Epica's 'Aspiral' - Album Review

It feels like a little while since the Dutch symphonic metal band Epica last released an album. Whilst the four year gap between now and 2021's Ωmega (which I reviewed here) is not all that significant, since releasing their debut album The Phantom Agony back in 2003 they have generally released a new album every two or three years. Considering how involved and progressive each album is, the band's prolific nature has always been surprising. Some more progressively-minded bands tend to have longer gaps between releases - but Epica have often managed to be prolific whilst maintaining a strong quality from album to album. In my opinion, Epica have never released a bad album. Each of their eight previous albums feel like stand-alone and complete pieces of work, despite a fairly consistent sound being maintained, and they are probably the most interesting band in the symphonic metal world these days - particularly due to their progressive streak and their love of extreme metal trappings. I might not pull out their albums all that regularly, but whenever I do I am always reminded how great the band are - and each time I have seen them live they have really impressed, not just with their vocal and instrumental prowess but also the energy they generate and the fun they seem to have on stage despite the complexities of their music. In more recent years, though, Epica seem to have slowed down a little - which is perhaps no bad thing. No band can keep up such a pace forever - and I would rather that the band focus on quality rather than just releasing something new for the sake of it. The gap between 2016's The Holographic Principle (which I reviewed here) and Ωmega was five years - but I think that Ωmega's release was delayed due to the pandemic. There was The Solace System (which I reviewed here) and Epica vs Attack on Titan Songs EPs from 2017 in between, though, so the band still kept somewhat busy - and since Ωmega's release they had to wait a little while before they could properly tour it. There have been reasons for the delays, then, and there was another EP released in 2022 called The Alchemy Project (which I discussed briefly here) which saw the band collaborate with some of their peers. The last few years have been busy, then, despite the lack of a traditional album - but this all changed last month with the long-awaited released of the band's ninth studio album Aspiral, their first since 2021. Those who have been following Epica for a while will know what to expect from Aspiral - but it does create its own identity, something which each Epica album before it has also generally managed. Whilst still being a long and knotty album, it perhaps feels a little more straight ahead than usual. There are still plenty of symphonic and progressive flourishes, but the songwriting is perhaps a little more streamlined here to really focus on vocal and instrumental melodies - with frontwoman Simone Simons perhaps more in the shop window than ever. There are a lot more traditional 'metal' elements, too, with the guitar riffing from Isaac Delahaye and Mark Jansen feeling a bit more strident than usual - and there are even a few more modern touches such as the occasional breakdown. The difference is not night and day, but there is a freshness to the album which is welcome given that Epica are over 20 years deep into their career at this point.

Perhaps to emphasise this relative svelteness, Aspiral does not open with an instrumental scene-setter - with Cross the Divide instead kicking things off with a bang. There is not much build-up within the song itself - with a distant symphonic melody fading in over a few seconds before the band crash in, and the same melody is amped up to provide the first big hook of the album. The first two songs here are very much more straight ahead compositions - but this is no bad thing. Cross the Divide really focuses on the band's more melodic approach from throughout the years - with Simons' strident vocals filling a potent verse which sees her singing between bursts of tough riffing and swirling symphonics. The riffing is heavy in places, and there are some moments of double bass drumming, but much of the real heaviness is saved for later in the album - and the chorus is instead a soaring effort, with some of the most instant melodies here. It is the sort of chorus that latches on after only a couple of listens - with Simons sounding at her most powerful, before she utilises her more operatic approach during a grander bridge section later on. The riffing is sharp throughout, with the whole band keeping things moving, but this is a track which re-establishes why Simons is one of the best singers in metal - and it is sure to become a live favourite thanks to its hooks and bombast. Arcana is a bit less hard rocking, and instead goes for more of an old-school symphonic metal sound with some of the trappings of the Dutch gothic scene of the 1990s/2000s. Epica came from that scene, so the song somewhat feels like a little bit of a throwback to the slower moments on their early albums - but the production is huge and the overall arrangement allows for all their nuances to shine through. Keyboard player Coen Janssen gets plenty of opportunities to shine here, with some piano melodies kicking the song off - whilst the piano and some other more obvious keyboard hooks are utilised throughout. The riffing is more slab-like this time, providing a tough backing rather than driving everything - with gothic choirs providing the main musical motif early on before the sparkling keyboards and Rob van der Loo's bass back Simons during the verses. The choir acts as a brief break between the verses and the chorus - with the latter then being a dramatic, mid-paced symphonic feast with some more of Simons' semi-operatic vocals and Janssen's massive string arrangement. This song was released as a single prior to the album dropping and I recall not being all that impressed with it at first - but it has grown on me a lot, and I really like how it changes tack towards the end to add some more aggressive riffing and a short closing section which introduces Jansen's growls for the first time on the album.

