The Quantum Enigma | Epica

Epica is without a doubt one of my favorite symphonic metal bands. Their music has such a heavy combination of metal and classical; they aren't afraid to make their music as bombastic as possible. While albums like The Divine Conspiracy and Design Your Universe have absolutely stunned me and are a couple of my personal favorite albums, their last one, Requiem for the Indifferent, didn't strike me with that same sense of perfection despite having some great songs. I must say, their latest release, The Quantum Enigma, definitely didn't leave me with the same impression that Requiem for the Indifferent left me with. I've mentioned this type of improvement with a couple different albums lately (i.e. Within Temptation's Hydra, Lacuna Coil's Broken Crown Halo), but The Quantum Enigma doesn't just mark improvement from Epica's last album - it ranks among their best.

"Originem" opens the album on a bombastic, classical scale, as Epica has usually done with their previous albums. While the strings bring intensity, the choir amplifies it. It's an impressive opener and the band hasn't even begun playing yet - until we get to the second track,"The Second Stone." This song begins with a bang. Strings are meshing with metal in such an intense way; I loved this song immediately. Simone Simons' vocal line is incredibly catchy throughout the song - especially the verses and the choral line at the end of the chorus: "Let me believe between sweet fiction and reality." Mark Jansen comes in during the bridge, bringing his signature grunts, and the lyrics are wonderfully-written and intriguing. "The Second Stone" is full of energy; it's one of my favorites from The Quantum Enigma.
 

Next, we have the album's first single, "The Essence of Silence." Even though this song opens with a pretty string line, it turns out to be a very heavy song. Mark Jansen and Simone Simons share the verses, creating those beauty and the beast contrasts the world of symphonic metal loves so much. Simons' voice is especially beautiful in this song; she's really embracing her operatic side, especially in the verses. She's owning those high notes like nobody's business. "The Essence of Silence" is anything but silence; it's an explosion of sound, and I love it.
 

"Victims of Contingency" is the heaviest song on the album, opening with a strong focus on the metal rather than the classical. In the second half of the intro, the orchestra comes in, thickening the instrumentation and making it even more ambitious. The bridge is set up similarly; and honestly, the instrumental breakdowns are my favorite parts of the song. Mark's growls are extremely prominent in this song, but Simone sings the chorus... It's definitely one to headbang whilst listening to.
 

The following track clocks in at over seven minutes long: "Sense Without Sanity - The Impervious Code." It opens classically before giving way for some driving riffs that remind me a bit of Requiem for the Indifferent's progressive experimentation. It's a great song, but like the songs from Requiem for the Indifferent, it may take time for it to have impact. The middle eight, however, shouldn't take much time at all, for Simone's part is full of adrenaline and is immediately enjoyable.
 

"Unchain Utopia" is the second single from this album, a dark anthem with a prominent classical side. The choir-led chorus is the most prominent part of the song. It took me a couple of listens to really get into this song, but once I started to love it, I couldn't stop. The final chorus to the end is incredibly powerful as Simone's voice overlaps the choir: "We won't succumb to your deceiving games / Conquer the insane."
 

"The Fifth Guardian - Interlude" is a repetitive but absolutely breathtaking Asian-influenced piece that crescendos as it goes. It's quite otherworldy and reminds me a bit of Wintersun's "When Time Fades Away." This interlude leads to "Chemical Insomnia," which opens chaotically. This particular track isn't a favorite of mine overall, but I still enjoy listening to it - especially that epic middle eight! The strings pound and throb dramatically over the guitars in a whiplash-like manner. 

The next song, "Reverence - Living in the Heart," is an explosion of sorts. The opening riffs are heavy and epic as the strings lead the guitars, and frankly, the beginning of this song may be one of the coolest things I've ever heard. It eventually breaks down into some less-symphonic riffs before the verse begins. Even though this song has a lot of really strong points, including the general vocal line, the lyrics are a little too corny for the song in my opinion. The term "in the now" is used a few times and that expression always makes me cringe. But, as I said before, the instrumentation of this song is spectacular. Plus, Simone vocalizes beautifully in the bridge before an intense guitar solo, and her vocals overlapping the last chorus are also quite high and gorgeous.

