![]() The tracks "Universal Death Squad" (released on 29 July 2016) and "Edge of the Blade" (released on 8 September 2016)., appeared as singles.īackground, recording and writing Īfter Epica's 2014 album The Quantum Enigma was well received and the band toured Europe, Asia, Africa and both South and North America, halfway through 2015, Epica started a new journey – writing and recording their seventh studio album The Holographic Principle. The theme is the idea that the universe might be a digitally-generated hologram. ![]() No reason has been given for this, either from Jansen or Delahaye. The album is notable for being the only release without band leader Mark Jansen as guitarist, as he only provides growled vocals Isaac Delahaye played all guitars on the album. The release date along with the album's title and cover was revealed on Epica's website on 3 June 2016, the tracklisting was revealed on 17 June 2016. The album was produced by Joost van den Broek and mixed by Jacob Hansen. Instead, they continue to outdo themselves by taking their music even further with efforts like The Holographic Principle.ġ2.The Holographic Principle is the seventh studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica, released on 30 September 2016. So, yeah, Epica are a long-time favorite of mine, but they don’t rely on past accomplishments to stay there. This is another astonishing album from Epica, which is among my top records of the year - no doubt. The 11-minute epic “The Holographic Principle – A Profound Understanding Of Reality” finishes things up by bringing every style back and mixing them up together once more. “Tear Down Your Walls” slows things down but only for a short time as it transforms into another full-on symphonic metal attack by the end. “Ascension – Dream State Armageddon” is slightly more gothic, and “Dancing In A Hurricane” mixes some middle eastern and folk elements for good measure. “Beyond The Matrix” mixes it up with some had rock elements and then comes the violin and strings on “Once Upon A Nightmare” but that doesn’t last as the band quickly cranks things back up to full intensity with “The Cosmic Algorithm.” “Divide And Conquer” is one of the heaviest songs on the album and features some great back-and-forth between Simons and Jansen. The album moves on to the single, the Terminator/ Skynet inspired “Universal Death Squad” which is a track that captures the essence of what Epica is all about - a full-frontal symphonic metal attack with manic drums, thrashy guitars, and booming bass alongside orchestral elements with over-the-top choral vocals. ![]() Vibrant vocals, virtuoso musicianship, maximum energy and, symphonic, classical, orchestral, operatic, and almost every other kind of metal genre you can think of, they all come into play at some point or another during The Holographic Principle.īut on to the music now! The album opens with “Eidola” - a sort of intro that warms things up for the slightly poppy and upbeat “Edge Of The Blade” and the dynamic “A Phantasmic Parade” which both feature Simone’s great range, from her soft and crisp singing to her full on operatic power, while Jansen’s trademark death metal-style guttural growls provide a counterpoint. It’s an interesting subject if you care to take a look.Īs it has become their trademark, Epica‘s approach to their music continues using the principle that bigger is better, and they keep throwing every element into their music. There’re quite a few supporters of this theory out there. Whit this album, Epica continue their scientific approach to lyrics, this time exploring the holographic principle, which basically states that the universe that surrounds us is not real, that we all live in a gigantic computer simulation, in an experiment. Mark Jansen’s guttural growls and the fabulous playing from the rest of the band provide the perfect melodic counterpoint. She’s one of the key elements of Epica and I don’t even want to think about what would happen if she ever leaves the band. Her powerful yet sweet classical singing voice can easily supersede the music, even when it gets heavy and fast. She’s got the looks and a shitload of talent, to the point that she has become a paragon of lead female vocalists in symphonic heavy metal. Of course, having Simone Simons as a singer doesn’t hurt. Yes, they have maintained a similar path since Design Your Universe, but there’s no other band out there doing this kind of music with so much sonic tapestry, and The Holographic Principle is further proof of that. I’ve heard some criticism about them for falling into a formula for their albums but, as truthful as this statement may be, what’s there to say when that formula is unique and of their own making. ![]() Initial disclaimer - I like Epica, A LOT. Released on Septem(Nuclear Blast Records)
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