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In 2003 the debut album of Epica raised nothing less than raving
critics and even got the band invited by the Dutch radio / TV host
Jan-Douwe Kroeske, for a prestigious performance in his “2 Meter
Sessie” programme. This resulted in a beautiful semi-acoustic
CD/DVD. Yet the band did not become arrogant after that and worked
hard on their second studio album that is out now: Consign to
Oblivion.
Of course the expectations for this album are tensed…will Epica move
in the same direction? Yes and no, which is the only answer. Yes,
because Consign to Oblivion holds many elements that made The
Phantom Agony such an amazing album: bombast, stunning vocals, choir
and orchestra. Next to these also the unknown cultures are present.
Still, Consign to Oblivion is not a mere copy of their debut album.
The album has more atmosphere and filmic influences and sounds even
more mature, for as much that is possible, than The Phantom Agony.
Simone Simons has never sounded better! I have had the opportunity
to hear several songs of the album live and that is beyond words. On
The Phantom Agony, her vocals sometimes went lost in the choirs, but
here that doesn’t happen much.
The first half of the album is fairly quiet, since ‘the beast’ aka
Mark Jansen does not let himself be heard. Here you can enjoy great
melodies and relaxed guitar riffs by Jansen and Sluyter. Halfway the
album, starting with ‘Forces of the Shore’, the beats wakes up and
the riffs go up a notch and the grunts enter. I have never been a
real grunt fan, but when Mark Jansen starts, the volume goes up.
Rock on!
Consign to Oblivion turns out to be a varied album, with melodic
songs, where ‘The Last Crusade’ is an absolute highlight, with
sensitive ballads, ‘Solitary Ground’, where the astonishingly
beautiful voice of Simone Simons just gives you goose bumps, and
great metal with the necessary grunts and heavy riffs, like in
‘Mother of Light’.
Of course Epica does not consist solely of Simone Simons and Mark
Jansen, but a total of 6 excellent musicians, who once again perform
at a high level of quality. The rhythm tandem Simons-Huts rocks like
a train and knows everytime again to ride the right path. Whether it
is heavy or more subdued, everything is played perfectly. Coen
Jansen steals the show, especially with his piano play, where he
brings moments of rest even in the heavy songs. Of course the guitar
play by Mark Jansen and Ad Sluyter give the album that tasty metal
sound. Still, one piece of advice: see Epica live, as they are
definitely at their best on the stage!
Even Epica have heroes in music, given the fact the band owes their
name to the Kamelot album of the same name. So it must be very
special for the band to have Kamelot singer Khan sing a duet with
Simone Simons, that being ‘Trois Vierges’. With the keys by Coen
Janssen has gotten a real medieval sound. On top of that, Simons is
also present of the latest Kamelot album, The Black Halo, again in a
duet with Kahn!
Good, as you can see, it is impossible to leave out the superlatives
with Consign to Oblivion. Epica just is a band that from the start
met with the greats in the “female fronted Gothic Metal” and here
this is confirmed once again. Next to the music, also the choice of
topics is of importance here. In the lyrics of Epica you won’t
easily find a tacky or empty topic. No, on Consign to Oblivion, the
topics move from spirituality to the lost Maya culture, from
religion to the artist’s life.
Consign to Oblivion is an album that overwhelms, is bombastic, full
of guitar and drum violence, full of emotion and atmosphere, filmic,
filled with beautiful vocals and dark grunts, epic choirs and
everything from the highest quality. The closing and title track
sums all these elements up and the conclusion may be clear: this is
a must have album!
Note: the album will be available in several formats and if you have
the right equipment, the SACD is highly recommended, as you get to
hear the album in a 5.1 mix. |
