ALBUM REVIEW: Omega – Epica

Symphonic metal has never been a genre to do things by halves; from its love of bombastic orchestral arrangements, compositional styles that throw in everything but the kitchen sink and often a heinous inability to self edit, it continues to endear and enrage metal fans globally. Which brings things round neatly to EPICA – their reputation as being one of the hardest-touring bands in the scene precedes them, but it also nearly ended them and after their thousandth show, the band went on hiatus. They still found time to release work – such as the Epica vs Attack On Titan Songs EP and the Essence of EPICA biography – but it’s been five years since their last release, the rapturously-received The Holographic Principle. 

Opening with the requisite instrumental intro, the piano slowly builds with strings and flute to the moment that Abyss of Time kicks in. As its lead single, Abyss of Time gave a decent flavour of what to expect from Omega, but ensured some surprises were kept in waiting. It has everything we’ve come to expect from EPICA; Simone Simons’ soaring quasi-operatic vocals, Mark Jansen’s deep growls and bombastic orchestral backing. For good measure it also throws in a huge breakdown that puts the symphonic elements to one side for a moment for the riffs to do their crushing work alongside Jansen’s vocals. So far, so EPICA and no ring rust in sight. Its follow-up, The Skeleton Key, opts to slow things down but is no less powerful. Its darker tone and slower pace lends something of a menacing air, though this is dispelled with a brief interlude where Simons’ vocals are accompanied by a children’s choir (something the band have never worked with before). 

As typical of EPICA’s previous work these songs are, they ensure those elements are dialled in and well-executed throughout. Not content to merely re-tread old ground though, Seal of Solomon and Code of Life bring in Eastern-inspired instruments and melodies alongside the other orchestral and choral elements. Gaia tells the story of the mistreatment of our world but doesn’t opt for the approach of resignation or misery. Instead it chooses to talk about the importance of fighting for a better world and to heal the planet; it’s an incredibly powerful and moving message, shared through the kind of epic song-writing they do so well. 

The centrepiece of the album, arguably, is the mammoth Kingdom of Heaven, Pt. 3 – The Antediluvian Universe, a thirteen and a half minute odyssean journey throughout all the various elements and eras of EPICA’s sound. It acts as the conclusion to the Kingdom of Heaven trilogy and also to memorialise Jansen’s late grandmother. Opening with lush strings, bold brass and choirs, it crescendos gradually before erupting into a maelstrom of swirling guitars and double bass drumming backed by the orchestras. The first movement continues in this vein, before an orchestral interlude around the six minute mark. From here the band instead dial up the metal, with chugging guitars accented by strings before returning full circle to where it began in the first movement. It’s a truly phenomenal track that pieces together disparate elements and separate movements into a compelling, cohesive whole that flies by in what feels like a fraction of its runtime. 

Many bands would use this as the natural conclusion to their album; not so much EPICA and certainly not here. Omega sits at a vast seventy-plus minutes, which is a long album by any metric, including symphonic metal. What it does exceptionally well though, is variety to keep things moving without growing stale; Rivers is a soft ballad to contrast from the bombast before, where Synergize – Manic Manifest picks the pace back up and closer Omega – Sovereign of the Sun Spheres spans seven minutes with triumphant horns, some more Eastern-inspired melodies to call back to previous tracks and ultimately comes back around to the opening horn motif and a huge wall of sound crescendo that DEVIN TOWNSEND would be proud of. 

Where previous albums The Quantum Enigma and The Holographic Principle often delved into scientific principles, Omega opts to take a personal, individual approach to these themes. Drawing heavily on the Emerald Tablets, an ancient source of alchemical knowledge, as well as scientific principles and on individual experiences, the band weave these concepts and their music together into what can only accurately be described as epic. This level of scale and ambition is nothing new for EPICA but after five years without new music and emerging into a world changed beyond all recognition since they last recorded, Omega stands as both a fitting conclusion to the trilogy that started with The Quantum Engima and as the bold start of a brand new era. 

Rating: 8/10

Omega is out now via Nuclear Blast Records. 

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