Epica is a Dutch symphonic metal band, founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen after his departure from After Forever.
Formed as a symphonic metal band with gothic tendencies, later Epica have incorporated into their sound strong death metal influences. Starting from the third album, progressive metal influences have also become evident. In addition, the band often uses thrash metal and groove metal riffs, black metal passages (mostly in the drum technique), power metal moments and references to Arabic music. Some songs also have electronic shades, djent transitions and folk metal melodies derived from middle eastern, Chinese and Celtic traditions.Epica is also known for the attention to the vocal lines that, in contrast to the heavy context, weave very catchy, easy to hold, sophisticated and emotional melodies. The use of mezzo-soprano vocals and growled vocals, performed by Simone Simons and Mark Jansen respectively, is fundamental to the band's sound. They primarily write their own lyrics, which often deal with philosophical, psychological, spiritual, moral, scientific, environmental, socio-political, global and topical and personal themes. Epica is also known for their wide use of orchestra and opera choirs.
In 2003, Epica's debut album The Phantom Agony was released through Transmission Records. Consign to Oblivion followed in 2005, and debuted at No. 12 in the Dutch charts. They moved labels to Nuclear Blast following Transmission's bankruptcy, and in 2007, released their third studio album The Divine Conspiracy, which charted at No.9 in the Netherlands. 2009's Design Your Universe was met with yet greater success, debuting at No.8 in the Dutch Albums Chart, and charting across Europe, also garnering much critical acclaim. Epica's fifth studio album Requiem for the Indifferent was released in 2012. Well received by critics, it achieved international success, entering the US's Billboard 200 at No.104, and Japan's Oricon Albums Chart at No.172.
At the beginning of May 2014 the band released their sixth album, The Quantum Enigma, which was a huge international success, debuting on No.110 on US Billboard 200 and peaking at No.4 in Epica's homeland Netherlands. In June 2015 Epica was awarded the Music Export Awards, which is given to the Dutch act with the most international success in the past year. Their seventh album, The Holographic Principle, was released in September 2016 to continued international success, equalling the peak chart position set by its predecessor in the Netherlands. The band released their eighth album, Omega, in February 2021.
GENRE: Symphonic Gothic Metal
DISCOGRAPHY
2003 - The Phantom Agony
Format: FLAC [Lossless]
01. Adyta [The Neverending Embrace]
02. Sensorium
03. Cry For The Moon [The Embrace That Smothers, Part IV]
04. Feint
05. Illusive Consensus
06. Facade Of Reality [The Embrace That Smothers, Part V]
07. Run For A Fall
08. Seif Al Din [The Embrace That Smothers, Part VI]
09. The Phantom Agony
___________________________________________________
2005 - Consign To Oblivion
Format: FLAC [Lossless]
01. Hunab K'u [A New Age Dawns, Prologue]
02. Dance Of Fate
03. The Last Crusade [A New Age Dawns #1]
04. Solitary Ground
05. Blank Infinity
06. Force Of The Shore
07. Quietus
08. Mother Of Light [A New Age Dawns #2]
09. Trois Vierges
10. Another Me ''In Lack Ech''
11. Consign To Oblivion [A New Age Dawns #3]
___________________________________________________
2005 - The Score, An Epic Journey
Format: FLAC [Lossless]
01. Vengeance Is Mine
02. Unholy Trinity
03. The Valley
04. Caught In A Web
05. Insomnia
06. Under The Aegis
07. Trois Vierges [Solo Version]
08. Mystica
09. Valley Of Sins
10. Empty Gaze
11. The Alleged Paradigm
12. Supremacy
13. Beyond The Depth
14. Epitome
15. Inevitable Embrace
16. Angel Of Death
17. The Ultimate Return
18. Trois Vierges [Reprise]
19. Solitary Ground [Piano Version]
20. Quietus [Score Version]
___________________________________________________
2006 - The Road To Paradiso
Format: FLAC [Lossless]
01. Welcome To The Road To Paradiso
02. Making Of Adyta
03. Adyta [Demo Version]
04. Making Of Cry For The Moon
