Review – Epica – The Holographic Principle – By Kevin Thompson

 

Epica Album

There are some excellent bands producing Symphonic Metal. Very popular and with some exceptional exponents, among them Nightwish, Within Temptation and Stream of Passion to name a few. So it is very easy for a few to slip under the radar, for me one of those has been EPICA, (which they define as Excellence. Power. Intelligence. Creativity. Ambition. on their publicity blurb). Hailing from the Netherlands and formed in 2002, “The Holographic Principle” is their seventh studio album, which they say is their heaviest to date.

As is often the case, prerequisite for the majority of these bands is a powerful/operatically voiced frontswoman and EPICA tick the box well and truly with the beautiful, flame haired Simone Simons. Guitarist Mark Jansen’s sonorous growls contrast like Beauty and the Beast, sometimes for me a little intrusive as I’m not a big fan of this sort of vocalisation. This is loud, heavy and bombastic music, with Gregorian and choral style chanting and the screaming guitar solos from Isaac Delahaye cutting a swathe through the cinematically orchestral embellishments of Coen Janssen’s keyboards. The thundering rolls of Ariën van Weesenbeek’s drums combining with Rob Van Der Loos’ bass foundations on which the arrangements are built.

The album opens with the miniature epic Eidola which is far too short for me, but a great introduction. It could have soundtracked the film ‘300’, conjuring scenes of a huge procession. Armoured elephants in gleaming gold cresting the horizon as thousands of battle hardened, marching infantry hammer the road before them, their feet smashing into the dust. Heat and sweat mingle as they haul huge war machines of mass destruction toward the enemy.

I would have liked for it to merge into Edge of the Blade, as I find the suddeness of the starting riff jars slightly with the preceding track. A small niggle soon forgotten as you are then carried along at a crashing pace with only the soothing vocals from Simone to give respite, before they reach for the stratosphere. There is a middling slow of pace before the growling hits with the guitars and you are hurtled into the maelstrom of battle again.

Plucked strings are crushed by the guitars as they issue in A Phantasmic Parade, and the war machines unleash a hail of deadly notes and choral choruses to assault your senses.

simone

A brief lull, then charging through the settling dust and smoke come the Universal Death Squad, screaming their war chants and brandishing weapons, lusting for blood and souls. Red rimmed eyes seeking foes and victims as they reap bodies like sheaves of bloodstained stalks of grain. Simone’s vocals and Isaac’s keyboards lifting the track beyond the onslaught.

A few retreating survivors fire back in the distance as orchestral swathes mix with piano before they are scattered to Divide and Conquer, Mark’s barked ululations at his marauding horde, directing their onslaught to demoralise the enemy, with the engaging Simone encouraging a memorable chorus at his side.

Exalting vocals precede celebratory instruments, orchestrated as they march Beyond the Matrix, Simone conducting the guitar verses, Mark gutterally picking off survivors on the wasted battlefield and guitars herald their affirmation to a rousing choral end.

Haunting Celtic violins bring an ease to the aggression as we wander Once Upon A Nightmare, accompanied by Simone’s voice and Coen’s piano, the orchestra and choir falling into line with the guitars and drums treading respectfully across the musical battlefield intensifying to a rousing dramatic end.

band

Melodramatic choir, heavy riffs and driven drums crash in, with Simone adding gloss to Mark’s hard edged vocals. The layered orchestration and keyboards propelling us forward across the universe in search of answers to The Cosmic Algorithm, as the tune hurtles to it’s inevitable end.

Mr Jansen’s portents add gothic doom to the Ascension – Dream State Armaggedon, a brief verbal passage warning this is the end of everything as we know it, echoing the bands’ attempts to elevate themselves out of their comfort zone and progress their sound, morphing and fading out as drums and exotic strings bring a Middle Eastern touch to Dancing in a Hurricane. The addition of  Asian instruments like whirling dervishes dance between the band, swirling dust and sand in the heat of the music.

Lush strings and atmospheric piano soothe before you are bludgeoned by the propulsive metal of battle as the band Tear Down Your Walls, Simone and the choir flying above the destruction like avenging angels crushing all and everything in their path with their symphonic cannons.

And so we come to the grand finale, The Holographic Principle – A Profound Understanding of Reality, (even the title’s epic) and for me the band’s most adventurous track on the album. They have literally thrown everything at their disposal into this, creating a huge production. From the monastic chanted introduction, this veers from soft piano to orchestral swathes. The drama of the vocals against soaring guitar solos and pounding staccato rhythms ascending into the heavens to a headrushing climax.

