Today, Dutch singer-songwriter, Charlotte Wessels, embarks on a dark and heavy journey as she unveils the latest single from her upcoming solo album, The Obsession, out this Friday, September 20 via Napalm Records. The new track, “Ode To The West Wind“, features powerhouse vocals by Alissa White-Gluz from Arch Enemy, as this collaborative masterpiece mixes Charlotte's enchanting style with Alissa's strong presence.
After chart-breaking success and ruling stages worldwide with Delain, Wessels takes her solo career to the next level with her first traditional full-length, full-band solo album. Having already gained a devoted following with her previous solo offerings, The Obsession is sure to impress fans and critics alike. The multifaceted record marks an exciting and touching listening experience and, together with its honest storytelling, it acts as Wessels’ most mature solo offering so far.
Charlotte Wessels on "Ode To The West Wind”: “I’m thrilled to present the fifth single from The Obsession – and my fifth collaboration with the incomparable Alissa White-Gluz. Many of our songs together are inspired by or based on classic poetry, and ‘Ode To The West Wind’, drawn from Percy Shelley's poem of the same name, is the latest addition to this thematic journey. Shelley's poem reflects his admiration for the untamable force of nature and his thoughts on his own legacy. For the music video, we explored humanity's impact on the natural world (spoiler: it’s not pretty) by reimagining iconic artworks like Caspar David Friedrich's Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog and Raphael's cherubs from the Sistine Madonna, only this time suffused with pollution, wings made of trash, and covered in toxic waste. I'm incredibly excited about how this song has evolved through my collaboration with the band and Alissa, I can’t wait to unleash this wall of sound at our upcoming shows, and of course I can't wait for you to experience this song in the full context of The Obsession – out in just a few days!”
While still writing and producing the songs in her Six Feet Under basement home studio and sharing their first incarnations with her patrons, Charlotte Wessels now takes the songs from her new album, The Obsession, to the next level with a band of her fellow ex-Delain cohorts Timo Somers (guitars, additional arrangements), Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (bass) and Joey Marin de Boer (drums) 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 Anemaat, was mixed by Guido Aalbers (Muse, Coldplay, The Gathering) and was mastered by Andy VanDette (Porcupine Tree, VOLA, Dream Theater).
Charlotte Wessels about the new album: "On the one hand, this album tells a very personal story – through its unintended theme of fear, obsessive thoughts and the escapes from them – and at the same time it represents the joy of finding the song's true forms with everyone involved in the making 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’ve also started referring to the band as The Obsession - because there were moments in the studio with them that truly reminded me of why I'm obsessed with making music in the first place."
Themes of fear, obsessive thoughts and escapism run rampant on the album, presenting dark and heavy on songs like “The Exorcism”, “The Crying Room” and “Ode To The West Wind” (feat. Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy). In addition, there are songs that offer a more upbeat approach to the subject – like “Dopamine” (feat. Simone Simons of Epica) which deals with SSRI-induced numbness, or “Praise” – which sings the gospel of needing external validation in order to feel anything. The reimagining of fan-favorite “Soft Revolution” won’t leave a dry eye in the room, while “Soulstice” and “Serpentine” present an unprecedented dark sensuality. Each song itself functions like an exorcism, an attempt to cast out a little of the fear it deals with.
Charlotte Wessels about the guests: “I’m extremely grateful and proud to add Simone Simons and Alissa White-Gluz to the line-up of this album. They are creative powerhouses that I have so much love and respect for. Whenever we get to work together is an absolute treat and they really elevated the songs with their performances.”
The Obsession will be available in the following formats:
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl Splatter + 2 Bonustracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched – ltd. to 200 copies worldwide *Napalm Records Mailorder Only*
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl Recycled Black + 2 Bonustracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched
- Gatefold 2-Vinyl Inkspot + 2 Bonustracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended“), D-Side Etched *Patreon Exclusive*
- Digisleeve + Shirt Bundle
- Digisleeve
- Digital Album
Pre-order here.
The Obsession tracklisting:
"Chasing Sunsets"
"Dopamine"
"The Exorcism"
"Soulstice"
"The Crying Room"
"Ode To The West Wind"
"Serpentine"
"Praise"
"All You Are"
"Vigor And Valor"
"Breathe"
"Soft Revolution (2024)"
“The Crying Room” video:
“Dopamine” video:
“Chasing Sunsets” video:
"The Exorcism" video:
(Photo - "Ode To The Westwind" video still by VideoInk)
