![]() ![]() The flurry of excessive high notes in “Originem” grates on my nerves, while “The Second Stone” starts off exhilarating but loses its energy come chorus-time. I have to admit, my initial impression of The Quantum Enigma was tainted by the first two tracks. The strongest hooks transfer effortlessly from one instrument to another, from ascending keyboard / guitar lines on “Natural Corruption” to the graceful Oriental wind and acoustic notes on the gorgeous instrumental “The Fifth Guardian.” As for melodies, the title track’s call-for-action choral chants are bound to stir concert crowds to sing along, while bonus track “In All Conscience” boasts the band’s most majestic chorus ever. And how about those memorable hooks and melodies? They were sorely missing from Requiem… and now make a welcome return. The title track is a stunning example it’s a 12-minute blossoming flower, unfolding in the same purposeful way as past climactic epics. The Quantum Enigma’s brightest highlights show Epica’s ability to reveal subtleties in complex arrangements. This new edginess gives fresh perspective on some songs (“The Second Stone,” “The Essence of Silence,” “Chemical Insomnia”) while enhancing the band’s triumphant sound of old on others (the title track, “Sense Without Sanity,” “Unchain Utopia”). ![]() Mark Jansen and Isaac Delahaye have really honed the guitar sound for the new material it’s thick, complex, razor-sharp, and at times appealingly tangled and chaotic. The Quantum Enigma also features live strings for the first time since 2005’s Consign To Oblivion, a massive professional choir instead of a “choir-like” group of session vocalists, and a more modern metal sound. Instead of continuing with long-time producer Sascha Paeth, Epica worked with Joost van der Brook, who’s produced albums for a slew of other female-fronted metal bands (Stream of Passion, Xandria, ReVamp). In fact, I like it more with each spin.Ĭhange seems to be the overall theme on this album. Now I can breathe a sigh of relief – because The Quantum Enigma hasn’t let me down. I wasn’t looking for another Design Your Universe, just an improvement over last time. So, when Epica announced the release date for their sixth studio album The Quantum Enigma, I hoped like a maniac that the Dutch symphonic metallers wouldn’t disappoint me again. ![]() No matter how many times I listened to it, I walked away bored by its musical wanderings and lack of inspiring melodies. Then came Requiem For The Indifferent in 2012. I’ve been an Epica fan since 2006 and either liked or loved all of their albums, with Design Your Universe my all-time favorite of theirs. ![]()
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