Only Heavy Metal

2018-10-26 - To celebrate the release of their new 10'' inch today, metal giants EPICA have launched a lyric video to their bombastic track 'Beyond The Matrix - The Battle' – a unique collaboration with the Dutch Grammy-award winning METROPOLE ORKEST.

2019-08-09 - Dutch metal titans EPICA have launched a lyric video for 'Kingdom of Heaven' which is taken from the band’s upcoming re-release of »Design Your Universe«- Gold Edition.Mark Jansen comments: “'Kingdom of Heaven' is very dear to me. This song was dedicated to my grandmother after she passed away. The lyrics are dealing with near-death experiences and the bridge between spirituality and science. Up until today it’s the EPICA song I’m most proud of and even though we cannot perform it that often live due to its length, we will perform it soon during the »Design Your Universe« 10th Anniversary shows. Enjoy this lyric video!”

»Design Your Universe«- Gold edition contains a remastered and remixed version of the album and a newly recorded acoustic bonus disc and will be released October 4th. The album and exclusive merchandise bundles are now available for pre-order now from: http://smarturl.it/epica

It has begun.

Today Ariën started the recordings of #epica8 under the expert guidance of @joostvandenbroek_producer and @josdries in @sandlanerecordingfacilities.

We can’t wait to finish this album, have it released and play in live on stages across the world.

Show your excitement in the comments below

Today, Dutch Symphonic Metal Giants EPICA proudly announce the release of their new album "Omega", out on February 26th 2021 via Nuclear Blast. "Omega" is the bands first studio album in five years. EPICA have also released the first single from the album, titled 'Abyss Of Time', with an amazing accompanying video that was made in collaboration with Grupa 13.Simone Simons comments: "Finally we can show you the video for our newest single 'Abyss Of Time'! We flew all the way to Poland to work with Grupa 13 for the first time. Shooting videos is one of my favorite parts of creating the visual side to our music. The costumes were insanely beautiful. It was so much fun and I hope that you like the video'.

The band also kick off the pre-order for "Omega", that will be available in the following formats:
- CD Jewelcase
- 2CD Digibook
- Earbook (48p Earbook incl. Bonus acoustic CD, orchestral CD & instrumental CD - limited to 3500)
- Vinyl-Box (incl. Earbook, PIC 2LP & hanger with Ankh symbol - limited to 1500)
- 2LP (various colors)

2021-09-08 - In June this year, symphonic metal titans EPICA unleashed a monument to their music, their career, and their enduring legacy as forebears of a whole genre. The worldwide streaming event "Ωmega Alive" was the EPICA show of your wildest dreams, brought to life by 75 artists and crew members - think Marvel meeting Cirque de Soleil in a Tim Burton universe!

Tailor-made videos and graphic effects, spectacular pyro effects, rain, dancers, choirs and actors, all added to the aura of symbolism and cinematic splendor, that brought fans from over 100 countries to flock to their screens and witness a show that became the biggest concert event in the band's 19-year-long history. Now, you can finally rediscover the entire opus in various audiovisual formats, available on December 3rd, 2021.

Coen Janssen, the mastermind behind the show's concept explains: “What we wanted to do was the ultimate EPICA show where we could fulfill every dream we ever had, where there was room for all the ideas, effects and props that are just too big to be taken on tour." Far from your usual streaming concert, the band developed a trademark feature called a "living backdrop". "We built another stage right behind our stage where lots of things were going on the whole time. And we meant that very literally," he laughs. "Every song got something extra, something unique that was fitting its world."

Directed by Jens de Vos (Panda Productions) and graced by a magical artwork by Heilemania, the DVD, BluRay, CD and vinyl contain 15 EPICA classics, fan-favourites, as well as first-ever live performances from tracks off the band's latest chef-d'oeuvre "Ωmega", such as 'The Skeleton Key' or the insanely monumental 'Kingdom of Heaven Part 3'.

The pre-orders have started today and you can get the version of your choice (see list below) via this link:
http://nblast.de/Epica-OmegaAlive

"Ωmega Alive" formats:
BluRay+DVD
2CD digipak
Boxset incl. CD-version of the Earbook, 5x 10'' Picture vinyl (Zoetrope vinyl)
Earbook incl. DVD+BluRay+3LP (light green vinyl)
Earbook incl. DVD+BluRay+2CD
3LP in trifold incl 2 lyricsheets:
black in trifold
sun yellow in trifold (NB mailorder and wholesale exclusive)
clear + green and black splatter (NB Mailorder exclusive)
glow in the dark (Band store exclusive)
clear + white marbled in trifold (EMP exclusive)
white with sun yellow + black in trifold (Netherlands + Belgium exclusive)
2CD/BluRay - USA exclusive
2CD/DVD - Mexico and Brazil exclusive

EPICA – announce “The Alchemy Project” & reveal first music video for ‘The Final Lullaby (feat. Shining)’!

Always pushing forward, always aiming higher: In the 20 years of their existence, EPICA have never shied away from challenges, twists and turns, weathering every storm and pushing the symphonic metal genre to heights no one even dared to believe in. Since 2002, the band surrounding global metal icon Simone Simons and her long-time musical partner Mark Jansen have released eight highly innovative and cinematic albums, have toured the world over and have left their mark as one of metal’s most prolific, most cherished and most admired success stories forever.

With “The Alchemy Project“, out on November 11th through Atomic Fire Records, EPICA set another highlight in the band’s 20th anniversary year! Graced by a vivid and witty artwork by graphic wizard Heilemania, visual partner in crime for more that 15 years, EPICA embark on a journey through seven extraordinary new songs. Co-written and performed with diverse guests ranging from extremists like Fleshgod Apocalypse, Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium) and Björn ‘Speed’ Strid (Soilwork) via melodic masters like Tommy Karevik (Kamelot), keyboard legend Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep) or Roel van Helden (Powerwolf) to a once-in-a-lifetime song with Simone Simons, Charlotte Wessels and Myrkur, EPICA have really outdone themselves once again. The result is a mind-bending EP that even surpasses the usual broad scope of an EPICA record.

The first track they wrote for this 7-track-offering was ‘The Final Lullaby‘, a fast-paced, intense clash between EPICA and the avant-garde rock of Norwegian legends Shining (with saxophone!), graced with one of the biggest refrains you will hear all year. “I’ve been a big fan of Shining since the first time I heard them,” bassist Rob van der Loo weighs in. “Our intention with ‘The Final Lullaby’ was to make a mash-up between Epica and Shining so we thought it would be a good idea if I would come up with some riffs that would be typical Shining and they would do the complete opposite.”