Customer Reviews

Divine Conspiracy

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If I were reviewing only Simone Simons, the vocalist, this would be a five-star album. The young mezzo-soprano is flawless in her performance with a voice as shatteringly beautiful as her appearance on the masterpiece of an album cover. Unfortunately, she is under-utilized, and this excellent album is marred by over-used "death grunt" gutterals, and musical composition that at times tempts one to rename the band "Frantica" and the album "The Digressive Cacophony." Buy this album, certainly, but be aware that it is an acquired taste unless you're already an Epica fan, or into gutturals and manic double-bassing. However, it's a taste you'll grow to like, and a spoonful of Simone Simons' singing will make just about anything go down smoothly.

1. Indigo--A beautiful classical/choral intro worthy of any good symphony or soundtrack.

2. The Obsessive Devotion--This piece is down-right schizophrenic, combining some extraordinary vocals by Simons with a great bouncing bass-line, classical composition and excellent choir parts. However, there are too many abrupt transitions. Sudden bursts of frantic double-bassing really add nothing, and often drown out Mark Jansen's "grunts" which would be better used more sparingly and in call-and-response fashion to Simons' operatic parts. An inserted voice-over spoken by a female guest vocalist is also abrupt and its import is lost for being unable to understand half of Jansen's vocals beforehand. A unique feature of this song is Simons' uncharacteristic snarl on the lyric "Don't ever trick my mind" in which for a split second she captures the sound of a she-wolf in bad temper with fascinating fidelity. Despite its flaws, this piece actually works as a sort of multi-part mini-opera. It's just not smooth.

3. Menace of Vanity--This piece is forgettable, with too much of Jansen's grunts, the choir and double-bassing. As you listen to this album you will begin tuning this song out and wondering what happened to the time between tracks 2 and 4.

4. Chasing the Dragon--A tour de force for Simons, this piece starts slow and lovely and then lets Simons roam about her vocal range most impressively. The transitions are much more smooth than TOD, and the bouncing bass-line returns momentarily. The choir and orchestra are once again excellent. Jansen's grunts and whispered snarls, and the rapid double-bassing only come in near the end as the piece spirals to a climax. This is how these devices should be used.

5. Never Enough--Another showcase for Simons, with a more "commercial" sound--at least in the opinion of some fans that seem to think a band has jumped its stylistic shark if anyone but their narrow sub-genre might enjoy a song by them. In fact, this piece is thoroughly metal enough for any real fan. The bass-line is fantastic; Simons soars; Jansen provides just the right guttural vocal insertions; the keyboard and guitar work are superb. The only thing missing is an overwhelming choir part, but they're there if you listen closely. Simons' ten-second closing note will shame you out of singing in the shower for at least a week.

6. La'petach Chatat Rovetz--A superb classical and choral interlude misused as an intro to track 7.

7. Death of a Dream--Crashes in upon the heels of the preceding track too abruptly and shares a number of the flaws of TOD as far as musical composition and transitions. What saves it is that it does flow more smoothly, shares the recurring bouncing bass-line, and as always Simons performs superbly. Her parts are uniquely sinuous and even saucy at points, and always beautiful. The double-bassing is over-done, and occasionally Jansen's and guest "grunter" Sander Gommans' gutturals depart intelligibility. Still, it's a powerful piece, another mini-opera, and superior as a whole to TOD. It also starts a lyrical arc that continues in tracks 8 and 9.

8. Living a Lie--Initially this seems like it will be weak, like MOV, until Simons comes in on vocals, at which point it focuses your attention nicely. A good balance is struck between Simons and Jansen in this song, and although the choir can be over-powering, its contributions are short. The Latin voice-over of the priest's part makes sense and is easier to fit into one's comprehension of the song than the voice-over in TOD. A good, if lesser track compared to 4, 5, 9, 10 and 12.

9. Fools of Damnation--Wow! Simons is why Odysseus had to be lashed to the mast. Any Nightwish fans in deep mourning for Tarja Turunen's departure from the scene can listen to Epica for their opera fix. Simons simply soars! Beyond her blistering belting, this piece is everything TOD and DOAD were trying so hard to be. The transitions, the double-bassing, the voice-over, the choirs, the gutturals and Simons' operatic perfection all gel in a superb work that is also a perfect lyrical take-down of the shared hypocrisy of the world's major religions. The one verse of snarled gutturals observes: "Believing is the cure/Religion is an opium/You'd better feed them all/Before they start eating you." It's a warning religious demagogues everywhere ought to heed.

