01	Adyta - The Neverending Embrace			The neverending embrace			01:26
	02	Sensorium						04:48
	03	Cry for the Moon - The Embrace that Smothers - Part IV			The embrace that smothers - Part IV			06:44
	04	Feint						04:19
	05	Illusive Consensus						05:00
	06	Facade of Reality - The Embrace that Smothers - Part V			The embrace that smothers - Part V			08:12
	07	Run for a Fall						06:32
	08	Seif al Din - The Embrace that Smothers - Part VI			The embrace that smothers - Part VI			05:47
	09	The Phantom Agony						08:59

Biography (English)


Travelling around the world and meeting other cultures; those are in short the major sources of inspiration for singer, songwriter, composer and guitarist Mark Jansen, both as a person and a musician. The latest proof of his unlimited interest in the world around him is the album The Phantom Agony, the colourful debut album of the recently founded Dutch band Epica. Mark Jansen and his fellow musicians harbour a great interest in other cultures, especially Arab ones. The warmth with which people treat one anotherthere, but also the music from that part of the world. The varied sound of Epica reflects all that. Also influences from other parts of the world, including South-America found their way to the songs that figure on the debut alum. The band also intends to do a lot of touring in order to add as much as possible to the gamut of experiences and impressions.

After a brief and stormy period as one of the creative king pins of the successful Dutch band After Forever, Mark Jansen felt compelled to start all over again recently. He didn't tarry for a second. On the day it dawned on him he no longer had a future in his old band, the plan matured for new challenge. Contacts were made, auditions were carried out and a name for the band was thought up. Initially Sahara Dust was picked as the name of the band, but in the first weeks of 2003 this name was definitely changed into Epica. In the embryonic stage the band worked with the Norwegian singer Helena Michaelsen of Trail of Tears. However, a definitive choice was made for the young Dutch singing talent Simone Simons. The line-up was further stabilised with Coen Jansen (keyboards), Ad Sluijter (guitar), Jeroen Simons (drums) - both from Cassiopeia, and Yves Huts (bass) from Axamenta.

The debut album was recorded in the Gate Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany; under the expert guidance of the renowned producer and technician Sacha Paeth (a.o. Aina, Rhapsody, Kamelot, Angra). The variation in the material appears from the very first track on the CD. Adyta' is a classically tinted intro, sung in Latin. The band works with a classically trained choir, whereas extra colour is added to the music thanks to eight strings: 3 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos and a double bass. The red thread is mezzo-soprano Simone Simons, who with the style of a classically trained opera singer stays on top of the material. Epica is a band that is fond of contrasts. Solid guitars versus flawless choral singing and strings. The sublime singing of Simone Simons versus the excruciating grunts of Mark Jansen. One of the songs in which all these aspects constitute a fascinating unity is 'Sensorium'. The combination of classic and extreme has seldom sounded so convincingly.

While making The Phantom Agony the band was particularly inspired by scores. It is the ambition of Epica to pack up emotions in lyrics and sounds and subsequently pass this on to the listener. What the band really wants is giving goose flesh to the audience, the more the better. The title track is a piece of work in which the six band members aimed for that effect. It is up to the individual listener to interpret the lyrics in his or her own way. Yet The Phantom Agony makes clear that Epica doesn't turn a blind eye to everyday reality. ''Facade Of Reality' is about the world before and after the attacks in the United States on 11 September, and all that changed during that period. For that reason it is a song that means a great deal to the band too.

Finally the name of the band. For the band it initially had two special meanings. First of all it is a tribute to the band Kamelot, of which the band members are all great fans. Epica is the title of one of their CDs. In addition to this Epica is a place in the universe where all the answers to vital questions are to be found. A meaning that fits perfectly with the tenor of the lyrics. Recently another meaning was added. Not so long ago Epica was giving a concert in Belgium. Everything went great. At a certain point of time something happened between the stage and the audience. At the end of the concert the audience was chanting the name of the band: 'E-pi-ca', 'E-pi-ca'. It sounded excellently. There and then the band decided that Epica had been the right choice.




