Customer Reviews

Classical Conspiracy

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This latest release from Epica is a great example of band with vision, class, and emotional energy. They are standing at the top of their genre leading the way to excellence.

The combination of classical pieces done by the orchestra, then progressively joined by the band, and finally emerging into a cross-section of Epica's musical catalogue is pulled off with brilliance. The energy felt from the live audience adds an extra charisma to the performance. It seems a bit odd seeing long-haired headbanging going on along with a classical orchestra - but, it works. Although combining orchestra with metal is not new idea, it certainly is done well here and heightens the experience/pleasure of the concert.

Especially interesting are the fresh versions of Montagues and Capuets, and In the Hall of the Mountain King. The inclusion of the Spiderman theme and the Star Wars bit are a somewhat odd, but not totally out of place. No doubt, the choice of musical pieces done by the orchestra are intriguing.

Although I am not a fan of the death/growling vocals, I seem to be getting used to it - at least on this disc I can better make out what is being said. In regards to female vocals, they don't come any better than Simone. Her voice is strong, pristine, and alluring/enticing - this seems to set her slightly apart from Floor Jansen and Tarja - who are both incredible singers.

A highly recommended release to all Epica fans and those appreciate Gothic Metal.

Having been a huge fan of their previous release, The Divine Conspiracy, I would have bought any of their future releases. I was completely surprised and unprepared for the classical masterpiece that was presented to me. The album was composed with a 40-piece orchestra and 30-person choir in the same vein as Metallica S&M...but they pulled it off with so much more flare and quality that it ranks up there as one of the best live albums ever produced. If you like classical music (which is most of the first CD) mixed with metal, then this is the album for you.

The Classical Conspiracy, Epica's latest release, is a stunning blend of their own music, contemporary scores from several movies, and classical pieces. Combined with Simone Simon's beautiful voice, these pieces can only be described as ethereal. Simply, they're awesome. I can't say enough about the album, I downloaded it last night, and I've been listening to it on repeat since 11am today. I love it, and Epica fans will love it. It's definitely a must-have for anyone who calls themselves a symphonic metal fan. The only downside to this live recording is that there's no DVD! I would have loved to see these artists performing these amazing pieces live.

Music, like books on religious topics, tend to produce polarized reviews. That makes it difficult to assess any given work to ones own tastes before actually sampling. That is, reviews become of less worth as the topic gets more polarizing.

Music is even harder to review than religious books. Because of its omnipresence in today's world there is no ground for judging music quality. We still teach spelling and grammar in K-12 and creative writing in 6-college. Kids grow up listening, and becoming used to, all kinds of noise marketed as music.

There are some concepts that help one get a grip. Melody, harmony, point-n-counter-point, etc. The ability to transcribe well seems rare (e.g. Heavy/Death Metal to Cello Quintet in the group "Apocolyptica" or Sacred Hymn to Blues/Jazz Fusion by Joe Satriani), as does the blending of genres. Mixing Heavy Metal with Symphonic/Choral, as happens here with Epica, will strike one as ingenious or incongruous. Not much middle ground here.

Happily Amazon and other sites (YouTube, a given bands MySpace page, etc) allow us to listen before buying. Though sometimes (still!) the bit-rate sampling is so poor that it obscures the subtleties which make music so sublime. So, if you like what you hear, buy it.

A couple of caveats about this album:
First, another reviewer was right, this is one of the best live albums in terms of recording quality but the engineering blows it with the abrupt transitions between songs. At the very least they should have done a fadeout-fadein between songs.
Second, during the intro to Cry for the Moon the audience claps along with the beat. Only they can't keep time. I find that very distracting.

SirP

I have to say Epica's Classical Conspiracy has outstanding live versions of their songs. The concert takes place in Hungary and the acoustics are amazing. They have a full chorus and orchestra in the background. If you are new to Epica music, this is a great introduction. They have songs from a few different albums on here and it makes for a long listening experience spread accross two discs.

Only drawback is that many of the songs I already had from the album Divine Conspiracy, so I did not get as much "new" music for my collection, however, the live versions have a unique flavor and my disappointment went away quickly. The other thing that may throw some people is that the Classical set as they call the one disc literally is half-classical music... which may be suprising to some. Simone Simons though sounds good in both the heavy and the operatic compositions however. The versions of Feint and Cry at the Moon were fantastic. The digital mastering was well-crafted as well. The music sounds excellent on this CD set in sorround sound. You really feel like you are there.

I usually do not buy live albumns since the recording quality can be sketchy and the songs are just a rehash of studio recordings. This is definitely not the case for this double-live. The sound quality is fantastic and they have added a slew of songs that you would never expect to see on a hard rock release. I found myself headbanging to The Montagues and Capulets, not something I ever expected. Interestingly, I find that I am listening mainly to the first CD although the second CD, which consists of the band's original material, is still very good. If you are a Star Wars fan, the Imperial March will knock you on your back. Really a great buy and I don't think that many who like hard rock/metal will be dissapointed.

The Classical Conspiracy is the first live cd from Epica and it is simply amazing. Not only do you get a great set of material from through out their career, but you also get a set of new orchastrated material that truly is epic. My only complaint is that I wish there would have been a DVD version to this disc, that would have been really awesome. I hope they release one at a later date, even though I've already bought the cd version I probably wouldn't be able to resist watching a dvd version if they release one.

Standouts include "Ombra Mai Fu", "Montagues and Capulets", "Imperial March", "Unholy Trinity", "Quietus", "Cry For The Moon", "Blank Infinity", and "Consign To Oblivion". Yeah pretty much everything. 4 1/2 stars.

I like the Epica Classical Conspiracy double CD. But I give it 3 stars for the unprofessional job on the editing. I could take any live CD, rip it to my computer, and burn it to disc. Then I could sell it to others. Sure, it would have that gap of silence between tracks that would spoil the continuity of what otherwise would sound like a live concert. Well, that's EXACTLY what happens on this disc. Maybe I should've borrowed a copy from a friend, ripped/burned it myself and it would've sounded the same. But for the money I spent I shouldn't expect work by an amatuer! I can't belive no one has complained about this! I have scores of live CDs and LPs, and although some have that annoying fade in and out for every track (The Damned 'Final Damnation'; Baron Rojo 'Vivo') I've never EVER heard this done before.

Ridiculous!

Great album from this excellent band!
Very different to other Epica albums!
If you are a fan of Symphonic Metal you will love it as well as I do!!

This CD by Epica is one of the best Live albums i have heard. It has the perfect qualities of classical music combined with modern elements of Power Metal. If you are unsure about Epica, then this is the perfect album to get you started with them, with songs such as Consign of Oblivion, Pirates of the Caribean Medly, Spiderman Medly, Chasing the Dragon, Feint, and Never Enough this CD's is almost like a greatest hits CD and a Live album combined. This CD is worth every penny that i paid for it.