10. Beyond Belief--This track begins an arc of three in which Simons is the star and relatively undisturbed by gutturals, although the choir gets quite loud on this track. Thematically the piece sums up a large part of the clash of science and religion without necessarily coming down on either side. The background voice-over insertion and Jansen's gutturals actually compliment the piece, providing useful contrast. This one sticks with you and yanks you into the theme at the bottom of the entire problem: "We struggle with our certain death." This song is as lyrically good as FOD.

11. Safeguard to Paradise--Obviously recorded while the double-bass pedal (worn from too much use) was being replaced. A pretty ballad, this piece lyrically questions the methods of coercion and persuasion at play on the minds of suicide bombers. Not exactly the topic you would expect from what is otherwise a light, sweet little piece (at least, by this band's standards...).

12. Sancta Terra--The double-bass pedal was obviously back from the shop for this song--with an admonition not to abuse it. Instead of frantic double-bassing we get a return to the bouncy bass-line, and a nice storm-treader beat. The lyrics deal with the seduction of a false paradise. Simons and the choir are superb, with the latter getting the opportunity to show off its individual components.

13. The Divine Conspiracy--You have to wonder if Tuomas Holopainen of Nightwish, and Mark Jansen of Epica are competing to channel Hans Zimmer...and whether we should be trying to spot them both as extras in recent pirate movies... Epic in length at nearly 14 minutes, the title track opens like a pirate movie sound track and progresses into Jansen's gutturals backed by a nice galloping beat for once instead of the distracting trip-hammer of double-bassing. Simons' refrain is clear, haunting, and pointed: "Who possesses your time/Also possesses your mind." The choir is used to good effect. Sadly, some of the transitions are abrupt and the piece as a whole doesn't flow as smoothly as it perhaps should. After starting on a pirate movie note, it ends in a Bond-movie motif. Another mini-opera, like several others on this album, it is overshadowed by more polished gems.

Over-all this album gives the impression that Epica may be trying too hard. Trying to over-shadow Nightwish; trying to be classically artistic; trying to maintain its death-metal "street-cred." Turn the amp down from 11 to 10; stop slipping uppers into the drummer's Red Bull; forget about anything Tuomas Holopainen might be doing; and don't worry about some child whose self-image is overly invested in the band. You're good, already! Relax and enjoy what you do and you'll shine.

Only Simons isn't overdoing things. She is spot-on and scintillating. To my ear she combines the power of Tarja Turunen, the clarity of Liv Kristine, the technical capability of Sharon den Adel, the verve of Christina Scabbia and the honeyed smoothness of Nell Sigland. A mezzo-soprano, her vocal range permits her to rove over the aural landscape in ways that sopranos and contraltos cannot. She shares her range with the similarly extraordinary Enya, and if you've ever wondered--in one of your more perverse turns of mind, no doubt--what it would sound like if Enya sang metal, Simone Simons is your answer. Follow this young woman's career with keen interest.

Ok, you have to keep in mind that this kind of music is not going to be for everybody. It is very different, and in my mind, it is an acquired taste. You're not going to hear it on the radio, or on MTV, because it is music as an art form. It is not adulterated by commercialism due to the monetary interests of a record company's desire to attract that "younger" brainless audience so they can cash in and run happily to the bank. This is ARTWORK.

With that in mind, Epica is simple an amazing band. I was disappointed for a very long time because I thought that good music had died back in the mid 90's. It took me a while to come across it again, but I found it! Yay! Their music is well orchestrated, and Simone Simons voice is incredibly beautiful. I find myself listening to this album whenever I am feeling frustrated or bummed out, because the music really helps to remember that regardless the darkness that comes around from time to time, life is truly beautiful. That is what music is supposed to do, and this is why Epica is an incredibly talented band. They create beautiful works of art.

This release has put Epica into it's own. This is one polished piece. The vocals, supported by tight bass, rhythm, guitar, and orchestral highlights puts the listener into an adrenaline soaring, head banging, yet refined euphoric state. I did not think it was possible to mix dark metal, classic vocals, theatric orchestration, and synthesizers together with success. I have been proven wrong. I have been blasting this CD with my with my windows down for a month now. More than once I have been asked "who is that?" by an instant Epica fan. I just hope the band recognizes what an achievement they have done with this release and will continue to evolve this creative style.

Here's my scorecard for Epica:

The Phantom Agony - Brilliant music, bad growling
Consign to Oblivion - Very good music, very little growling
Divine Conspiricy - Brilliant music, bad growling

I'm honestly not sure which formula I like better. The brilliant music is hard to pass up, but if they could just keep it and lose the growling I'd be in heaven.

