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Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/epica-aspiral-review/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Epica – Aspiral Review</a>By KenstrositySince their founding in 2002, <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/epica-omega-review/#wp-comments" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Epica</a> garnered my everlasting adoration as my absolute favorite symphonic metal band, followed by other household names like <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-nightwish-oceanborn/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nightwish</a> and After Forever. However, unlike the overwhelming majority of their ilk, Epica’s music bares sharper teeth, maintains a stronger connection to the greater pantheon of metal and its more extreme fringes, and remains to this day the most consistent in quality album to album. Few symphonic bands celebrating over 20 years of uninterrupted activity exhibit these characteristics. Consequently, my anticipation for Aspiral soars in my trust that Epica could never let me down, grounded by a great anxiety that one day, they just might.The sigh of relief I let out after my first spin of Aspiral could be heard around the world. Brimming with drama, loaded with hooks, and laser-focused on delivering passionate, energetic songs, Epica’s ninth opus sees every member of this remarkably stable<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/epica-aspiral-review/#fn-215218-1" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">1</a> Dutch sextet operating in rare form. Running for bang-on one hour, Aspiral follows the classic Epica blueprint: epic, opulent symphonic metal informed by prog and power, and grazed across the cheek by death’s bony phalanges. However, new accoutrements and novel structures showcase a group exploring the boundaries of their sound with a gentle growth indicative of a collective eager to play and learn. While this never leaves any of these 11 songs unrecognizable as an Epica piece by any means, these admittedly light risks allow Aspiral to shine as a late career highlight.Aspiral, first and foremost, is a triumph of performance in music. As the world already knows, lead siren Simone Simons is a powerhouse, her voice only getting better with time (“Obsidian Heart,” “Apparition,” “The Grand Saga of Existence—A New Age Dawns Part IX”). However, a delightful surprise, Mark Jansen’s immediately recognizable growl and scream rips across the record with a palpable presence and rabid tone (“Metanoia—A New Age Dawns Part XIII,” “Eye of the Storm,” “The Grand Saga of Existence”). Ariën van Weesenbeek’s incredible drumming steals the show all over the place, too, whether in the service of creating additional interest inside breakdowns and riffs (“Arcana”); by driving transitions smoothly between faster freakouts and slower spells (“T.I.M.E.,” “Apparition”); or when manifesting a groovy beat that all but guarantees remembrance (“Obsidian Heart,” “Fight to Survive—The Overview Effect,” “Apparition”). Thankfully, Mark Jansen’s and Isaac Delahaye’s axework keeps up, injecting oodles of fun leads and riffs (“Cross the Divide,” “Darkness Dies in Light—A New Age Dawns Part VII”) and quite a number of killer solos (“Apparition,” “Eye of the Storm”). Even Rob van der Loo’s bass guitar gets to shine a bit more, too, though he’s still a bit difficult to spot sometimes—a clear point of improvement for future records. And of course, Coen Janssen’s orchestrations need no introduction, but his gorgeous choirs in particular make a huge impression this time around (“T.I.M.E.”).Of course, all of those performances would mean nothing without great songs in which to showcase them. Thankfully, Aspiral is loaded with pieces that live rent-free in my head. Hits like “Cross the Divide,” “Arcana,” the <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/vola-witness-review/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">VOLA</a>-esque “Obsidian Heart,” “Apparition,” the energetic “Eye of the Storm,” and beautiful penultimate epic “The Grand Saga of Existence” compete viciously for top spot as the album progresses—to the point that I always feel I’m giving the wrong answer when I call any one of them my favorite. Moreover, despite Aspiral’s adventurous and exuberant spirit, the whole feels cohesive, well-conceived, and smartly arranged. Even instrumental moments that threaten to derail my attention, like the initially questionable breakdowns in “Arcana” and “Fight to Survive,” get scooped right up by Mark’s and Isaac’s clever leads, Ariën’s kit wizardry, and Coen’s uplifting orchestrations. This, in turn, creates a dynamic experience that evokes a range of actions and reactions, logical progressions of story, and thoughtful decorations which make repeat spins valuable to invested listeners.There’s so much more I can say about Aspiral, but as I continue to overwrite, I want to leave with a couple of notes. Firstly, while it occupies an ideal placement in the tracklist, delicate closer “Aspiral” might be the one song that meanders too long, creating a spot of bloat at the tail end. Secondly, I was hoping to hear more of the extremity that Epica unexpectedly unleashed on “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q0rs7kKO5E" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Human Devastation</a>” from their <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/the-ep-split-and-single-post-part-1-things-you-might-have-missed-2022/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Alchemy Project</a> EP. I recognize that it was a one-off collaboration, but I do hear little hints of its beastly spirit in places here, and I crave more of it now that I know that Epica are willing to engage with it. Finally, Aspiral, flaws and all, made it impossible for me to go back to previous records as a point of comparison, because its pull is just too strong. Every impulse to pick up something else instead resulted in withdrawals, followed by yet another ravenous draught of Aspiral.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/epica-aspiral-review/#fn-215218-2" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2</a> If that’s not the making of a Great record, I don’t know what is. Rating: Great! DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream [Stop This!] Label: <a href="http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/shop/index.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nuclear Blast</a> Websites: <a href="http://epica.nl" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">epica.nl</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/epica" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">facebook.com/epica</a> Releases Worldwide: April 11th, 2025<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/40/" target="_blank">#40</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/after-forever/" target="_blank">#AfterForever</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/apr25/" target="_blank">#Apr25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/aspiral/" target="_blank">#Aspiral</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dutch-metal/" target="_blank">#DutchMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/epica/" target="_blank">#Epica</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nightwish/" target="_blank">#Nightwish</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nuclear-blast/" target="_blank">#NuclearBlast</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/power-metal/" target="_blank">#PowerMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progressive-death-metal/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveDeathMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/progressive-metal/" target="_blank">#ProgressiveMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/symphonic-metal/" target="_blank">#SymphonicMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/vola/" target="_blank">#VOLA</a>