EPICA - the Phantom Agony


Epica, Mark Jansen's new band, after a successful demo and many great live performances, is releasing their debut album entitled "The Phantom Agony." The album that fans have been impatiently waiting for. Probably one of the most expected debut albums in metal in the last couple of years. And definitely in the Netherlands.
Mark Jansen's situation can be compared to the one of Morten Veland, the founder of Tristania, set out from his own band after two albums. Veland came back with a new band, Sirenia, and their album "At Sixes And Sevens." I am probably one of few people who were not this much impressed by this debut. The music sounded very much in the vein of Tristania, but then twice as repetitive, with weak female vocals and no strong compositions. So I was wondering about Mark's come-back to the world of metal, with his new band.
I knew all the Epica songs already before - from the live shows. But still I was very curious about many aspects of this release, like the production, the sound, the choir, the vocals, etc. Before I start discussing all those elements in details, I'd like to give some general comments about "The Phantom Agony."
Without exaggerating, I can say that this is one of the most mature and processional debut albums in metal I've heard. Its strength lies mainly in the compositions themselves. Their quality is very high. Of course, I have my favourites, but generally speaking, every song is very strong: well performed, with enough variation. Catchy, but also sophisticated.
During the recordings the band chose to work with Sascha Paeth, famous metal producer, known from his work with e.g. Rhapsody. The man who knows a lot about metal with classical elements. And that is exactly Epica's style: dynamic and variable music, with lots of orchestrations, the use of choirs, soprano vocals combined with grunts and influences from soundtracks. Many bands play this kind of style, one could say. True: Especially in Norway and Holland. But what these bands often miss, is good songwriting. The way Epica combines all these elements together is quite fresh - all the musicians are pretty young and enthusiastic - plus (what has been already mentioned) the quality of the material is so good that you just cannot resist it.
Let's now take a look at all the ingredients of this album more closely:

THE PRODUCTION / THE MIX:

The emphasis on "The Phantom Agony" is definitely put on the vocals (the choirs, mezzo-soprano of Simone Simons) and the orchestrations. Those things are to be heard very hard in the mix. Unfortunately at the cost of guitars and the bass (only in "Feint" you can hear the strong bass). The songs sound live more aggressive, with more "guts." The orchestrations take so much space that there is hardly any room for guitars. The latter form only a support for the rest. They are well performed, so it's even more of a pity that they play here quite an inferior role. But I guess that was the band's and producer's aware decision.

THE CHOIR:

Mark Jansen and guitarist Ad Sluijter revealed earlier that the choirs would have a very prominent role on the album. In comparison with After Forever, their use would be twice as big. And indeed, the choir not only appears in almost every song (one exception is "Feint), but in many parts the choir is playing the leading role (e.g. in the title song). It sounds definitely full and strong. It's not only an addition or a decoration here.

SOPRANO

Female vocals, of course, also play an important role on "The Phantom Agony." Singer Simone Simons really did their best. I'm happy to hear that her articulation has improved in comparison with the demo-recordings. Her singing has also grown on other areas. She sings here with more power and a bit more variation. I think her strength lies in the colour of her voice, which makes her also quite recognizable. I especially like her vocals in "Feint." A very good performance! Another one can be heard in "Run For A Fall" (especially in the bridges). It seems her voice comes across better in ballads / slower pieces. Then it sounds fuller and more mature.

FAVOURITES:

"Facade Of Reality" is for me the highlight of the whole album. Probably the most interesting composition. Very varied, with fantastic singing melody, a speech of Tony Blair, atmospheric whispering, cool fast parts, nice choir arrangements and solid drumming (I definitely have to mention the great drums on this album. Drummer Jeroen Simons deserves many compliments. A very versatile drummer, with great feel for music and a great touch).
I have already mentioned "Feint" many times - a beautiful ballad. I'm not this fond of ballads in general, but this one is sung so well and has such great lyrics (about the murder of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn) and one of the nicest melodies, plus a great bridge. Other favourites of mine are "Illusive Consensus" and Arabic "Seif Al Din." I also have to mention very catchy "Sensorium" (especially the last part with the choir) and the title song, with its beautiful choirs, full sound and the ending that sounds like it has been taken straight from a soundtrack of an epic film.
What I also like about Epica are the subjects of their songs. In contrast to many other metal bands who sing about darkness, monsters, fantasy or vampires, this band chooses for intellectual ponderings about life, politics, religion and occasionally love ("Illusive Consensus"). "Run For A Fall" deals with Mark's departure from After Forever.