The first time I heard this album, I was completely blown away. The second, third, and now tenth time I have heard this album, I'm still blown away. This is symphonic rock/metal taken to astronomical heights, complete with superbly composed music, incredible production quality, and what is now one of the most gorgeous, refined voices in the genre. Simone Simons sings like a siren on this CD, and your jaw will be dropped by how good she sounds. There are also grunts performed by Mark Jansen, which are entirely effective and add that special edge to the music. The chorus is spectacular, as is the orchestra, here utilized to perfection. The whole album clocks at a healthy 75 minutes, and not a second is wasted.

1. Indigo (5/5) The best introduction Epica has ever done. A haunting, strings-driven choral piece, it perfectly sets up the tone for the rest of the album.

2. The Obsessive Devotion (5/5) This one plain-old rocks. Grunts and guitars drive it for an adrenaline-packed seven minutes, and Simone is heard for the first time. And boy, does she sound good.

3. Menace Of Vanity (4/5) A little generic and a bit similar to the previous track, but it's still quite good.

4. Chasing the Dragon (6/5) I think this might be my favorite. It maintains a spellbinding beauty for all of its seven and a half minutes, and you never do want it to end. Simone has never sounded better than she does here, with a huge range of the utmost purity and sweetness in her voice. The climax here also rocks, just for the record.

5. Never Enough (4.5/5) The first single off of the album (and if you want to check out the video, make sure that you see the vastly superior extended version). Though it's probably the most commercial song here, it lacks not in quality or catchiness. A passionately sung, vengeful piece of music, it features some fantastic Arabic flourishes and a concluding note by Simone that packs more power than a steamroller.

6. La'fetach Chataz Rovetz (4.5/5) A rare instrumental piece, and quite a nice break. It is tranquil yet engaging, exotic yet very pleasing to hear.

7. Death of a Dream (5/5) A harrowing, ferociously beautiful song. And surprise surprise, Simone sounds incredible.

8. Living a Lie (5/5) Another great one, featuring Latin and Gregorian-sounding chanting to add to the effect.

9. Fools of Damnation (6/5) I don't think Epica songs get better than this song. It's incredible, with savage grunts, heavy Arabic influences, some wicked cool organ playing, and blindingly captivating singing.

10. Beyond Belief (4.5/5) Some particularly good singing and guitar here, though the voices in the middle are a tad out of place.

11. Safeguard To Paradise (5/5) A lovely ballad, almost dripping with the beauty of Simone pouring her heart out against the strings section.

12. Sancta Terra (5/5) More Arabic influences here, with exceptional harmonies between Simone and the choir (and the men in the choir sound especially good).

13. The Divine Conspiracy (5.5/5) The title song puts the "epic" in "Epica." Yes, it's 14 minutes, which might be a little daunting, but how could it claim to be epic if it wasn't? An orchestral intro and outro frame this masterpiece, which itself is everything you could ever hope for. I'll leave it at that.

If you want to buy this CD just because Simone is au naturel on the cover, go right ahead. But I promise that you will be in for much more of a treat than just that.

Ok, I admit it, Epica (or at least some Epica) takes a lot of patience to get used to. I absolutely hated Epica upon my first encounter with "The Phantom Agony." I was turned off this album by the same thing (too many overpowering male grunts and growlings) but some really good riffs in which Simone sings caught my attention long enough for me to give the album several listens. Needless to say, I'm now a very avid Epica fan.

Yes, I still do fault Epica for too much male grunting (especially in "The Obsessive Devotion" which could otherwise be an absolutely amazing song), thus the 4/5 instead of 5/5 which they are certainly capable of achieving but I think that a patient listener can definitely learn to ignore some of it and really find the gems in this album. Epica is definitely heading towards being one of the divas of symphonic metal/rock (along with Nightwish, and Within Temptation) and it's certainly one of the heavier female-fronted ones.

Simone Simons, of course, is about 80% of what makes Epica good. She's not just gorgeous but she has a very strong and beautiful voice. I would compare it most closely to Tarja's, the ex-Nightwish singer, because Simone has a classical-type voice but she has far more subtlety than Tarja.

