It is also a good move on their part to line-up the album’s lead single Unleashed next because it shows another side of Epica. This is a highlight of the album and it is the perfect choice for the first song (the intro doesn’t count) as it lets the listener know just what Epica are about, showcasing their key elements such as both vocalists (and both on very top form on this and throughout the album I might add), their well constructed songs, heavy guitars and lush symphonies. There are also some spoken words from drummer Ariën Van Weesenbeek in this song, and unlike some songs I’ve heard they don’t sound out of place. Jansen leads the song with his harsh vocals, backed by the Epica choir with female vocalist Simone Simons handling the chorus and bridge sections of the track, up until this point it follows a fairly basic structure but this is where Epica take it up a level with some nice lead guitar backed by symphony, it lulls the listener into thinking it’s going straight back to where it started by throwing the main riff out again but it doesn’t, allowing the song to continue to progress with some beautiful vocals from Simons. Resign to Surrender is the first song from the album to be a continuation of Mark Jansen’s A New Age Dawns saga, which the band began on their 2005 album Consign to Oblivion, this being the fourth part of it overall. It doesn’t make the listen lose anything by not playing it, although it is very worth it. It’s good for what it is, which is a build up for the first proper song that the band’s going to give us, called Resign to Surrender, which is flows easily into and is an example of an intro track done right, since it doesn’t become integral listening for the song it leads into as some intros do. I guess the only thing to do is to explain why and settle for giving it an identical score seeing as it would be unfair to The Divine Conspiracy to lower my rating of it just for perspectives.Ĭontinuing the trend that the Epica albums have always follows, Design Your Universe begins with an intro track, Samadhi, which like the band’s other intros before it is a classical piece. This album gives me a bit of a dilemma however, and that’s because I was already a big fan of Epica before this album came out, and I consider its processor The Divine Conspiracy to be an album worth a perfect score, so what do I do when from every possible angle the band manages to better it with this follow up? Okay, so they’re more instantly recognisable for their symphonic elements and admittedly that is their primary genre, but there’s no denying that Epica are a class above the run-of-the-mill symphonic metal act, and this is why, and it especially shows on this, their 2009 album Design Your Universe. Thanks to adg211288, diamondblack for the updates Buy EPICA - DESIGN YOUR UNIVERSE musicįact: Epica is progressive metal. Olaf Reitmeier / additional Bariton & Bass Vocals Simon Oberender / additional Bariton & Bass Vocals Ariën van Weesenbeek / drums, grunts, spoken word Coen Janssen / synths, piano, additional Bariton & Bass Vocals (choir) Design Your Universe (A New Age Dawns, Part VI) (9:28) The Price of Freedom (interlude) (1:14)ġ3. Kingdom of Heaven (A New Age Dawns, Part V) (13:35)ħ. Resign to Surrender (A New Age Dawns, Part IV) (6:18)Ħ.