Those missing something a bit more involved, though, will love Darkness Dies in Light (A New Age Dawns - Part VII). In many ways, following the opening two melodic feasts, Darkness Dies in Light (A New Age Dawns - Part VII) returns to Epica's more typical sound by stretching things out and indulging in a more progressive arrangement. The riffing is a bit more pronounced at times, with dry pulses backing the early choir and orchestral sweeps, whilst the verses see both Simons and Jansen sharing the vocals. Sometimes they sing alone, but when they sing together the song really comes to life - and this has always been a big part of Epica's core sound. They have always known just how much of Jansen's harsh vocals to include to ensure that he makes his presence felt without dominating - and I really love the overall weight of this track, particularly when around half way through he growls on his own in a much darker manner before a pretty thrashy riff takes over as the symphonics drop away briefly. These bursts of real heaviness are welcome, and that aforementioned increased focus on riffing is born out during this piece - with bare riffs sitting nicely side-by-side with Simons-led vocal sections. There is even a riff-led section later on where it sounds like Janssen is doubling the guitars with his synths - which is something a bit different for Epica, and it gives the band an old-school prog metal feel throughout the song's second half where riffing dominates. Obsidian Heart slows things down following the previous track, which was more up-tempo and diverse, and introduces some doomier riffing - which again recalls that Dutch scene from 20 or so years ago. The riffing from Delahaye and Jansen here is brooding - retreating when it needs to and powering through the mix at other times. The verses are more laid back, though, which was typical of that scene - with van der Loo's bass providing a metronomic feel, whilst occasional piano and synth melodies add colour. Simons sings in an emotive and powerful manner throughout, but she really comes alive during the chorus which sees a lot more guitar added to the mix - with the big symphonic arrangements the band is known for shining. A tough instrumental section later adds some slow, mechanical riffing beneath delicate choral singing - and just as it sounds like the song is about to fade to a close, another rendition of the big chorus crashes back in. Fight to Survive (The Overview Effect) returns to something more typical of the band's core sound following the darkness of the previous track - with an upbeat symphonic arrangement during the intro, before Simons takes over to deliver a mid-paced, chugging verse with ease. The main symphonic hooks, which also later form part of the chorus, are very memorable, and remind me of the band's late 2000s/early 2010s mid-period somewhat - and this track feels like a bit of a look back to the band's past. Simons mixes her more recent overt power with some of the more operatic vocals of her past to great effect here - with a pre-chorus section featuring sombre clean guitar melodies and a break in the riffing a particular vocal highlight. Jansen is introduced during a heavier bridge section, though, which includes some metalcore-esque riffing at times - but the growls and the symphonics keep the song on an even keel, even if a shredded guitar solo later adds some further energy to the piece.

