Text: Dr. Evil. Smith
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Anyway, we are finally here for the world premiere of "Design Your Universe", the new Epica album that October 16 will officially appear, so I give myself a metaphorical kick my ass and Sjok meekly behind the pack on that first a short guided tour in the Epica Dome. We Koekeloere in the storage of merchandise, the rehearsal room (also for fitness, sports mad Mark, thanks Epica which we have lost a possible cycling talent) and a home studiootje. Then we take place in a room on the first floor that has been converted into makeshift cozy listening room. In the room hang several by fans follow kalkte flags of Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Wacken Open Air and a book shelf filled with Godfried Bomans, Toon Hermans, Heinrich Böll and study psychology. About twenty scraped together wooden benches, office chairs, plastic garden chairs and folding chairs fit exactly into the room. Middle of the living room is a large working table with the sound, coupled with a Mac. Two-Adam A7 speakers are on two small wooden stools which returns to the desk. Thanks to the Mickey Mouse-monthly level are the stools and the keyboard is a book about Caesar. If books are not read, then they at least provide the proper balance. Thanks to a brave ventilator is still some wind blown into the room, since through the open window on the other side of the room through the windless days will not get much refreshment. I need to think of U2-like scenes. Suppose a pedestrian Reuvers just started to let his dog out and the music from the street through the open window hear thunder? Even record to his iPod or MP3 player and it remains the same evening on the Internet. But no, it will not run so fast. Otherwise I also searched my recording taken ...
When everyone has taken place, Mark reveals itself as the metal equivalent of Bob Dylan, the song titles on A4 pages in the air to keep. Though I also think to Mrs. Vocal chords ( "The third round of the ro-of-the-hon!"). So, let the new album come!
'Samadhi' swells to a bombastic intro with a massive chorus that Epica has patented. They were just as good "O Fortuna" to call. That is a compliment indeed.
"Surrender To Resign (A New Age Dawns Part IV)" rather then brutally hacked. About thunderous riffs, powerful drumming, choral work and a majestic rolling intimidating grunt. Excuse me, Mark has had lessons from George Oosthoek, or is it George himself? Spooky keys work as we look to Nosferatu, piercing practices ironing over it with a powerful roar echoing Simone makes the Epica epic complete. No, not yet, because we are also treated to another of a fat guitar newb Isaac Delahaye. Hurray!
"Unleashed" And we go on quietly with overwhelming bombast. Although less complex and with such catchy vocal lines of Simone that sometimes a single candidate can be. Soprano vocals are indeed of her? I was almost used to that they no longer did. Funny background vocals in the serene adapter that resembles a small choir monks, but possibly with much beer and onderbroekenlol the male band members themselves is ingemompeld.
"Martyr Of The Free World", formerly known as Motherfucker Or whatsoever "for the faithful dog of the Internet Geeks Epica Forum. Though there is also "Semblance Of Liberty" in the program booklet. At the eleventh hour the track list apparently got a zwieperd. This song sounds a little aggressive again - Mark rattles his intestines back inside and delicately upside - but the verses are almost like a folk-rock groove: Epica goes Blackmore's Night? For a moment later with ripping guitar solos in the death thrash gear to move, which proved that not just Epica two ex-members of God Dethroned into the ranks have. For the general confusion including Gregorian monks pass in review. The course should not be predictable. Cool shit.
"Our Destiny" Ow, finally a little quiet, though that's relative, because Simone pulls her mezzo-crack reopened and Mark lets his Adam's apple a few times tickle. Nevertheless, the mid-tempo song and some clear structure of the song is less heavy on the stomach and what it holds and choral grooves that fall from the tube could have come from late Orphanage. I guess the second single, even though this number takes about six minutes.
'Kingdom Of Heaven (A New Age Dawns Part V) "All but six minutes is an easy business with this monster. No less than thirteen and a half minutes it takes colossus. Really everything comes together here where Epica stands: cinematic bombast (the title will be a tribute to the soundtrack of the movie), thunderous riffs, seething death metal thrash including thick blasts (again!), Powerful choral work, Simone Jansen as a Maria Callas in Bizet's "Carmen" and that Mark is doing audition for Autopsy. I think even something like a Watch Tower oppositional gitaarsolootje have heard, but perhaps I was halfway to hallucinate and froth. This is not only the magnum opus of this album, but the bands entire oeuvre. What 'Halloween' for Helloween, that's' Kingdom Of Heaven "for Epica. This is their "Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner '.
