{{short description|2014 studio album by Delain}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}} {{Infobox album | name = The Human Contradiction | type = studio | artist = Delain | cover = The Human Contradiction (2014) - Delain.jpg | alt = | released = 4 April 2014 | recorded = 2014 | venue = | studio = Wisseloord Studios and Graveland Studios, Hilversum, Netherlands <small>(drums)</small>,<br />Spacelab Studios, Grefrath, Germany <small>(guitars)</small>,<br />Guus Eiken headquarters | genre = Symphonic metal<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.soniccathedral.com/webzine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1045&Itemid=0 |title=Sonic Cathedral WebZine - Delain ? The Human Contradiction |access-date=2 September 2016 |archive-date=19 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819070936/http://soniccathedral.com/webzine/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1045&Itemid=0 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | length = 41:56 | label = Napalm | producer = Martijn Westerholt | chronology = Delain studio album | prev_title = We Are the Others | prev_year = 2012 | next_title = Moonbathers | next_year = 2016 | misc = {{Singles | name = The Human Contradiction | type = studio | single1 = Your Body Is a Battleground | single1date = 7 March 2014 | single2 = Stardust | single2date = 2 April 2014 | single3 = Sing to Me | single3date = 6 May 2015 }} }}
'''''The Human Contradiction''''' is the fourth studio album by the Dutch symphonic metal band Delain. It was released on 4 April 2014 in Europe, and on 8 April 2014 in North America.
The album features guest appearances from Alissa White-Gluz, Marko Hietala and George Oosthoek.
==Background== According to lead singer Charlotte Wessels, the album's title was inspired by Octavia E. Butler's science fiction trilogy ''Lilith's Brood''. 'The Human Contradiction' refers to humans in general being highly intelligent and hierarchically structured at the same time. The songwriting, however, was not influenced by ''Lilith's Brood'' but continues the theme of being different that was portrayed by Delain's previous album ''We Are the Others''.<ref name=Seducer42>{{cite magazine |title=Delain: Descartes und Voltaire kommen in eine Bar |trans-title=Delain: Descartes and Voltaire walk into a Bar |first=Masi |last=Kriegs |language=German |magazine=Sonic Seducer |page=42 |year=2014 |issue=4 |volume=21}}</ref> It charted at number 25 on the Official Album Charts in their native country of Netherlands, as well as charting at number 44 on the Official Album Charts in the United Kingdom.
==Reception== {{Album ratings |rev1=All About The Rock |rev1Score=8/10<ref name=All_About_The_Rock>{{cite web |title=Delain – The Human Contradiction |first=Matt |last=Farrington |publisher=All About The Rock |date=16 April 2014 |url=http://allabouttherock.co.uk/delain-human-contradiction/ |accessdate=16 April 2014}}</ref> |rev2=''Metal Hammer'' Germany |rev2Score=5/7<ref name=MHG>{{cite web |title=Delain – The Human Contradiction |language=German |first=Enrico |last=Ahlig |work=Metal Hammer |date=31 March 2014 |url=http://www.metal-hammer.de/reviews/alben/article556108/delain-the-human-contradiction.html |accessdate=14 April 2014 |quote=Für anspruchsvollen Pop zu hart, für rockigen Tiefgang zu seicht.}}</ref> |rev3=''Sonic Seducer'' |rev3Score=6.15/10<ref name=Seducer77>{{cite magazine |title=Soundcheck |first1=Thomas |last1=Vogel |first2=Torsten |last2=Schäfer |first3=Thomas |last3=Abresche |first4=Jörn |last4=Karstedt |first5=Yvonne |last5=Duchateau |first6=Kai |last6=Reinbold |first7=Thomas |last7=Pilgrim |first8=Kym |last8=Gnuch |first9=Erik |last9=Rössler |author10=Medusa |language=German |magazine=Sonic Seducer |page=77 |year=2014 |issue=4 |volume=21}}</ref> }}
A joint review by 10 ''Sonic Seducer'' writers found that ''The Human Contradiction'' was a well-produced gothic metal album oriented towards Within Temptation, but without any new impulses.<ref name=Seducer77/> A reviewer for the ''Decibel'' magazine wrote, too, that the album contained nothing new, but was well crafted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.decibelmagazine.com/?s=Delain&x=0&y=0# |title=Sucker For Punishment: Well, Don't Die Just Yet |first= Adrien |last=Begrand |work=Decibel |date=9 April 2014 |accessdate=14 April 2014}}</ref> According to ''Metal Hammer'' Germany, ''The Human Contradiction'' was in fact different than other releases by Delain in that it contained a tiny musical allowing Charlotte Wessels to present the full range of her voice. The reviewer noted though that the album was "too hard for sophisticated pop, [and] too shallow to have any rocking depth."<ref name=MHG/> Matt Farrington for All About The Rock said "It would be nice to see them pushing the boundaries more to see what else can be delivered. That said it would be a tough task for them to deliver a better record than April Rain back in 2009".<ref name=All_About_The_Rock/>
