Delain Release ‘We Are Fire’ With Three Guest Singers After Diana Leah’s Exit

Delain have released ‘We Are Fire’, featuring Fabienne Erni, Noa Gruman and Paolo Ribaldini, following the departure of vocalist Diana Leah.

The single and its official video arrived on 20 October through Napalm Records. It introduces a broader group of collaborators around Delain’s existing musicians, with the band choosing to work with multiple voices rather than appoint a single replacement singer.

Erni, known for her work with Eluveitie, joins Scardust vocalist Gruman and Ribaldini on the new recording. All three are credited as vocalists on ‘We Are Fire’, while founder Martijn Westerholt remains responsible for keyboards and orchestration.

The continuing core lineup is Westerholt, guitarist Ronald Landa, bassist Ludovico Cioffi and drummer Sander Zoer. The guest performers will contribute around that group, with the band saying individual songs and performances will draw on different combinations of musicians.

Westerholt explained the song’s theme in the release announcement: “‘We Are Fire’ is about the inner fire that keeps us moving forward, even when the path ahead is uncertain.”

Delain Confirm A Wider Cast Of Collaborators

The wider project includes Marko Hietala, Within Temptation’s Sharon den Adel, Anneke van Giersbergen, Patty Gurdy and Johanna Kurkela, alongside the three singers heard on the single. Within Temptation guitarist Ruud Jolie is also involved. Those names form a pool of guests, rather than the personnel list for this one track.

Leah joined Delain in 2022 and sang on Dark Waters, released in February 2023. That album introduced Leah and Cioffi to the recorded lineup while bringing Landa and Zoer back into the band. It also featured contributions from Hietala and Jolie.

Guest appearances have been part of Delain’s records since their 2006 debut, Lucidity, which included den Adel and Hietala. The latest announcement brings that approach to the centre of the band’s plans after several years with Leah as lead vocalist.

Hietala, Erni, Gruman and Ribaldini are also named for Delain’s February 2027 European shows. The scheduled run starts in Cologne on 2 February and finishes in Tilburg on 11 February, with dates in Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Infected Rain and Persefone are joining the bill.