ALBUM REVIEW ~ CHARLOTTE WESSELS ~ 'TALES FROM SIX FEET UNDER'

I'm Music Magazine, Charlotte Wessels, Delain, Tales from six feet under, Victor, Alissa White Gluz, Superhuman,

Charlotte Wessels is like a mythical figure. Magic seeps from her lyrics like sweat from the pores of your body. I had the pleasure to see Wessels perform 5 years ago when her band, Delain (now disbanded), toured with Nightwish and Sonata Arctica. She takes the stage like a whisper, ever becoming a whirlwind who sings like a lark.

It’s been a challenging couple of years for the stunning redhead, whose band Delain, (initially formed in 2002), broke up after 16 years. The band noted creative differences and working relationship differences, while in her interview with Metal Injection, (Pasbani, 2021), Wessels briefly touched on built-up grievances. She acknowledged “It may be painful at first to see the Delain that I’m not part of”, however she passed on her good wishes to the others for success, ever elegant. To reiterate part of her official statement, Wessel’s said, quote:

“Simply put it is the sad conclusion of more than a year of trying to find solutions to built up grievances. Part of me feels like I’m letting all of you down, I’d like you to know that this decision was not taken lightly and I apologize to those of you who had high hopes of seeing all of us together live on stage again after lockdown.”

Delain first smashed into my world with the song “We Are The Others.” It was 2015, I was in an abusive relationship, ever so Hippie Goth, and had just come out of the broom closet as a baby Witch and Pagan the year before. I had always been different, never fitting in anywhere; consistently bullied and tormented at home and at school, but when I found Delain’s “We Are The Others,” it was one of those, “Hey, I’m not alone!” moments in life.

It was time for this Muse to go solo, but with hits such as “We Are The Others” and quiet, underrated masterpieces such as This Silence Is Mine, how would Wessels fare in her new corner in the industry of solo work?

Well, you know how “Nobody puts Baby in a corner?” Nobody puts Charlotte Wessels in one either. Unless it’s one of her choosing filled with gorgeous green plants and the peace of life.

Her majestic solo debut, Tales from Six Feet Under through Napalm records, has arrived. With the exception of Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy on the track “Lizzie,” Wessels performed and arranged all the songs herself.

Astonishingly evocative, these innermost songs pull you in close to the core of Wessels. The album opens with poetry put into music. “Superhuman,” mixed and mastered by Guido Aalbers of Giesound Studio, whose official video released two months ago, has already racked up nearly 50,000 views.

Tender, almost esoteric, ethereal vocalisations highlight Wessels’ vocal range like a butterfly’s spread wings. A song for your being that hints at the battles of Mental Health and the importance of nurturing your inner child, with emotional lyrics such as, quote, “I’ve got super human skin, this madness can’t come in”, “Superhuman” is a healing soul power of a song that will easily rock you.

Hints of how Wessels must see through her third eye sparkle all over this album. Earthy and foreign, Wessels’ music swims through you like water reaching every last cell, as would a bright open display of ivy; vines curling up into you with the nourishment of each note.

“Masterpiece” comes at you like a sprinkling of mystical dewdrops; lyrics crashing over you like a wave of encouraging self-worth. “Masterpiece’s” beat runs staccato as stars do in the night sky, yet blends into the rhythm as smoothly as The Milky Way. The song has a slightly Electronica vibe which adds an element of fun.

“Victor” opens with an immediate haunting tone. This is a song that touches deep within your bones, and runs through your soul. Instrumentals and vocals brew together in a melancholy vision of bravery through sound.

“New Mythology” flies right along with the theme of the album; Wessel doesn’t shy away from boldly declaring, “I believe in the new mythology. You can call me a Witch of the 21st Century.” Well as a fellow Witch, I must say the one positive word that I really want to use right now is love. Love the song, love this album, love Wessels and everything about her interstellar energy.

And suddenly all my sister Witches and my brother Witches that run in my ancestry are here with me in spirit. In this moment; in this music, where the Gods riff their guitars and the Goddesses sing.

The harmonies featured in this album and the atypical, unique melodies of these songs go far beyond luminosity; into the blaze of musical genius.

“Source of the Flame” begins with the slow burn of chant-like vocals. Just when you think the song will never break out into a heavy beat, it explodes with wailing, from its previous steady rhythm of a quieter emphasis, that the power is within yourself. The long instrumental ending featured in this song is nothing short of emotive and evocative.

“Cry Little Sister” will transport you to an almost Egyptian experience at first. I hear a lot of 80s influence; recollections of music such as Martika’s “Toy Soldiers” and Depeche Mode’s “In Your Room” dazzle this song and call up emotions that run deep.

Wessels’ duet with Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy on the track “Lizzie” is immediately indicative of a bard’s type of ballad. Beginning deep and groggy with an almost Irish flair, matching stellar vocals take turns lamenting one on top of the other. White-Gluz’s upper register particularly shines; ending the song with a heart-wrenching wail.

Wessels’ final track “Soft Revolution” ends the album with as much power and impressive emotion as it began with. “Soft Revolution” is a transcendental finisher of quiet strength, folding in the important reminder that it’s okay that everything is not okay. We just need to keep believing in one, lifting each other up to encourage one another, and make a positive difference in this world through love.

Tales From Six Feet Under is the album I never knew I needed. The most spiritual album I’ve reviewed thus far for I’m Music Magazine, go let Wessels’ music inspire you and lift you up. This was a sonnet for your soul, courtesy of Charlotte Wessels. Blessed Be.

Check out Wessels’ social media websites, official website, and you can also follow her on Patreon, where she does an amazing job of connecting with her fanbase and providing awesome and exciting new material.

By I’m Music Magazine Contributing Writer Breezy Blake