In February 2021, Dutch metallers Delain made the surprise announcement that the band's longtime line-up had been dissolved due to creative differences. It was shocking news for the fans, particularly since the band had finally come into their own in 2014 with The Human Contradiction, ending years of being overshadowed by countrymen Within Temptation, Epica and Ayreon. Keyboardist / founder Martijn Westerholt, who launched Delain in 2002, announced his plans to keep the name alive as a solo project, but in the months that followed it evolved into a new band. 

Vocalist Charlotte Wessels, meanwhile, embarked on a musical soul search, using her Patreon page to test and tease new music on her Delain fanbase over two albums, Tales From Six Feet Under (Volumes 1 and 2). The Obsession marks Charlotte's first official step out as a solo artist, much to the delight of her fans, and even more so because she has brought some noteworthy friends along on her new journey.

Charlotte: "The two previous records, they were like compilation albums of what I've been doing on my Patreon. They weren't like a traditional album effort like The Obsession is. The way that went, I basically started it as a side-project from Delain just for any songs that didn't fit the band. When the band split up, I already had that platform, so it was very easy to make the choice: 'I'm already doing this, I'm going to give it my full effort now.' I had already given myself the challenge of releasing one song every month, I was working on a video that I needed to finish, so it really pulled me through. If at that point I would have had to think of something new to do, I probably would have wallowed in self-pity for a while before I did something."

"It was very fortunate I had something I could do that didn't only give me deadlines and thing to just keep swimming. I have such a supportive (Patreon) community, and it was absolutely wonderful. I was teaching myself production, I had a very steep learning curve, I practiced very publicly with those records. I couldn't have done The Obsession the way that I did now if I hadn't had the opportunity to make those records."

BraveWords: You worked with Timo (Somers / former Delain guitarist) for your Six Feet Under records, but how did it come about that you ended up bringing your other former bandmates together for The Obsession? The personal connection plays a part, obviously, but there's no guarantee that dynamic will translate into another working relationship.

Charlotte: "It started when I was thinking about bringing the Six Feet Under records to the stage. I was hesitant to ask them, but I also couldn't imagine anyone else doing it. I was really happy that they were happy to perform those songs, and from the moment that we were here rehearsing - and especially from the moment we were on stage together again - I really felt that if I'm going to make another record, I really want them to be a part of that process. Like you said, we've had that personal connection and we've kept it, but it was amazing to share the musical synergy again."

"When I had the first few interviews for this album, people were asking what the difference was between the last Delain album and this album, and I was kind of annoyed because the split was painful. Sometimes you don't want to be reminded of things like that. But then I thought, no, it's actually a very logical question because a big part of the cast is the same. I can imagine people are very excited about that kind of reunion. I'm excited about it."

BraveWords: In Delain you were "just" the singer and one of the songwriters. You've succeeded in carving out a solo career in the aftermath, and now you are calling all the shots. How has that transition been?

Charlotte: "Within Delain, the beginning of the songwriting process was mostly Martijn, Guus (Eikens) and myself; a lot of songs were written by the three of us. And here, the very first versions of the songs, I just do them here in the basement. After that, there was a lot of collaboration. Timo worked really hard on the arrangements for The Obsession. He took my plug-in guitars and made massive guitar arrangements, which really helped me prepare things for the band recordings. I think that everyone got to put their own mark on the music in their performances."

"It does feel different because I never had a producer role within Delain. It is a big difference, but at the same time we did a lot of things for this record that, in terms of really working together. We didn't even do when we were recording with Delain. When we recorded the drums, the entire band was there, and they played along as Joey was recording his drums in order to really have that band feeling. For me it's marked by a sense of responsibility, but at the same time there was a real joy of doing it together as well."

BraveWords: The Obsession can't be defined by one or two songs. There is a marked ebb and flow to the whole record, but sometimes the sequencing of the songs can make or break and album. Was it hard putting the tracklist together?

Charlotte: "It was a bit of a challenge, yes. There was one song that we all really liked, but it didn't make the album just because it didn't fit. But then we cheated because the album didn't fit on one vinyl LP, so we had to have two and we thought, 'Let's put the song on there as a bonus track.' So, if people want to hear the song that didn't make the album, there's the vinyl (laughs). So it was a challenge putting the running order together, and it was also a little bit of a 'kill your darlings' situation, but I think that the album really tells a story the way it's put together."

"It starts with 'Chasing Sunsets', which is about change, and then it goes through all kinds of drama, and then it ends on 'Vigour And Valor' and 'Soft Revolution'. One is kind of a call for strength, and the other is being scared of doing it. I think they work really well together to give the album a hopeful ending. I'm happy with how it came together in the end."

BraveWords: "'The Exorcism' is the heaviest song on the new album, and it features some unexpected extreme vocals. Is that all you?

Charlotte: "That's all me (laughs). I have been doing screams on records for a while, but I didn't ever do it live because I was afraid that I would ruin my voice. I'm now at a point where I'm doing it live with 'The Exorcism' because it's so personal. I have to. So, I've been working on it and I really enjoy doing it. It's such a cathartic moment, every time."

BraveWords: The Obsession features Simone Simons (Epica) and Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy) as guest vocalists. How did those collaborations come about?

Charlotte: "Those songs felt like they would be such a great fit for them. Simone and I had bonded talking about the very topic of the song 'Dopamine', so when I put the first version of the song on Patreon she texted me saying it was one of her favourite songs of mine. It felt like full circle, so I decided that if I put it on the album, I would love for her to sing on it. I'm happy that she did."

"Alissa and I have been working together on a number of songs, and one thing that they have in common is that a lot of them are based on famous poems. ‘Ode To The West Wind' is based on a poem of the same name by Percy Shelley. It's also a song where I finished it and I thought, 'I think this is an Alissa track.' So, I asked her if she would be interested, and I'm very glad we could make that happen."

BraveWords: What it was like taking on the role of producer in the studio? Particularly since you were paying director for your former Delain bandmates.

Charlotte: "They were very in tune with the material. I realized that because there were certain moments where I would listen to what they were doing, and the way they were working, and I actually got emotional because they elevated the songs. I was trying to say something and they helped me to communicate even better. I feel really privileged to be working with them."

BraveWords: Given that you're working with your former bandmates - and the new album's heavier than expected sound - some fans regard this new chapter your career as Delain 2.0. Does that bother you?

Charlotte: "I think the way people regard the album in the end is outside of my influence, so it doesn't really matter how I feel about it. I was in that territory, that is me, and I'm not going to do something different to avoid that comparison. I'm very proud of what I did with Delain, so there's no part of me that wants to pretend that didn't happen."