Epica appreciation thread

[cramx3]

The first few songs on Consign dont have growls.  I think that album also has the worst sounding growls.  He got much better in the newer albums.  I used to hate it and listen to mostly the Simone songs and songs with little growls, but I've grown to enjoy a lot of the other songs that have more growls.  I would recommend The Classical Conspiracy.  Has a mixture of music from thier first three albums, plus a bunch of instrumental tracks. 

[Silver Tears]

D'aww she's pregnant 

[stereoxio]

The first few songs on Consign dont have growls.  I think that album also has the worst sounding growls.  He got much better in the newer albums.  I used to hate it and listen to mostly the Simone songs and songs with little growls, but I've grown to enjoy a lot of the other songs that have more growls.  I would recommend The Classical Conspiracy.  Has a mixture of music from thier first three albums, plus a bunch of instrumental tracks.

I couldn't agree more with you

[cramx3]

The first few songs on Consign dont have growls.  I think that album also has the worst sounding growls.  He got much better in the newer albums.  I used to hate it and listen to mostly the Simone songs and songs with little growls, but I've grown to enjoy a lot of the other songs that have more growls.  I would recommend The Classical Conspiracy.  Has a mixture of music from thier first three albums, plus a bunch of instrumental tracks.

I couldn't agree more with you

Also the song Living a Lie on the classical conspiracy has Simone singing the verses and no growls and is Sooo much better.

[stereoxio]

The first few songs on Consign dont have growls.  I think that album also has the worst sounding growls.  He got much better in the newer albums.  I used to hate it and listen to mostly the Simone songs and songs with little growls, but I've grown to enjoy a lot of the other songs that have more growls.  I would recommend The Classical Conspiracy.  Has a mixture of music from thier first three albums, plus a bunch of instrumental tracks.

I couldn't agree more with you

Also the song Living a Lie on the classical conspiracy has Simone singing the verses and no growls and is Sooo much better.

Yup, when I first listened that song on the álbum it didn't work for me, the growls in the verses just didn't fit imo, and well, this was a little frustrating because I'm a huge Epica fan and I like almost every song of the band... Luckily The Classical Conspiracy's version came and now I am a happy girl 

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Wow.... I've been listening to the "wrong" version of Serenade of Self-Destruction for over a year now. I didn't know about the wrong version being on the first few CDs. I rather prefer it the way without the vocals.

[cramx3]

Wow.... I've been listening to the "wrong" version of Serenade of Self-Destruction for over a year now. I didn't know about the wrong version being on the first few CDs. I rather prefer it the way without the vocals.

Hmm. I may be listening to the wrong version too then. The retrospect concert had vocals that I was unaware of.

[gazinwales]

Retrospect is out in a few days
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTy5yjccZzE

[cramx3]

I'm going to have to get the Blu ray version when I see it on amazon

[gazinwales]

Yup I ordered mine from Amazon UK,good price too.

[bosk1]

The Phantom Agony, from Retrospect:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpIEPdRXwYA

[cramx3]

I watched the concert live during the internet stream and the show was great overall. My stream worked great but there were very noticeable shots where the lights were shining right at the cameras making it impossible to see the band. I was hoping with the DVD they would have gone back and tried to edit it out but it looks like that problem made it to the DVD. I assume its because that problem was likely on all the cameras and they didn't have the footage to replace the bad stuff, but I know this problems will cause a lot of people to dislike the DVD. I'm still waiting to see if they get the Blu ray up on the USA version of amazon otherwise I'll have to order through the UK or something.

The song retrospect they wrote for this show was really good from what I recall so I'm pumped to get that on CD.

[Prog Snob]

The Phantom Agony, from Retrospect:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpIEPdRXwYA

Awesome!


My only complaint is the lighting though.  It's too dark and too blue.  I don't know why it seems so distracting. 

[bosk1]

Is the entire show lit like that?  Odd that there aren't any spotlights on Simone or the rest of the band.  If the whole show is dark like that, that's just strange.

[Prog Snob]

I've only seen a couple of clips so far.   I was planning on ordering the DVD but wanted to check out some of the footage first.  I'm not too sure if I want to purchase it if that's how it looks the whole show.

[bosk1]

Just watched the clip for Unleashed as well.  The blue search lights are just too much.  I won't go so far as to say that they ruin the visual experience, but they are definitely distracting.

[Prog Snob]

Just watched the clip for Unleashed as well.  The blue search lights are just too much.  I won't go so far as to say that they ruin the visual experience, but they are definitely distracting.

Especially when I am trying to get a good look at Simone.   

[cramx3]

The blue search lights are like that the entire show I can pretty much confirm that.  Its a real shame.

I think there is an overall fair darkness to the concert, but I think TPA is more dark than the rest since they use those dance lights during the techno chorus.

[Lowdz]

Just watched the clip for Unleashed as well.  The blue search lights are just too much.  I won't go so far as to say that they ruin the visual experience, but they are definitely distracting.

It's like watching a JJ abrams film.