== Track listing == {{Track listing | total_length = 41:56 | all_lyrics = Charlotte Wessels | all_music = Guus Eikens, Charlotte Wessels and Martijn Westerholt (except where noted) | title1 = Here Come the Vultures | length1 = 6:05 | title2 = Your Body Is a Battleground | note2 = featuring Marko Hietala | length2 = 3:50 | title3 = Stardust | length3 = 3:57 | title4 = My Masquerade | length4 = 3:43 | title5 = Tell Me, Mechanist | note5 = featuring George Oosthoek | length5 = 4:52 | title6 = Sing to Me | note6 = featuring Marko Hietala | length6 = 5:09 | title7 = Army of Dolls | length7 = 4:57 | title8 = Lullaby | length8 = 4:56 | title9 = The Tragedy of the Commons | note9 = featuring Alissa White-Gluz | length9 = 4:31 }} {{Track listing | total_length = 38:32 | headline = Digipak bonus disc | title10 = Scarlet | length10 = 4:36 | title11 = Don't Let Go | length11 = 3:56 | title12 = My Masquerade | note12 = Live from the My Masquerade concert, Haarlem 8 November 2013 | length12 = 5:02 | title13 = April Rain | note13 = Live from the My Masquerade concert, Haarlem 8 November 2013 | writer13 = Martijn Westerholt, Charlotte Wessels | length13 = 4:45 | title14 = Go Away | note14 = Live from the My Masquerade concert, Haarlem 8 November 2013 | writer14 = Martijn Westerholt, Guus Eikens, Charlotte Wessels | length14 = 3:42 | title15 = Sever | note15 = Live from the My Masquerade concert, Haarlem 8 November 2013 | writer15 = Martijn Westerholt | length15 = 4:54 | title16 = Stay Forever | note16 = Live from the My Masquerade concert, Haarlem 8 November 2013 | writer16 = Martijn Westerholt, Ronald Landa, Charlotte Wessels | length16 = 4:31 | title17 = Sing to Me | note17 = Orchestra version | length17 = 3:41 | title18 = Your Body Is a Battleground | note18 = Orchestra version | length18 = 3:20 }}
== Personnel == === Delain === *Charlotte Wessels – vocals *Martijn Westerholt – keyboards *Timo Somers – guitars *Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije – bass *Sander Zoer – drums
=== Additional musicians === *Marko Hietala – clean male vocals (2, 6) *George Oosthoek – death growls (5) *Alissa White-Gluz – death growls & clean female backing vocals (9) *Georg Neuhauser – backing vocals (9) *Guus Eikens – additional guitars *Oliver Philipps – additional guitars, arrangements, engineer (vocals) *Mike Coolen – additional drums *Ruben Israel – additional drums *Mikko P. Mustonen – orchestration
===Production=== *Martijn Westerholt – production, arrangements *Arno Krabman – drum engineering *Ad Sluijter – guitar engineering *Christian Moos – guitar engineering, mixing *André Zoer – live recording engineering *Fredrik Nordström – mixing *Henrik Udd – mixing *Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York *Das Buro – artwork, design *Sandra Ludewig – photography
== Charts ==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- !scope="col"| Chart (2014) !scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- |align=left {{album chart |Flanders |65 |album=The Human Contradiction |artist=Delain |accessdate=29 May 2014}} |- |align=left {{album chart |Wallonia |90 |album=The Human Contradiction |artist=Delain |accessdate=29 May 2014}} |- |align=left {{album chart |Netherlands |25 |album=The Human Contradiction |artist=Delain |accessdate=29 May 2014}} |- |align=left {{album chart |France |106 |album=The Human Contradiction |artist=Delain |accessdate=29 May 2014}} |- |align=left {{album chart |Germany |40|id=238138 |album=The Human Contradiction |artist=Delain |accessdate=10 September 2024}} |- |align=left|Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/414148/products/music/1068480/1/ |script-title=ja:ヒューマン・コントラディクション |language=Japanese |publisher=Oricon |accessdate=29 May 2014}}</ref> |185 |- |align=left {{album chart |Scotland|52|date=2014-04-13 |accessdate=10 September 2024}} |- |align=left {{album chart |Switzerland |24 |album=The Human Contradiction |artist=Delain |accessdate=29 May 2014}} |- |align=left {{album chart |UK2 |44 |date=2014-04-13 |accessdate=10 September 2024}} |- |align=left {{album chart |UKIndependent|8|date=2014-04-13 |accessdate=10 September 2024}} |- |align=left|UK Rock Chart (OCC)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/rock-and-metal-albums-chart/20140413/112/ |title=2014 Top 40 Rock & Metal Albums Archive: 19th April 2014 |publisher=Official Charts Company |accessdate=29 May 2014}}</ref> |2 |- |align=left|US Heatseekers Albums (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/delain/chart-history/tln/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118025653/https://www.billboard.com/artist/delain/chart-history/tln/|title=Delain Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)|work=Billboard|archive-date=18 November 2021|access-date=10 September 2024}}</ref> |8 |- |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Delain/The_Human_Contradiction/400425 Metallum Archives]
{{Delain}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Human Contradiction}} Category:2014 albums Category:Delain albums Category:Napalm Records albums