Metal Storm logo
Epica - The Divine Conspiracy



8.5 | 791 votes |
Release date: 7 September 2007
Style: Symphonic metal

Owners:

907 have it
51 want it


Disc I
01. Indigo (Intro)
02. The Obsessive Devotion
03. Menace Of Vanity
04. Chasing The Dragon
05. Never Enough
06. La'petach Chatat Rovetz (The Last Embrace)
07. Death Of A Dream (The Embrace That Smothers - Part VII)
08. Living A Lie (The Embrace That Smothers - Part VIII)
09. Fools Of Damnation (The Embrace That Smothers - Part IX)
10. Beyond Belief
11. Safeguard To Paradise
12. Sancta Terra
13. The Divine Conspiracy

Disc II [limited edition]
01. Replica [Fear Factory cover]
02. Higher High
03. Never Enough [long version]
+ Never Enough [video]
+ Making of Never Enough video

Additional info
The limited deluxe edition is book-like, with hard covers and black & white pages. It comes with a bonus disc, plus five cards in colour, with the band members on the first side, and original artwork images on the other.

Release dates:
August 22, 2007 - Japan
August 28, 2007 - USA
September 7, 2007 - Europe
September 10, 2007 - UK

"The Embrace That Smothers" concept actually began on the After Forever album "Prison Of Desire" and ends on this album.

Nuclear Blast Records released a limited deluxe CD edition of this album featuring the bonus tracks:
14. Higher High (05:26)
15. Replica (Fear Factory Cover) (04:09)
plus video clips and a "making-of" enhanced section.

DLP picture vinyls limited to 1000 numbered copies with the 2 bonus tracks.

Also released as a Limited Edition Digibook (NB 1956-8) with Bonus CD, with the same bonus material as on the limited edition.

Some version include another bonus track:
16. Safeguard to Paradise (Piano Version) (03:50)

Re-released on double 180 grams vinyl with a limitation of 500.
200 black
200 white
100 transparent blue

"La'petach Chatat Rovetz" ("לפתח חטאת רובץ") is an expression in Hebrew. It means that sin lurks and awaits for a chance to strike and affect.

Guest review by
Princ_Of_Horror
Rating:
9.0
It is hard to believe that this is only Epica's third studio album. Not even the most ardent followers would have dared to predict such a massive improvement from the Dutch Gothic Metallers. Relaxed and carefree, that's how they impress the listener with 'The Divine Conspiracy', while blasting everything else away which has been issued during the last few years in the area of female-fronted metal.

Read more ››
published 21.12.2007 | Comments (29)

Guest review by
TheJester
Rating:
8.5
This is my first review, so don't get too harsh, thank you in advance.

First of all I wanna note that I have a love/hate relationship with this album; don't get me wrong, even though the album is a masterpiece, I saw the potential in some points they didn't use. For example, overusing growls even though they have a vocalist such as Simone, but okay. At some moments growls ruined some epic moments for me (for example, the last minute in "Chasing The Dragon").

Read more ››
published 25.04.2020 | Comments (9)

Found in 35 lists
Top lists



Comments

Comments: 9   Visited by: 1079 users
07.05.2010 - 21:10
Rating: 10
Vonpire

Unbeliavable superb release by Epica
----
Beware the Shadows of Dusk
Loading...
08.09.2011 - 23:35
Rating: 10
bazinko

I feel this is their best album, by far.
Loading...
02.10.2011 - 14:24
Rating: 9
musicalkaratekid

Great album, but that cover of Fear factory's 'Replica' is just laughable...
Loading...
02.10.2011 - 23:51
Rating: 9
Zmaj Ognjeni Vuk
To Mega Therion
Well Fear Factory itself is laughable, so...
----


Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one, and they all stink.
Loading...
16.10.2012 - 10:23
Rating: 8
Kuroboshi

This is a very solid album, but the following one is superior in every way. To bad about 'Replica', one of FF's best songs...
Loading...
12.03.2013 - 19:24
IanYeara

This is an excellent album and would be their magnum opus if Design your Universe hadn't come along two years later and dropped jaws yet again if not more. "The Divine Conspiracy" is definitely their best song and I can't wait to see them play it at their tenth anniversary concert.
Loading...
15.06.2016 - 18:11
Joppe
Steelemeister
Somehow I had remembered that this was way better album than how I find it right now. Maybe I just have heard way better albums in between the listens. Whatever the reason, the songs generally sound kinda boring here. I'd say a classic case of 75+ min album. IMO bands like Nightwish and Epica should just go back to normal length albums and stop boring listeners
----
My vision is augmented
Loading...
25.07.2018 - 01:34
Furiator

Honestly, my least favorite (not to say the worst) Epica release. For me personally, it just doesn't have the atmosphere of the eariler albums nor the energy of the later albums. Some songs just get boring and/or sound a bit too generic. I don't know, it just doesn't have nearly as much power on me as other Epica albums, which I all absolutely love.
It's still good. I guess.
Favorite songs include: Chasing the Dragon, Beyond Belief, Never Enough.
Loading...
02.02.2021 - 14:01
Rating: 9
nonZero

Not as strong as Design Your Universe, but still a good album. Their 2nd best IMO.

8.6/10 for me.
----
Top 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)
Loading...

Hits total: 22443 | This month: 58