But that is one beautiful woman. I wondeer if there's a multicam option like on Outcry on LALP? They could save alot of disk space by just including the Simone cam. No-one's gonna bother watching the others.

[gazinwales]

I got my BR/CD package today and TBH the blue lights are not an issue, evident here and there.
But wow what a concert and the 5.1 sound is amazing.

[cramx3]

I got the BR/CD pack this past weekend. The white lights are too bright and make it difficult to watch. You really miss out on a lot of what's going on because of the lighting. However, when the lights are not in the way, the picture is fantastic. The images are crisper than LaLP. Also the sound is really good. The performance is great too. I'm a pretty big fan of the new song Retrospect.

[Prog Snob]

Just watched the clip for Unleashed as well.  The blue search lights are just too much.  I won't go so far as to say that they ruin the visual experience, but they are definitely distracting.

It's like watching a JJ abrams film.

But that is one beautiful woman. I wondeer if there's a multicam option like on Outcry on LALP? They could save alot of disk space by just including the Simone cam. No-one's gonna bother watching the others.

Others?

[Lowdz]

Just watched the clip for Unleashed as well.  The blue search lights are just too much.  I won't go so far as to say that they ruin the visual experience, but they are definitely distracting.

It's like watching a JJ abrams film.

But that is one beautiful woman. I wondeer if there's a multicam option like on Outcry on LALP? They could save alot of disk space by just including the Simone cam. No-one's gonna bother watching the others.

Others?

I believe there is a mountain troll there somewhere. I've heard it growl. 

[Prog Snob]

Just watched the clip for Unleashed as well.  The blue search lights are just too much.  I won't go so far as to say that they ruin the visual experience, but they are definitely distracting.

It's like watching a JJ abrams film.

But that is one beautiful woman. I wondeer if there's a multicam option like on Outcry on LALP? They could save alot of disk space by just including the Simone cam. No-one's gonna bother watching the others.

Others?

I believe there is a mountain troll there somewhere. I've heard it growl. 

Oh, I just assumed it was a keyboard effect.

[bosk1]

  I generally don't care for grunts or screams, but I've actually somehow come to like Mark Jansen's vocals.

[cramx3]

I'm not a big fan either but I've slowly gotten used to it and slowly have started to enjoy it.

[bosk1]

That's a good description for the process I went through as well.  It just kind of grew on me over time.

[Lowdz]

Watched the Retrospect dvd yesterday and enjoyed it.
It did remind me of the Underworld films in negative- there they put the gorgeous Kate Beckinsale in black leather and filmed in the dark so you can't see her. Here they have the beautiful Simone and blast her with light from behind. spoilt my enjoyment somewhat 
(sigh) she does have a way of making me feel like a teenager again.

[cramx3]

She really is a metal goddess

[bosk1]

I've been listening to Retrospect a lot since I got it.  And while I enjoy it a lot and I think Simone does a fantastic job as a singer, she is one of the most awkward frontpersons I have ever heard when she is just talking to the crowd.    She takes such a long time to get to whatever point she is trying to make, and her stories are so convolluted and have so little to do with whatever she is trying to say.  Oh well.  At least she can sing.

[cramx3]

Yea. She says some word things and puts emphasis on parts of word that make the sentences sound weird. Same with the grunter. At one point he is introducing the orchestrator and says "he is called. ." Instead of saying "his name is " and I just assumed it was because they are dutch and English is not their first language. Elyze of Ameranthe talked the same way when I saw them a few months ago.

[bosk1]

Well, not just stuff like that.  I mean, those kinds of things are understandable for someone speaking a second language.  It's more just...the substance of what she says is awkward and doesn't make sense sometimes.  For instance, when she is introducing The Divine Conspiracy, she says:

"Tonight is like a dream come true.  Although...it does really feel like I'm still dreaming.  Reality can be beautiful sometimes, you know?  But...life has its dark sides as well.  This next song is about...the depths of dispair." 

Uh...what?  :  I mean, I get that she is trying to make a contrast to transition into the subject matter of the song, but the contrast she is making just doesn't work.  And don't even get me started on the whole thing before Chasing The Dragon, and how we somehow get from the band celebrating 10 years, to being in airports, to eating burgers, to Johnny Depp, to drug addiction. 

[Dr. DTVT]

I've been holding off on this because I want to get the Blu-ray, but it's not listed on amazon and Nuclear Blast is out of stock...

[bosk1]

I get why people prefer Blu Ray over DVD.  I really do.  But here's the thing:  If it was shot in high enough definition that you can see a difference between the Blu Ray version and the DVD version, it is in high enough definition that your Blu Ray player will up-convert the definition of the DVD to the point where you shouldn't notice much difference anyway.  So the only real difference is just the unfortunate fact that you have to change DVDs in the middle of the show instead of being able to watch it in one shot.  But if you were at the actual show, they would have had an intermission at that point anyway, so that just makes it more realistic.  SO JUST GET THE DVD, FOOL!

[Dr. DTVT]

That's out of stock too.