Epica

Epica

Epica

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
The sixth album for the American melodic metal act, featuring Roy S. Khan (ex-Conception) on vocals. 16 tracks. Noise. 2003.

Epica,Kamelot,Noise,Death Metal/Black Metal,Heavy Metal,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop
Epica
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • theres a new sherriff in town!!
  • Majestic
  • Pretty good
  • Simply incredible
  • One Of Kamelot's Best
Epica
Kamelot
Manufacturer: Noise
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. The Black Halo
  2. Karma
  3. The Fourth Legacy
  4. Ghost Opera
  5. One Cold Winter's Night

ASIN: B000085RTZ
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Tracks:

  1. PROLOGUE
  2. CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
  3. FAREWELL
  4. INTERLUDE (OPIATE SOUL)
  5. THE EDGE OF PARADISE
  6. WANDER
  7. INTERLUDE (OMEN)
  8. DESCENT OF THE ARCHANGEL
  9. INTERLUDE (AT THE BANQUET)
  10. A FEAST FOR THE VAIN
  11. ON THE COLDEST WINTER NIGHT
  12. LOST & DAMNED
  13. HELENA'S THEME
  14. INTERLUDE (DAWN)
  15. THE MOURNING AFTER
  16. III WAYS TO EPICA

Album Description

The sixth album for the American melodic metal act, featuring Roy S. Khan (ex-Conception) on vocals. 16 tracks. Noise. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars theres a new sherriff in town!!.......2007-03-23

thses guys rock, and the vocals are 2nd to..well maybe dio ,well worth the price of addmission!

4 out of 5 stars Majestic.......2006-11-25

Kamelot pulls a 4 star release. Epica is trult epic in every respect. Again Khan and Youngblood are the backbone of the band. It didn't take many listens to convince me of these Americans. Proudly ,America is starting to wake up to what Kansas was doing in the 70's probably because we're so tired of mass-produced garbage and simpleton bands like those that exist in 2006.

A stellar opera with atmospheres that pull you into the storyline. PART I
of Black Halo story.

Appreciate good music ,it is scarce.

4 out of 5 stars Pretty good.......2006-10-29

I'm not usually a fan of "power metal", but this was a pretty good cd all the same. Some of the songs sound basically the same but there are few that stand out. Great guitar riff on song 5 The Edge of Paradise. Overall worth buying!

5 out of 5 stars Simply incredible.......2006-09-13

I must admit, I came by "Epica" a bit by accident. I was experimenting with various power metal bands, found "Karma" acceptable, so when I found "Epica" in my nearby music store, I bought it, without reading any reviews beforehand. This turned out to be one of my best music purchase decisions ever made.

"Epica" is an album that excells on all fronts. First of all, musically, it is two notches up from the previous Kamelot works. There's a lot of instrumentation here, many "guest stars", and it is all used to the furthest extent possible. In terms of musical complication, this approaches the barrier of classical music, which is a pretty high achievement for a metal band.

What is also incredible about this album is that it is one, complete composition. This causes two things. First of all, listening to the entire album is a wonderful experience since all the songs follow a main theme and as you listen, you feel yourself flow with it. Second of all, this means that all the songs on the album are important, and thus, althought this sounds nigh impossible, all of them are of great quality. There is no song on the album that I consider inferior, no song that feels like a space-filler. Every single title has its place.

Another quality of "Epica" is its diversity. You have fast pieces like the opening "Center of the Universe", you have slow ballads like "Wander", you have epic songs like "Lost and Damned". Everything you would expect from great power metal and more is on this CD.

It is of course hard to rate music because musical taste differs from person to person and a 5 star rating might not necessarily mean something that goes well with you. However, I cannot give "Epica" any other rating - it is my favorite album, not only in the power metal genre, but overall, which is quite an achievement. If you like this sort of music, I strongly urge you to try it out - I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

5 out of 5 stars One Of Kamelot's Best.......2006-09-08

On Epica, I was amazed at the medieval meets Metal sound. It was just what I was looking for. The Black Halo is equally good. Kamelot knows how to tell you a story with their lyrics while providing a rich full sound to accompany them. From what I have read and heard, I believe that the 2 albums I mentioned are Kamelot's best work. Don't hesitate to buy either or both of them.
Epica
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • One of the greatest Kamelot's Album
  • 2003 Might as Well Be Over Now...
  • Another great Kamelot cd!
Epica
Kamelot
Manufacturer: Noise
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive MetalProgressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Death MetalDeath Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Karma
  2. The Fourth Legacy
  3. The Black Halo
  4. Ghost Opera
  5. One Cold Winter's Night

