Simone Simons' 'Vermillion' - Album Review

In a way, I am surprised that it took until 2024 for Epica's frontwoman Simone Simons to release a solo album. Epica have been going for 22 years at this point, with Simons fronting the band from essentially the start, during which time they have released eight studio albums, a handful of EPs and live albums, and have been extremely active when it comes to touring. Being one of the two primary lyricists for Epica and arguably their focal point, too, Simons has become one of the most recognisable faces in the metal world - with Epica now one of the best-loved symphonic metal bands going for their knack for making complex songs seem accessible and their infectiously joyous live shows. During that time, Simons has lent her talents to many other artists - and she has made a number of guest appearances on others' albums, including those by the likes of Kamelot, Primal Fear, and Angra. Despite this willingness to collaborate, though, Simons had never branched out on her own. I can only assume that she felt creatively satisfied in Epica - and the band's busy schedule likely meant that undertaking her own project was tricky. With Epica's ninth album on the way, which has been recently recorded, I assume that the band will be extremely busy on the road again when it likely drops next year - but Simons clearly also found a bit of downtime recently to work on something of her own, and last month she released her first solo album Vermillion. Whilst Vermillion is billed as a solo album, though, it is very much a collaboration between Simons and the famed Dutch composer and multi-instrumentalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Vengeance; Ayreon; Ambeon; Star One; Stream of Passion; Guilt Machine; The Gentle Storm; Supersonic Revolution) - and the album feels as much his as it does hers. Simons is no stranger to working with Lucassen, having sung on three of Ayreon's studio albums as well as appearing with them live - so collaborating with him to create a solo album was a no-brainer. Lucassen's songwriting sets the album apart from Epica's core sound and, despite his prog background, he has as a knack for writing vocal-driven pieces. Lucassen is responsible for all of the album's guitars and the vast majority of its keyboards, whilst Rob van der Loo (Sun Caged; Delain; MaYaN; Epica) handled the bass and Koen Herfst (I Chaos; Dew-Scented; HDK; Vandenberg; Supersonic Revolution) played the drums. Herfst played live with Epica back in 2007, so Simons has certainly kept it in the family when it comes to this album - and Mark Jansen (After Forever; Epica; MaYaN) also adds some harsh vocals to two of the songs. Despite this, though, Vermillion does not sound like Epica-lite - and the album it actually reminds me the most of is Stream of Passion's 2005 debut album Embrace the Storm, which Lucassen co-wrote. The two albums have a very similar mid-paced, gothic, and slightly restrained symphonic metal style - although Simons is certainly a different singer to Marcela Bovio, with Vermillion feeling more overtly symphonic in character and perhaps a little more up-tempo overall, too. Regardless of the finer points of the album's sound, though, it is great to hear Simons in a different context to usual.

Lead single Aeterna kicks things off, with a synth drone opening up the symphonic and expansive piece - which gets going proper once the drums, Lucassen's doomy guitar riffing, and dancing strings which conjure up Eastern melodies kick in. The song is dynamic and mid-paced, with heavier sections sitting nicely side-by-side with more melancholic and string-led moments - and the arrangements are designed in such a way to really push Simons' voice. The album lacks Epica's technicality, but there is enough going on to provide interest - despite the album very much being vocal-driven. The Eastern-tinged melodies really hark back to that aforementioned Stream of Passion album - with the slower verses particularly sounding like that band's core sound as Simons sings alone against some delicate strings and plenty of synths. The chorus is heavier and much more choral by design - and it is this use of a choir which sets Vermillion apart from Embrace the Storm. This is definitely a similarity to Epica's core sound. It is still used for dramatic effect, but it is perhaps not as ominous and as grand as Epica's use of such - with the choral chants contrasting nicely with Simons' mix of poppy vocal hooks and more classically-trained moments. Pulsing synths later in the track, which add a slight pop edge, also help to set Aeterna apart from Epica - and the dense, yet accessible, piece is both familiar and different. In Love We Rust opens very slowly, with Simons singing against some gently swirling strings - and the track gradually builds in stature as it moves along. The rest of the band kick in once the chorus is reached, with the guitars and drums laying down a simple, yet weighty, chug, but the verses are very low key - with strings and occasional piano melodies adding depth behind Simons' sweet delivery. It does feel very restrained at times, with a simple percussive loop adding to the soundscape, but I like the fact that this album moves away from Epica's core sound. This is certainly an album of the same broad genre, but it does not seek to ape Epica's progressive sound - as is clear once Lucassen launches into a controlled and emotive guitar solo later in the piece, which builds on some of the chorus melodies somewhat. The mix of mellow verses and a more gothic chorus works well as a vehicle for Simons' varied vocal delivery. Cradle to the Grave features the vocal talents of Alissa White-Gluz (The Agonist; Arch Enemy), so it is perhaps unsurprising that the piece is more up-tempo and heavier overall than the previous two cuts. Pulsing synths and a barrelling riff open the track up, and soon the piece settles into a mid-paced chugging groove - over which shimmering keyboards and the occasional folky melody are added. The verses are slower again, though, with Simons' sweet vocals shining against a simple keyboard backing - but once White-Gluz unleashes some harsh vocals the opening groove returns and the chorus takes a much heavier path, with the two ladies trading vocal lines back and forth. The occasional use of harsh vocals on this album is another link back to Epica, but White-Gluz adds a lot to this gothic piece - and the chorus has more bite thanks to her growls, with Simons adding a slightly shriller delivery to match.

