Dutch artist CHARLOTTE WESSELS and her band, now dubbed The Obsession, will release their second full-length, full-band studio album, Mute Swan Empire, on February 5, 2027, via Napalm Records. It’s a character-driven concept album in which each of its 15 tracks inhabits an archetype that emerges at the end of the Anthropocene, exploring how different people respond to climate breakdown, social injustice, and the collapse of familiar futures.

Through these different characters, the former DELAIN vocalist forms a fractured portrait of humanity, revealing the many ways we confront collapse — with denial, rage, faith, withdrawal, hope, vengeance, and everything in between — all woven into a sonic multiverse that defies genre-categorization.

The album arrives just in time for CHARLOTTE WESSELS’ first-ever headlining tour across Europe and the UK, kicking off on February 4, 2027, in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, one day prior to the album release.

CHARLOTTE WESSELS about the album:
“I didn’t set out to write a concept record from the start, but somewhere along the way, I began to realise that all the latest songs I’d written were connected. Each of them seemed to embody a different response to the world we’re living in: Denial, complicity, withdrawal, blind obedience, selective empathy, but also hope and connection, and so on. I started to recognize these recurring themes and archetypes, and eventually realised they were all part of a much bigger story. I found myself wanting to follow this thread as far as it would take me, exploring the concept through the music first, and eventually through the artwork and imagery, too. 

“That discovery became the foundation for Mute Swan Empire. What fascinates me is how easy it is to recognize these responses in others, and how much harder it can be to recognise them in ourselves. I didn’t want an album that simply points fingers or offers easy answers. I wanted to explore the contradictions, the uncomfortable grey areas, and the possibility that we can change. 

“Musically, the same freedom to follow wherever a song leads has resulted in a record that moves between some of the heaviest music we’ve made and moments of vulnerability. Despite how varied the record is, I think we’ve never sounded more together like a band. Everyone brings something distinct to the music, and I’m really proud of what happens when all those elements come together.”

Pre-order your copy of Mute Swan Empire NOW:

The title Mute Swan Empire draws on the myth of the swan song: The belief that a swan sings its most beautiful song just before death. Throughout history, individuals, cultures, and civilizations have had their own swan songs — final moments of beauty, meaning, or grandeur before fading away. On Mute Swan Empire, CHARLOTTE WESSELS asks: “What if we don’t get one? What if we’ve pushed ourselves so close to ecological and social collapse that we’ve lost, or no longer deserve, that final act of grace? Will the swan remain silent?”

Musically, the album continues the exploration of the space between heavy music and alternative influences, bringing together intricate arrangements, expansive atmospheres, powerful vocal performances and the band at its strongest. The musicians she first brought together for The Obsession have since taken on its name, growing into a close-knit live band through the past years of touring. That shared experience, combined with a more intensive production process with Joost van den Broek at Sandlane Studios, and Timo Somers on top of his game joining in on the arrangements, has helped the band’s collective identity takes centre stage, giving the album a more cohesive sound, without sacrificing its dynamic range, moving between powerful, hard-hitting passages, and moments of striking intimacy.

MUTE SWAN EMPIRE TRACK LISTING: 
“Incubus”
“In Leta Via”
“Tempest”
“After Us The Flood”
“Good Girl (If You’re Ready To Die)”
“The Hermit Song”
“Emergency Kit”
“One Day They Will Come For You”
“Weeping Madonna”
“This Is Not An Opinion”
“The Villain”
“Let The Music Decide”
“Incantations”
“Starling”
“Bells Of Lynn”

Mute Swan Empire will be available in the following physical formats:

2-LP Gatefold (Marbled Oxblood Red/Black) — Napalm Shop Exclusive

2-LP Gatefold + Shirt Bundle — Napalm Shop Exclusive

1-CD Digisleeve + Shirt Bundle — Napalm Shop Exclusive

1-CD Earbook — Napalm Shop Exclusive

2-LP Gatefold (Swan White) — Patreon Exclusive, only available via Charlotte’s Webshop

2-LP Gatefold, incl. Lyric Sheet

1-CD Digisleeve

Mute Swan Empire is driven not only by the current state of the world but also by human responses to it and by how deeply entrenched some people can become in those. In addition, Charlotte drew inspiration from books, poetry, film, and literature, and the record incorporates words by two medieval mystics, Hildegard von Bingen (“In Leta Via”) and Julian of Norwich (“The Hermit Song”), as well as text from the Dutch “Denk Vooruit” campaign on “Emergency Kit.”

“One Day They Will Come For You” is inspired by Martin Niemöller’s post-war confessional prose piece “First They Came For The Communists,” while “Bells Of Lynn” was inspired by and incorporates fragments of the poem of the same name by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Charlotte’s work on Mute Swan Empire had already begun before she finished her previous record, The Obsession (2024). Since 2020, she has released a new song every month through her Patreon page, and her favorite tracks eventually make it onto her public albums. The earliest song to appear on Mute Swan Empire in a rearranged form is “Incantations,” which was originally released on Patreon in March 2024. Compared to CHARLOTTE WESSELS’ previous release, Mute Swan Empire features a more band-focused sound. The album was produced by Charlotte and Joost van den Broek at Sandlane Recording Facilities, where it was also mixed. In addition to Charlotte and The Obsession, the album also features Elianne Anemaat on cello on several tracks, as well as orchestral and additional keyboard arrangements by Vikram Shankar.

