Epica - Divine Conspiracy

A Band Worth Getting Into

After first getting into Nightwish years back, I started noticing that there were many similar bands that I had never heard of. Nightwish were so brilliant so I went on a mission, as many have, to find similar bands that were just as good that I could get into.
Years later my verdict is in and I've included a list of bands worth your time and money and bands not worth getting into at the bottom of my review....

Epica fits into my list of brilliant bands. This album is truly amazing and in al honesty I would have givenm it 5 stars if it weren't for the ridiculous final 14 minute track.. zzzz

This guy has obviously been playing with himself to far too many Nightwish albums. All the reviews before me say it too. He's trying way too hard to be Tuomas but he just doesn't have the skill. Beauty Of The Beast, Ghost Love Score, Poet and the pendulum by Nightwish are 3 of the greatest epic songs ever made, but the final track on this album is just rot and noise. It's pointless, meaningless and I like to stop the album before it gets there.

Having said that, when I do stop the album, I skip back to track 1 and listen to the album again. When I bought this, I listened to it on repeat for days on end. It is well worth every cent and is 5 out of 5 (if not for the last try hard "effort" of a song)

THE TIME & MONEY WASTERS (No Real Musical Value):
TRISTANIA, SIRENIA, XANDRIA, LULLACRY, LEAVES EYES, IN THIS MOMENT ----- These bands are about as boring as it gets with no real talent or anything that makes them stand out.

UNDECIDED: LACUNA COIL (Their old stuff was really good but Karmacode was awful) They said they were trying to sound like Korn on that album and they succeeded (AFWUL)

THE GOOD ONES:
NIGHTWISH, WITHIN TEMPTARION, DELAIN, AFTER FOREVER and.. EPICA ----- It's worth spending every cent buying every album from these artists. October 31, 2008

One Step Forward, One Step Back

Here's my scorecard for Epica:

The Phantom Agony - Brilliant music, bad growling
Consign to Oblivion - Very good music, very little growling
Divine Conspiricy - Brilliant music, bad growling

I'm honestly not sure which formula I like better. The brilliant music is hard to pass up, but if they could just keep it and lose the growling I'd be in heaven. September 25, 2008

"Amazing, Unusual, Sweet and Scary - All at Once"

Opera, black metal, classical, choral music and progressive rock are all melded together effectively in this epic masterpiece about the nature of religious thought and expression. To say the sound is larger than life would be an understatement. Epica knows what they're doing and they do it well. Simone Simons sings skillfully; her sweet voice contrasts with Mark Jensen's unnerving black and death metal shrieks and grunts. Plus, the power of the symphony orchestra combines with insane metal riffing. A study in contrasts, this is Beauty and the Beast music at it's best! September 10, 2008

awesome CD

This is a great CD, an friend of mine in the Netherlands introduced me to them. They are a metal rock band and they are awesome. Some of the music is softer also. It came in great condition! September 7, 2008

Love this album...

I must admit this album is very, very good. If you love Nightwish and the likes, chances are you will like this too, and I definitely do. The first CD I ever downloaded by this band was the Score an epic journey. I actually got the impression that the band doesn't have a singer or anything, and thank goodness that I downloaded this album by them, because they are just pure talent. I have to admit that the growling is a bit over done on songs like the Death of a Dream or The Obsessive Devotion. Otherwise, the whole growling fits pretty well with all of the other tracks. I would actually miss it if it wasn't there. Took a few listens to get used to their style, but I really ended up liking them. July 15, 2008

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