Charlotte Wessels – Tales from Six Feet Under Volume II
Charlotte Wessels – Tales from Six Feet Under Volume II
Napalm Records
Release Date: 07/10/2022
Running Time: 42:00
Review by Rory Bentley
8/10
Your band splits up, the bills keep piling up and there’s a big old pandemic that’s put every touring musician’s career on ice- what do you do? Well, if you’re former Delain singer Charlotte Wessels you set up a Patreon, connect with your fans and let your creativity explode.
Hot on the heels of last year’s debut solo album, the Dutch songstress continues to capitalise on a musical purple patch with another eclectic set of Alt-Pop ragers that continues to show what an immense talent she actually is. I already knew her pipes were top drawer as they were comfortably my favourite thing about Delain, but this record, along with its predecessor, demonstrates that Wessels is more than a powerful set of lungs.
‘Venus Rises’ acts as the perfect introduction to Wessel’s sonic realm, with layered crooned vocals dripping with attitude over an Electro Pop backdrop which has a recurring motif that stays just the right side of Dubstep so as not to date it to 2010. So strong is the chorus that the song also gets away with a key change at the end without conjuring X-factor Christmas single vibes. This sultry almost Hyper Pop approach is sprinkled throughout the track-listing, adopting a more aggressive form in the layered, almost Industrial strutting of ‘Good Dog’ which sounds like Garbage in their 90’s pomp.
Elsewhere there are hints at Wessel’s Symphonic Metal past such as the plucked strings of ‘Human to Ruin’ and the bombastic riffing and orchestral attack on ‘Phantom Touch’, which could be a Delain song were it not for a more raspy vocal delivery and a creepy carnival waltz that brings to mind sections of Nightwish’s “Imaginaerum” album while adopting a chorus that erupts like a minor key version of Cheryl Crowe’s ‘If it Makes You Happy’. Maybe that bit is just me.
Continuing in a more commercial vein (again, not a dirty word guys – not everything needs to sound like Pig Destroyer), there are a couple of songs where Charlotte goes into her higher register that have the fragile melancholy of Lana Del Rey’s recent work, namely ‘The Final Roadtrip’ and ‘I Forget’. The former drips with summertime sadness even when the final chorus piles on the euphoric strings, while the latter has a Folky bounce to it that will appeal to fans of Joanna Newsom. Although it’s more palatable and less vocally quirky.
The two songs that best illustrate the broad palette on display across “Tales From…” come in the form of ‘Against All Odds’ and ‘Toxic’. The former is a straight up ballad with breezy acoustic guitars and percussive natural harmonics layered under Charlotte’s angelic head-register vocals. The whole song hinges on a theme of dusting yourself off and being ready to look for love once more despite knowing it’s more than likely going to hurt you all over again. The melancholic lyrics that depict defiance in the face of suffering, along with a gorgeous vocal delivery, stop this one tipping too far into diabetes-inducing syrupyness and result in a genuinely lovely song. ‘Toxic’ on the other hand is pure animalistic NIN aggression with stalking industrial beats and a staccato orchestral riff that descends into a screaming beatdown section, all while weaving in some top-tier Pop hooks. It’s a song so filthy it’ll leave dirt under your fingernails by the time it’s had its wicked way with you!
Despite ending a little more sedately with ‘Utopia’, possibly my least favourite here, this is overall a fantastic Alt-Pop record that spans everything from Radiohead, to The Gathering to Ministry, held together by Wessel’s expressive, distinctive voice. Free from having to compromise in the confines of a band and an increasingly saturated and formulaic genre, this is an artist doing whatever the hell she wants and pulling it off with nonchalant ease. I for one am all ears for part three of this journey and am strongly considering joining Charlotte’s Patreon community to see the next chapter take shape firsthand.
‘Toxic’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Venus Rising
02. Human to Ruin
03. The Phantom Touch
04. Against All Odds
05. A Million Lives
06. The Final Roadtrip
07. Good Dog
08. Toxic
09. I Forget
10. Utopia
LINE-UP:
All vocals, programming and instruments performed by Charlotte Wessels except –
Timo Somers – Guitar on ‘Human To Ruin’ and ‘Against All Odds’
Elianne Anemaat – Cello on ‘I Forget’
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rory Bentley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
