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Epica - Requiem for the Indifferent


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Requiem for the Indifferent is the latest, 5th album of Dutch band Epica which was released on 9th March 2012 in Europe. It contains 13 amazing tracks providing over an hour of gothic/symphonic metal music.
The first track is Karma which is an instrumental introduction to the whole album with characteristic for the band choirs. The second one is Monopoly on Truth with its typical for Epica mix of Simone Simons’s mezzo-soprano and Mark Jansens’s growl. The distinguishing element in this song appears more or less in the middle, it is a female voice singing in a manner similar to famous nowadays in pop music accentual-syllabic meter. It’s a little bit irritating and doesn’t fit into the whole concept of the album, and generally to the music of the Dutch.
The third track is Storm the Sorrow mostly sung by Simone, delightful in its melodiousness and lightness, though the singer doesn’t show off much. It is this kind of song, less symphonic, in which musicians seems to be a little bit reserved in using opera singing and orchestra parts.
The rousing one is Delirium. Its choirs parts encourage to listen more. Unearthly beautiful piano leads a listener to melancholic state of mind and the following sounds and vocalist’s voice drift you up to the sky and introduce the feeling of extraordinariness. Listening to this tracks you have the impression that it is something different from the whole album.
After a calm swinging, harder sounds come. Internal Warfare is more metal and mixed with different music styles. Guitars parts are interesting and distinctive which proves experimental approach to music. Requiem for the Indifferent, after Monopoly on Truth and Delirium, is one of the best songs of this album. There’s an interesting introduction with pretty oriental sounds (also used in Serenade of Self- Distruction). The mistake is that they are not emphasised so the whole songs loses o little bit of its originality. But it is made up by amazing choirs almost during the whole song.
The centre of the whole album is Amina – calm, instrumental transition from part one to part two of the album. It’s like a calm before the storm, but unfortunately a storm without thunders. The second part is not that much amazing. Guilty Demeanor similarly to Stay the Course and Deter the Tyrant is nothing really special, interesting or encouraging. Just Deep Water Horizon is characterised by interesting motif. Musicians used here classic sound of guitar similar to e.g. Empyrium. Also interesting in its sound is Avalanche, mainly because of choir.
Summing up. The album should be listened to more than once. It should be rethought and listened to deeply. In other way it is hard to notice its strong points which it obviously has. Nevertheless, it is not sensational album. I think The Divine Conspiracy or Consign to Oblivion are much better. The Dutch did not create anything particularly new. More easily it is to notice the commercial aspect, though it has been already visible earlier.

Tracklist:

01. Karma
02. Monopoly On Truth
03. Storm The Sorrow
04. Delirium
05. Internal Warfare
06. Requiem For The Indifferent
07. Anima
08. Guilty Demeanor
09. Deep Water Horizon
10. Stay The Course
11. Deter The Tyrant
12. Avalanche
13. Serenade Of Self-Destruction
Author:
Translator: morrigan
Add date: 2012-08-27 / Music reviews


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