I now have a confession, I had to take a break for a few days before finishing this review as the intensity of the album after five plays became a little overwhelming. There is no doubting this is an excellent example of the genre, but I would have liked to hear maybe a couple of slower tracks, even ballads to give this more balance and the faster, heavier tracks more impact. The ones that do start gently are quickly swallowed up by the band’s apparent enthusiastic attempts at progression and a slight release may have allowed the music to breathe a little.

That said it’s a cracking album and I am surprised I have not picked up on Epica before and I shall certainly be listening to the back catalogue and watching for future releases. If you like this genre and you have also passed them by I suggest you give them a listen.

All pictures by Tim Tronckoe Photography..

Released 30th September 2016 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Buy ‘The Holographic Principle’ from Nuclear Blast Records

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EPICA RELEASE THIRD TRAILER FOR ‘THE HOLOGRAPHIC PRINCIPLE’

Dutch symphonic metal stars EPICA are ready to release the third studio trailer for their upcoming masterpiece ‘The Holographic Principle‘. This new clip reveals a glimpse into the drum and vocal recordings and a detailed look behind the scenes.

“Only one month to go until the release!!!,” the band states. “Here is the 3rd part of the EPICA documentary. Dealing with the acoustic sessions, artwork and the concept behind ‘The Holographic Principle’! We hope you’ll enjoy watching it as much as we did by making the album.”

Catch up on the first two trailers:
Epica talk about the songwriting process: https://youtu.be/LSlEVPjG7rg
The band showcase the different instruments they worked with: https://youtu.be/HzqHyRu1oSc

Pre-order ‘The Holographic Principle’ here:
Limited Edition Earbook, Limited Edition Blue Vinyl, Limited Edition Bi-Coloured Vinyl, Limited Edition Mail Order Boxset from the Nuclear Blast UK store: http://nblast.de/EpicaNBUK
iTunes + ‘Universal Death Squad’ instant grat: http://nblast.de/EpicaTHPiTunes
Listen in the NB Novelties playlist: http://sptfy.com/2zZF
2CD Digipack, CD & Vinyl (inc signed insert) from Recordstore.co.uk : http://nblast.de/EpicaRecordstore

Track listing as follows:
01. Eidola
02. Edge Of The Blade
03. A Phantasmic Parade
04. Universal Death Squad
05. Divide And Conquer
06. Beyond The Matrix
07. Once Upon A Nightmare
08. The Cosmic Algorithm
09. Ascension – Dream State Armageddon
10. Dancing In A Hurricane
11. Tear Down Your Walls
12. The Holographic Principle – A Profound Understanding Of Reality

Don’t miss EPICA on tour!
10.08.-12.08.  Leyendas del Rock festival XII Vilenna, Spanien

The band’s own EPIC METAL FEST:
01.10.  NL        Tilburg – Epic Metal Fest Netherlands
15.10.  BR       Sao Paulo – Epic Metal Fest Brazil

EPICA + POWERWOLF + BEYOND THE BLACK
12.01.  D         Wiesbaden – Schlachthof
13.01.  D         Cologne – Palladium
14.01.  D         Ludwigsburg – MHP Arena
16.01.  CH       Geneve – Salle Des Fetes De Thonex
17.01.  CH       Zurich – Volkshaus
18.01.  IT         Milan – Live Club
20.01.  D         Munich – Tonhalle
21.01.  A          Vienna – Gasometer
24.01.  PL        Warsaw – Progresja
25.01.  D         Berlin – Huxley’s
27.01.  D         Oberhausen – Turbinenhalle
28.01.  CZ        Prague – Forum Karlin
29.01.  D          Hannover – Capitol
31.01.  D          Hamburg – Mehr! Theater
01.02.  BE        Brussels- Ancienne Belgique
03.02.  UK       London – o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
04.02.  F          Paris – Le Zénith

London tickets available from myticket.co.uk / seetickets.com
VIP-upgrades are available from: www.soundrink.com

More on EPICA:
Lyric video for the first single, “Universal Death Squad“: https://youtu.be/P_Ys_W7ySkM

www.epica.nl
www.facebook.com/epica
www.nuclearblast.de/epica

Epica Album

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