ASIN: B000085RTR
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Tracks:

  1. PROLOGUE
  2. CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
  3. FAREWELL
  4. INTERLUDE (OPIATE SOUL)
  5. THE EDGE OF PARADISE
  6. WANDER
  7. INTERLUDE (OMEN)
  8. DESCENT OF THE ARCHANGEL
  9. INTERLUDE (AT THE BANQUET)
  10. A FEAST FOR THE VAIN
  11. ON THE COLDEST WINTER NIGHT
  12. LOST & DAMNED
  13. HELENA'S THEME
  14. INTERLUDE (DAWN)
  15. THE MOURNING AFTER
  16. III WAYS TO EPICA
  17. SNOW

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars One of the greatest Kamelot's Album.......2007-05-06

Fantastic! That's how I can review this album!!! Nowadays, Kamelot is one of the best bands in the 'melodic'-metal genre. Criative, inovative and so on!

Khan's voice is really great! This album is worth since the first music! And besides that, this special version comes in a beautiful digipack-version, with one bonus and a temporary tatoo. A version only for true-fans!

I assure you, buy it and you will never regret!

5 out of 5 stars 2003 Might as Well Be Over Now..........2003-02-11

...because this is the best album of the year. I just received my copy of the limited edition in the mail today, and my day halted to a stop. I could not wait to listen!
First, the packaging is gorgeous. Of course, it's a digipak and the cover artwork is some of the best album art to come out in recent history--in the leagues of Dream Theater's album "Scenes from A Memory", "Snow" by Spock's Beard, or "Brain Salad Surgery" by Emerson Lake & Palmer. The digipak has a glossy sheen to it and folds out nicely, containing a temporary tatoo inside with the new Kamelot logo. Liner notes are also unattached to the digipak and are quite complete in detail.
Pop the disc in your stereo and you have an awesome new power-progressive rock concept album; pop it in your PC and you have an amazing Quicktime-driven multimedia experience. I won't spoil that, though. Just take my word for it and put it in your CD-ROM drive.
Now let's get to the meat: the music of the album. The production quality of this work is mind-blowing. For such an underground band (in comparison to Britney, Avril, NSYNC, or Mariah, etc.), the overall sound puts theirs to shame. The highs are crisp and the thumps of Casey Grillo's double-bass work give you a nice kick (no pun intended) without bottoming out your system. This album has more keyboard involvement than heard with Kamelot before, making for nice techno-esque phasing sounds and panning, a la Front Line Assembly or Chemical Brothers (we're talking sound quality here, not musical quality). Khan's voice soars on this album, with reverb and majesty we haven't heard before in a Kamelot recording. Whereas his voice would sometimes become muddled and lost in verses, now it mixes perfectly with all other elements. The songs are heavy but still orchestral and epic in nature, making you wish even songs that last six minutes would never stop. The grooves are "headbangable", if you will, but don't overtake the album, willing to step aside to gorgeous female vocal passages, symphonic themes, or Gregorian Chants.
Each band member is at their finest in this effort, most of all, Thom Youngblood, on guitars, who has always been impressive as a guitarist, but I think has finally begun to define himself and his style on this record--especially his songwriting ability.
Anyway, before I bore you to death, let me say I can't sing enough praise of this album, and if you're a fan of Dream Theater, Symphony X, Spock's Beard, Transatlantic, Stratovarius, ARK, Iced Earth, or just any sort of metal but are open-minded to more diverse elements, give this one a shot.
I picked up Kamelot's previous album, "Karma", in September of 2001, just on a whim, without hearing them much previously, and am now a heavily devoted fan. This band WILL grow on you, if you let them.
Epica is set to be 2003's album of the year. It may only be February, but this reviewer will still stand by that statement in 10 months.
Don't cheat yourself out of this one. I'm sure Lord Chimp, the Amazon Prog-Rock Guru, would agree.

(Album highlights include "Center of The Universe", "Edge of Paradise", "Descent of The Archangel", "Helena's Theme" and how it leads into "The Mourning After" and the awe-inspiring finale, "III Ways to Epica". Everything is incredible, though, not just these tracks. Thanks for reading.)