Speaking of After Forever, Epica is no clone of theirs. We should look at their music as a continuation of Mark's ideas, which had their beginnings on "Prison of Desire" and "Decipher." Here all these ideas are developed with more freedom and more bombast.





Epica - The Phantom Agony (7,5/10) - Netherlands - 2003
Genre: Gothic Metal
Label: Transmission
Playing time: 51:53
Band-Homepage: Epica

Tracklist:
Adyta "The Neverending Embrace"
Sensorium
Cry For The Moon "The Embrace That Smothers - Part IV"
Feint
Illusive Consensus
Facade Of Reality "The Embrace That Smothers - Part V"
Run For A Fall
Seif Al Din "The Embrace That Smothers - Part VI"
The Phantom Agony

I hold a really noble Digi-Book in my hands. It's the debut of the Dutch EPICA! Hm, I immediately think of NIGHTWISH, a bit THERION but also AFTER FOREVER! The latter is less surprising, because a certain Mark Janssen is involved, too and he was resonsible for some growls on AFTER FOREVER! He does that also on EPICA but his part is rather sparse. That's good, because I get the feeling that his grunts seem to be a bit out of place.
Otherwise we get eight well-produced, opulently-staged mini operas, which have some highlights, but at first, they overcharge you with their epic, dramatic art and classic. Especially Simone Simons cuts a more than fine figure here. Her trained voice can easyily compete with Tarja as well as Floor Jansen. To add is the 8 man/woman strong EPICA-orchestra as well as the EPICA choir, so there is a lot expense to find. The resulting bombast sound is really impressive but works not always.

Maybe I'm a bit satiated by similar records, but if "The Phantom Agony" had been released a few years ago, my enthusiasm would be much higher. But who digs generally on orchestra Metal can't do nothing wrong with this record. As said before, this disc is very pretentious and the musicians are first-class! (Online August 20, 2003)



Artist: Epica
Title: The Phantom Agony
Label: Transmission Records
Length: 51'51"
Tracks: 12
Style: Gothic Metal
Similar bands: After Forever, Nightwish
Origin: Netherlands

"Pain and beauty are melted to a musical experience that will saturate all senses of the listener". With these words the press release of the stunning debut album of Epica begins. A new chapter in the successful book of Gothic Metal is written by guitarist and composer Mark Jansen (ex-After Forever), so forget everything you have heard so far and prepare yourself for the awesome beauty of Epica. Inspired by the Arab culture, Epica brings a unique blend of classical orchestra and choir, brutal grunts and screams and the exquisite mezzo soprano vocals of Simone Simons. Produced by Sascha Paeth (Rhapsody, Kamelot), Epica has given the world one of the most impressive debut Gothic Metal albums.

From the moment you hear the first notes of 'Adyta', you are captured by the beautiful and mysterious atmosphere of The Phantom Agony, where Arab and Latin influences are mixed with powerful drums and shredding guitars and garnished with grunts and screams by Mark Jansen. Vocalist Simone Simons is a true revelation, as she seemed to have walked right out of an opera, straight into Epica, and it is a pure delight to hear her sing. The use of a real choir as well as choir samples add to the atmosphere in the songs. 'Cry for the Moon' has an intro that could have been written by Ravel, as it sounds a bit like the Bolero, and is one of my highlights of the album, a 'catchy' melody with lavish choir and orchestra, but also fast and powerful drums and heavy guitar riffs. The music of The Phantom Agony, reflects various cultures, but there is also room for a more serious topic, as 'Facade of Reality', deals with the events happened on September 11, 2001 and small samples of the British Prime-Minister, Tony Blair, are mixed in the music. This combined with the, partly latin, lyrics, gives you some food for thought. For a moment, you get the feeling that 'Run for a Fall' is a real ballad, but no, in the second half the aggressive, but controlled drums and screams fall in, although only for a moment. 'Seif al Din' is an interesting song as it holds various influences: musically there is the Arabic sound in the orchestra, but also in the lyrics (La lllah lllallah, Mohammad rasul Allah), but there is also a strong reference to Rhapsody, by a spoken part by Simone Simons. And then, when you think you have had it all, they leave you with one last song, the title track 'The Phantom Agony', which proves the saying 'saving the best for last'! I think there are no words good enough to describe this song. This song is the very definition of everything Epica is and stands for.

