Epica - Requiem For The Indifferent review
| Band: | Epica |
| Album: | Requiem For The Indifferent |
| Style: | Symphonic metal |
| Release date: | March 09, 2012 |
| Guest review by: | IanYeara |
01. Karma
02. Monopoly On Truth
03. Storm The Sorrow
04. Delirium
05. Internal Warfare
06. Requiem For The Indifferent
07. Anima
08. Guilty Demeanor
09. Deep Water Horizon
10. Stay The Course
11. Deter The Tyrant
12. Avalanche
13. Serenade Of Self-Destruction
14. Nostalgia [bonus]
15. Twin Flames [bonus]
So I've finally marshaled my thoughts on Requiem for the Indifferent. I love Epica, they are my third favorite band, but when I heard this album I didn't fanboy out, I just sat there in confusion unsure of what to think. What's really different about this album is that's it's not as inherently catchy as their previous material, it's slower as well and a lot more progressive. Ultimately this album really doesn't stack up to the rest of their discography and especially not Design Your Universe which is literally one song away from being perfect; they clearly decided to experiment with this album which I have no problem with, but in music one must be careful with experimentation because while in this case it's not completely disastrous it could have been so much worse. In some cases that experimentation on this album works well and it was somewhat refreshing.
The main weakness this album has for me is that the songwriting is just sub par for this band. The lyrics are shallower than ever before, the harsh vocals are used in greater abundance and when Simone sings she hardly uses her opera voice at all, although I must say her "rock" voice has really developed. Songs like "Guilty Demeanor", "Stay the Course" and "Deter the Tyrant" really underline the problem with some really forgettable melodies and boring choruses that don't capture the imagination at all. "Storm the Sorrow" and "Internal Warfare" are both solid songs with good melodies, but both share the same flaw, they're too slow.
Where did all of that energy that went into creating songs like "Unleashed" and "Semblance of Liberty" go?
The band seems to have let all of that energy go and are just really laid back on this album. "Deep Water Horizon" and "Avalanche" are also solid songs, but the problem there is that they take too long to develop and the first half of both songs is really boring. I'm not going to spend much time on "Delirium", but it's a boring ballad, I have come to enjoy it over many, many listens and it's better than "White Waters", but compared to "Tides of Time" or "Safeguard to Paradise" it's boring crap.
So, again, where did all that energy go?
It went into the first song and the last; "Monopoly on Truth" and "Serenade of Self Destruction" are the saving grace of this album, without them I would be rating this a lot lower. "Monopoly on Truth" ranks among Epica's greatest songs yet and is my personal favorite after "The Divine Conspiracy", the energy and spirit that went into making such a beautiful song seems to have drained them for the rest of the album. It has this really epic feeling and the section of the song around the 4:30-5:00 mark just really brings it to life and will drop your jaw, hopefully even if you're not an Epica fan. "Serenade of Self Destruction" is the epic of this album and a dramatic emotional masterpiece. The chorus of this song is one of the most beautiful things I have heard in music and it just really brings the band to life, Simone's voice is at its peak on this song and the chorus is one of those few times she uses her operatic voice and she uses it beautifully; honestly when I hear this song I want to weep at the sheer beauty of it.
All in all this is a definite step down from their last two albums, both of which were absolutely phenomenal; I do like that [band]Epica[/band tried some new things and it was a bit refreshing to be honest. I think with a little more energy and speed, this new style could very easily work and put their next album up with The Divine Conspiracy and Consign to Oblivion, although I highly doubt it'll surpass Design Your Universe, but hey, I would love to be proven wrong.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 7 |
| Songwriting: | 7 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by IanYeara | 23.09.2013
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:
8.0
8.0
|
Rating: 8.0 |
Epica is back with a new album, trying to continue their success over the past years and to satisfy their many fans, even though they're not experimenting with a whole new approach this time; the result is something different from Design Your Universe. Requiem for the Indifferent is less aggressive and more accessible, but at the end of the day it's just as enjoyable. The album has its flaws like every other Epica album, but almost every song has enough interesting moments to look forward to. It can be the professional choirs, some good riffs and solos, some well timed growls or Simone's amazing vocals. But you also have to endure the average done-to-death stuff that keep appearing throughout your lengthy listen. Read more ›› |
Rating:
7.5
7.5
|
Rating: 7.5 |
The previous Epica album, I can freely say, was a masterpiece. I read a lot of negative reviews on this album so I decided to write a review myself. Is this the weakest Epica album? Yes. Is this a bad album? No! With this album, Epica decided to change a few things that were significant in previous ones. The album is mostly guitar-oriented; the riffs are good and heavy, but we can sense the absence of symphonic orchestra elements. Also Simone was singing mostly with a clean, non-falsetto voice, which also was one of significant factors, so I can understand why people rage over this album so much. However, Simone did heavenly good vocal melodies even without falsetto. Mark's growls were also on point. Read more ›› |
Comments
| Erik M. Posts: 3104  |
Sorry, but a 9 for originality?  I would give this album a 6 (originality a 5, probably) as it's easily their worst yet.
