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Epica: Requiem for the indifferent

06/04/12 || Cobal

So, a new release by these Netherlanders, uh? Are you ready to hate? I said, ARE YOU READY TO HAAATE? Yes? Well, I don’t. Let me state this plainly: I’ve followed these guys’ career since the very beginning, back in the good ol’days of “The Phantom Agony” and shit, and once and again I’ve enjoyed their music, at least a little in some cases. I’ll be as fair as you can get when judging this beast though, but don’t you expect me to encourage your killer instincts against’em.

I must admit I had little expectations when getting this one, as their last two full length albums were… let’s just say they’re not my favorite, yet, when listening to “RFTI”, I gladly realized there are a few new elements to check out. Perhaps quite a few.

The use of choirs is the vastest and richest that I can recall since “The Works” in “We Will Take You With Us”, and I even could recognize a couple voices from back then. Not quite innovative, but effective. Also, metal parts in the songs (meaning the riffs within these symphonic compositions) are more metal than ever; I’d go as far as saying there are some death metal passages, even though they take only a few seconds. Is it that ol’Mark is being strengthened by working in Mayan?

What I really found new, so to speak, is some HINTS of what you could call progressive stuff; meaning an occasional technical guitar riff, and solos! Yes, Epica have never been known for their killer guitar soloing, nevertheless there are a couple fine attempts here. ‘Twas about time!

Now about Simone… her vocals remain pretty much the same. I mean she’s good, that’s undeniable, and furthermore, she’s been improving her singing indeed; the thing is she’s been getting better and better as an exquisite opera singer, if you like, not as a metal one. The result, just too pretty.

And that’s nothing new; something that has always kept me not-that-much-into symphonic gothic bands, and it particularly happens with Jansen and company, is that sort of luminosity they convey not with lyrics maybe, but with their music itself. It feels as though they said “there’s still hope” or “sunshine is coming”; CRAP! That’s exactly the reason why I was so happy when Tarja was finally kicked out of Nightwish, and would stop so proficiently destroying ANY metal effect those guys could have on me.

No, for the world, NO, I’m not even suggesting Simone should or could be expelled from the band. I’d rather have her performing a lil’more aggressive and less fine vocals. That was one of the few highlights “The Divine Conspiracy” had, if you know what I mean.

Summarizing, “Requiem for the Indifferent” displays a few new features, but is still another standard release by Epica; not bad, interesting, TOO pretty, pretentious, well accomplished, etc. I honestly hope this is some sort of a transition work that’ll lead to a new sound. If you liked any of their previous albums, you’d enjoy this one; if you didn’t, why bother?

Information
Released: 2012
Label: Nuclear Blast
Website: www.epica.nl
Band
Simone Simons: vocals
Mark Jansen: guitars, harsh vocals
Isaac Delahaye: guitars
Yves Huts: bass
Coen Jansen: piano
Ariën van Weesenbeek: drums

Tracklist
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

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