5 out of 5 stars Another great Kamelot cd!.......2003-02-05

This band amazes me! Every time they somehow expand and achieve even greater songs! COTU is a fantastic song and I am sure from the reviews that Epica will be a classic. Thank you Kamelot for making such incredible music.
The Phantom Agony
Average customer rating: Not rated
    The Phantom Agony
    Epica
    Manufacturer: Import [Generic]
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    1. Consign to Oblivion
    2. After Forever
    3. Prison of Desire
    4. Score: An Epic Journey
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    ASIN: B0000X2DMA
    Release Date: 2003-11-17

    Tracks:

    1. Adyta (The Neverending Embrace)
    2. Sensorium
    3. Cry for the Moon (The Embrace That Smothers, Pt. 4)
    4. Feint
    5. Illusive Consensus
    6. Fae of Reality (The Embrace That Smothers, Pt. 5)
    7. Run for a Fall
    8. Seif al Din (The Embrace That Smothers, Pt. 6)
    9. Phantom Agony
    10. Triumph of Defeat (Bonus Track) [*][Instrumental]

    Album Description

    Asian exclusive release of 2003 debut album for goth-metal act featuring ex-After Forever guitarist Mark Jansen. Includes the bonus track 'Triumph Of Defeat'. Seoul Record.

    Album Details

    Asian Version featuring a Bonus Track: "Triumph of Defeat".
    Consign to Oblivion
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • "Wow, I love this music! What is it?"
    • symphonic metal at it's best
    • Rock Opera - Not Symphonic Metal
    • Very impressive
    • Definitely in the First Division!
    Consign to Oblivion
    Epica
    Manufacturer: Avalon
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B0007WZXWG
    Release Date: 2005-05-02

    Tracks:

    1. Hunab K'u (A New Age Dawns, Prologue)
    2. Dance of Fate
    3. Last Crusade (A New Age Dawns, Pt. 1)
    4. Solitary Ground
    5. Blank Infinity
    6. Force of the Shore
    7. Quietus
    8. Mother of Light (A New Age Dawns, Pt. 2)
    9. Trois Vierges
    10. Another Me "In Lack'ech"
    11. Consign to Oblivion (A New Age Dawns, Pt. 3)

    Album Description

    Details TBA. Avalon. 2005.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars "Wow, I love this music! What is it?".......2007-06-10

    In my review of Epica's first album ("We Will Take You With Us"), I complained that the band had overly ambitious lyrics, and that Simons' voice lack charisma (and to some extent power) sufficient to stand up to the heavy guitars, drums, and death grunts of a metal band. I am happy to report that "Consign to Oblivion" remedies both deficiencies, while providing another example of the band's remarkable musical composition skills.

    Simons has developed further as a rock singer, which requires different technique than her operatic training. In the lower two-thirds or so of her range, she now generates enough power to stand up to the rest of the band. Unfortunately, Simons generally switches to opera in the top third of her range, where her voice can get overwhelmed by all the other things going on. This difference across her range is particularly evident in "Blank Infinity," where she uses both styles and her full vocal range. Criticisms aside, Simons' voice remains an essential part of the Epica sound, and she is also growing in her emotive and interpretive skills, adding considerable warmth to the sometimes-cold performance in "We Will Take You With Us."

    Quite a few reviewers object to Mark Jansen's occasional death growls. In contrast to them, I think these work (and I'm not usually a fan of death growls). Here's why: Epica uses the growls as part of the composition. He's not a singer, he's an instrument. The growls add dark color in appropriate places in a few of the tracks. In this respect, the death growls play a musical role in this album comparable to the lyrical role they played in the previous album, where the terrorists sang in death growls. It works.

    Lyrically, "Consign to Oblivion" moves closer to the first rule of writing - - write what you know. Several songs explore personal themes about ambition and life choices. Other songs continue with the interest in terrorism and fundamentalist religion that dominated "We Will Take You With Us." Yet even these pieces represent an improvement. Instead of lecturing elites, Epica now connects these themes to regular people, which works much better.

    The band remains incredibly ambitious. It still peppers its lyrics with Latin, and its cover art evokes Mayan themes and hieroglyphics.

    Though I'm not sure that they would classify themselves that way, Epica writes in the tradition of the best progressive rock of the 1970s. Each piece develops one or more musical themes, usually over a period of 7-10 minutes. Most of the pieces involve changes in key and time signature. I don't know why this should be true, but like Within Temptation, Epica has a fondness for 3/4 ballads and 12/8 uptempo songs, and for triplets even in their 4/4 pieces. Virtually every track is musically interesting, and repays multiple hearings.

