Epica is a legendary symphonic metal band and hasn’t made a bad album yet. Aspiral releases on April 11th through Nuclear Blast, and it continues their string of wonderful records. Honestly, it’s impressive for a band over twenty years old.
Epica hail from the Netherlands, and their lineup has remained pretty tight for some time. The band consists of Simone Simons on vocals, Mark Jansen on harsh vox and rhythm guitar, Coen Janssen on keys, Ariën Van Weesenbeek on drums, Isaac Delahaye on guitars, and Rob van der Loo on bass. You’ll hear plenty of orchestrations and choirs, too.
The band is known for their progressive symphonic metal sound replete with strings, majestic orchestrations, and theatrical flair. With some symphonic metal bands, their sound falls apart without the orchestrations, but Epica is a true-blooded metal band at its core, and that’s why their overall sound works so well.
On their last album proper, Omega, they pursued an intensely theatrical sound flush with children’s choirs, and I absolutely loved it. This album steps backs from the choirs somewhat, allowing Simone to have the spotlight once again. So, the first thing I noticed about Aspiral is Simone’s excellent performance, the second thing I noticed being the rumbling growl of the guitars that makes this album feel darker and more grounded.
Another thing I noticed was the strength of the lyrics. Epica has always written intelligent lyrics, and these focus on our human connections with each other and with the Earth. I appreciate the themes of creating the future consciously and confidently.
The album has eleven tracks, and I’d say the first half is the stronger of the two, though my favorite song appears in the second half. Go figure. The first half contains kinetic opener “Cross the Divide”, the theatrical goodness of “Arcana”, and “Darkness Dies in Light” which is part VII of the ongoing “A New Age Dawns” suite, making it sound decidedly like something from Design Your Universe. That’s a good thing! One of my favorites follows, “Obsidian Heart”, which I love for its almost casual but effective riff and delicious groove. “Fight to Survive” ends the first half with a catchy and rhythmic piece with some great stuttering riffs.
The second half begins with part VIII of “A New Age Dawns”, called “Metanoia”. I love this song for its atmospheric touches and nostalgic melodies. I would consider “T.I.M.E.” and “Apparition” to be the low point of the record; both are good songs, but the former feels a bit unnecessary and the latter feels like a repeat of some of the earlier tracks, though the lumbering riff is cool.
The last three tracks are all great, though I have some comments still. “Eye of the Storm” has some terrific guitar work and a classic Epica sound, and I can’t help but like it. “The Grand Saga of Existence” is part IX of “A New Age Dawns” and feels a little uneven to me; I’m not such a fan of the chorus, but the rest of the song is fantastic, especially the sweeping cinematic themes. The album closes with my favorite track, the title piece. “Aspiral” is mostly centered upon Simone’s vocals, though it isn’t exactly a ballad, and it slowly adds layers of guitars and choirs and a bit of spoken word to become something very special. This closer is haunting and darkly theatrical in all the right ways, and I can’t get enough.
Aspiral isn’t Epica’s greatest album, but it stands tall in their amazing discography. This album is a bit darker and more, shall I say, human, and so Simone’s vocals really shine. I love the guitarwork and lyrical content and, yes, even the strange cover art. Give it a try.
_____________
Find Epica online:
_____________
_____________
The PROG Mind 