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THE REVIEW
Having left After Forever for artistic reasons (Mark Jansen wanted more neoclassical sounds, while the other members were more oriented towards metal), Mark Jansen can give life to all his musical aspirations with the group he founded: Epica, who will release their debut album "The Phantom Agony" in 2003. With the release of After Forever's third full-length, "Invisible Circles," the differences between the two groups become quite clear: While After Forever presents a sublime album with very few choirs, orchestrations in the background, heavy guitars, and numerous prog accents, "The Phantom Agony" is an album focused on orchestrations and magnificent choirs, always with a dark mood, even though the group doesn't shy away from purely metal moments.
The tracks are sung by the talented and beautiful mezzo-soprano Simone Simmons, also the lyricist and Mark's girlfriend. The CD opens with "Adyta", a very symphonic and dark introduction where the choirs dominate, "Sensorium" starts with the union of keyboards and guitars. It is a melancholic mid-tempo. In the interlude, the orchestrations and choirs will accompany Simone. "Cry For The Moon" is one of the most beautiful tracks of the lot. We find a duet between Simone's clean voice and Mark's growl and fairly metallic phrases (always with orchestrations in the foreground). "Feint" is a decent ballad entirely based on Simone's interpretation. "Illusive Consensus" is another excellent piece that, due to the use of orchestrations and guitars, reminds me of Nightwish's music (especially that of "Century Child"). "Run For A Fall" is perhaps the most intense piece: it begins as a ballad and then explodes thanks also to the orchestrations, the growl, and almost prog metal phrases, "Facade of Reality" is centered on the alternation between growl and clean vocals. "Self Al Din" is one of the best moments: a very metal and very dramatic piece with moving orchestrations. "The Phantom Agony" is the mini-suite that closes the CD. Excellent finale.
Overall, a more than good CD, far from the glories of After Forever (always according to my subjective opinion), but still of excellent quality.
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Summary by Bot
Epica's debut album The Phantom Agony presents a rich blend of symphonic orchestrations, choirs, and metal elements. Featuring mezzo-soprano Simone Simmons and Mark Jansen's growls, the album balances dark moods with melodic and intense moments. While differing from After Forever's style, the album stands strong on its own with notable tracks like 'Cry For The Moon' and 'Self Al Din.' Overall, it is a high-quality and impressive start for the band.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Epica
Epica is a Dutch symphonic metal band formed in 2002 by guitarist/composer Mark Jansen after his departure from After Forever. Fronted by mezzo-soprano Simone Simons, the group blends orchestras and choirs with heavy riffing and growls across acclaimed albums including The Phantom Agony, Consign to Oblivion, The Divine Conspiracy and Design Your Universe.10 Reviews