The music becomes more symphonic than ever with "Omen - The Goulish Malady," the tenth song of The Quantum Enigma. It's led by piano before the song really picks up with the strings and choir take the stage. The verses are dark with the piano and mellow guitars creating a more melancholy mood. "Canvas of Life" follows, and it's the only proper ballad on the record. Even though it has a nice piano line, I wasn't too impressed until the middle eight when the instrumentation thickens. Not bad.

"Natural Corruption" brings a hint of folky influence in its melodic, piano-led intro. The verses are upbeat and urgent while the chorus is incredibly powerful with Simone's operatic vocals and the choir's prominence. During the middle eight, the song strips down to acoustic instruments, giving us a more somber moment before picking up the pace once again, and the song ends with one last climatic chorus. There isn't a single thing about this song I don't enjoy.

As much as I love Epica and the samples I heard in the two studio documentaries they released, the last song was the one I most anticipated: "The Quantum Enigma - Kingdom of Heaven Part II." When I first saw this at the bottom of the tracklist, I literally gasped. "Kingdom of Heaven." Part II? Nothing they could have ever said about this album could've made me want it more. Nothing. I mentioned my unending love of "Kingdom of Heaven" in my review of the 2009 album Design Your Universe, so naturally, I was incredibly excited to hear the second part of such an epic masterpiece. In just the first few seconds of this eleven minute album-closer I was pleased, for the epic throat singing found at the beginning of "Kingdom of Heaven" (one of the coolest elements of the track) was also the opening sound of "The Quantum Enigma." It creates such a creepy vibe. But I'm going to be honest, the first time I heard it, I wasn't as floored as I wanted to be; I thought it was nice, just... not as amazing as "Kingdom of Heaven." However, after listening to it about two more times, I fell in love. The choir sounds amazing as they sing powerful lyrics in staccato, blending all too well with the metal aspects: "When we will look around and see / We will affect the energy / When we observe by any means / We will create reality." The haunting guitar line heard at the beginning becomes more prominent in the slower section of the song, and of course, it builds back up the initial vibe of the song with an ear-catching guitar solo. This final song is powerful and heavy without trying too hard, showcasing some of Epica's best elements. It fades out with the Hungarian choir, just as it began, and added chimes overlap to give it a mystic ending.

As many fans know, a different bonus track was released with each configuration of the album. (In other words, Epica is fond of torturing their fans and making them bankrupt. Especially after they released two studio documentaries to get us pumped for the new album, which prominently contained all of those bonus tracks so we'd just have to have each configuration. Just saying.) "Banish Your Illusion" was exclusively released on the digital album and "In All Conscience" is featured on the two-disc edition; I'm assuming most people will get those since they're the least expensive. I truly love both tracks. "Banish Your Illusion" offers an exotic feel and a superb chorus while "In All Conscience" has one of the catchiest string lines in the world, along with a lot of emotional appeal. No matter which configuration you buy, you'll get something great.

And hence, that's The Quantum Enigma. I absolutely love this album; it's a symphonic metal masterpiece with a great combination of heavy riffs and classical elements. The general concept is intriguing, as Epica's concepts usually are, and it's just astounding to see such fantastic musicianship. Even aside from the great music, The Quantum Enigma is amazing simply for the way it was mixed, mastered, and produced - the sound quality is impeccably clear, allowing all the instruments to stand out yet blend together quite well. I don't know if I could ever ask for more in an album.

In fact, I think this is the best album of 2014.

Epica Releases Online Studio Documentary and First Single

Epica's new album, The Quantum Enigma, is set to be released this May. On this post of their official site, we were given a ton of information concerning this upcoming release, including the cover, tracklist, and different editions that will be available. I became EXTREMELY excited based on that information alone; it reminds me of Design Your Universe, which is basically my favorite Epica album. I think I'm really going to love the concept of The Quantum Enigma... Even the song titles themselves sound cool.

But recently, the band released a two-part studio documentary to give us a sneak peak of what they've been working on. I don't want to babble too much because I'm positive I'll be reviewing this album when it comes out, but I must say, this sounds fantastic. People generally kept complimenting the way this new music is mixed and how 'awful' their previous albums' mixing jobs were... At first I thought "Well, I didn't think they sounded so bad," but once you hear how awesome the sound quality is in these samples, you can't unhear imperfections in past records. Seriously, these new samples are SO GOOD on so many levels! Fans must watch these immediately!