Opening with some murky clean guitar melodies, Fight or Flight continues on the darker tones which have generally been present throughout the album to this point and Simons soon starts to sing against this gentle backing. Acoustic guitars are slowly brought in to add depth, and Herfst starts to lay down a percussive and distant drum pattern - over which some carefree guitar leads are added. As is typical of many of the songs on this album, though, it grows in stature as it moves along. The chorus is another pretty heavy moment, with tougher guitars backing Simons' more operatic delivery - before the percussive and swampy verse returns to lower the tone again. More guitar leads are used for effect, too, which showcase Lucassen's prog roots in quite a big way - before a soaring violin solo from regular Lucassen collaborator and session player Ben Mathot adds an emotional bent to the dynamic piece. Weight of My World is a bit more riffy and much more straight ahead metal than most of the other tracks here. Many of the songs are much more dynamic, with light and shade, but this track is generally much less varied - with Lucassen throwing in quite a few guitar leads and riffs throughout the song, whilst Herfst also gets the chance to really pound the drums. There are slower moments, but they are generally very brief - with Simons singing with a lot of effects on her voice against a somewhat industrial backing. Screaming guitar leads are thrown in for effect, whilst the strings and atmospheric depth are kept to a minimum this time. The synths generally just boost the guitar and bass weight - although the chorus is a bit more atmospheric thanks to subtle strings as well as the return of the opening song's choir. Pseudo-title track Vermillion Dreams follows, and the slow-burning piece returns more to the album's core sound. The riffing of the previous song is generally absent - with pulsing synths setting an unsettling tone early on, over which Simons starts to sing. Her beautiful voice clashes nicely with these synths, and with the clean guitars which later join in, before a more expansive chorus later features marching drums as well as the occasional busy guitar lead. Generally, though, this is another piece written to really showcase Simons' expansive voice. She has always shone in Epica, but perhaps this album allows her to show off a few different sides of her voice - and this song's chorus goes all in for a multi-tracked performance to widen the dramatic scope. The Core is the first of two songs to feature Jansen's harsh vocals - and in fact he actually opens the song with some machine gun growls, set against some synths and fast-paced drums. The industrial band Pain is referenced a little here in my opinion, and Simons soon joins in with Jansen's screams - before a snaking verse takes over which features a pulsing bassline and a hooky guitar lead which breaks up the vocal melodies. Like Weight of My World, then, this song is a bit more straight ahead and heavier. There is a lot more prominent guitar work on display here and the chorus is one of the album's hookiest moments in my opinion. It very much contains the hallmarks of Lucassen's melodic style and Simons delivers it nicely - with Jansen adding some growls here and there for effect.

Dystopia is another track which harks back to that first Stream of Passion album somewhat - with the opening mid-paced riff and Eastern melodies sounding very familiar. The symphonic/gothic metal scene of the mid-2000s was a very distinct place, and the genre has gone off in many directions since, but this song feels like a bit of a deliberate throwback to that time - with Lucassen's chugging guitars sounding very gothic in tone and Simons' wordless vocal melodies backed by simple choral harmonies again feeling like a reference to that time. The floatier sections of the verses feel different, though, and more akin with some of Epica's ballads, but as soon as the guitars loom back into the view that mid-2000s sound very much returns. The song does take a turn part way through, though, and morphs into something more atmospheric and prog-inspired - with Lucassen laying down a floaty guitar solo which makes use of sustained notes, before the song becomes heavier again and the solo continues on at a faster and more metallic piece. This is not generally an album with lots of extended instrumental sections, but this solo works nicely. R.E.D. is the other song to feature Jansen's growls - and it also features some gang vocals at times. The song is a bit of a mix of sounds, and at first it sounds as if it is going to be another up-tempo and more industrial-sounding piece, with Jansen again getting things underway - but once Simons starts to sing things take a more synth-driven path. The verses are formed of spiky synths, then, which build towards a chorus which features Fear Factory-esque guitar tones - alongside the aforementioned gang vocal chants and some powerful barks from Jansen. The harsh vocals are not overused on this album, but do give a handful of songs the occasional kick - and Simons later uses her voice as instrument, singing what almost sounds like a bluesy guitar lead with lots of strange effects on her voice. It is a song that has a lot going on within, so it is one of the overall highlights thanks to the multitude of vibes. The album then comes to a close with the delicate ballad Dark Night of the Soul - featuring Joost van den Broek (Sun Caged; After Forever; Supersonic Machine) on piano and Perttu Kivilaakso (Apocalyptica) on cello. Given the variety on display throughout this album, ending things on a ballad seems fitting - and it is the most organic piece here, with Simons singing in her typically emotional way against rolling piano melodies, whilst occasional soaring cello lines add depth. It is a very simple song which does not become any grander as it moves along. The piano and cello melodies, with some additional strings for backing, are all that sit behind Simons' excellent voice - and it is one last showcase piece for her, with Kivilaakso in particular really complimenting her delivery with some intricate cello lines. It is nice way to end the album - and it is a contrast to the denseness which came before. Vermillion, then, is a surprisingly varied album from Simons - which touches on her past whilst also presenting her vocals and lyrics in a more restrained manner. There is less bombast here than is typical, but there are moments of heaviness to kick things up a gear when needed - but overall the album is a welcome vocal-driven set of songs from one of metal's current best-loved vocalists.

The album was released on 23rd August 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is Simons' promotional video for Aeterna.