Delain cover a lot of the same ground already covered not just by the likes of Nightwish or Stream of Passion but, with 2006's Lucidity, Delain themselves. Whether this says more about the group or about the inherent limitations of the type of music they play is anyone's guess, but April Rain very quickly tips its hand, and before even the halfway mark in the mid-tempo pop metal of "Virtue and Vice," it's not hard to guess where the rest of the album will eventually lead.

As with a large segment of the female-fronted symphonic metal genre, most of the production (and attention) focuses on Wessels, but the real star here is keyboardist and chief songwriter Martjin Westerholt, his synths and orchestral patches infusing the power into Delain's brand of power metal. On the surface, Westerholt's contributions come off as the usual larger-than-life sonic accents. Deeper listens, however, reveal a heaviness that relies less on its riffs than it does on its attack; Delain aren't especially heavy in their choice of tunings or keys, but they certainly sound like it. "Invidia," for example, uses Westerholt's keyboards and orchestral blasts to lend low-end punch to what could otherwise pass for an especially aggressive Kelly Clarkson song.

When the group avoid those power metal cliches, as on the driving "Go Away" with its guitar-and-drum unison riffing and thunderous breakdown section, or with the strangely haunting "I'll Reach You," Delain carves out a nice little niche for themselves, but most of the songs on April Rain never venture far enough from the formula to make much of a mark. The album results in music that makes a roaring noise but isn't quite big enough to cast much of a shadow. Delain put forward a strong bid, but female-fronted symphonic metal remains without a true ruler.

Recommended Tracks: The orchestral sounds of opener "April Rain" deliver the symphonic; "Go Away" shows the group at its heaviest; "I'll Reach You" at its most melodic.