FEAR FACTORY),and many other special guests and collaborators.

DELAIN has just embarked on the "Danse Macabre" tour, featuring special guest and frequent collaborator Marco Hietala from NIGHTWISH on all dates. SERENITY and CELLAR DARLING are providing support.

DELAIN will follow the "Danse Macabre" tour with a string of dates in South America in late 2017 and a full North American tour with KAMELOT and BATTLE BEAST in the spring of 2018.