reviews
Tracklist : Olaf Reitmeier - Acoustic Guitars |
Epica
- The Phantom Agony Transmission Records 2003 CD of the month this, 14 out of 7 this, it seems the big sucking up has begun, sure this cd is good but it doesn't have anything I haven't heard before or have these other reviewers already forgotten about After Forever's second album Decipher? Its not the worlds best kept secret that a lot of songs for this album were already written for After Forever's third release, however due to some difficulties in the AF camp we now have, a few months later, Epica's debut in our greedy hands. Finally, because the one thing missing on their cd release party was this precious shiny disc. The intro, a choir is pretty standard now a days but never the less a good opening and its well followed up by 'Sensorium'. Vocalist Simone's voice sounds mature and reminds me of the debut album from Nightwish at times. Her voice mixed with the raw growls and screams both done by Mark this time gives us the trusted feeling of anger we so adore in this genre. Red thread on both After Forever cd's was "The Embrace that Smothers", on this album the saga continuous into the "The Never Ending Embrace" were events of the world find a place, events like the war in Iraq and the murder on a dutch politician. The latter of these two is found in the song "Feint" one of the only two ballads on this album. The faster songs of the album are a good mixture of fast guitar riffs with slower piano parts just like you were to expect from a band like this. What does stick out is the use of actual cello's and violins and such, unlike most bands who just explore the boundaries of their synths and use their keyboards for orchestra's and choirs.
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