Both videos begin with the same intro, but after that, we get to hear different music on each part of the documentary. The first part deals with recording the drums, bass, and guitars.

My favorite parts:
0:00 - 0:43 (this is probably the album's intro; classically-oriented)
2:43 - 2:54 (HEAVINESS)
4:21 - 4:28 (cinematic)
5:35 - the end (even more cinematic)
 

This second part deals with recording the choir, orchestra, piano, and vocals.

My favorite parts:
0:44 - 0:53 (INTENSE)
1:40 - 2:09 (epic choir)
5:14 - 5:20 (You go, Simone! This is part of "The Essence of Silence")
6:21 - the end (piano outro)
 

The first single from The Quantum Enigma, "The Essence of Silence," was just released for digital download; you can get it on either iTunes or Amazon. I know I'm going to talk about it more when they release a music video or at least the album, so I'm not going to say too much right now... But this is one heavy single. It kicks ass! This great combination of Mark Jansen's grunts and Simone Simons' operatic voice will easily capture the attention of symphonic metal fans.

Requiem for the Indifferent | Epica

Epica's latest album is entitled Requiem for the Indifferent, and its concept is something I've thought of frequently after reading Elie Wiesel's Night. Since I was happy that the album would be centered around that theme, I was quite surprised to find that I didn't like this album as much as I wanted, but as it turns out, Requiem for the Indifferent is a grower. It's different than their previous albums, almost more progressive. Their last album, Design Your Universe, is one of my favorite albums of all time and didn't take any time for me to like it. This new album, on the other hand, required patience.

"Karma," the intro, is rather primitive-sounding, which is quite different for Epica. The choir, however, is not so out of their box, and the voices lead to the second track (and first full song), "Monopoly on Truth." This cues in the guitars, and the album picks up. This song took a while for me to really love. It's a fairly long song with different sections, and I found a couple of parts I really liked, and I eventually began to appreciate the parts around those sections. As a whole, it may not be one of my favorites, but the parts I immediately loved (4:33 to the end) never fail to excite me. Simone Simons' voice soars, the choir's stocatto overlapping the chugging guitars... They achieved some sort of perfection with this song, but the beginning doesn't leave that kind of impact.

Next on the album is "Storm the Sorrow," the lead single, and Simone's voice is a powerhouse. Seriously, how did she not collapse after singing those pre-choruses? Even so, "Storm the Sorrow" is quite fun to sing; rarely can I ever listen to the chorus without singing along because the melody is so beautiful, as are the lyrics. Before the final explosive chorus, the chorus is slowed down with just a piano and Simone, which created a memorable contrast with the rest of the song. A fabulous contribution on Requiem for the Indifferent!

"Delirium" takes a break from heaviness and lets listeners hear Epica's softer side. Here, the choir is more potent than ever in the intro before the piano and Simone take precedence. (But don't fret! The Epica choir isn't gone forever!) The band comes in later on, in typical power-ballad fashion, and though the symphonic elements are evident in the choir, I think fans of general rock and metal will enjoy this song, not just symphonic metal fans. The same can be said about "Internal Warfare," though it's certainly not a ballad and still has plenty of symphonic elements. The bottom line is that it's a metal track with a catchy vocal line in the verses.

(But, to be honest, the whole album will potentially appeal to fans of general metal and not just symphonic metal.)

"Requiem for the Indifferent" is the title track, and it was initially my least favorite, but like much of the album, it grew on me. (Honestly, I didn't even like it much until I sat down to listen to it for this review.) It's so hardcore and complicated... I'm not so sure how I was ever able to deny it before. Though the primitive feel of "Karma" returns for this song, it's still very Epica. It demonstrates that Epica's songwriters are not only masterminds of today's metal, but also today's classical music, and the way they merge the two results in a very epic product.

