So called musical differences ‘forced’ long time After Forever member Mark Jansen to part ways with the band and make a new start. Shortly after, the first news came in of a newly founded band with Jansen and Norwegian vocalist Helena Iren Michaelsen (Trail Of Tears) called Sahara Dust. Since then lots of things still changed. The name is one of those. Inspired by the latest Kamelot album, Jansen renamed his new band to Epica and with young Dutch mezzo soprano Simone Simons, the band got a new frontwoman. More song material was written and Epica headed into Sascha Paeth’s Gate Studio to record the album. Debut album “The Phantom Agony” has been recently released on Transmission Records.
After the release of After Forever’s “Decipher”, I asked Mark how the main colour of their next album would look like, as each one of their first two albums had this trademark. As soon as I saw the cover of the Epica debut, I knew that “The Phantom Agony” would be Jansen’s follow-up to “Decipher”. Red had indeed been his answer.
Not remarkably, the sound of the material is quite similar to After Forever’s and closer to that of “Prison Of Desire”. Close followers will know that After Forever’s debut album featured a prologue and three parts of “The Embrace That Smothers”, a series of songs from the hand of Mark Jansen. On “The Phantom Agony”, this musical and lyrical story with lots of eastern influences is continued with beauties as “Façade Of Reality” and “Seif Al Din” amongst others. Sascha Paeth’s perfect production is a great complement to the music and makes the album complete.
Holland strengthens its status as one of the leading countries in the gothic rock/metal CD by bringing us the Epica debut. Fans of After Forever and the like should not doubt when they find this in the racks at their local record store. In fact I’m quite curious now to hear what After Forever’s new record, which is in the making, will sound like without Mark Jansen. Life is always more beautiful if there’s something to look out for… (
SL)
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Gregadmus
Simone great, music great, grunts - pathetic. Could seriously challenge Nightwish if they lost the comedy grunting.
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