05. Cry For The Moon [Demo Version]
06. Making Of Quietus
07. Quietus [Demo Version]
08. Quietus [Single Version]
09. The Fallacy
10. Interview With Ad On The Live Tracks
11. Solitary Ground [Live In Barcelona]
12. Blank Infinity [Live In Eindhoven]
13. Mother Of Light [Live In Eindhoven]
14. Linger [Piano Version]
15. Crystal Mountain [Orchestral Version]
16. Purushayita
___________________________________________________
2007 - The Divine Conspiracy
Format: FLAC [Lossless]
01. Indigo [Prologue]
02. The Obsessive Devotion
03. Menace Of Vanity
04. Chasing The Dragon
05. Never Enough
06. La'petach Chatat Rovetz [The Final Embrace]
07. Death Of A Dream [The Embrace That Smothers, Part VII]
08. Living A Lie [The Embrace That Smothers, Part VIII]
09. Fools Of Damnation [The Embrace That Smothers, Part IX]
10. Beyond Belief
11. Safeguard To Paradise
12. Sancta Terra
13. The Divine Conspiracy
___________________________________________________
2009 - Design Your Universe
Format: FLAC [Lossless]
01. Samadhi
02. Resign To Surrender
03. Unleashed
04. Martyr Of The Free Word
05. Our Destiny
06. Kingdom Of Heaven
07. The Price Of Freedom
08. Burn To A Cinder
09. Tides Of Time
10. Deconstruct
11. Semblance Of Liberty
12. White Waters
13. Design Your Universe
14. Incentive
___________________________________________________
2012 - Requiem For The Indifferent
Format: FLAC [Lossless]
01. Karma
02. Monopoly On Truth
03. Storm The Sorrow
04. Delirium
05. Internal Warfare
06. Requiem For The Indifferent
07. Anima
08. Guilty Demeanor
09. Deep Water Horizon
10. Stay The Course
11. Deter The Tyrant
12. Avalanche
13. Serenade Of Self-Destruction
14. Nostalgia [Bonus]
___________________________________________________
2014 - The Quantum Enigma
Format: FLAC [Lossless]
01. Originem
02. The Second Stone
03. The Essence Of Silence
04. Victims Of Contingency
05. Sense Without Sanity [The Impervious Code]
06. Unchain Utopia
07. The Fifth Guardian [Interlude]
08. Chemical Insomnia
09. Reverence [Living In The Heart]
10. Omen [The Ghoulish Malady]
11. Canvas Of Life
12. Natural Corruption
13. The Quantum Enigma [Kingdom Of Heaven, Part II]
14. Mirage Of Verity
___________________________________________________
2016 - The Holographic Principle
Format: FLAC [Lossless]
01. Eidola
02. Edge Of The Blade
03. A Phantasmic Parade
04. Universal Death Squad
05. Divide And Conquer
06. Beyond The Matrix
07. Once Upon A Nightmare
08. The Cosmic Algorithm
09. Ascension [Dream State Armageddon]
10. Dancing In A Hurricane
11. Tear Down Your Walls
12. The Holographic Principle [A Profound Understanding Of Reality]
13. Immortal Melancholy [Piano Version]
___________________________________________________
2017 - The Score 2.0, An Epic Journey [2CDs]
Format: FLAC [Lossless]
CD1 - Chapter 1, The Score 2.0
01. Vengeance Is Mine
02. Unholy Trinity
03. The Valley
04. Caught In A Web
05. Insomnia
06. Under The Aegis
07. Trois Vierges [Solo Version]
08. Mystica
09. Valley Of Sins
10. Empty Gaze
11. The Alleged Paradigm
12. Supremacy
13. Beyond The Depth
14. Epitome
15. Inevitable Embrace
16. Angel Of Death
17. The Ultimate Return
18. Trois Vierges [Reprise]
19. Solitary Ground [Piano Version]
20. Quietus [Score Version]
CD2 - Chapter 2, The Score
01. Vengeance Is Mine
02. Unholy Trinity
03. The Valley
04. Caught In A Web
05. Insomnia
06. Under The Aegis
07. Trois Vierges [Solo Version]
08. Mystica
09. Valley Of Sins
10. Empty Gaze
11. The Alleged Paradigm
12. Supremacy
13. Beyond The Depth
14. Epitome
15. Inevitable Embrace
16. Angel Of Death
17. The Ultimate Return
18. Trois Vierges [Reprise]
19. Solitary Ground [Piano Version]
20. Quietus [Score Version]
___________________________________________________
2021 - Omega
Format: FLAC [Lossless]
01. Vengeance Is Mine
02. Unholy Trinity
03. The Valley
04. Caught In A Web
05. Insomnia
06. Under The Aegis
07. Trois Vierges [Solo Version]
08. Mystica
09. Valley Of Sins
10. Empty Gaze
11. The Alleged Paradigm
12. Supremacy
13. Beyond The Depth
14. Epitome
15. Inevitable Embrace
16. Angel Of Death
17. The Ultimate Return
18. Trois Vierges [Reprise]
19. Solitary Ground [Piano Version]
20. Quietus [Score Version]