Eryck Gu⸸⸸eЯaLThis feeling... I think I'm going to start a band named **Eloquence Of Dread**.Taken inspiration from: • <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Satan" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Satan</a>'s Night Out / The <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Vampire" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Vampire</a> Lestat / J.D. & Richard Gibbs + <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/DavidDraiman" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DavidDraiman</a> + <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/MarilynManson" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#MarilynManson</a> • The 69 Eyes, particularly "Velvet Touch" (Blessed Be version) • The Bronx Casket Co. just a bit from their first album • <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/ARY" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ARY</a> (album: Queen Of All Trades) • Love Spirals Downwards & other Projekt Records <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/etherealGoth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#etherealGoth</a> • <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/J_Lis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#J_Lis</a> / <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/JessicaLisette" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#JessicaLisette</a> + @CaptainJen_E@threads.net • <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/AfterForever" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AfterForever</a>, <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/TheatreOfTragedy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TheatreOfTragedy</a>with guest vocals, <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/violin" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#violin</a>, <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/piano" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#piano</a>, <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/electricBass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#electricBass</a>, <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/fretlessBass" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#fretlessBass</a>, <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/electricGuitar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#electricGuitar</a>, <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/SpanishGuitar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SpanishGuitar</a>, <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/congaDrums" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#congaDrums</a>. <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/synth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#synth</a> ?Dark, atmospheric, not too heavy, <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/rap" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#rap</a>

Guitar BotNIGHTWISH – re-sign with NUCLEAR BLAST <a href="https://allabouttherock.co.uk/nightwish-re-sign-with-nuclear-blast/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://allabouttherock.co.uk/nightwish-re-sign-with-nuclear-blast/</a> <a href="https://guitarmageddon.net/tags/AfterForever" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AfterForever</a> <a href="https://guitarmageddon.net/tags/NuclearBlast" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#NuclearBlast</a> <a href="https://guitarmageddon.net/tags/Evanescence" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Evanescence</a> <a href="https://guitarmageddon.net/tags/FloorJansen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#FloorJansen</a> <a href="https://guitarmageddon.net/tags/Revamp" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Revamp</a> <a href="https://guitarmageddon.net/tags/Epica" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Epica</a> <a href="https://guitarmageddon.net/tags/News" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#News</a>

𝕤𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕥 ✯Floor Jansen's voice...After Forever - My Pledge Of Allegiance #1 <a href="https://youtu.be/wB0dygTzmxI" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/wB0dygTzmxI</a> <a href="https://lile.cl/tags/nowplaying" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#nowplaying</a> <a href="https://lile.cl/tags/music" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#music</a> <a href="https://lile.cl/tags/afterforever" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#afterforever</a> <a href="https://lile.cl/tags/floorjansen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#floorjansen</a> <a href="https://lile.cl/tags/sovietmuzyka" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#sovietmuzyka</a>

Blind LGBT Pride International<a href="https://pride-connection.pinecast.co/episode/d2dfdcbc/pride-connection-presents-a-conversation-with-a-star-and-creators-of-after-forever" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://pride-connection.pinecast.co/episode/d2dfdcbc/pride-connection-presents-a-conversation-with-a-star-and-creators-of-after-forever</a> . This is a replay of our first conversation with Kevin Spiritas and Michael Slade of the After Forever series, available on Amazon Prime. We will be reconnecting with Kevin Spiritas for our 3rd conversation with the After Forever crew on our next episode which will be available on May 2nd. Do you believe in love after life? How does one move on after losing the love of ones life? What happens to all of that love? All these themes and so much more are explored in the critically acclaimed and multiple award winning digital series. Besides a tremendous showing at the EMMYs and receiving multiple LGBT awards and notices the series returns for its second season and it is AMAZING!! Blind Pride International is proud to invite Kevin and Michael to Pride Connection to discuss the show and the amazing impact it has had on the LGBT community. Please visit the show at <a href="http://afterforevertheseries.com" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://afterforevertheseries.com</a>. <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/LGBT" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#LGBT</a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/Gay" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Gay</a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/LGBTQ" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#LGBTQ</a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/LGBTQIA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#LGBTQIA</a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/Podcast" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Podcast</a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/Podcasts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Podcasts</a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/Blind" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Blind</a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/ComingOut" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ComingOut</a> <a href="https://universeodon.com/tags/AfterForever" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AfterForever</a>

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