Dutch vocalist/composer Charlotte Wessels continues her successful solo journey by releasing her newest single, the profound “Toxic”, from her upcoming second full-length album, Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II, out October 7 via Napalm Records.
Within this immersive piece of rock, pop, metal and beyond, Charlotte's artistic talent shows no limits on Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II. Carefully crafting lyrics, instrumentals, vocals and even mastering production, her artistic and intellectual sophistication is beyond compare. Besides her own prominent creative impact, the album also features delicate guitar work by Delain ex-band colleague Timo Somers.
It might be easy to get lulled into a false sense of security by the relaxed opening beat of her latest single, but do not be fooled: Charlotte takes no prisoners on her newest single, “Toxic”. The track starts with suspenseful, magical sounds that, together with challenging lyrics, offer a perfect symbiosis. The ambient sounds are completed with hard guitar riffs and growling screams. Staying true to her metal origin, Charlotte proves once again that she does not care for limitations! Effortlessly, she combines various genres making versatility her trademark as she introduces an atmospheric sound with explosive potential.
Wessels on “Toxic”: “'Toxic' is a direct response to the populism, greed, misogyny and victim blaming that come screaming from our screens on a daily basis, and with the recent overturning of Roe v Wade, it has sadly become only more relevant since its initial release on Patreon. I hope you like the song but I mostly hope the issues it deals with will be a thing of the past before I am."
Watch the lyric video for “Toxic”:
On the exciting new offering, Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II, Wessels’ styles range from melancholic alt-pop to synth-infused rock and connect atmospheric elements with harder sounds, crossing genre boundaries with ease.
Starting with captivating synth-flavored track “Venus Rising”, Charlotte Wessels’ lures the listener into her multifaceted world of sound to be spellbound within the blink of an eye. Following “Human To Ruin” mesmerizes with a sweet melody that breaks into a propelling metal track, where calmer parts alter with powerful break outs. Wessels releases her power on other commanding tracks like “The Phantom Touch” and “Good Dog”, while on “The Final Roadtrip”, she presents the full range of her vocal prowess atop carefully balanced electronic beats and indie soundscapes. “Toxic” comes with an obscure, captivating whispering sound that turns into a strong sonic wall, as the album then fades out with the honest atmospheric gems “I Forget” featuring a cello performance by Elianne Anemaat, and “Utopia”.
This eclectic wealth of songs proves Wessels’ exceptional ability to express the most sincere feelings and emotions within her art and her distinct intuition for the combination of seemingly different genres. Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II is an enchanting portent of Charlotte Wessels’ further multifaceted endeavors.
Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II will be available as 1LP Vinyl Gold, 1LP Vinyl Recycled Black, 1LP Vinyl Recycled Color (Patreon exclusive) as well as on all digital platforms. Moreover, fans will get a combined 2CD Digisleeve that also includes Wessel's exciting first solo offering Tales From Six Feet Under Vol I, which will be released on CD for the first time now.
Pre-order the new album here.
Tales From Six Feet Under Vol II tracklisting:
"Venus Rising"
"Human To Ruin"
"The Phantom Touch"
"Against All Odds"
"A Million Lives"
"The Final Roadtrip"
"Good Dog"
"Toxic"
"I Forget"
"Utopia"
“Human To Ruin” lyric video:
"Against All Odds" video:
Charlotte Wessels will bring her work to the stage on October 23 at TivoliVredenburg - Ronda, in Utrecht, NL, for her first and only live show so far: Tales From Six Feet Under - Live in Concert. Get tickets here.
(Photo - Sandra Ludewig)