Mute Swan Empire is a work of art that serves as both a wake-up call and a dreamlike experience. With her truly unique artistic vision, CHARLOTTE WESSELS has created the most remarkable music of her career to date, proving why she deserves to be recognized as one of the most outstanding artists in today’s heavier music scene!

CHARLOTTE WESSELS’ THE OBSESSION LIVE 2026/2027:

In February 2027, CHARLOTTE WESSELS will take The Obsession on their very first headline tour, spanning major cities across Europe and the United Kingdom, with Melissa Bonny, vocalist of modern metal outfit AD INFINITUM, joining as support. The tour will kick off on February 4, 2027, in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, and conclude on February 27, 2027, in CHARLOTTE WESSELS’ hometown of Utrecht, the Netherlands. Before that, CHARLOTTE WESSELS and The Obsession will head to Brazil and Argentina in December.

The full list of dates can be found below. Be sure to grab your tickets and VIP upgrades quickly here.        

TOUR DATES:
12/12 — São Paulo, Brazil — Liberation Festival
12/15 — Buenos Aires, Argentina — El Teatrito

MUTE SWAN EMPIRE TOUR:
WITH MELISSA BONNY (EXCEPT ESSEN):
2/4 — Sint-Niklaas, Belgium — Casino
2/5 — London, UK — Islington Assembly Hall
2/6 — Glasgow, UK — Slay
2/7 — Manchester, UK — Club Academy
2/9 — Paris, France — La Machine Du Moulin Rouge
2/10 — Zurich, Switzerland — Papiersaal
2/12 — Milan, Italy — Legend Club
2/13 — Munich, Germany — Backstage Halle
2/14 — Zlín, Czech Republic — Masters of Rock Cafe
2/15 — Vienna, Austria — Szene Wien
2/17 — Budapest, Hungary — Barba Negra
2/18 — Krakow, Poland — Hype Park
2/19 — Leipzig, Germany — Werk 2
2/20 — Hamburg, Germany — Gruenspan
2/21 — Copenhagen, Denmark — Pumpehuset
2/23 — Berlin, Germany — Lido
2/25 — Aschaffenburg, Germany — Colos-Saal
2/26 — Essen, Germany — Weststadthalle
2/27 — Utrecht, Netherlands — TivoliVredenburg Ronda

CHARLOTTE WESSELS’ THE OBSESSION ARE:
Charlotte Wessels — Vocals, Keys
Timo Somers — Guitars + Backing Vocals*
Joey Marin de Boer — Drums
Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije — Bass Guitar*
Nina Van Beelen — Keys + Backing Vocals

*Note: on Mute Swan Empire, Bass guitar was performed by Timo Somers

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First, let me start by saying that Metallica are one of my favorite bands of all time, and their music has always given me strength and motivation, as well as entertainment. Sharon Osbourne, who the title is also taking a little dig at, is another person I greatly admire. Her perseverance, sharp business sense, and trailblazing force in the music industry have earned my respect. But being a dedicated fan does not mean blindly agreeing with everything someone says, and being a legendary musician or industry figure does not make you immune to criticism when you say something shallow, foolish, or completely out of touch. James Hetfield’s recent claim that music should steer clear of “agendas” deserves to be challenged, because the idea that politics should be kept out of entertainment ignores what art, and especially heavy music, have been doing for centuries.

Art has always had something to say about the world around us. Artists have always used their work to reflect the struggles, power structures, and injustices of the world around them. Long before anyone had a microphone and a Marshall stack, painters were challenging authority, documenting wars, and demanding change. Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People captured the revolutionary spirit of the 1830 French Revolution, while Pablo Picasso’s Guernica remains one of history’s most famous anti-war works, preserving the horror of civilians being slaughtered in the bombing of the Spanish town. Art has never existed in some lovely little bubble floating above society. It has always been one of the ways people respond when the people in power are doing something horrific.

Music, and heavy metal in particular, comes directly out of that tradition. Heavy music was born from disenfranchisement, frustration, rebellion, and a healthy suspicion of authority. From Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” taking aim at the people who send others to war, to System of a Down confronting state violence, to Rage Against the Machine tearing into systemic oppression, some of the genre’s most important music has been political from the beginning. Even Metallica’s own discography makes Hetfield’s argument rather awkward. Heavy metal has never been about making uncomfortable truths more palatable. Quite the opposite.

To be clear, James Hetfield and Metallica have every right to stay out of politics on stage. They can stick to performing and sing about meadows, butterflies, or children happily playing in the sunshine if that’s what they want. Although the image of happy children might trigger Metallica’s new biggest fans, Netanyahu and Trump, for more reasons than one. But dismissing other artists’ social convictions as “bullshit” is where the argument falls apart. Musicians are perfectly entitled to say something about the world around them, and expecting them to strip their work of any social conscience completely misses one of the reasons people create art in the first place.