    It will also grab you from the first. A teen-aged friend of my daughter climbed into the car when I was listening to this album and said after about 15 seconds, "Wow, I love this music! What is it?" Happy will be the day when more Americans discover this Dutch band as she did.

    5 out of 5 stars symphonic metal at it's best.......2006-06-17

    MPC said this was nothing like Lacuna Coil or Evanescence. Well that's a great thing. After all Epica is far better then either one of those bands will ever be.

    1. Hunab K'u - This is the start of the CD. It gets you ready for what is to come next. It has the feel of POTC to it. stars N/A

    2. Dance Of Fate - This is where it really kicks off. This is a very good song and it would work well in trying to get new fans into Epica. It's heavy but at the same time can be mainstearm. 4 stars

    3. Last Crusade - Where as the last song can be seen as mainstearm this one can not. This song is very anti-religion, and is very heavy. It does not let up much in the song. 5 stars

    4. Solitary Ground - Epica has done slow songs before. But this one is the best of them all. Simon really does a good job singing in this song. 5 stars

    5. Blank Infinity - 5 Stars it's hard to really explain this song.

    6. Force Of The Shore - Ok this is where Mark kicks in on the grunts and screams. He has gotten a lot better from his time with AF and from TPA. This also like TLC is very heavy but it let's you breath for a bit. 5 Stars

    7. Quietus - This is a very cool song to listen to. It feels like it could fit into some big epic movie. 5 Stars

    8. Mother Of Light - This is a mix of the choir, Simon, and Mark singing. The way it is set up works really well.

    9. Trois Vierges - Hmmm it's ok not the best Epica song though. 3 Stars

    10. Another Me " In Lack'ech" - Like Blank Infinity this song is really hard for me to explain. Though it is a good song. It just gets lost in a lot of the other great songs. 4 Stars

    11. Consign To Oblivion - If you thought that PTA was long well you have not seen heard anything yet. CTO is there longest song yet clocking in at 9:45. It is fast heavy and Mark really breaks lose in the is song. The Death grunts he uses in here are the best he has ever used. The guiters a blazeing the drums are fast. Ever thing fit's well into this song.

    2 out of 5 stars Rock Opera - Not Symphonic Metal.......2006-06-01

    There is some good singing here, and some ok music, but the metal aspect is minor and out of place. Imagine Celine Dion doing a Disney movie soundtrack with double bass drumming, but with little to no guitars. This band is nothing like Lacuna Coil or Evanescence, and nothing like Dimmu Borgir - who are real symphonic metal kings.

    5 out of 5 stars Very impressive.......2006-04-12

    The minute I heard Epica, I was hooked.
    They play with a lot of energy and incorporate a lot of rhythm in their music, while maintaining their melodic side. The vocals are near perfect offering some good diversity. In my opinion the vocalist has a better voice than Tarja or Sharon (Nightwish/Within Temptation). Very easy to get into, a really good cd, I highly recommend this.

    5 out of 5 stars Definitely in the First Division!.......2005-12-15

    This group ranks alongside Nightwish and Sirenia for quality.Simone Simons has a voice that is very pleasing to the ear:what more can you ask.It has a kind of "purity" that others seem to lack.The male growling is impressive too.One becomes rather a connoiseur of growls after a time with Goth!As in the biblical parable,they have saved the best tracks till the last, although all the tracks are excellent.The songs have an individuality which sets them apart from each other.[concerning all this see my review of Silent Force from Within Temptation.]The musicianship is "tight" if you get my meaning:it has you moving your body like a human metronome at times.The music does have a cinematic flavour,but what the hell.If you are a fan of Nightwish have no hesitation in buying this.
    We Will Take You With Us
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • a musical tour de force, but lyrically . . . not so much
    • Undeserved Reputation; No class at all.
    • A Pretty decent Listen!!!
    • Just beautiful :)
    • FANTASTIC
    We Will Take You With Us
    Epica
    Manufacturer: The End Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B000A2GURK
    Release Date: 2005-08-09

    Tracks:

    1. Façade of Reality
    2. Sensorium
    3. Illusive Consensus
    4. Cry for the Moon
    5. The Phantom Agony
    6. Seif al Din
    7. Feint
    8. Run for a Fall
    9. Memory (from the musical Cats) – unreleased Track

