So, it's finally here: For me, the album of the year.
Here's a rather longish review of the songs from the album and my rating out of 10 for them.
1) Samadhi: The intro track that we have become use to in Mark Jansen's albums. Although there's nothing wrong with it, I miss Indigo from The Divine Conspiracy, it wasn't just Indigo that I loved it was how it flowed into the first real song on TDC. Ok, Samadhi does flow into Resign to Surrender, but it doesn't have the same effect that Indigo/The Obessive Devotion had. Rating: 8/10
2) Resign to Surrender (New Age Dawns Part IV): As I just said it lacks in an effective flow from the intro track. However, the male vocals of the choir at the beginning is effective in it's own right. This album is very different in nature to TDC and this song shows that. This is another song for the New Age Dawns series that was started in Consign to Oblivion. This seems to be a rather Mark growls dominant song with simone singing the chorus and the choir being used in the intro to each verse and chorus. Overall a good song and it gets a 9/10 from me.
3) Unleashed (first single): Again, a strong dependance on the choir and an interesting end to the choir intro before the instrumental intro. Again, what has been done with this song is very good. With Epica you except a huge orchestral/choir part and even in Unleashed, it is clearly shown. Rating: 7.5/10.
4) Martyr of the free world: This song seems to more a testament to our freedom of speech. Mark's growls point to this. The song seems to describe how our freedoms are gradually being taken from us. Hence, why the word Martyr is used. Maybe, more of a politica/religiousl statement from Epica, which is something that has been a theme throughout at least the last few albums. 7/10 from me on this one.
5) Our Destiny: Orchestral intro, can never go wrong with one of those. No guitars at the start either, just keyboards with Simone's vocals. It's only as an intro to the first bridge that we get some guitars and a bit of growling from Mark. Not much to say about this one, it has everything that is typical of Epica. 8/10.
6) Kingdom of Heaven (New Age Dawns part V): The longest song on the album and again is something that is expected of Epica: A post-10 minute song. The beginning to me sounds like a crusade beginning. Guitar introduction followed by growling to set the song into motion. This song is very different to say The Divine Conspiracy or even to compare it to Nightwish's The Poet and The Pendulum. The first big section is split between growling and the choir, in the middle there is one line narration. To the next section, there isn't a noticable change, it just happens, Simone's vocals are clearly heard and the pace seems to change. In a 3rd instrumental section, the pace seems to change again, which is very important for a long song (variation in the music). Section 4 seems to slow the pace down and sounds like it uses an acoustic guitar and is very minimalistic in the number of instruments used. Simone's vocals then come in. Then comes another narration (more of a conversation) and then growling again, followed by a guitar solo. The final section is a repeat of section 2 with a gradual slowing down at the end. As I said it was different compare to other songs of similar length. Rating: 9.5/10.
7) The price of freedom: Another intro, to the next part of the album. Again looks at freedom and leads into the next song. Rating: 7/10.
Burn to a Cinder: Guitar intro followed by the choir. Simone's vocals come in quite early in the song and from then on it's business as usual: change of tempo in the chorus, back to the first tempo for the verse. Bridge comes in after the 2nd chorus, nothing new with that method. Another guitar solo later on in the song too, with a repeat of the chorus before and after the solo. No growls in this song, so I would suspect this to be a single at some point. The song ends with a beautiful unaccompanied mini-ballad sung by Simone. Rating for this one 8.5/10
9) Tides of Time: The mini-ballad from Burn to a Cinder runs straight into this song. Simone continues where she left off at the end of Burn to a Cinder. This song really shows off her talent as a singer and also shows us the range of notes she can reach. There should always be a piano ballad in an album and this one doesn't disappoint. Her vocals in the chorus are haunting and so beautiful. This song really shows how she has developed as a singer and I feel she is almost on the same level as Floor Jansen and Tarja Turunen. Although she still has many years left to develop. In the final stages of the song, the whole band come in and there is a small guitar solo and a small part for the choir, before it tapers off at the end and finishes with just the piano and Simone. Rating 10/10
10) Deconstruct: The shortest song of the album. Starts with Simone again and the growls come in, in the bridge and the chorus. The choir get there own little be as well after the 2nd chorus. A small bridge by Simone and then the chorus is repeated for the last time. Rating: 6.5/10
11) Semblence of Liberty: Again, another freedom themed song from Epica, quite a long guitar intro, followed up by growling. Simone comes in with the chorus and it's straight into the 2nd verse, which is Mark all the way. Again, the choir seems to have been lumbered with the bridge part. There is another narration near the end and then the final chorus and a small growly bit at the end. Rating, 7.5/10
12) White Waters (guest vocalist: Tony Kakko, Sonata Arctica): Reminds me slightly of "one" by Metallica and this is the 2nd shortest song on the album. To have female vocals combined with straight male vocals in an Epica album, I think you will have to look back to Trois Verges on Consign to Oblivion. Tony sings the verses, while Simone does the choruses. I feel that this is the weakest song on the whole album, so I am going to give it a 6/10.
13) Design your Universe (New Age Dawns part 6): So to the final track and it's the title track. What is usual for an Epica album is that the final track is a) the title and b) the longest. However, here the longest was Kingdom of Heaven. So they haven't stuck with that tradition. Acoustic intro, followed by a heavier section before the vocals come in. Simone and the choir start us off and then Mark comes in with a bridge that includes "Design your Universe", the choir and Mark sing/growl the chorus, before the intro starts for the 2nd verse, bridge, chorus and then Simone sings a 2nd bridge, Mark growls then a 3rd bridge and then the choir bring in a 4th bridge. The chorus is then repeated, followed by an instrumental section that has the same backing as the 2nd bridge. At the end, it's just the keyboard and Simone singing. It is a fantastic song and worthy of the title. 9/10 from me.
So that is it, a complete review/commentary about the new album. I certainly am not disappointed by it and have enjoy listening to it. Let's hope they get over to the UK as soon as possible. Overall album rating: 8/10. Well done Epica.
Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:23 pm
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