Epica

Music Home >> Music Genres >> Metal Music



< < < < < > > > > > More Info on Epica Similar Metal Music Search Artistopia

Biography

Epica is a Netherlands|Dutch symphonic metal band founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen subsequent to his departure from After Forever . They are known for their symphonic musicmight.com. Retrieved on 2011-09-08. sound and the use of female vocals and male growls performed by Simone Simons and Mark Jansen, respectively. All six members write the music, but Mark Jansen and Simone Simons write most of the lyrics. To date, Epica has released four studio albums (not including their instrumental album The Score – An Epic Journey ), with their fifth studio album, Requiem for the Indifferent , on tap for a March 2012 release.

History

Cry for the Moon (2002–2003)

In early 2002, Mark Jansen left After Forever over creative differences. He then began looking for musicians who would work towards a more classical/symphonic type of music project; this was initially named “Sahara Dust”. In late 2002, the band courted Helena Michaelsen (from Trail of Tears (band)|Trail of Tears ) as its frontwoman, but shortly after she was replaced by the then unknown mezzo-soprano Simone Simons , who was Jansen’s girlfriend at the time. The band's line-up was completed by guitarist Ad Sluijter, drummer Jeroen Simons, bassist Yves Huts, and keyboard player Coen Janssen. The name was later changed to Epica, inspired by Kamelot ’s Epica (album)|eponymous album .

Epica then assembled a choir (made up of two men and four women) and a string orchestra (three violin s, two viola s, two cello s and an upright bass ) to play along with them. Still under the name Sahara Dust , they produced a two-song demo (music)|demo entitled Cry for the Moon in 2002. As a result, they were signed to Transmission Records.

The Phantom Agony (2003–2004)

Their debut album, The Phantom Agony , was produced by Sascha Paeth (known for having produced bands such as Angra (band)|Angra , Rhapsody of Fire and Kamelot ) and released in late 2003. The song “Façade of Reality” on the album was written about the September 11 attacks and includes fragments from speeches by Tony Blair . 2004

The album was followed by three singles: “ The Phantom Agony (song)|The Phantom Agony ”, “ Feint (song)|Feint ” and “ Cry for the Moon (Epica song)|Cry for the Moon ”.

Consign to Oblivion / The Score (2005–2007)

Their second release, entitled Consign to Oblivion , was influenced by the culture of the Maya civilization , 2005 which can be noticed on songs in the “A New Age Dawns” series. “A New Age Dawns” refers to the time system of the Mayan people, which extends up to the year of 2012, and makes no reference of what may happen past said year. Consign to Oblivion was composed with film score s as a basis, with Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman cited as major inspirations. The album features guest singing by Roy Khan (from Kamelot ) on the song “Trois Vierges”. Epica also joined Kamelot as a support band on parts of their tour for promotion of the The Black Halo album, to which Simone Simons|Simons had contributed her vocals on the track “The Haunting (Somewhere In Time)”.

Two singles were released from the album, “ Solitary Ground ” and “ Quietus (Silent Reverie) ”.

Epica’s non-metal album The Score – An Epic Journey was released in September 2005 and is the soundtrack for a Netherlands|Dutch movie called Joyride (2005 film)|Joyride , though it could also be considered to be their third album. Mark Jansen describes the album as typical Epica, “only without the singing, without the guitars, no bass and no drums”.

In 2005 and 2006 Epica went on their first tour throughout North America with Kamelot . After the tour, drummer Jeroen Simons left the band because of his wish to pursue other musical interests. In Fall 2006, Simone once again contributed vocals to an album of Kamelot , this time on the tracks “Blücher” and “Season’s End” on the album Ghost Opera . In December, Ariën van Weesenbeek from God Dethroned was announced via Epica’s official website as the guest drummer for their new album, but not as a permanent band member.

The Divine Conspiracy (2007–2009)

In September 2007, Epica headlined their first tour through North America and released their third album, The Divine Conspiracy , this time on a new label, Nuclear Blast . That December, Ariën van Weesenbeek was announced to be Epica’s permanent new drummer. The band toured North America again in April 2008 with Into Eternity (band)|Into Eternity and Symphony X , this time with Amanda Somerville because Simone had contracted a staph infection ( MRSA ).

The first single of the album was released on August 10, 2007 entitled “ Never Enough (Epica song)|Never Enough ”.

The second single, “ Chasing the Dragon (Epica song)|Chasing the Dragon ,” was released in 2008 without an accompanying video.

On December 16, 2008, Ad Sluijter left the band. He left a message on his Myspace page with his reasoning for leaving the band, which included frustration over being unable to enjoy composing music because of deadlines. Ad’s successor on guitar was announced in January 2009 to be Isaac Delahaye , who is formerly of God Dethroned fame.

In May of that year, Epica recorded The Classical Conspiracy , their first live album . The live show took place in Miskolc , Hungary on June 14, 2008, in the framework of the Miskolc Opera Festival (where Therion (band)|Therion did a similar show a year before). It included a 40-piece orchestra and a 30-piece choir, and the setlist contained not only the band’s songs, but also covers of classical pieces of Antonio Vivaldi , Antonín Dvorák , Giuseppe Verdi , Edvard Grieg , and of soundtracks of the movies Star Wars , Spider-Man in film|Spider-Man and Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)|Pirates of the Caribbean . It was released on May 8, 2009 through Nuclear Blast Records .

