Year : 2016 (Japan Edition)
Style : Symphonic Power Metal
Country : Netherlands
Audio : 320 kbps + scans + Video
Size : 243 mb
Bio:
Ever since EPICA emerged on the scene at the end of 2002, the band has been living in a whirlwind of studio recordings, interviews, screaming fans, live performances and a rock 'n roll lifestyle. With every new album EPICA pushes the boundaries by reinventing their distinctive style, and nothing seems to stop the band on their rise to the top.With their previous record ‘Design Your Universe', seen by many as a true milestone in bombastic and symphonic metal, EPICA seemed to have found the perfect musical mixture between classical and heavy music. The album entered the charts everywhere and consolidated their position among the top of today's metal acts. An extensive tour marathon with over 200 headlining shows allover the globe proved both their ambition and their success.This time EPICA once again raises the bar with their fifth album called 'Requiem of the Indifferent'. Full of trademark hymns, significant lyrics, powerful guitar riffing alternated with cinematic interludes, Simone Simons' angelic voice, it is a very logical step after ‘Design Your Universe'. Again it is an album which has to grow on the listener, so make sure to give it a couple of spins to get the whole picture. As with every album, EPICA mixes hard, technical and fast with intimate and slow, with as good as everything in between. However, this time around it are the huge contrasts which make ‘Requiem for the Indifferent' stick out. The album will take you on a journey through brutal metal, sweet melodies, technical instrumental passages, theatrical moods, epic orchestration, varying vocal ranges, catchy tunes followed by complex songwriting, etc. More than ever the band connects all these extremes flawlessly, making this a more dynamic, more versatile, more detailed, more style crossing EPICA than before. All of this is actually an acccumulation of individual talent, as EPICA happens to have some of the finest musicians around. Ariën Van Weesenbeek, one of the best drummers in the metal scene, supported by the solidness of bass player Yves Huts. Isaac Delahaye, known for his adventurous guitar riffs and praised for his tasty soloing. Mark Jansen, main songwriter of the band, rhythm guitarist & grunter. The classically trained pianist Coen Janssen, who is also responsible for all the choir arrangements. And last but not least frontwoman Simone Simons, who has an extremely diverse, unique and enchanting voice. ‘Requiem for the Indifferent' is proof that this sextet is on a constant quest for renewal and that only the best is good enough.The album title refers to the end of an era. Mankind can no longer stick their head in the sand for the things that are happening around us: tensions between different religions and cultures, wars, natural disasters, a huge financial crisis. As we are all connected; the universe, the earth, nature, animals and human beings, this period in time will be the prelude to the end for those who still don't want to, or simply won't see it. A requiem for the indifferent but also a possibility for a new beginning with great new chances.Once again, EPICA produced the new album along with Sascha Paeth (AVANTASIA, KAMELOT) at the Gate Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany.'Requiem of the Indifferent' will be released on the 9th of March 2012 (13th of March in the US), after which the band will start promoting the album with a big production world tour.