Metanoia (A New Age Dawns - Part VIII) initially then slows things down - opening with some gentle choral vocals and a lone violin which plays a mournful melody. The choir slowly gains power, until dramatic rhythmic chanting takes over - just in time for a massive guitar riff to kick in, which morphs somewhat over a few bars whilst strings dip in and out. This is a song which clearly is going for an extremely epic sound - so it is another which showcases some of the band's progressive flair. The choir is very dominant, typical of the band's older albums, whilst Simons and Jansen share vocals during the verses to mix sweet and rough sounds throughout. Despite the heaviness of the riffing, and the speed of Ariën van Weesenbeek's drumming at times, there are still plenty of hooks here. The sections which feature vocals tend to be a bit more mid-paced, with a strident musical backing to boost the vocal power - but some of the riffing sections are very thrashy, with van Weesenbeek getting to showcase his fast footwork. The chorus might be one of the album's most strident sections, too, with Simons again singing in that classical-adjacent style at times whilst backed by the huge choir. The song is enormous, as all the A New Age Dawn parts here are, and it is fitting that another guitar solo is included to boost the track further - with the more slow-burning solo injecting lots more melody before Jansen unleashes another huge growl and a heavier section takes over in which he dominates. T.I.M.E. opens as if it could be a ballad, with some slower strings, but this calm vibe is short lived - with the song soon morphing into a pretty strident mid-paced rocker which returns to the relatively more simple arrangements of the opening couple of numbers. There are injections of difference, with the occasional blast beat-led pre-chorus section adding some heaviness and the occasional growled vocal, but generally Simons sings this track against a more rhythmic and riffy backing - with the verses feeling somewhat raw for Epica, before the chorus then rights the ship by throwing in a huge symphonic arrangement to back Simons' snappy vocals. A growled bridge adds some further heaviness, but in general this song feels more hard rock than metal in tone - even if the growls are somewhat deceiving in this regard. Apparition ups the heaviness, then, with Jansen kicking things off vocally with a stand-alone growl as a creeping and tough riff sets the tone. The song is certainly not as doomy as Obsidian Heart, but it is another which goes for a more gothic sound at times - with darker verses sitting side-by-side with perhaps one of the anthemic choruses here. The gothic verses again feature quite prominent bass playing - but dark piano notes and some more percussive drumming helps to set the song apart, and this vibe certainly contrasts with the dancing strings of the chorus and the fists-in-the-air feel of Simons' big vocal hooks here. A more rock-adjacent guitar solo which features bluesy bends and some more shredded melodies is thrown in, too, alongside some more growls as the song comes to a close.

There have already been plenty of hooky and memorable songs up to this point, but the next two include some of the biggest melodies here. Eye of the Storm is another more straight ahead track arrangement-wise - and the song often sees the band's trademark symphonic touches take more of a backseat to big riffing. There are plenty of synths and strings still, particularly during the dancing intro and the fast-paced chorus, but the verses are much more overtly metal - with thrashy riffing the perfect base for Jansen who tends to dominate here. The verses have a nice rawness to them, despite the band sounding tight and the production once again being sharp, but the chorus returns to something more typical with Simons' snappy and high-energy vocal hooks leading the charge. The chorus was one which really stuck in my brain after my first listen to the album. Other songs have since overtaken it, but it remains a favourite due to its energy - and the high-octane guitar solo is another winner. The album's penultimate piece, The Grand Saga of Existence (A New Age Dawns - Part IX), is the last of the more progressive pieces - but it balances its knottier arrangement with plenty of hooks. It is the shortest of the three A New Age Dawns parts, but it feels the most bombastic at times - largely thanks to its sublime chorus which might be the single most hooky moment on the album. Before it is reached, though, a dramatic intro which mixes gothic choirs and heavy riffing first sets a heavy tone - although this soon gives way to acoustic guitars, gentle strings, and Simons' delicate vocals. This is the first moment of extended genuine calm on the album and it allows the song to have a great dynamic sound - as things build towards the epic chorus, with Jansen taking over vocally as some heavier riffing kicks in. This is another old-school moment, then, but the chorus mixes the band's more overtly melodic recent sound with their more gothic and symphonic older sound - and the results are excellent. Simons' melodies stick from the off - and they contrast nicely with the heavier part which precedes the chorus and a breakdown section later. Jansen tends to dominate vocally later on, with choral vocals adding a point of difference. He really gets to stretch out here, his growls getting plenty of time in the spotlight - but once Simons kicks back in with a key-changed version of the chorus the song really comes full circle. It then closes out with a soaring and slow-paced guitar solo which Simons then starts to sing along with, before a gentle piano motif finishes things off. It is left to the slow-burning title track to bring things to a proper close, though. Aspiral is the only actual ballad here, with much of the song featuring Simons slowly singing against Janssen's piano melodies. In a way, I am surprised that this is the only ballad here. Epica tend to slow things down more, but this album is generally more upbeat - and the closing number acts as a nice pallet cleanser following the heaviness and bombast which came before. Simons' emotive vocals really shine, with the rumbling piano and occasional strings adding a touch of class - and there is also a lengthy piece of spoken word in the middle. Following this, the rest of the band do briefly crash in, giving the song more weight for a period - but they soon drop away again to live Simons and Janssen alone to close things out. I always wonder if the next Epica album will be the one to disappoint, but Aspiral is another excellent release which was worth the wait. I like the more straight forward nature of some of the songs here - but others are still packed with the band's trademark dynamism and progressive flair, so there really is something for everyone. Simons in particular has likely never sounded better - and the band showcase once again here why they are the premier symphonic metal band in the world today.

The album was released on 11th April 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Cross the Divide.