Credits:

Epica

Description:

After two albums of generally finely crafted symphonic metal, Dutch ensemble Epica decided to indulge their orchestral kinks to the fullest with 2005’s metal-free The Score: An Epic Journey, but they are back to their usual, genre-meshing stomping grounds with 2007’s The Divine Conspiracy, which many fans will likely consider their proper third opus. Whatever the case may be, the album gets under way with the entirely symphonic “Indigo” prologue, before slamming into the metallic portion of the program with “The Obsessive Devotion.” This, in typical Epica fashion, showcases not only the angelic soprano of Simone Simons, but also a manly baritone choir and ever more demonic death grunts from bandleader Mark Jansen — all of them juggling lyrics in English and Latin! As with all of The Divine Conspiracy’s — and indeed Epica’s — best tracks (here including “Fools of Damnation” and “Sonata Terra”), the