The seventh track is an interlude called "Anima." I feel like I'm always saying interludes are "effective" but I'm never a big fan of them, because they're usually never more than that. "Anima" is a piano/string interlude that is more than effective, it's gorgeous, and possibly my favorite interlude EVER. So, if the interlude blew me away, than the follow-up track, "Guilty Demeanor" must have made me twitch from awesomeness, right? Well, not really. However, "Guilty Demeanor" is a great song nontheless, it's just not a favorite of mine.

But I start to get mesmorized by "Deep Water Horizon." The guitars, strings, and vocal line of the verses are so pretty. Already, I can tell that this is a masterpiece of Requiem for the Indifferent. Though the chorus doesn't grab me immediately, it did grow on me. The song gets heavier throughout as Mark Jansen's grunts come in, making room for catchy guitars and strings.

The next track is called "Stay the Course," one of the heavier tracks. It may seem to be led by Mark Jansen's grunts at first, but Simone Simons has control of the chorus, which is the best part of the song other than the choir in the bridge. There's something nostalgic about it... Anyway, it's not bad, but not a favorite of mine either. I can say the same for "Deter the Tyrant," though the songs are a bit different. "Deter the Tyrant" has a grand choir line and great guitar riffs, and it's generally bolder than "Stay the Course." All in all, I feel as though I need to give "Deter the Tyrant" a bit more time to grow on me.

Nearing the end of the album, "Avalanche" opens silently with an eerie sound. Oftentimes in this track, I am reminded of Tristania's wondrous guitar riffs, but Epica seems to do it better, freeing themselves of any flaws one could find in Tristania and adding their many great qualities. Yet somehow, it seems more progressive. "Avalanche" features a decent blend of Simone's vocals with Mark's grunts, and Simone's classical training is quite noticeable as her voice overlaps the choir (I'm referring to the section with lyrics: "Degenerate the love and hate..."). Plus, the guitars in that portion are classic at this point.

The final song is called "Serenade of Self-Destruction," and since I bought a physical copy of the album, I ended up with the instrumental track. (There was an accident when making the album; "Serenade of Self-Destruction" is not supposed to be instrumental.) Of course, I listened to the finished version of the track on the internet, and it's fantastic either way, one of the best of Requiem for the Indifferent. Though Mark and Simone add a lot to the song, the instrumental will show listeners that the music underneath the voices is quite phenomenal. But even on the instrumental, one can hear the (mostly male) choir in the first verse, their haunting lyrics sung in a staccato manner. Really, all of the lyrics are quite superior, and Simone 's voice is so pretty in the chorus. "Serenade of Self-Destruction" wraps up the album in a demonstration of many different emotions such as urgency and sadness.

Needless to say, Requiem for the Indifferent is a strong album with elements that many metal fans will enjoy, but I advise listeners to give it time to grow on them. Is it one of my favorites? No, but it's a more-than-satisfying album nonetheless. And after all, it is Epica, and in case anyone's failed to observe, they're called that for a reason.

4/5 Stars

Design Your Universe | Epica

In 2009, Epica released a studio album called Design Your Universe, living up to their reputation as a heavier (and perhaps even darker) symphonic metal band than others of their genre. Epica has always been epic, musically dynamic and lyrically thought-provoking, but this album seems to surpass a lot of their previous work. Its heaviness will have an appeal to lovers of general metal, Simone Simon's voice will appeal to anyone with an appreciation for singers, and the classical elements wrap it all together an a most irresistible way.

The first track is a prelude, entitled "Samadhi," and it's completely classical, immediately making a bold statement. This song quickly leads into "Resign to Surrender," which is nearly identical to the prelude, except the metal comes in and Mark Jansen begins grunting. Simone Simons' (their vocalist) striking voice is also found on this headbang-worthy track, of course. Everything about this song is energy and power, doing the lyrics justice.

A more melodic but still relatively heavy "Unleashed" comes next, a song of freedom that features Simone's voice entirely and no grunting, giving it cross-over appeal to those who aren't as fond of the band's influences. I don't really see how it's possible to dislike this woman's voice, especially on this song. Out of the entire album, "Unleashed" is probably the most mainstream song, but it's not unoriginal in any sense I can find.

