Label: Atomic Fire
Release date: 11. 11. 2022
Production: Epica and Joost van den Broek
Album length: 35.51 min
Genre: Symphonic Metal
Rating: 9/10
We live in a world that modern society and turbo capitalism keep tearing apart, while ads on every medium sell us the story of the individual’s success. But humans are social creatures. We survived for millennia as a community, not as lone wolves wandering the forests. Collaboration is the key to a successful society, and Epica know it well. Last year the band celebrated twenty years together, and for the party they invited various musicians they’ve crossed paths with over those two decades. The result is an EP called ‘The Alchemy Project’.
The EP kicks off with ‘The Great Tribulation’, a collaboration with Italian symphonic death metallers Fleshgod Apocalypse. The intro starts out in classic Epica style with Simone and choir vocals, but it quickly veers into much darker waters. Over the raging blast beats, the contrasting vocals of Simone and Francesco weave together superbly, and in the choir parts you can also hear the power of soprano Veronica Bordacchini.
“Dancing on ruins in search of more power
But we have forgotten to water the soil that forgives
Let it live”
Mixing such different musicians with Epica naturally leads to some musical detours that the band’s regular listeners aren’t used to, but they can be really interesting. ‘Wake the World’ features Swedish singer Tommy Karevik (Kamelot) and keyboardist Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep). The song stays symphonic, but it’s more rock than metal, Lanzon’s keyboard playing gives the whole thing a properly prog feel, and Tommy’s power metal vocals go hand in hand with Simone’s.
“Can we cure our pain with harmony?, (You are never gonna change your world)
Ride the waves, for human eyes remain to see, blindly, (You are vulnerable)
Will we paint the sky in symphony?, (Music cannot redeem)
Can our music heal the world?”
Next up is another really fun, bouncy track: ‘The Final Lullaby’. It’s a collaboration with Norwegian alt metallers Shining, and the music sounds so much like them that I’d go as far as saying that without Simone’s vocals, I’d have a hard time pinning it on Epica. Once again the different vocals mesh perfectly, and of course there’d be no Shining without Munkebye’s saxophone, which really is the cherry on top!
“So here we are, hand in hand, Watching the world end
The rain is pounding down on us from a broken sky, But we will live somehow”
The EP then continues in a very calm, vocal-driven mood with ‘Sirens – Of Blood and Water’. It’s a mystical interplay of three outstanding female vocalists: besides Simone, there’s her fellow Dutchwoman Charlotte Wessels (ex-Delain) and Denmark’s Amalie Bruun (Myrkur).
“We are the sisters of the sea, Inside the waters we are free
You ride the currents of my tears, As our goodbye is drawing near
We are the children of the sky, Come earn a soul that never dies”
After a few gentler melodies, the EP turns to the “dark” side. ‘Death is Not the End’ is a fast, hard-hitting track where the wild Björn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork) takes over lead vocals, and it feels like Simone gets pushed into the background. On guitar, Epica are joined by Frank Schiphorst, who plays in the Dutch band MaYan alongside Epica’s rhythm guitarist, resident growler and co-founder Mark Jansen.
“Breathe through my final breath, Fear of a never-ending trail of tears
Death is not the end, Blood all over your hands
Guilt preserves the pain, and I can’t make amends
Catch that final breath, Mortal death is near”
If Strid took us into heavier waters, ‘Human Devastation’ pulls us clean out of Epica’s universe. Guest vocalist Sven de Caluwé (God Dethroned, Aborted) joins Epica’s instrumental side for a death metal rampage lasting just under three minutes, something we’ve never heard from these Dutch symphonic metallers, let alone expected.
“Madness around me, radiation frying our brains
Knowledge deceiving, sources manifesting hate
Madness within me, every day goes on and on
Madness within you, apathy is dooming”
Right from the intro of the last track, ‘The Miner’, the atmospheric guitars hint at a link to Finnish melodeath heavyweights Insomnium. The sound then settles, via more modern melodies backed by samples, under a blend of vocals from Simone and Asim Searah (Damnation Plan, ex-Wintersun), interrupted in the more distorted passages by Niilo Sevännen (Insomnium).
“Suffocated by misery
In search of the endless treasure
All that glitters is not gold”
Epica celebrated their first twenty years in their own special way, and there’s no sign of them slowing down. The bold choice of musicians and styles they tackled on this EP shows they know no creative limits. That’s great news for the band, though probably not for all of their fans. But where one chapter ends, another begins, and I can’t wait for whatever they do next. The only question is whether, or how, we’ll get to hear this project live.
Author: Sebastijan Videc
Tracklist:
1. The Great Tribulation (feat. Fleshgod Apocalypse)
2. Wake the World (feat. Phil Lanzon & Tommy Karevik)
3. The Final Lullaby (feat. SHINING (NOR))
4. Sirens – Of Blood And Water (feat. Charlotte Wessels & Myrkur)
5. Death is Not the End (feat. Björn “Speed” Strid & Frank Schiphorst)
6. Human Devastation (feat. God Dethroned & Sven de Caluwé)
7. The Miner (feat. Asim Searah, Niilo Sevännen & Roel van Helden)
Lineup:
Simone Simons – vocals
Mark Jansen – rhythm guitar, growls
Coen Janssen – keyboards
Ariën van Weesenbee – drums
Isaac Delahaye – lead guitar, backing vocals
Rob van der Loo – bass guitar
