Epica - Divine Conspiracy
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Free Music Notes for Divine Conspiracy
Free Music Review: Excellent
Hit: 5 Stars
Epica has done it again, a fantastic album. The band seems to take the term symphonic in symphonic metal literally, and they really pull it off perfectly.
I can understand why some previous reviewers don't enjoy Mark's grunts, though I don't share their opinion. Metal vocalists can really go either way when it comes to whether someone likes or dislikes them; it's a matter of personal taste. If you're not sure, check them out on You Tube (they have plenty of videos there) and hear for yourself.
I find him fantastic, actually, and hope he never gives it up! He and Simone go great together, to my taste at least. Keep it up, guys!
Also, as for the implied complaint that they sound like Nightwish, I disagree. The only things Nightwish and Epica have in common is they are both symphonic metal bands and they both have female and male vocalists. Their styles are very distinctly different.
Free Music Review: An Epic CD from an Epic Band
Hit: 5 Stars
To be perfectly honest, I only really started listening to Epica after Tarja Turunen's dismissal from Nightwish. To me, Dark Passion Play wasn't as great as it should have been. So I turned to Epica's newest release. And now I'm almost glad Tarja was kicked off of Nightwish, I probably wouldn't have heard this album if she wasn't.
This is one of the best CDs I've heard in a long time. Epica really seem to master the aspects of Symphonic Metal that I like so much. Simone's vocals are amazing and operatic, the guitar and bass play perfectly to compliment the orchestral parts (and vice-versa), and the drummer is amazing.
As someone else said in another review, I really love that the songs almost all exceed 6 minutes in length. I feel that they wouldn't be nearly as great if they were only three or four minutes long, and the fourteen minute title track is now one of my all time favourite songs.
There are a couple problems I have with this album though. My biggest problem is probably the growling. Don't get me wrong, they're great when placed in the right spot. The problem is that sometimes it seems Mark was growling just to fill the song, without regard to how it fit. There were times, like on "The Obsessive Devotion" and "Never Enough", where they worked perfectly. But on some songs, like "Beyond Belief", I think the song would have sounded better if he didn't growl and just let the instruments do their job.
Another problem is that at times it seemed that, while the guitars and bass complimented the orchestral parts, there were times when it seemed the orchestra completely overshadowed them. But again, at times it worked out better because of it.
So all in all, this is easily the best Symphonic Metal album to be released since Nightwish's "Once." And in some aspects, it's even better. If you like Symphonic Metal, get this album.
Free Music Review: Musical Saturation
Hit: 5 Stars
Epica has blended opera, classical, heavy metal, and death metal all in one. Where Nightwish began, Epica has taken to a farther limit. Simone Simons has an amazing vocal range and Mark Jansen's vocal tracks add the aggression portrayed lyrically. Mark's vocal tracks remind me of the band Deicide and add a unique flavor to the sound. I had this album on my mp3 player when one of the tracks came on. I said to myself, "I don't have any Nightwish on this today", when I remembered it was Epica. If you love the sound of Nightwish then you will definitly want to hear Epica. It's bands such as these that prove that Europe prides its musicians on talent not image.Free Music Review: Epica: The Art of Music
Hit: 5 Stars
Ok, you have to keep in mind that this kind of music is not going to be for everybody. It is very different, and in my mind, it is an acquired taste. You're not going to hear it on the radio, or on MTV, because it is music as an art form. It is not adulterated by commercialism due to the monetary interests of a record company's desire to attract that "younger" brainless audience so they can cash in and run happily to the bank. This is ARTWORK.
With that in mind, Epica is simple an amazing band. I was disappointed for a very long time because I thought that good music had died back in the mid 90's. It took me a while to come across it again, but I found it! Yay! Their music is well orchestrated, and Simone Simons voice is incredibly beautiful. I find myself listening to this album whenever I am feeling frustrated or bummed out, because the music really helps to remember that regardless the darkness that comes around from time to time, life is truly beautiful. That is what music is supposed to do, and this is why Epica is an incredibly talented band. They create beautiful works of art.
Free Music Review: Just Amazing!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
This is an amazing album, not as great as "the phantom agony", but I like the direction that the band has taken. The growls are excellent and gives Epica what they want, to stay away from the commercial bands and pseudo gothic bands like evanescence. Mark Jansen said this is the path Epica will follow no matter if people like it or not, for me its ok because the growls mixed with Simone's voice makes the music faraway from evanescence music style that is becoming more and more popular and boring.