Just do it, you'll be crazy enough. This expression well summarizes the national character of the Netherlands. Perhaps as a reaction to this sometimes stifling morality, our country is a breeding ground for symphonic metal bands, in which all registers are pulled open and no pretension goes too far. Of all bands in the genre (Within Temptation, After Forever, Nightwish), Epica is perhaps the furthest
… in the search for a great and compelling sound. Founded by Mark Jansen, the ex-guitarist of After Forever, Epica lives up to its name by creating an epic, bombastic sound where Bohemian Rhapsody is child's play. The lyrics of their second studio album Consign To Oblivion regularly feature Latin lyrics in a story that uses the decline of the Mayan Empire as the central motif. That's how we like to hear our symphonic metal! In the CD booklet, technician Sander van der Heide explains that the music of Epica, with its massive choirs, orchestras, grunts, opera vocals and thundering drums, can really only be appreciated with a super audio surround system. The last three tracks of the CD can only be heard with super audio equipment and not with a regular CD player. (MS)more