    Album Description

    Agony and beauty fuse together into a musical experience which saturates all of the listener’s senses”, the reviews raved about the titillating debut album. While this CD was contrived with the aid of the German top producer Sascha Paeth (well-known for his work for Aina, Rhapsody and Kamelot), with We Will Take You With Us/2 Meter Sessies Epica prove they can stand on their own feet while simultaneously daring to lift their music to a higher level. You see, Epica was supported in Wisseloord by a genuine string section and eight beautifully blending choir voices. Borders have been smashed to smithereens in We Will Take You With Us/2 Meter Sessies.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars a musical tour de force, but lyrically . . . not so much.......2006-11-27

    In a world of highly-marketed pop, rap and hip-hop, and repetitive dance electronica, it's good to see that somebody is still taking their music seriously. The prog rock tradition of the 1970s is alive and well, and it includes death grunts and mezzo sopranos. Epica has given us an excellent effort in this album. Its major strengths are its musical compositions, while it falls flat lyrically in various places.

    The album consists of two parts, six metal tracks followed by three acoustic tracks. The final acoustic track is "Memory" from the musical "Cats"- a nice cover, but a bit out of place. Tracks 1, 4 and 6 are parts 5, 4 and 6 (in that order!) of "The Embrace that Smothers," a group of related pieces about the downsides of religion in the world today. This strikes me as a very odd way to present connected pieces, but each one stands on its own just fine.

    The first track, "Facade of Reality," is a very carefully constructed piece built around four voices: Simone Simons singing (in a high mezzo-soprano) a lecture about why Islamic fundamentalists become suicide bombers, death grunts for suicide bombers, a chorus for the Latin lyrics, and two cameo appearances by Tony Blair talking about September 11. Most of the lyrics are unintelligible, which is just as well - - it's really hard to pull off something like this. However, the piece is very powerful musically, with the voices beautifully set off one another.

    The other tracks follow in the same vein. Each is an impressive construction that explores a series of musical themes. Most of the pieces set Simone's operatic voice against a heavy metal instrumentation, with occasional death grunts and chorus. However, the lyrics tend not to work so well. For example, in "Seif al-Din," a brief spoken word passage falls completely flat, in contrast to the successful use of Blair's spoken words in "Facade of Reality." Aside from the fact that Tony Blair is a better rhetorician than Simone Simons, this simply highlights the lyrical overreach found throughout the album - - Epica is simply trying too hard.

    In places, the band's lyrics seem pretentious, as when they combine Latin, Arabic and English in a single song. The band also has a bad case of taking itself too seriously; in both respects, they remind me of Kansas during its heyday. They want to sing about "big themes" such as religious extremism, but they are unable to reach the lyrical complexity of the masterpiece of that genre, Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" album. Simons writes most of the lyrics, and is very young - - so we can hope that matters will improve as she gets more songwriting and life experience under her belt.

    The band makes much of the fact that Simone Simons has a classic operatic training, and she certainly has a beautiful voice. However, she still sings from low in her throat instead of her diaphragm, so that she loses both power and richness at times. Beautiful as her voice is, the result is that Simone Simons is not as charismatic as other female goth singers such as Tarja Turunen (Nightwish) or Sharon van Adel (Within Temptation). This makes for a less dynamic contribution to the group as a whole. On the other hand, she has a more powerful and charismatic presence than, say, Liv Kristine of Leaves' Eyes (formerly of Theatre of Tragedy).

    In short, "We Will Take You With Us" is a very ambitious album - - but its lyrical reach exceeds its grasp. However, it's well worth your attention for the music.

    2 out of 5 stars Undeserved Reputation; No class at all........2006-06-04

    Recently, I have been in a live performance of Epica, following this album, "We Will Take You With Us". I have heard much of the band, and while I knew none of their songs, I was expecting a good heavy/gothic metal concert.

    Music-wise, Epica was rather disappointing. The band lacked harmony between the instruments and vocals, as well as between instruments themselves. There were few solos, and the music felt uninspired. Simone's singing was good, but not great, and the songs themselves weren't exceptional, either. The ballads they played haven't been emotional. The black metal style male vocals simply did not make the songs any better, on the contrary. Of course there have been few good parts, but certainly they didn't live up to their reputation, in my opinion.
    But that's the music side. It was disappointing at another level.