Calling basic human rights “politics” is just a convenient excuse. If an entertainer speaks up for survivors of a devastating earthquake, would James tell them to “keep geology out of entertainment”? If an artist raises awareness about breast cancer, are they pushing “biology” on their audience? Speaking out against genocide or condemning a government agency that is actively murdering human beings is not a partisan “political agenda.” It is basic humanity. And you’d think the man who wrote “One,” “…And Justice for All,” and “Disposable Heroes” would know that.

Cover image attribution: By 4TheWynne – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Source

The post Music and Politics? Why James Hetfield is 1,000,000% Wrong first appeared on FemMetal – Goddesses of Metal.

Posted on October 14th 2026, 3:00pm

No parents, no curfew, just a plastic mask you couldn’t breathe through and a pillowcase full of candy from total strangers. Continue reading…

(We present Daniel Barkasi’s interview of Giovanni A. Vigliotti from the Floridian doom/death metal band Somnent, whose new album Heirloom will be released by Ardua Music on October 30th.) As fall has begun, and winter will be right around the corner, the chill in the atmosphere cultivates the proper mindset for doom metal. A place […]

The post AN NCS INTERVIEW: SOMNENT appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.

There’s almost always a good story around the creation of an album. I think it’s just the nature of the creative process. Sometimes though, the back story drives the record more than the other way around. That’s pretty much the case with Grey DeLisle’s new release, Don’t Turn Around. While working on SpongeBob SquarePants, the […]

Wisconsin hard rock act, Raised By Fred and Alice, have just released their latest album “Devil’s Playground”. Shane Loy formed the project after years of playing a five string Gibson Les Paul bass in live bands, with over 2,000 shows under his belt across different bands.

Being a seasoned performing musician, Loy wanted to mix his expertise with live performance into his music, writing songs that are made to sound good in the recording, but also have an electrifying live show.

Raised by Fred and Alice comes from Shane’s major influences throughout his life, Fred Rogers and Alice Cooper. Fred brings a sense of compassion and treating people with respect, while Alice brings theatrics, attitude, and classic rock ‘n’ roll.

The entire album explores themes of temptation, pride, consequence, freedom, and learning to let go. Despite being the newest release “Devil’s Playground” places itself before previous work “L” and “Redemption” in Raised by Fred and Alice’s storyline. The name “Devil’s Playground” conveys a place where our thoughts, desires, and decisions are tested. Some songs have darker narrators and situations with the purpose of bringing those struggles into light.

The album starts with “Bow to Me” which speaks from the perspective of a tempter. It quickly builds a classic rock sound starts solos, dynamic vocals, and chanting create an energetic sound. Bright choirs add a new element to the nostalgic rock ‘n’ roll sound, keeping things interesting. “Gonna Get What I Deserve” is next which as the name suggests, dives into the idea of entitlement. The vocals take on a different tone, with lyrics being intentionally egotistical and having a darker sound. The way the vocals change tone is really interesting, adding a sense of theatrics and acting within the singing, which is a unique idea.

“Paparazzi” starts with clean guitar before introducing electric guitar and soaring vocals as lyrics seem to take a look at modern media and how different organizations can twist headlines to suit their goals and audience, even if it is not the truth. The title track, “Devil’s Playground” starts with rapid hi-hats and electric guitar as vocals remind me of pop-punk before shifting into more aggressive hard rock vocals and darker guitar work. Raised by Fred and Alice, utilizes contrast in a dynamic way blending the hard rock we‘ve heard from the album so far with a new punk influence to create an interesting shift between sections that keeps things fresh.

“Free” begins with slow orchestral strings and ambient clean guitar as vocals kick in with a slight lofi effect, creating a gentle and melancholy sound that slows things down. Soon the vocals lose the filter, jumping in with full clarity as drums join in and things pick up a little, becoming a soft rock song as electric guitar and more energetic vocals are introduced.

“Let Go” brings back the upbeat hard rock sound as darker melodies are used once again, but the lyrics this time focus on forgiveness and self-mercy. The song’s chorus features a catchy hook that feels nostalgic and gives a feel of that 70s and 80s rock sound that shows itself clearly in Raised by Fred and Alice.

The final song “Sweet Mama T” takes inspiration from Mother Teresa’s “Do It Anyway” poem that teaches resilience and compassion, despite being treated unkindly. It takes a softer sound than the last track but still features electrifying guitar leads and powerful vocals, continuing the energetic rock sound of that album.

“My faith is in the writing, and I want the songs to connect with anyone who has wrestled with regret, relationships, pride, or the hope of another chance. These are human experiences, and hard rock gives me a powerful way to express them.” – Shane Loy

Overall, “Devil’s Playground” is a powerful album that blends classic rock with strong messages and theatrics to create something interesting and unique. You can stream “Devil’s Playground” available now!

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