Epica

Forostar

Ancient Mariner
Some of you may have heard of this name. This is a Dutch band (though the bass player is Belgian).
They mix quite some styles and deserve more attention imo.

Here some recent recordings, made for Rock Palast (German TV program)

Hope you like it!
Cheers
Forostar


Cry For The Moon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJgVkgyrPU8

Consign To Oblivion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BOqjTaqXRM

Blank Infinity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaIkYDtUCZc

The Obsessive Devotion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGLEyc8fP6c

Never Enough
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28SG044wgHg

Beyond Belief
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMXfU1Ovs0M

Interview (in German)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J39CSSvhjxQ


------------------------
Live in the studio - recorded, back in 2004

Perhaps my favourite track!  -->
Seif Al Din
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgdGgTmG5ww

Facade Of Reality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SiBcMCaHL0

Sensorium
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGgk5V8QKns

The Phantom Agony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLWrOFN5ySk
 
Must get this album, I have their other two. I still think they are a Nightwish copy-cat, but still very talented, not to mention Simone is GORGEOUS :D
 
Onhell said:
Must get this album, I have their other two. I still think they are a Nightwish copy-cat, but still very talented, not to mention Simone is GORGEOUS :D

I'd like to point out a lot of big differences between Nightwish & Epica, but first I'll wait until you've heard the new album!  B)
 
I've heard both bands enough by now to have picked up several differences. Tarja's voice is more trained, classic opera singer, simone has a great clear voice, not exactly opera, but close. Epica uses more ochestrations and choruses and of course the death metal vocals which puts them more in line with bands like Sirenia and Haggard than Nightwish which are strictly power metal, rather than melodeath.
 
Onhell said:
I've heard both bands enough by now to have picked up several differences. Tarja's voice is more trained, classic opera singer, simone has a great clear voice, not exactly opera, but close. Epica uses more ochestrations and choruses and of course the death metal vocals which puts them more in line with bands like Sirenia and Haggard than Nightwish which are strictly power metal, rather than melodeath.

I would, at this point in time, like to point out that harsh vocals do not make a death metal band, even melodic death metal.  Neither Epica nor Sirenia nor Haggard are melodeath, or close to being melodeath.

In fact, the harsh vocals in 'Gothic' metal are mostly due to death/doom bands like My Dying Bride.

For the record, although I don't like either band now, I prefer Simone's voice...Tarja has some shit pronunciation.  Simone's voice is more commercial-orientated, but she's a looker. :p

Seeing how you mentioned Sirenia, I recommend you pick up their first album, 'At Sixes and Sevens', if you haven't already done so.  You could also get Tristania's 'Beyond The Veil', both of which are markedly different from the Evanescence-themed commercial tripe that Sirenia, at least, are throwing out nowadays.
 
You guys will be surprised how much death metal influences slipped into the new Epica album. :)
"The Divine Conspiracy" is a huge step forward from the previous album. Simone has improved so much!

Temporary drummer Ariën van Weesenweek (God Dethroned) helped a lot with this, so did the production and of course, the songwriting. The drums and guitars are way more in the foreground.

The whole term Gothich Metal is very debatable because there's not really a good definition for it. 4 or 5 years ago my wife (Marta) made a whole article about it:

"Why Gothic?"
http://www.xs4all.nl/~cursed/gothic.htm
(Remember the article is 4 or 5 years old and quite some bands have evolved and changed their style. The last years the term gothic metal begins to disappear more and more)
 
Harsh vocals are a death metal influence, it may not make a band strictly death metal, but makes them, um, "deathy". Either way I actually liked Sirenia's last album, but like Elixer of Existence or something like that more. Speaking of old death metal bands, Amorphis (a big fave of mine) is realising their new album at the end of the month!!!
 
Onhell said:
Amorphis (a big fave of mine) is realising their new album at the end of the month!!!
I have Tales From The Thousand Lakes. A real classic. I haven't heard any of their other albums, but I have heard a lot of great reviews of their latest release 'Eclipse' (didn't they shift from death metal to atmospheric rock/Metal?) . Ill definitely check out their new one when it releases.
 
Yeah, they transitioned into a more folkish sound in Far From the Sun (brilliant), and a more progressive sound, even though the songs are average length, for Eclipse, AMAZING album, honestly anything they do is really good.
 
The very best period of Amorphis was when Pasi Koskinen was on vocals. Elegy/Tuonela/Am Universum has to be the best three consecutive releases by any band, ever (outside Maiden).

supersonic said:
I have Tales From The Thousand Lakes. A real classic.
From a personal viewpoint, The Karelian Isthmus is better.
 
Albie said:
The very best period of Amorphis was when Pasi Koskinen was on vocals. Elegy/Tuonela/Am Universum has to be the best three consecutive releases by any band, ever (outside Maiden).

Those are really good, specially Tuonela, however I think they do have their weak points, however Far From the Sun and Eclipse, specially Eclipse, are SOLID from start to finish.
 
EPICA's new album, "The Divine Conspiracy", registered the following first-week chart positions:

Holland: #9
Switzerland: #29
France: #36
Germany: #41
 
That was a pretty bad interview... I only knew what the questions were through Simone's answers hahaha, man that guy mumbled a lot and the questions weren't THAT insightful, except the ones about the album... Which I got btw :D *review pending*
 
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