Delain took their name from the imaginary realm in Stephen King's novel The Eyes of the Dragon. The Dutch symphonic metal outfit was established by Martijn Westerholt, who had previously served as keyboardist for Within Temptation. The band surfaced in 2006 with an expansive fusion of gothic, symphonic, power, and neo-classical metal, and they have since delivered a series of well-received records such as We Are the Others in 2012, Moonbathers in 2016, Apocalypse & Chill in 2020, and Dark Waters in 2023.
A chronic illness compelled Westerholt to leave his role with the Dutch goth rock act Within Temptation in 2001. After regaining his health, he spent the ensuing years composing material and assembled an ensemble that drew on established figures in the field, among them Marko Hietala of Nightwish, guitarist Jan Yrlund, vocalist Liv Kristine, and Charlotte Wessels, formerly of To Elysium, as lead singer. The project, christened Delain, secured a deal with Roadrunner and issued the single "Frozen" in 2006 followed by the debut album Lucidity the next year. Although Westerholt had conceived Delain as a studio endeavor only, the reception of Lucidity prompted live dates, and that performing unit supplied the foundation for the 2009 album April Rain, which enlisted cellist Maria Ahn of the Ahn Trio alongside Hietala.
The band's third studio album, We Are the Others, arrived to strong critical notice in 2012. Two years later they moved to Napalm Records for The Human Contradiction, which incorporated contributions from Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy and formerly of the Agonist, Hietala, and George Oosthoek, previously of Orphanage. The EP Lunar Prelude appeared in 2016 and contained the single "Turn the Lights Out," drawn from Neil Gaiman's comic series The Sandman. Also in 2016, Moonbathers again featured White-Gluz and introduced guitarist Merel Bechtold, known from MaYaN and Karmaflow, in the studio for the first time. Hunter's Moon, an EP issued in early 2019, marked the arrival of drummer Joey de Boer. The following year brought the sixth studio album, Apocalypse & Chill, again on Napalm, whose heavier fare included the epic single "Burning Bridges."
In early 2021 Westerholt stated that the existing members had chosen to pursue separate paths. With Delain now functioning chiefly as a Westerholt solo outlet, he recruited a fresh roster of both new and returning players to handle touring duties in support of the 2023 release Dark Waters.
