Epica - Design Your Universe review
| Band: | Epica |
| Album: | Design Your Universe |
| Style: | Symphonic metal |
| Release date: | October 2009 |
01. Samadhi (Prelude)
02. Resign To Surrender (A New Age Dawns - Part IV)
03. Unleashed
04. Martyr Of The Free Word
05. Our Destiny
06. Kingdom Of Heaven (A New Age Dawns - Part V)
07. The Price Of Freedom (Interlude)
08. Burn To A Cinder
09. Tides Of Time
10. Deconstruct
11. Semblance Of Liberty
12. White Waters
13. Design Your Universe (A New Age Dawns - Part VI)
14. This Is The Time [bonus]
15. Incentive [bonus]
16. Nothing's Wrong [Heideroosjes cover][Japanese bonus]
17. Unleashed [duet version][iTunes bonus]
Two years after their previous record, Epica outdid themselves. When I heard the first notes of "Resign To Surrender", I said to myself that this is gonna be different. If you read my review on The Divine Conspiracy, you know my opinion. It was a good album but it could be much better and that's what frustrated me. Design Your Universe learned from its predecessor.
First of all, Mark's growl improved so much technically and he mastered how to arrange them along with the choir, Simone's vocals and heavy guitar riffs. On this album, it's just one layer of growling vocals (unlike on The Phantom Agony, there were two layers of growls the whole time); at some moments there was another high-growl layer beneath but it was perfectly arranged. Speaking of riffs, this album had the best riffs so far! My favorite riff for sure is the first one in "Design Your Universe". You can't help but bang your head hard. Guitar solos are much more present in this album than on previous records, and I must say there is not even an average solo; every single one is goddamn great!
Bass had much more impact also on this album. In "Our Destiny", you can hear that slap, simple yet so powerful and groovy. Simone is godlike as always, favorite track speaking vocally for me is of course "Unleashed". However, "Martyr Of The Free World" stole the show for me. Simone's vocal harmonies were beautiful, but what caught me off guard was a part after chorus. Mark annihilated those growls, riffs were ripping followed with rapid double-kick pedal on drums. To be exact every single riff in this song will make your jaw drop to floor.
The only weak point on the album is "White Waters", the track featuring Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica. I looked forward to this track so much but in the end it was just a standard ballad with two nice vocals. Remained flat until the end of the song... it had nothing memorable.
Production is great as always, of course when it's done by Sascha Paeth and Miro Rodenberg of Avantasia.
So this is my new favorite Epica album. They have found a perfect formula and I think nothing can go wrong in forthcoming records.
Highlights of the album: "Resign To Surrender", "Unleashed", "Martyr Of The Free World", "Our Destiny", "Kingdom Of Heaven", "Burn To A Cinder", "Tides Of Time", "Deconstruct", "Design Your Universe"
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by TheJester | 26.04.2020
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
8.5
8.5
|
Rating: 8.5 |
Dutch symphonic metallers Epica make their return in spectacular form with Design Your Universe, studio album number four. The band have grown over the years and Design Your Universe is the product of a confident and mature band. The album sees Epica at their most bombastic yet and also their most experimental. Maybe not the most accessible album initially, weighing in at a hefty length but Design Your Universe is packed with quality content. As you would expect, Epica have once again produced an album with all their hallmarks. The music is inevitably built around Simone's ever growing sweet but powerful, theatrical, operatic style of singing backed up with more orchestral choirs and symphonies than ever before. The album is also the grittiest Epica have created. No longer is Epica a limp symphonic band for girls, but the harsh vocals also make their mark on Design Your Universe, especially with songs like the brilliant "Martyr Of The Free World" that in the chorus sounds exactly like what you'd imagine Amon Amarth to sound like if they played along a symphony orchestra. Not committing themselves to song templates or letting genre definitions define their music, Epica even show a glimpse of progressive flair with a nod towards Dream Theater during their fourteen-minute epic "Kingdom Of Heaven". Read more ›› |
Comments
| Lord Slothrop Posts: 399  |
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| ErnestSpink Posts: 3  |
Amazing. So beautiful songs.
---- There is no lock on the purse of a gambler on casinomax but behind bad luck, comes good luck
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| TheJester Posts: 11  |
Written by Lord Slothrop on 27.04.2020 at 06:12 Mine as well! I still have to listen to The Quantum Enigma and The Holographic Principle. I am planing to rank all the albums when I listen to whole discography.
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| TheJester Posts: 11 |
Written by ErnestSpink on 27.04.2020 at 10:11 Yes! You can't simply pick just one favorite song
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| TheJester Posts: 11 |
Written by Irritable Ted on 27.04.2020 at 19:54 Thank you! I have done review on "Requiem for the Indifferent" it should be posted soon
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