    I was surprised at how much this band lacks any class. At first, the keyboard player went on the stage with a cigarette in his mouth. The other guitar player (not the one who does the male vocals) went on with a bottle of beer. I honestly think those could be better left behind prior to the show. The male vocalist was the worst- he didn't seem to stop swearing all night long- "Are you ready for another heavy metal f***er?","You are f****ng f****ng f****ng great!" and so on. They made a terrible choice of cover to perform-"Crystal" from the Black metal band "Death"(perfomed without Simone, obviously). And Simone... I was surprised at her, too. Although she disguised it, at least four times she made "the finger" toward the crowd- I imagine few noticed it, as she moved her hand a lot, but there could no mistake about it. I have no idea what driven her to do so. I guess she's just that kind of person. Perhaps she thinks it's amusing, I don't know. Before a ballad she asked the crowd to raise "a cigarette or a cell phone so I can see you".Hmmm...great. I certainly expected more class than this.

    I will mention that the fans loved them, but in my eyes (and in the eyes of the two friends that have been with me)- they did so blindly. Outside was a stand of the store that markets their products here, along with many other metal merchandise. The guy who runs it seemed to share my opinion on them. When someone asked for their CD ("The Phantom Agony"), he told him "You shouldn't, it's just after-concert enthusiasm". When his assistant later said he should have brought more of their CDs and DVDs, the guy answered "with the way they behaved tonight, even what we brought was too many". He noted their "bloated Ego" and how they think too much of themselves more than once-probably something they did before the show. If you asked yourself why I've heard all that-I was looking all this time for a specific metal CD, left, and came back to find it when the crowd dispersed, right before the store manager wrapped it up.

    I'm a big metal fan, and it isn't my first concert. I know a good band can give a great, satisfying concert, such as the last one I've been to-"Nightmare"(power metal) that have been huge.
    But I warn any of you that are considering this band- "Epica" have NO class at all. The performance was not terrible, but the bad easily outwheighted the good. While this band chose a great name, there is better music than this, and there are a number of bands that play better metal, have more harmony and got good female vocals too.

    4 out of 5 stars A Pretty decent Listen!!!.......2006-04-03

    I'm going to say this cd caught me off guard a bit by it's overwhelming operatic vibe. It remains me a lot of Rhapsody's style of writing/music as it has that story telling imagery behind it which is cool.

    The singer has excellent pipes and the tunes flow together very well. The musicianship is in fine form and the mix/production is good to.

    Overall a good listen, not as heavy as I thought it would be and it took a few listens to truly get into, however it's a worth while listening endeavour that wont waste your time. It sort of remains me of Leaves Eyes last effort Vinland Saga, which is a blessing as that cd is a very good effort indeed.

    Overall if you like opera/strings/orchestral style metal, you'll love this!!!!!

    5 out of 5 stars Just beautiful :).......2006-02-05

    Wow, this is what I call a great, beautiful, epic, gorgeus album :)

    Everything here is nicely played and Simone has an amaizing voice!

    The songs are a very best from "A Phantom Agony".

    Memory is a very sweet cover :) A lullaby that want to put you sleep tight. Really beautiful.

    Feint (Piano) and Run For A fall acoustic...amazing and sweet too!!

    Façade Of reality, Sensorium and The Phantom Agony are my very best favourites, from the heavier ones.

    No doubt a 5 STRONG STARS for this one!

    5 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC.......2006-01-17

    I've listened to Nightwish, Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation but none of the vocals or music has quite grabbed me as Epica now has. IT'S FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!
    Simone's vocals are peculiar in a sense but absolutely gorgeous at the same time. Even the grunts, which i'm generally not a fan of, have something to them that just makes me want to go get more.
    My personal favourites on this album would have to be the heart-stopping 'Sensorium', the beautiful 'Illusive consensus' and the headbanging 'Sief Al Dien'.
    I highly recommend this album (as well as "Consign to Oblivion", Epica's other fantastic album, yes, FANTASTIC!!!!) to fans of bands such as Nightwish, After Forever etc. You won't regret it, this is no waste of money!!!
    Score: An Epic Journey
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Score: An Epic Journey
      Epica
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
      Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
      RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
      Similar Items:
      1. Mother Earth
      2. Prison of Desire
      3. The Heart of Everything
      4. The Phantom Agony
      5. The Phantom Agony

      ASIN: B000AQVE40
      Release Date: 2005-10-04

      Tracks:

