Epica - Design Your Universe
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Music CD Cover
Artist: EpicaEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2009-11-03
Music Label: Nuclear Blast
Product features:
- EPICA DESIGN YOUR UNIVERSE
Free Music Notes for Design Your Universe
Free Music Review: Big risk that pays off
Hit: 5 Stars
So this is a long time in coming. But here it goes. This is Epicas 4th ablum and it's also the one where they take the most risks. The Phantom Agony was just plain Symphonic metal in the relam of After Forever and old Nightwish. Consign to Oblivion was Symphonic Metal with a bit of rock in there and could be seen as being in the relam of Nightwishs Century Child and Within Temptation and many other female fronted metal bands that came out around that time. In 2007 The Divine Conspiracy mixed the best of there past to albums. There were also parts that were crying out to just be heard better. Such as there first guitar solo and the Prog and Death Metal feel. And for fans of Prog and Death Metal enter 2009 Design Your Universe. If you are fan of Lacuna Coil, Evanescence, New Nightwish, Within Temptation, Sirenia, Tristania, or even Leaves Eyes this may very well turn you off. If you are a fan of Symphonic metal with heavy mixes of Prog, Death and even hints of Black metal then this is just the album for you. For Epica it was a big risk. Jeroen Simons left the band in 2006 and Epica picked up Ariën van Weesenbeek. Then they lost Ad Sluijter and picked up Isaac Delahaye. So what does that do for Epica. Well Isaac and Arien are both from the Melodic Death Metal God Dethroned. What they add is what many female fronted rock and metal bands seem to lack at points balls to the walls metal. Not only is the drumming faster and much more heavy the guitar is a lot more melodic and right up front. You also get six guitar solos. Here's how it all breaks down.
Samadhi ~ Prelude: Not there best opening. But it is what it is. Really think of it as more of a lead into the next song. 2/5
Resign to Surrender ~ A New Age Dawns - part IV: This is where it picks up and starts out really great. You also start to hear just how different this album will be from past Epica albums. The choir is at there best and the guitar playing is tops. The solo mid way into the song will really get you to bang you're head. 5/5
Unleashed: For Epica and for any female fronted metal band this is a very heavy sinlge to have. Though at the same time kind of light. It really gives you any idea of just what the album is like and unlike Never Enough is a very well liked single. 5/5
Martyr of the Free Word: Ok so is this the heaviest Epica has ever gotten? Close but no. I would say it's there 4th heaveist song. The songs starts off sounding like it could come froms Slayer or Dark Tranquillity. Then comes Simone after her part it hits right into the Melodic Death Metal side of music with Mark sounding more wicked then he ever has with his growls. You also get Gregorian chants and a really cool solo. This is not for the faint of heart. 5/5
Our Destiny: This song can be over looked many times. But it is a very good song. Not much to say about it. 4/5
Kingdom of Heaven ~ A New Age Dawns - part V: So this most be the heaviest Epica has ever gotten. Well it's getting there I would place this at 3rd. I really enjoy this song from Epica. Also what's different is that it's Ariën van Weesenbeek not Mark that growls on this. If you are fan of Opteh or most Prog Metal music then you may very well like this. If you are fan of Lacuna Coil and Evanescence though this song well be hard for you to get into. But give it a chance. Has great guitar work. Drumming at it's best Simone and the Choir really doing a great job and just any all around very well down song. 5/5
The Price of Freedom ~ Interlude: I can do with out this song. 0/5
Burn to a Cinder: Kind of different for Epica. It has more of a Power Metal feel to it. Simone also really shows what she can do with her voice. She sound very sexy here and it's kind of a different style for her. 5/5
Tides of Time: Prehaps the best balled I have ever heard in metal music. Also near the end Simone has almost any R&B style of singing going on. The guitar solo in here is prehaps the most powerful I have heard. It's in all out really well down song. 5/5
Deconstruct: Like Our Destiny this song is easy to pass over and forget. Because it's placed between two really great songs. But if you give it a chance it is really good. It starts off sounding like it would come from some epic movie and for the most part stays that way. 5/5
Semblance of Liberty: Do you like Melodic Death Metal? If not this stay away from this song. Simone and the choir are in this song. But it's mostly Mark and Ariën here and if you are not into the heavy riffs and pulse pounding drums this will be really hard to get into. If you like Melodic Death Metal like I do you will really enjoy this song. This is the 2nd heaviest songs Epica has ever made so what is the first keep reading. 5/5
White Waters: I really enjoy this song it's simple and soft and I found that Tony Kakko did a much better job then Roy Khan did. Then again Trois Vierges is not that great of a song. 5/5
Design Your Universe ~ A New Age Dawns - part VI: Prehaps the most symphonic song on the CD and very well done. It starts off slow and just buildds and builds it ends with Simones sounding just as good as she always does. :) 5/5
Incentive (Bonustrack): This is the song that shows Epica at there heaviest. It's also all Mark and the guys hear. You will not hear Simone at all. It's pure Melodic Death Metal. If you ever wanted to know what Epica would sound like with out Simone this is the song for you. All other fans who are not into Dark Tranquillity sound songs well be turned off 5/5 >:}
All and all this a great CD. there are a few things I would change such as The Price of Freedom and a better place for both Our Destiny and Deconstruct. But for the most part it's one CD I have a hard time putting down.
Design Your Universe Poster
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