Of course, if you listen to The Phantom Agony, you hear a sound which is very similar to After Forever, no surprise as mark Jansen was one of the main songwriters in After Forever. Also in the artwork are references, like the snake and last but not least, three songs have as subtitle 'The Embrace that Smothers part:', continuing the line from After Forever's debut album Prison of Desire. However, do not make the mistake to view Epica as just a clone of After Forever! Epica is an entirely separate band with their own sound, that differs enough from After Forever, as it is less metal and more classical influences and quite different vocally. With superb production and great artwork, Epica is ready for the world. The question you face is:are you ready for Epica?

Added: July 9th 2003
Reviewer: Marcel
Score: 5/5




www.dprp.vuurwerk.nl

Derk's Review
You could be excused to think at first glance that with his new band Epica, Mark Jansen is merely building further on the foundation he laid with his former band After Forever. After his forced departure from that band in 2002, he founded Epica, and not only are the line-ups of the two bands very similar in
composition, do they share the same label, and are artwork and logotype in the same vein, three songs on Epica's debut album The Phantom Agony are subtitled parts IV, V and VI of an ongoing musical story that was started on After Forever's first album Prison Of Desire. But that is actually pretty much where the
similarity ends. Because notwithstanding the fact that Jansen was the main creative force behind After
Forever and has the same role in Epica, he has been able to reinvent himself, assisted by the talented
group of musicians he has gathered around him in his new band.

The music on this album plays like the soundtrack to a film set in the time of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Three Musketeers, full of romance, adventure and tragedy. From opener Adyta with its choir singing over melancholy stringed instruments, to the title track, a mini soundtrack in itself, it takes you through a
diversity of different moods and experiences. From the action in Illusive Consensus and Facade of Reality, played out with rhythm guitars at full speed, grunts and screams, keyboards and strings keeping the melody, to the gothic pop of Feint and the first half of Run for a Fall, carried by mezzo-soprano Simone Simons. From the eastern influences in Cry for the Moon and Seif al Din, evoked through Coen Janssen's keyboards, cello, violin and Simons' vocals, to the more traditional Sensorium, which most deserves the label gothic metal in its most common meaning.

Sometimes reminiscent of latter day Therion, especially in the multi-voiced choruses, and often orchestral, not strange considering the presence of a mini orchestra of three violins, two violas, two
cellos and a contrabass, in addition to a choir of two sopranos, two altos, a tenor and a bass throughout
most of the album! Sometimes heavy, but not ever hard, keyboards and orchestra play a bigger role on this album than the twin guitars. The modest use of grunts is offset by classical voices, and bursts of speed are followed by moments of reflection. This is quality classical soundtrack metal (for want of a better term), expertly produced by industry veteran Sascha Paetth, who has given the album the rich and warm sound which best showcases the music.

This is an album that through its hybridness will appeal to a broad type of listeners. Not only to fans of those bands that use similar combinations of metal and classical elements, like Nightwish and the aforementioned After Forever and Therion, but also people who are into classical themed soundtracks, or opera. So what about our readership? In other words, is this prog? To answer that the way Mark Kelly does: you tell me what prog is, and I'll tell you if this is prog.