      1. Vengeance Is Mine
      2. Unholy Trinity
      3. Valley
      4. Caught in a Web
      5. Insomnia
      6. Under the Aegis
      7. Trois Vierges [Solo Version]
      8. Mystica
      9. Valley of Sins
      10. Empty Gaze
      11. Alleged Paradigm
      12. Supremacy
      13. Beyond the Depth
      14. Epitome
      15. Inevitable Embrace
      16. Angel of Death
      17. Ultimate Return
      18. Trois Vierges (Reprise)
      19. Solitary Ground [Single Version]
      20. Quietus [Score Version]
      The Road to Paradiso
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • Interesting - but you should know that it's a BOOK and CD
      The Road to Paradiso
      Epica
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
      Hard Rock & MetalHard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
      Similar Items:
      1. Quietus (Silent Reverie)
      2. Score: An Epic Journey
      3. The Phantom Agony
      4. Solitary Ground
      5. Heart of Everything

      ASIN: 9081068628
      Release Date: 2006-08-08

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars Interesting - but you should know that it's a BOOK and CD.......2007-01-22

      This one is rather interesting, but the description is very misleading. The item is actualy a glossy BOOK (about 1/4" thick - with plenty of neat pictures and history about the band. Included is an audio CD with a half-dozen songs and interviews about the making of each song. Definitely worth having for fans - but it is NOT just a CD.
      Divine Conspiracy
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Divine Conspiracy
        Epica
        Manufacturer: Nuclear Blast Americ
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
        Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
        ASIN: B000TGQDZQ
        Release Date: 2007-08-28
        Solitary Ground
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Solitary Ground

          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
          Alt IndustrialAlt Industrial | Industrial | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
          CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
          All Bargain TitlesAll Bargain Titles | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
          Hard Rock & MetalHard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
          Similar Items:
          1. Quietus (Silent Reverie)
          2. Quietus (Silent Reverie)
          3. Feint
          4. The Road to Paradiso
          5. The Heart of Everything

          ASIN: B0009G1IJM
          Release Date: 2005-04-26

          Album Description

          Epica released their second full-length album called Consign To Oblivion, and this is the first single taken from that album. The single features four tracks, all of which are unique to this disc. The original version of 'Solitary Ground' is not featured on this CDS, nor are any other songs from the original album. Doubd. 2005.
          Quietus (Silent Reverie)
          Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
          • Pretty awesome for a cd single!
          Quietus (Silent Reverie)
          Epica
          ProductGroup: Music
          Binding: Audio CD

          GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
          Similar Items:
          1. Solitary Ground
          2. Quietus (Silent Reverie)
          3. Ballads of the Eclipse
          4. The Silent Force Tour [Region 2]

          ASIN: B000C0X49W
          Release Date: 2005-11-22

          Album Description

          4-track maxi single backed with 'Crystal Mountain' previously unreleased orchestral version, 'Quietus-Silent Reverie' Grunt version & 'Crystal Mountain' previously unreleased track. 2005.

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars Pretty awesome for a cd single!.......2006-01-22

          Epica is just AMAZING!

          Now you must understand that there are actually 2 versions of this single. The one posted here apparently is the 4 track version which features the single version of Quietus with Simone singing but there is also a version with Mark grunting the vocals which is great for all us metalheads that like the grunts and growls. There is also 2 versions Crystal Mountain which is a cover song from classic Metal band Death.

          Now if you happen to come across the 2 song single version, then you will be treated to a wonderful ballad called Linger which features Simone Simons on vocals and is accompanied by Coen Jansen's amazing keyboard work!

          Everything that Epica releases seems to just ROCK! With the exception of "The Score" which although still amazing, is not a metal album. It is a collection of movie score music that Mark Jansen, Yves Huts, and Coen Jansen had written. A brave undertaking for a metal band.

          So if you like bands like Nightwish, Lacuna Coil, and Within Temptation, then you'll love Epica! And if you're a fan of Evenessence, then prepare to be blown away by Epica and the other bands I mentioned! ENJOY!

          Music Review:

          1. Every Six Seconds
          2. Force It [Original recording remastered] [Import]
          3. Forty Seasons: The Best of Skid Row
          4. Gordian Knot
          5. Holy Diver [Original recording remastered] [Import]
          6. Holy Wood (In The Shadow Of The Valley Of Death) [Enhanced] [Explicit Lyrics]
          7. Home
          8. Hoobastank
          9. Issues [Explicit Lyrics]
          10. Jailbreak

          Music Review

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