And then the break. Break? BREAK!? Godallejezusnogantoe, they do not even in the Pathe cinema ... Well, it is that the weather was fantastic, we are in a beautiful location and the drink flows abundantly. Especially the latter course, condones the scheduled short attention span of the press and interested and we can share our first impressions. After half an hour of music and alcohol (or drink) to have settle, we continue with part two of the album.
"The Price Of Freedom (Interlude)" and "Burn To A Cinder 'first typical Epica After a rather bombastic power metal-like drive with Simone that sounds a bit like Sharon. Bit pathetic, but perhaps more a matter of listening. Halfway to turn the song into an Enya-like piece, with haunting (again) a beautiful guitar solo.
"Tides Of Time" There's tie-over, I was already a long time to wait: the inevitable musical ballad. Simone's showpiece. It seems to me quite suikerspinnerig sickly and over, with some slick to melancholy. Her occasional mezzo is emerging here is also fantastic. In the second part, the bombast again entered, including beautiful guitar again. Oeh, that sounds nice anyway. Let Mr.. A.L. Webber only hear, then Elaine Page or packing.
"Deconstruct'Zo, it was again time for some brutal times to go. The rate goes up, the choral work is present again, and the rugged metal passages and Mark Griep Mexican barks again through the speakers. Yet this number is not initially really stuck.
"Semblance Of Liberty" Then it sounds better. The aggression is more convincing and the rolling grooves combined with me doing the grunt of George .... Eh, Mark Orphanage to think again. Simone can not be known and also a few echoes of the roof, but this is clearly number one Mark. Über cool thrash riff half way. Misstaat not any Lamb Of God album.
'White Waters' Huh, we get a cover of Metallica's 'One'? That acoustic guitar looks suspiciously like. Oh, there comes a violet in: Now it seems "The Unforgiven IV. And a singer who sings. No, that's not Mark. Tsk, if he's like! It is also not Palotai Oliver, Kamelot Simone's boyfriend who is present today, because they can not sing. No, it appears Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica to be. Well, this is another typical gevalletje of a love ballad in front of your lover can be very beautiful, but not between twenty persmuskieten and the smell of sweat from your armpits editor. Oh yes, if they are cowards they are here again a single pull. Yet my plate number of the skip.
"Design Your Universe (A New Age Dawns Part VI)" closes the album, is traditionally a long title track that all styles of Epica back together adds. So again all opera bombast, kitsch musical, dramatic vocals, fat metal riffs and vocal duels between soprano and grunt, and then exactly 75 minutes after we all uithijgen epic bombast and eclectic metal ...
As the subtitles of some songs make clear, this album is lyrically a sequel to 'Consign To Oblivion', though the Maya seem less clearly present. The first, superficial impression is that especially the first part is impressive with intimidating portions metal bombast, especially 'Surrender To Resign, "" Martyr Of The Free World "and of course' Kingdom Of Heaven '. The second part shows a quieter, less extreme side of Epica hear all sound "Semblance Of Liberty" and the title track at the first hearing as really good piece of metal songs. The sound moddervet, even if you wrote the above comic entourage might suggest otherwise, and it seems at first hearing that "Design Your Universe" more metal, more ballads, more variety, more aggression, more guitar, more bombast, more and more choral grunts as ever contain. More of everything is. These are healthy first impressions!
Then may Lords Of Metal Simone here lospulken of Oliver and we settle on a couple of wicker chairs among the trees Reuvers. Well at least I had my mug but decent shaved, as I think the redhead clean ... looking at how this conversation turns out next month is Lords Of Metal reading.
Subject: Another new review of DYU! 
Wed Sep 09, 2009 5:20 pm
The part from the teaser with the gregorian choir sounds amazing!