Dries' Review
While I was forming my opinion on this album I was constantly comparing this album to After Forever. To
be really prepared I even gave the After Forever albums an extra spin. And because of that The Phantom Agony album really disappointed me. "There's too little heavy guitars", "It is more like an opera or a musical", a lot of the After Forever power is gone, etc. It might be wrong to make this comparison, as I know Fish was always very annoyed when his music was compared to Marillion's. But in this case the comparison is even more evident: this album seems to leave off where After Forever's Prison of Desire ended. It is like Derk says: The Embrace That Smothers Part III was on Prison Of Desire while Part IV to can be found The Phantom Agony.

Luckily after some time I was able to stop comparing the two. I noticed that I really enjoyed listening to
this album but had a lot of negative remarks towards it, while comparing. Once I gave this album the chance to stand on its own it began to dawn on me: this is an excellent album. Of course there still are
similarities between After Forever and Epica but I do agree with Derk, it is like Mark Jansen reinvented
himself.

The first track Adyta (The Neverending Embrace) is of no surprise it is a Gregorian like intro that
transitions into Sensorium a "metal" song that starts of with an interesting piano loop that returns later
on. This first encounter with the mezzo soprano voice of Simone Simons is a good one. All that and the
double bass drums make it easy to compare this song to After Forever. Cry For The Moon (The Embrace That Smothers - Part IV) has a faint trace of Vangelis' 1492: The Conquest Of Paradise, later on the guitars, drums and grunts make this trace fade. As many of the other tracks Feint contains a high number of violins and Cellos. In Illusive Consensus the violins and cello's are used to complement the guitars and bass drums. Facade Of Reality (The Embrace That Smothers - Part V) the guitar sounds prevail. The pieces of Latin lyrics and dark grunts give this song an epic quality. Halfway the song becomes much slower and cello and violins support Tony Blair's voice commenting the events on the 11th of September. The whispered lyrics there-after really sound threatening. Tony Blair's speech and the remaining part of the music and lyrics make this song my favourite of this album. Run For A Fall is a violin filled ballad that really does Simone's voice justice. This song really makes me understand Derk's comment on The Scarlet Pimpernel. Grunts take the leading role in Seif Al Din (The Embrace That Smothers - Part VI) and again violins and cello all over the place. The spoken lyrics of title track The Phantom Agony remind me of the first spoken words of Lord Of The Rings. Short violin notes, the choir, the bass guitar and bass drums all are a title track worthy. The last part of this song is the best example of how this album compares to a movie soundtrack.

This album has left quite an impression. It is a bombastic, highly dramatic, cello and violin filled album that can not really be classified as just prog metal or gothic. It most certainly is not prog rock and still I have no problem what so ever with placing this album on the DPRP reviews list. I think most of our readers could like this album. To collaborate on Derk's, Mark Kelly quote: maybe the best definition of prog rock in this case is: it should be called prog rock because I like it and I only really like prog rock.

Conclusions:

Derk van Mourik - 8.5 out of 10
Dries Dokter - 8.5 out of 10



www.musicfolio.com

"A new chapter in the successful book of Gothic Metal is written by guitarist and composer Mark Jansen
(ex-After Forever), so forget everything you have heard so far and prepare yourself for the awesome beauty of Epica. Inspired by the Arab culture, Epica brings a unique blend of classical orchestra and
choir, brutal grunts and screams and the exquisite mezzo soprano vocals of Simone Simons. (...) From the moment you hear the first notes of 'Adyta', you are captured by the beautiful and mysterious atmosphere of 'The Phantom Agony', where Arab and Latin influences are mixed with powerful drums and shredding guitars and garnished with grunts and screams by Mark Jansen. Vocalist Simone Simons is a true revelation, as she seemed to have walked right out of an opera, straight into Epica, and it is a pure delight to hear her sing. The use of a real choir as well as choir samples add to the atmosphere in the songs. (...) Of course, if you listen to The Phantom Agony, you hear a sound which is very similar to After Forever, no surprise as mark Jansen was one of the main songwriters in After Forever. However, do not make the mistake to view Epica as just a clone of After Forever! Epica is an entirely separate band with their own sound, that differs enough from After Forever, as it is less metal and more classical influences...."
Marcel, ProgPower Online