"Martyr of the Free Word" is a fist-pumping song that I'd want to listen to if I were to ever overthrow a totalitarian state. That statement alone should help you indicate that Mark Jansen's lyrics within this standout song are full of truth. (For example: "When liberty seems out of reach, we'll fight for our freedom of speech!") Plus, the guitar riffs are just as lifting, toning it down a bit when Simone sings and then exploding into amazing metal-classical-chaos when there's grunting in the chorus. All in all, don't expect to sit still when listening to this song.

Next, we come to the fifth track, "Our Destiny." Though this isn't exactly one of my favorites from the album, it's alright. Although the lyrics embody strength, they comes off as a bit corny and don't get me particularly excited, and neither do the piano-led verses. Really, the only highlight of this track is Simone Simons' operatic voice in the pre-chorus.

A mystical male choir opens the next song with a chant before fading darkly into the string-led portion of the creepy intro. Then, all of a sudden, the best guitar riffs I've ever head in my life burst in, making my jaw drop dumbly. This is "Kingdom of Heaven," and it is easily my favorite Epica song and one of my favorite songs of all-time. There's metal and epic classical music intertwining in a way that makes me think of ancient times. There are grunts, and Simone's operatic voice. And the lyrics... Oh my goodness, it's about time someone wrote such mesmerizing, almost controversial lyrics. And just like that, I'm in love. Yet, the song isn't even halfway over; it's over thirteen minutes long. So, the music changes with the different sections of this symphonic metal masterpiece, giving us a guitar solo, urgency, and even a slowed-down bit before building back up with a portion that resembles the very first, but then suddenly changing before the song ends, sending a final chill down my spine.

As if knowing that "Kingdom of Heaven" would leave listeners taken aback, the next track is an interlude called "The Price of Freedom," which doesn't feature much other than acoustic instruments and men (who sound like politicians) speaking. Then, it leads into "Burn to a Cinder." Of all the songs on Design Your Universe, this is probably one of the most catchy with its fun vocal line and the way the grim lyrics remain somewhat romantic through it all. Throughout the song, there's a strong sense of urgency present, but as one reaches the last minute, the music is nearly gone except for some choral synth (that's the only way I can describe it) and Simone, ending the song sweetly.

At this point, one may think, 'Wow, this band is so hardcore that there isn't a ballad!' This is where that thought is proven wrong. "Tides of Time" is the next song, completely going in a different direction than the rest of the album. It's led by a pretty piano bit (accompanied by strings) and Simone's voice singing moving lyrics. I thought Simone blew me away on songs like "Unleashed" and "Our Destiny," but that's nothing to this song. "Tides of Time" clearly showcases Simone's beautiful voice, especially in the chorus. Then, the music swells in the bridge, bringing in electric guitars and drums, and Simone's voice grows with it. There is no denying a voice like this, a song like this. I loved it.

"Deconstruct" follows the ballad, picking things up once again. Nothing really struck me as grand about this song until I reached the bridge, where the choir comes in, singing the main lyrics in an ambitious staccato style. Then, we come to "Semblance of Liberty," which primarily consists of grunts though Simone is also included. Musically, it's what I consider to be the catchiest and it'll definitely appeal to metal-heads. However, the lyrics struck me more than anything. When reading along with the song, I said aloud, "This guy is deep."

A duet between Simone Simons and Tony Kakko left me relaxed with "White Waters." Right off the bat, the opening guitars intrigued me, and since it's Epica, I figured the song would blow out of the water (in a good way) with guitars and grunts, but I stand corrected. This song is actually quite calming, and I loved that. Besides, two gorgeous voices, soothing harmonies, great lyrics... do I need to say more?

The album ends with "Design Your Universe." It will fool the listener with its rather relaxing intro, but it soon picks up, adding guitars before breaking down to the verse. Again, the lyrics are really interesting and powerful, particularly in the chorus and the haunting choir bit (which is my favorite part). Also, I'm quite fond of the bridge, where the classical instrumentation seems to dominate, sweeping my ears away on an epic journey. Even so, the main choir bit left me breathless, and Simone sings a bit of it at the very end of the song, in the midst of fading piano bit that gives me chills every time.

Design Your Universe is a majorly impressive album; I think I've made that clear by now. Fans of just about any type of metal should give it a try, and to classical music lovers - go listen to this album and you'll see that metal and classical music have much in common.

5/5 Stars