Run through of the songs:

1. Indigo - 3.5/5 Intro song. Good intro - very slow, lots of chorus.
2. The Obsessive Devotion - 3.5/5 Simone's opening vocals and so incredibly hauntingly chilling that I was entranced by this song at once. It is ruined by practically five straight minutes of male grunts after that.
3. Menace of Vanity - 3/5 One of the heaviest songs. Lots of male grunts. I'm not a huge fan of this one.
4. Chasing the Dragon - 2.5/5 An incredibly boring ballad. Epica's not very good with ballads, in general.
5. Never Enough - 5/5 Epica takes their own style and mixes it with a slightly more mainstream sound (think new Nightwish) and the result is amazing. Simone shines in this one.
6. La-Fetach Chataz Rovetz (The Final Embrace) - 4/5 A slower interlude song that, nonetheless, has a beautiful melody.
7. Death of a Dream (the Embrace that Smothers part VII) - 3.5/5 Again, there's a great female riff in the midst of grunts and death choruses. Which they would have played upon it more.
8. Living a Lie (the Embrace that Smothers part VIII) - 4/5 Ok, it's both heavy and sort of slow but I like it. Simone dominates it enough.
9. Fools of Damnation (the Embrace that Smothers part IX) - 5/5 Yes, it has grunts but I tend to ignore them because this song is just so good. Has an Indian sound to the beginning.
10. Beyond Belief - 5/5 Full of choir bits and it's heavy enough without resorting to growling and grunting. Slow verse that moves into a fast-paced chorus.
11. Safeguard to Paradise - 4/5 It's actually a fairly decent ballad. No, it doesn't compare to "Solitary Ground" from Consign to Oblivion but it's fun to listen to.
12. Sancta Terra - 6/5 Without doubt, my favorite song on the album. It's catchy, haunting, unique, and Simone absolutely shines.
13. The Divine Conspiracy - 4.5/5 There's no doubt that it's too long at nearly 14 minutes but it's a great song full of two catchy heavy choir riffs. You just have to get about two minutes into it to get it's wealth and towards the end it just starts to get boringly long.

Epica certainly has room to improve but for now, they certainly shine with their own style.

To be perfectly honest, I only really started listening to Epica after Tarja Turunen's dismissal from Nightwish. To me, Dark Passion Play wasn't as great as it should have been. So I turned to Epica's newest release. And now I'm almost glad Tarja was kicked off of Nightwish, I probably wouldn't have heard this album if she wasn't.

This is one of the best CDs I've heard in a long time. Epica really seem to master the aspects of Symphonic Metal that I like so much. Simone's vocals are amazing and operatic, the guitar and bass play perfectly to compliment the orchestral parts (and vice-versa), and the drummer is amazing.

As someone else said in another review, I really love that the songs almost all exceed 6 minutes in length. I feel that they wouldn't be nearly as great if they were only three or four minutes long, and the fourteen minute title track is now one of my all time favourite songs.

There are a couple problems I have with this album though. My biggest problem is probably the growling. Don't get me wrong, they're great when placed in the right spot. The problem is that sometimes it seems Mark was growling just to fill the song, without regard to how it fit. There were times, like on "The Obsessive Devotion" and "Never Enough", where they worked perfectly. But on some songs, like "Beyond Belief", I think the song would have sounded better if he didn't growl and just let the instruments do their job.

Another problem is that at times it seemed that, while the guitars and bass complimented the orchestral parts, there were times when it seemed the orchestra completely overshadowed them. But again, at times it worked out better because of it.

So all in all, this is easily the best Symphonic Metal album to be released since Nightwish's "Once." And in some aspects, it's even better. If you like Symphonic Metal, get this album.

I must admit this album is very, very good. If you love Nightwish and the likes, chances are you will like this too, and I definitely do. The first CD I ever downloaded by this band was the Score an epic journey. I actually got the impression that the band doesn't have a singer or anything, and thank goodness that I downloaded this album by them, because they are just pure talent. I have to admit that the growling is a bit over done on songs like the Death of a Dream or The Obsessive Devotion. Otherwise, the whole growling fits pretty well with all of the other tracks. I would actually miss it if it wasn't there. Took a few listens to get used to their style, but I really ended up liking them.

Epica never fails to impress me.Despite their short career of "only" three albums,they get better and better!The Divine Conspiracy has it all,and their sound is heavier on this album.Simone's vocals are developing with each year,their choir truly rocks and they have a beautiful orchestra.This is the best symphonic metal album of 2007!So much better than Nightwish's last effort anyway.If you like the genre,you'll love this album!

I went on the nuclear blast website to watch the new Nightwish video, and the video for "Never Enough" came on, and I fell in love with this band. This album, in my opinion, is the epitomy of symphonic metal! With Simone's perfect voice, balancing Mark Jansen's growls, and mesmerizing choir/orchestra/lyrics really shows the band's potential. It's so hard to pick a favorite track, since they branch out the intensity on each one, but I would say my favorite is "Chasing the Dragon." I recommend this for anyone who loves Nightwish, Kamelot, Symphony X and After Forever. This album is something you don't want to miss out on!