New album The Obsession will be released on September 20th via Napalm Records
The charismatic Dutch singer/songwriter Charlotte Wessels announced details of his new album The Obsession, scheduled for release on September 20 by Napalm Records. Wessels also released a video for their new single, the haunting 'The Exorcism'.
Check out the video for 'The Exorcism':
Listen to 'The Exorcism' here
Pre-order The Obsession here
The Obsession marks the debut of Wessels in Napalm Recordsand while his previous solo efforts - the full-length compilations Tales From Six Feet Under (2021) e Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II (2022) - have already earned him a remarkable number of followers, The Obsession really takes his career to the next level. The new album promises a cohesive exploration of fear and liberation, as well as gripping melancholy and dark, captivating elements meeting progressive, heavier soundscapes. The narrative within the songs gives the multi-faceted album even more depth, making The Obsession an exciting listening experience and the most mature offering of Wessels so far.
The first single 'The Exorcism' is an impressive testament to the unparalleled talent of Wessels and her genre-transcending songwriting qualities, and what's more, it's the heaviest solo offering she's released to date. Quietly ushering the listener into this sphere of sound, the song explodes into a heavy attack straight away. It's calm and loud, subdued and bombastic, fragile and confident at the same time, featuring the thrilling, full-range vocals of Charlotte WesselsI'm looking forward to everything that's to come.
I've been thinking a lot about fears and behaviors I've had since I was a child, and how at certain points in my life I thought I'd overcome them for good, but they always resurfaced over time. I keep asking myself why. 'The Exorcism' is a call for these demons to stay away - but also a message to myself and others facing similar challenges, to persist - even if they don't want to?
While still writing and producing songs in his Six Feet Under home studio and sharing his early incarnations with his patrons, Charlotte Wessels is bringing songs from its new album The Obsession to the next level with a band of his former colleagues from Delain: Timo Somers (guitars, additional arrangements), Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (bass) and Joey Marin de Boer (battery), as well as Sophia Vernikov (piano/hammond) contributing to the new, heavier sound. The album also features arrangements by Vikram Shankar (Silent Skies, Pain of Salvation), cello by Elianne Anemaatwas mixed by Guido Aalbers (Muse, Coldplay, The Gathering) and mastered by Andy VanDette (Porcupine Tree, VOLA, Dream Theater).
Wessels about the new album: "On the one hand, this album tells a very personal story - through its unintentional theme of fear, obsessive thoughts and the escapes from them - and at the same time it represents the joy of finding the true forms of the songs with everyone involved in the creation of this record. That's why I chose The Obsession as a title. It refers to my personal challenges with OCD that inspired many of the songs - but I also started referring to the band as The Obsession - because there were moments in the studio with them that really reminded me why I'm obsessed with making music in the first place."
Themes such as fear, obsessive thoughts and escapism run wild on the album, coming across as dark and heavy in songs such as 'The Exorcism', 'The Crying Room' and 'Ode To The West Wind' (featuring Alissa White-Gluz / Arch Enemy). In addition, there are songs that offer a more upbeat approach to the theme - such as 'Dopamine' (featuring Simone Simons / Epica), which deals with SSRI-induced numbness, or 'Praise' - which sings the gospel of needing external validation to feel something. The reimagining of fan favorite 'Soft Revolution' won't leave a dry eye in the atmosphere, while 'Soulstice' and 'Serpentine' present an unprecedented dark sensuality. Each song itself acts as an exorcism, an attempt to expel some of the fear it deals with.
Wessels he adds: "I'm extremely grateful and proud to add Simone Simons e Alissa White-Gluz to the formation of this album. They are creative powerhouses for whom I have a lot of love and respect. Whenever we work together it's a real treat and they really elevated the songs with their performances."
Charlotte Wessels live:
- August 17: NL Ulft Dru Park, Huntenpop Festival
- September 14: NL Rotterdam, Baroeg Open Air
- October 04: NL Utrecht, TivoliVredenburg ? Ronda
Artists: Charlotte Wessels