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| angel. Evil Butterfly Posts: 2419  |
Written by Erik M. on 23.09.2013 at 19:16 some bands have always had the maximum of all rates because those bands include a beauty ! 
---- The Fangirl.
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311  |
Written by angel. on 23.09.2013 at 19:20 Ex-beauty if you ask me, she lost her charm over time. Specially now that she's a mom.
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| angel. Evil Butterfly Posts: 2419 |
Written by Unhealer on 23.09.2013 at 19:54 what does it have to do with being a mom? Masha has two sons but still so attractive if you ask me,because she's originally herself, I personally dislike so much of Simone's acts while she's performing,well but it's so much help for attracting more fans to a band.But in fact her voice sounds like suffocating and it doesn't go with the music at all.
---- The Fangirl.
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311 |
Written by angel. on 23.09.2013 at 19:59 I don't find Masha attractive either, mother or not. The mom thing is a very personal thing, I tend to prefer more "independent" girls like Scabbia or Jansen. Main issue with Simone is, as you said, her attitude. Not only while performing, If you saw her youtube channel you probably know what I'm talking about :p And if we talk about musicianship, I've complained about her live performance many times on this forum already.
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| angel. Evil Butterfly Posts: 2419 |
Written by Unhealer on 23.09.2013 at 20:11 I know right ? no need to check out her youtube I can predict it,pff ! anyway,it's not right place to talk about that topic.But true her performances are 
---- The Fangirl.
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| mariano Posts: 372 |
For me, the weakest side of Epica's albums has always been guitars. They sound dull and thin, like those old low budget death metal albums. It could be that it was meant to be produced like that, but it certainly shouldn't be an issue with the equipment (Ibanez custom RG 7 strings + Mesa/Boogie amps & cabs) I think Mark doesn't even use the 7th string... and how on earth was he able to equalize the Mesa Boogie to sound so bad
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| AngelofDeth Cyborg Raptor Posts: 1183  |
Totally agree with this review. Would rate it about the same as well.
---- pewpew.. gotcha
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| PocketMetal Posts: 750 |
Written by angel. on 23.09.2013 at 19:20 I disagree ... Epica has been a great band from the get-go and their music is not bad by any means . I don't get the 9 for originality either , but this has got nothing to do with Simone's beauty lol. many of their fans might find that as a reason to like the band but let's not generalize.
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| Rhiannon Account deleted |
Rhiannon
Account deleted Written by PocketMetal on 25.09.2013 at 15:15 Totally agree with you... There are some bands where the vocalist is only there for eye-candy (UnSun), but with Epica it was never the case. People wouldn't buy and rate their albums or go to their expensive concerts just because of Simone's looks, when they can find many pictures on the internet for free 
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| IanYeara Posts: 9 |
Written by Erik M. on 23.09.2013 at 19:16 I gave it a 9 for originality because they experimented, they tried something new with their sound.
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| MétalNoir Fils du Lys Posts: 847  |
Though I agree this album's weaker than the two precedent ones, I don't think energy is all about speed, which you imply when writing : " "Storm the Sorrow" and "Internal Warfare" are both solid songs with good melodies, but both share the same flaw, they're too slow. Where did all of that energy that went into creating songs like "Unleashed" and "Semblance of Liberty" go? " "Storm the Sorrow" may not be super fast, but the heavy pace, especially in the chorus, makes it very epic, imo.
---- Notre destinée n'est pas encore tracée....
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