Apocalypse & Chill
Studio album by
Delain
Released7 February 2020
GenreSymphonic metal
Length56:03
LabelNapalm
ProducerMartijn Westerholt
Delain chronology
Hunter's Moon
(2019)		 Apocalypse & Chill
(2020)		 Dark Waters
(2023)
Singles from Apocalypse & Chill
  1. "Masters of Destiny"
    Released: 11 January 2019[1]
  2. "Burning Bridges"
    Released: 27 September 2019[2]
  3. "One Second"
    Released: 15 November 2019[3]
  4. "Ghost House Heart"
    Released: 24 January 2020[4]

Apocalypse & Chill is the sixth studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Delain. It was released on 7 February 2020 via Napalm Records.[5][6]

It is the final studio album to feature vocalist Charlotte Wessels, guitarist Timo Somers and bassist Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije, as well as the only studio album to feature drummer Joey de Boer on all tracks before his departure with the other members.[7]

Songwriting

The album focuses on themes such as the climate crisis and the way people react to it, with Martijn Westerholt stating:

It's really the contrast that you see when you turn on the TV – You see Australia in flames and then you turn to Instagram and see people with awesome pictures of their garden or themselves. The perfect life. The same world but such a contrast. It's what comes across on the album in the music and in the lyrics. We are a band of contrast with the heavy guitars but with some pop and synth elements so it all comes back to that.[8]

Reception

Writing for Kerrang!, Steve Beebee stated that it was Delain's best album to date and rated it a 4/5.[9]

Metal Injection gave the album an 8/10, stating that "symphonic metal typically sticks to familiar ground—with only marginal variation and experimentation from time to time—and Delain undoubtedly still do it better than most of their peers."[10]

Blabbermouth also gave the album an 8/10, adding that "Delain have upped their game in every department, eschewing cynical acts of musical shark-jumping in favor of aiming for the best and most powerful manifestation of a simple idea."[11]

Track listing

Apocalypse & Chill track listing
No.TitleLength
1."One Second"3:37
2."We Had Everything"4:08
3."Chemical Redemption"4:39
4."Burning Bridges"4:14
5."Vengeance"4:52
6."To Live Is to Die"3:47
7."Let's Dance"4:07
8."Creatures"3:39
9."Ghost House Heart"2:59
10."Masters of Destiny"4:53
11."Legions of the Lost"5:17
12."The Greatest Escape"4:26
13."Combustion"5:25
Total length:56:03
Bonus tracks[12]
No.TitleLength
14."Masters of Destiny" (orchestral version)3:58
15."Burning Bridges" (orchestral version)3:02
16."Vengeance" (orchestral version)4:06
Total length:67:16

Personnel

All information from the album booklet.[13]

Delain

  • Charlotte Wessels – lead vocals
  • Martijn Westerholt – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Timo Somers – guitars, co-lead vocals on "One Second", backing vocals
  • Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije – bass
  • Joey de Boer – drums

Guest/session musicians

  • Guus Eikens – backing vocals, songwriting
  • Yannis Papadopoulos – guest vocals on "Vengeance"
  • Shir-Ran Yinon – violin on "Ghost House Heart" and "The Greatest Escape"
  • Mikko P. Mustonen – orchestrations

Production

  • Martijn Westerholt – songwriting, production, orchestrations
  • Charlotte Wessels – songwriting, lyrics
  • Timo Somers – songwriting, lyrics
  • Jacob Hansen – mixing
  • Svante Forsbäck – mastering
  • Bas Trumpie – drum engineering
  • Imre Beerends – drum engineering
  • Tim Tronckoe – band photography
  • Maxim Getman – cover art
  • Marnix de Klerk – artwork
  • Nina Mathijsen – artwork
  • Oliver Phillips – additional arrangements on "To Live Is to Die" and "The Greatest Escape"

Charts

Chart performance for Apocalypse & Chill
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[14] 49
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[15] 43
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 45
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[17] 59
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[18] 24
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[19] 14
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[20] 28
Scottish Albums (OCC)[21] 48
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] 8

References

  1. ↑ "Delain Posts New Music Video "Masters Of Destiny" Online". Metal Underground. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  2. ↑ "DELAIN Releases Music Video For New Single 'Burning Bridges'". Blabbermouth.net. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  3. ↑ "DELAIN Releases New Single And Lyric Video For 'One Second'". Blabbermouth.net. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  4. ↑ "Delain Release 'Ghost House Heart' Video". antiMUSIC. 26 January 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  5. ↑ "DELAIN To Release 'Apocalypse & Chill' Album In February". Blabbermouth.net. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  6. ↑ "Delain Announce New Album 'Apocalypse & Chill'". antiMUSIC. 1 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  7. ↑ "DELAIN's MARTIJN WESTERHOLT Announces End Of Band's Most Recent Lineup: 'The Others Have Chosen To Pursue Different Paths'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  8. ↑ Ainscoe, Mike (21 February 2020). "Delain: Interview with Martijn Westerholt". At The Barrier.
  9. ↑ Beebee, Steve (5 February 2020). "Album Review: Delain – Apocalypse & Chill". Kerrang!.
  10. ↑ Blum, Jordan (3 February 2020). "Album Review: DELAIN Apocalypse & Chill". Metal Injection.
  11. ↑ Lawson, Dom (February 2020). "CD Reviews: Apocalypse & Chill". Blabbermouth.
  12. ↑ "「Apocalypse & Chill / アポカリプス・アンド・チル」 | Ward Records". ワードレコーズ | Ward Records (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  13. ↑ (2020). "Apocalypse & Chill liner notes". In Apocalypse & Chill [CD booklet]. Napalm Records.
  14. ↑ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  15. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Delain – Apocalypse & Chill" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  16. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Delain – Apocalypse & Chill" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  17. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Delain – Apocalypse & Chill" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  18. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Delain – Apocalypse & Chill" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  19. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Delain – Apocalypse & Chill" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  20. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2020. 7. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  21. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  22. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Delain – Apocalypse & Chill". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
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