Epica - The Divine Conspiracy review
| Band: | Epica |
| Album: | The Divine Conspiracy |
| Style: | Symphonic metal |
| Release date: | September 07, 2007 |
| Guest review by: | Princ_Of_Horror |
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
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.
Never have the musicians backing the beautiful vocalist Simone Simons sounded so good and so focused. In 'The Divine Conspiracy' Epica was able to create the perfect balance between tough, aggressive metal on one side and pure orchestral and classical Power on the other. By giving the riffs more room to breath, Epica's meticulously planned and brilliantly arranged songs now unfold in all their glory. 'The Divine Conspiracy' also has traces of Black Metal and Progressive which makes the album sound much heavier. Although they have improved and headed towards the more epic sound, all the songs carry the trademark that made them successful in the first place.
The first four songs deal with the negative aspects of the human psyche, such as despair, greed and addiction. The three final parts of the 'Embrace The Smothers' (a nine-part cycle which had been started before the début work 'The Phantom Agony') refer to the religious parts of life. The song 'Death Of A Dream' is about Islamic women who are not treated with the same respect as the men. 'Fools Of Damnation' deals with people turning into slaves of their religion. These are only the few songs which deal with the concept of religion.
The artwork reflects the concept and displays a naked Simone, who represents Eve with an apple in her hand. The signs on her body represent the changes that leave a mark on our body and soul. The image on the art cover, helps us to understand the message the album is trying to convey to the listener.
'The Divine Conspiracy' sounds much more mature from the previous released albums by Epica. All the details that they were lacking in the previous albums have been filled in to create this masterpiece. The overall picture of the album, is much more guitar-oriented and much more aggressive unlike the previous albums. Throughout the album there is many more grunts and Simon Simons vocals are more varied. All the songs on the album are much more complex and bombastic - in short terms, this is definitely their heaviest album to date.
For all those who have not had the pleasure of hearing this album, I highly recommend you buy it, for it is one of (if not) the best released album of 2007.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 10 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by Princ_Of_Horror | 21.12.2007
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
8.5
8.5
|
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 ›› |
Comments
Comments: 29
Visited by: 256 users
| ZumoDeMelotocon Account deleted |
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| Princ_Of_Horror Posts: 129 |
Written by [user id=21959] on 21.12.2007 at 06:20 Thx, yeah it is my first 
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| Katatronik Angel of Lust Posts: 1018  |
Good review... IMO, this is absolutely the best Epica album... great music indeed!
---- "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." Howard Phillips Lovecraft
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| duyhung Account deleted |
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by [user id=14272] on 21.12.2007 at 22:13 And he is their full-time drummer now. So that is great news for Epica fans. So, he is a busy man drumming as full member in two bands now.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| duyhung Account deleted |
duyhung
Account deleted Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 21.12.2007 at 22:14 Awesome!!  Isn't it time to edit their profile page? 
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by [user id=14272] on 21.12.2007 at 22:23 I just checked the profile page and Ariën is already mentioned there as a regular band member, so someone already edited it, apparently/
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| VPeter Posts: 1450  |
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| Princ_Of_Horror Posts: 129 |
Written by VPeter on 22.12.2007 at 02:54 Yeah I agree
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| ylside Staff Posts: 4746  |
This album is quite good I must say,I checked it thanks to these comments and review. Was never interested in those female fronted bands but oh well...
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| White Winter Sun Laboratory's Rat Elite Posts: 2198  |
Nice review for one or probably "the" best Epica's album.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Just read the funniest thing in the latest Terrorizer live review of Epica. They were compared to Nightwish musically. What? Was the reviewer DEAF, okay I can understand Epica being compared to old After Forever musically but totally not to Nightwish. The only thing Nightwish and Epica have in common is a female vocalist.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Princ_Of_Horror Posts: 129 |
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| Duy Hung Account deleted |
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by [user id=14272] on 28.12.2007 at 13:33 I'll quote what it said: But there's an underlying element of trying desperately to see them for their music and not their singer, as hard as you try you can't escape that they're a sub-par, albeit heavier Nightwish. Great while the FInns were on hiatus but now they're back who wants to bet Epica secretly shitting themselves? I know they answer to that last question: No, they're not?
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Dreamwar_86 To Arms! Posts: 480  |
this album is the best of epica simone sings better than ever and the symphonic orchestration is awesome
---- Stay Metal !!!
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| Shadowcross The Summoner Posts: 481  |
Mark Jansen continues his symphonic metal revolution perhaps the best yet (since Decipher)
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| Ernis 狼獾 Posts: 6815  |
A thorough and fine review about a very strong album....the only thing I'd like to remark would be that Epica has got very little or almost nothing to do with gothic style....gothic style, that's Fileds Of The Nephilim, Christian Death, Gothic Sex etc....you can find strong gothic elements in Beseech, Tristania and Mandragora Scream....But Epica is just pure symphonic metal...and they have developed this style to its purest and best quality form....for sure one of the strongest symphonic acts of our time....
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| orionproyect Posts: 6  |
Written by Ernis on 15.08.2008 at 00:58 I'm absolutely agree with you, Epica shows a pure and excellent symphonic metal (by the hand of Mark Jansen). The Divine Conspiracy is a piece of art... PS. congratulations to Princ_Of_Horror... keep writing!!
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| Land Of Doom Posts: 101  |
Epica wonderful album of songs and especially The Obsessive Devotion
---- We Only Fear What Comes And Smell Death Every Day Search For The Answers That Lie Beyond
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| BlankFile Posts: 705 |
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| Princ_Of_Horror Posts: 129 |
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955  |
Good review. Also nice the Fear Factory cover
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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| Abattoir Staff Posts: 3695  |
Awesome album, you just gotta love it Beautiful vocals, choirs plus some cruel, deep growls...pretty original staff. I also realy like drums, which are very diverse comparing to most of other symphonic metal bands. Of course the orchestral parts and keyboards makes the whole atmopshere breath taking.
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| ioannisk Posts: 75  |
These guys along with Therion keep the symphonic metal genre to its roots! one of the best combinations of classical music with metal..
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| GT Coffee!! Staff Posts: 5101  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 28.12.2007 at 13:49 Just read this and like you I find that comment hilarious. I like Nightwish no doubt about that, but comparing the two bands are like comparing...well two things you can't compare ...and calling them sub-par? Wtf. If anything par it must be above-par (if that term exist)
----  Dreams are made so we don't get bored when we sleep
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| Vonpire Posts: 471  |
Masterpiece! 10 Comparing this to Nightwish is a joke! Epica is so far better than those guys that is a crime making a sentence like that
---- Beware the Shadows of Dusk
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| Sleeping Dragon Posts: 33  |
I like Epica much more than Nightwish. I suppose you could say they're a "heavier version" of Nightwish, due to the [usually] heavier/faster drumming, generally faster song tempo, rather common death growls, etc. As far as singing ability, I think Simmons and Turunen are about equivalent... they sing in the same vocal range also [mezzo-soprano]. And I give this album a 10/10, of course.
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| BlankFile Posts: 705 |
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