Design Your Universe (2009–2011)

On March 4, 2009, Epica announced their return to the studio where they would begin the recording process for a new album. In April 2009, it was revealed that the new album’s title would be “ Design Your Universe ”. It continued the A New Age Dawns saga which started on Consign to Oblivion . The album was released on October 16, 2009. To promote this release, they performed in Amsterdam at Paradiso on October 10, 2009. This is the first Epica album to feature Isaac Delahaye. The record also contains a guest appearance from Sonata Arctica vocalist Tony Kakko on the song “White Waters”. The album debuted in #8 in the Netherlands|Dutch charts. dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved on 2009-10-23. On December 31, 2009, it was announced through their website that a new single will be released. The song is called “ This Is the Time (Epica song)|This Is the Time ” and all profit will go to World Wide Fund for Nature .
In September 2010, Simone once again contributed vocals to an album of Kamelot, this time on the tracks "House on a Hill", "Poetry for the Poisoned, Pt. II: So Long" and "Poetry for the Poisoned, Pt. III: All Is Over" on the album Poetry for the Poisoned .

Requiem for the Indifferent (2011–present)

In an interview in November 2010, Simone stated that the band is going to start writing music around February 2011 after their Latin American tour is over. She also stated that they are hoping for a release in the first quarter of 2012. As of May 2011, 14 tracks have been written without lyrics. The band plans to enter the studio after the Summer. Sascha Paeth will once again be the producer. The album is currently due to be released on March 9, 2012. On 1 December, the band announced that the name of the 5th studio album is going to be Requiem for the Indifferent , and will be inspired by such factors as the enormous tension between different religions and cultures, wars, natural disasters and the financial crisis. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nightwish-Comunidade-Branca/132045433559394#!/epica/posts/270082939706319

Style

Epica performs a blend of progressive metal ,. gothic metal and symphonic metal . Another component of Epica’s style is power metal ; their former guitarist Ad Sluijter having described the band as “a bridge between power metal and gothic metal.” Vocalist Simone Simons has expressed a preference for the group to be described as symphonic metal though the founder of the group Mark Jansen notes that they do not mind being called gothic metal.

The music of Epica is aggressive, bombastic and excessive with some songs being “epic, grand and majestic” and others “more subdued and introspective.” The band is also known to have progressive tendencies while a gothic atmosphere and sentimentality is also present in their music.

Epica uses a “trademark of many symphonic and gothic metal bands” in contrasting “two extremes, death grunts and brutality on one side, airy female melodiousness on the other.” Eduardo Rivadavia of Allmusic notes that the band’s “attraction ultimately hinges on exploring the sonic contrasts of light and dark; the punishing intensity of those elephantine guitar riffs and hyperactive drumming cast against the soaring, layered sweetness of the orchestrated strings and keyboards.” Simone Simons delivers operatic vocals in a mezzo-soprano range though she has also been known to sometimes sing “with a clear alto voice that has a flawless tone and a lot of emotion.” Mark Jansen delivers death growl|death grunts “that are secondary to Simons’ singing, but very important in terms of balance and variety.” The group is also known to employ human choirs and orchestras with additional embellishments such as spoken word recitals and lyrics in Latin and Arabic.

Line-up

Simone Simons – mezzo-soprano|mezzo-soprano vocals (2003–present)

Mark Jansen – rhythm guitars , death grunts|grunts , Screaming (music)|screams (2002–present)

Isaac Delahaye – lead guitars , backing vocals (2009–present)

Yves Huts – bass guitar (2002–present)

Coen Janssen – synthesizer , piano (2002–present)

Ariën van Weesenbeek – drums , grunts, spoken words (2007–present)

Former members

Helena Iren Michaelsen – vocals|soprano vocals (2002)

Iwan Hendrikx – drums (2002)

Dennis Leeflang – drums (2002)

Jeroen Simons – drums (2002–2006)

Ad Sluijter – guitars (2002–2008)

Session members

Koen Herfst – drums (tour 2007)

Amanda Somerville – vocals (North American tour 2008), background vocals on The Phantom Agony , Consign to Oblivion , The Divine Conspiracy , and Design Your Universe .

Oliver Palotai – keyboards (North American tour 2010)

Discography

Demos

2002: Cry for the Moon

Studio albums

2003: The Phantom Agony

2005: Consign to Oblivion

2007: The Divine Conspiracy

2009: Design Your Universe

2012: Requiem for the Indifferent

EPs and singles

2003: “ The Phantom Agony (song)|The Phantom Agony ”

2004: “ Feint (song)|Feint ”

2004: “ Cry for the Moon (Epica song)|Cry for the Moon ”

2005: “ Solitary Ground ”

2005: “ Quietus (Silent Reverie) ”

2007: “ Never Enough (Epica song)|Never Enough ”

2008: “ Chasing the Dragon (Epica song)|Chasing the Dragon ”

2009: “ Unleashed (song)|Unleashed ” jimcueva.com. 2009-09-06. Retrieved on 2009-09-06. (Spanish)

2009: “ Martyr of the Free Word / From the Heaven of My Heart |Martyr of the Free Word ”

2010: “ This Is the Time (Epica song)|This Is the Time ”

2012: “ Storm the Sorrow ”

DVD

2004: We Will Take You With Us

Compilations and other recordings

2005: The Score – An Epic Journey

2006: The Road to Paradiso

2009: The Classical Conspiracy

Music videos

2003: “The Phantom Agony”

2004: “Feint”

2005: “Solitary Ground”

2005: “Solitary Ground (alternative version)”

2005: “Quietus”

2007: “Never Enough (Light Version)”

2007: “Never Enough (Dark Version)”

2009: “Unleashed”

2010: “This Is the Time”

Copyright Citations

This article is licensed under the GNU License
Click here for original article: Epica

Epica Photo by: www.noorderslag.nl


1. Nightwish

Metal Music Artists