Album:
Dutch symphonic metallers EPICA will release their seventh studio album, "The Holographic Principle" on September 30 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was produced by Joost van der Broek at Sandlane Recording Facilities and was mixed by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, DESTRUCTION). The cover artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann.The band commented: "'The Holographic Principle' deals with the near future wherein virtual reality has taken off and allows people to create their own virtual worlds which can't be distinguished from 'reality as we know it.' This raises the question whether our current reality is a kind of virtual reality on itself, a hologram. This implies the existence of a higher reality which we currently do not have access to. The lyrics challenge you to think out of the box, to reconsider everything you thought to know for sure and to be open-minded towards recent revolutions in science. Fasten your seat belts and get ready for a ride as nothing appears to be what it seems in our holographic universe."Speaking to Spark TV, which is part of the Czech monthly magazine Spark, EPICA singer Simone Simons stated about the follow-up to 2014's "The Quantum Enigma": "It's a huge amount of songs, it's a lot of information, it's a lot to take in, but we put everything in this record and we hope that it will pay off and that the people will feel what we feel when we listen to it."She added: "Since 'The Quantum Enigma' was received so well, we set the bar so high, but we accepted the challenge to make an even better record. And we've done everything bigger than before — we had more orchestra, a bigger choir. We had so many different instruments — real, live instruments. Vocally, I put everything in the record that I can possibly do, and I'm very pleased with it."According to Simone, she has once again experimented a bit with her vocal approach on the new album. "With each record, I try to get the best out," she said. "And Joost [van den Broek], our producer, he's also very good at getting everything out of me. And the songs themselves, they just ask for a lot of variation in the vocal style. And I do opera, rock, pop, and in the ballads you hear the really soft voice. And, yeah, I can belt out some high notes as well."Even though "The Holographic Principle" is one of EPICA's most ambitious offerings to date, the album doesn't sacrifice any of its instant appeal, something which Simone says was intentional. "I think it needs to be all in balance," she said. "We are, in heart, a metal band going in the symphonic direction. The orchestration, the choir is a little bit like the seventh and eighth bandmember of EPICA, and that's something we'll always keep in there. And the choir parts are often very catchy, the choruses are very catchy. But on this record, besides having catchy melodies, we also wanted to have really groovy vocal lines. And that's something that we worked on as well; we changed up some things to make it less predictable."One of the aspects of EPICA's sound which has been enhanced on "The Holographic Principle" is the growling vocal style of EPICA guitarist and main songwriter Mark Jansen. "Well, it's Mark and it's actually our drummer as well," Simone said. "Mark is the main grunter, and our drummer, Ariën [van Weesenbeek], has a really nice, thick sound. So I don't know if he sang all the grunt parts as well, if he doubled them with Mark, but them together makes a totally new grunt sound, and I like it. Also, it changes it up a bit. Mark can do also really low grunts, he can do screams, and Ariën really has that deep sound to it."Simone also praised the contributions of EPICA guitarist Isaac Delahaye, who came into the band in 2009. "The guitars are definitely more brutal," she said. "Also in the mix, the melodies, the grooves, and I think that ever since Isaac joined the band, not only as a songwriter but also the guitars have been lifted to a different level, and have become more interesting to listen to, I find myself. So I'm a big fan of his guitar work and also his songwriting."
Line Up:
Simone Simons - Vocals (female) (2003-present) - See also: Kamelot (live), Mayan (live), ex-Karmaflow, ex-Sahara Dust
Mark Jansen - Guitars (rhythm), Vocals (harsh) (2003-present) - See also: Mayan, ex-Karmaflow, ex-Infernorama, ex-Sahara Dust, Universal Mind Project, ex-ReVamp (live), ex-After Forever
Coen Janssen - Keyboards (2003-present) - See also: ex-Karmaflow, ex-Sahara Dust, ex-Kamelot (live)
Ariën van Weesenbeek - Drums, Vocals (harsh) (2007-present) - See also: Down Till Dawn, Mayan, ex-Edgecrusher, ex-Karmaflow, ex-Pandaemonium, ex-God Dethroned, ex-HDK
Isaac Delahaye - Guitars (lead), Vocals (backing) (2009-present) - See also: Down Till Dawn, ex-Edgecrusher, ex-Forcible, ex-God Dethroned, ex-Mayan, ex-Panopticum
Rob van der Loo - Bass (2012-present) - See also: Freak Neil Inc., ex-Fifth, ex-Soulcatcher, ex-Form, Hangover Hero, Rob van der Loo, ex-Delain, ex-Exivious, ex-Mayan, ex-Hubi Meisel, ex-Sun Caged, ex-Triple 7
Tracklist:
01. Eidola (2:39)
02. Edge Of The Blade (4:34)
03. A Phantasmic Parade (4:36)
04. Universal Death Squad (6:38)
05. Divide And Conquer (7:48)
06. Beyond The Matrix (6:26)
07. Once Upon A Nightmare (7:08)
08. The Cosmic Algorithm (4:54)
09. Ascension - Dream State Armageddon (5:16)
10. Dancing In A Hurricane (5:26)
11. Tear Down Your Walls (5:03)
12. The Holographic Principle - A Profound Understanding Of Reality - (11:35)
13. Immortal Melancholy (Piano Version) (3:15) (Japan Bonus Track)
+ Video "Universal Deathsquad" (Official Video)
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