Year: 2021
Total Time: 01:10:16
Label: Nuclear Blast
Last year’s tradition, which included plenty of good releases from well-known and lesser-known bands in the genre, seems to hold up this year as well. One such example is the new, tenth album of the very popular Dutch Symphonic / Gothic metallers EPICA, who five years after their last release return with the brand new “Omega”.
Both from the singles and the EP “Abyss Of Time” that preceded the album, the band was preparing the ground and its audience for something very good with their new release. And they did not fail the expectations. All that characterizes EPICA and classifies them amongst the greats of the symphonic subgenre, is here. A symphonic orchestra tied harmoniously to the compositions of the album, wonderful, epic melodies, the awesome voice of Simone Simons, the heavy vocals of Mark Jansen and his full, voluminous guitars. Of equal importance are the excellent lyrics that follow the concept of the two previous albums of the band.
Once again, EPICA engages in metaphysical and inner quests, good and evil, by using metaphors such as the amazing “Freedom – The Wolves Within”, which deals with what we are or want to be and is reflected in the world which surrounds us, through an allegory, of an old Indian story about the battle between two wolves, two inner wolves that we all hide inside.
“Abyss Of Time – Countdown To Singularity” and “The Skeleton Key” put you directly in the spirit of the album, while “Seal Of Solomon” adds oriental elements and “Gaia”, “Code Of Life” and the eponymous ” Omega – Sovereign Of The Sun Spheres “stand out in a very good overall release. Special praise should be pointed to the epic, almost 14-minute “Kingdom Of Heaven Part 3 – The Antediluvian Universe”, which concludes the “Kingdom Of Heaven” trilogy of EPICA, as this is the last part of this story and is just like it should be, majestic.
EPICA with their “Omega” proved why they enjoy the appreciation of their audience and and why they are rightly among the leaders of the Symphonic / Gothic genre, releasing their best work in recent years and one of the greatest albums of their career at all levels. Mature, musically and semantically. In a word Epic, as their name implies and as they should be.
Rating: 8/10
Editor: Fanouris Exintavelonis
Related Link: EPICA – Official Page
