Epica

Dude, get used to it. I'm so much against the current I used to keep waking in the middle of the night all sweaty and panicked, asking my wife to assure me that I haven't turned into a (gasp!) hipster... But got used to it. :D But yeah, all my favourites are always eliminated immediately, but I still participate as much as I can. And it was a Survivor that produced those huge walls of text on Dream Theater two years ago (though I know that's probably not something to mention in front of ye :p ). I think it's nice when people open up and the Survivor sometimes helps in that regard.

Anyway, did I take it correctly than that you prefer the early albums to the latter ones? Which are your favourites, if I may ask? (Or if you've already said so somewhere here just cross-refer).
I missed this post @JudasMyGuide
Yeah, I prefer the early stuff (first three albums). I've witnessed that stuff live and that was a vastly different experience than studio. From later work I like The Quantum Enigma the most. Simone is better on this one than on the latest album, but that one still has some very nice songs (and also contains more generic/less interesting music with lesser melodies/riffs).
 
I am yet to get anything from After Forever, much less this MaYan shtuff. Are either band worth my time? I thought about getting After Forever, just because of the Embrace that Smothers series that Mark started their and continued with Epica, but honestly. The thought of looking it up, even on Youtube... ugh.
 
After Forever is better than most bands discussed on this forum.

Their albums feature the best singer and more interesting music than most other acts, both female fronted and non-female fronted.

Discovering this band in chronological order is a good idea.

There are so many Floor fans but no one gives a heap about her pre Nightwish work. Biggest mystery of the forum.
 
Yeah, AF is pretty good. I probably like ReVamp more, as far as Floor is concerned, but I give a spin to an album or two from time to time.

Although - and I guess Foro won't agree with me here - while I like their music mostly, they feel kinda "faceless" to me (the same problem I have with Kamelot)… which may be ironic considering the fact they were fronted by one of the most versatile female metal vocalists ever (well, there's always Roxanne Hegyesy, I guess).

Anyway I'd recommend trying them out.

MaYaN (or how is it capitalised)… is not really my cup of tea. But I haven't tried that hard.
 
I must've missed it. It's way better than the studio version. Wouldn't be opposed to them making a re-recording compilation of pre-Design Your Universe songs. Those albums have cool songs but mostly shit production and the band sounds much heavier lately.
 
The new Mayan album has raving reviews everywhere:

Powerplay Magazine UK
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10/10 "I rarely give full marks but I feel it's justified in this case"
Spark Magazine Cz
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6/6 "Do I have to analyse the individual components of the album while my metal heart is full of joy from every note of this great music?"
Metaleros.cl 10/10 "Dónde está el botón de replay?"
Lords of Metal NL
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97/100 "MaYaN raises the bar even further for all other bands, but also for themselves, for I do not see how this could be surpassed."
Progressive music planet 9.5/10 "I am enthralled"
Rock Tribune Belgium
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90/100 "MaYaN is er met 'Dhyana' in geslaagd zichzelf te overtreffen. Het blijven vernieuwen in een overvol genre is zonder meer bewonderenswaardig".
Metalfan.nl Netherlands
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9/10 "Hoeveel hoogtepunten kun je redelijkerwijs noemen".
Metal.de Germany
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9/10 “Keine Ego-Spielereien, nur grandiose Musik"
metal-experience.com NL
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85/100 "Dit gezelschap gaat met het album hoge ogen gooien en de rest van de wereld veroveren".
Overdrive-mag.com Australia
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"masterpiece"
World of Metal Portugal
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9.5/10
Aardschok NL
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8.2/10 "Dhyana is een album dat vocaal, muzikaal en tekstueel heel veel te bieden heeft".
Powerofmetal.dk 9/10 "I could have given 10/10 but I keep some room for them to even top this album, it doesn't get much better I assure you that!"
Timeformetal.eu 9.8/10 "GroBhartiger Symphonic death Metal in einer eigenen Liga!"
Rock Hard France
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7.5/10 "Jansen semble tenir une forme époustouflante car il enchaîne les sorties de qualité depuis quelques années"
Metal Wani USA
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7.5/10 "The bands most ambitious work thus far".
Livereviewer.com Netherlands
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4.5/5 “symphonic death metal album of the year"
Zwaremetalen.com 9.2/10 "MaYaN gaat met Dhyana ongetwijfeld hoge ogen gooien"
Pitkings.nl 9.1/10 "Musically and technically superior in this genre"
 
Wow! Honoured to be voted best international keyboard player by the readers of roadiecrew in Brasil!!
Muito obrigado!!!
Crazy to be topping a list of people who I look up to....
Thanks for your support !!!!

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Initially recorded in 2006 at the beautiful Paradiso venue in Amsterdam, the performance has become shrouded in legend; often scheduled for release, it somehow never saw the light of day – until now! After being hidden away in a dark drawer for more than 16 years, ‘LIVE AT PARADISO’ is finally available on 2CD and Blu-ray/DVD, specifically revamped in 4K resolution

 
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