Taking their name from the fictional kingdom in Stephen King's fantasy novel The Eyes of the Dragon, Delain are a Dutch symphonic metal band founded by former Within Temptation keyboardist Martijn Westerholt. Emerging in 2006 with a bombastic blend of gothic, symphonic, power, and neo-classical metal, the group has issued a string of well-received outings, including We Are the Others (2012), Moonbathers (2016), Apocalypse Chill (2020), and Dark Waters (2023).

Forced from his position as keyboardist for Dutch goth rock luminaries Within Temptation due to a chronic illness in 2001, Martijn Westerholt worked to get himself back to match fitness, and over the course of the next few years he began to write music. Bringing together some of the more well-known musicians in the genre -- including Marko Hietala (Nightwish), Jan Yrlund, and Liv Kristine -- as well as lead vocalist Charlotte Wessels of To Elysium, Westerholt was able to realize a new musical project, and he named it Delain. Signed to Roadrunner, the group released a single ("Frozen") in 2006, and their debut album, Lucidity, in 2007. Though Westerholt had initially thought of Delain as a studio-only project, the success of the band's debut resulted in a tour, and that live incarnation would go on to provide the meat for 2009's April Rain, which utilized the outside services of Maria Ahn, cellist from the Ahn Trio and Hietala. 2012 saw the release of the group's critically acclaimed third studio album, We Are the Others, and two years later, the band issued The Human Contradiction via Napalm Records, which included guest spots from Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy, ex-the Agonist), Hietala, and George Oosthoek (ex-Orphanage). A new EP, Lunar Prelude, arrived in 2016 and featured the single "Turn the Lights Out," which was inspired by Neil Gaiman's comic book series The Sandman. 2016's Moonbathers featured returning guest Alissa White-Gluz, and marked the studio debut of guitarist Merel Bechtold of MaYaN and Karmaflow fame. Early 2019 saw the band release the EP Hunter's Moon, which featured new drummer Joey de Boer. The following year they issued their sixth studio album, Apocalypse Chill, again on Napalm, which featured some of their heaviest material in years, such as the epic, brutal single "Burning Bridges." In early 2021, Westerholt announced that the bandmembers had elected to go their separate ways. With Delain now operating primarily as a Westerholt solo vehicle, he conscripted a lineup of new and former members to serve as the touring ensemble for 2023's epic Dark Waters. ~ Chris True & James Christopher Monger, Rovi