EPICA – The Holographic Principle [2CD Limited Edition Digipak] (2016)

EPICA is ready to release its latest evolutionary effort entitled “The Holographic Principle“. Die-hard fans of the band will certainly not be disappointed, and Epica weaves enough conventional elements into its sonic tapestry that their seventh studio release will garner a large number of new supporters.
Full of traditional bombast and fire, “The Holographic Principle” will stand as one of Epica’s strongest symphonic outings, yet there are countless passages that will appeal to fans of all Rock genres.

Fronted by the ever powerful voice of Simone Simons, Epica continues to mix sci-fi & gothic themes into its lyrics and music. In the case of “The Holographic Principle”, the band’s tone has shifted to the positive. Simons does her usual very capable job with her expansive vocals but spends more time singing in a crisp and clean conventional fashion than on previous releases.
In the band’s own words “The Holographic Principle” explores “the very fibre of our reality” in a Matrix-inspired way. The album opens with the powerful mood piece “Eidola” – a track with lush keyboards and strong choral vocals that build in power as it progresses.
The decidedly bouncy and upbeat (and catchy btw) “Edge of the Blade” features a wandering vocal pathway that goes from Simone’s soft and near-whispered clean singing to her full on power, while Jansen’s guttural growls and fabulous choral vocals from the rest of the band provide a strong melodic counterpoint.

The Terminator/ kynet inspired “Universal Death Squad” is a full-on symphonic attack build on manic drums, razor guitars and booming bass with plenty of over-the-top choral vocals mixed in.
By this point the overall warmth and depth of Epica’s effort become truly apparent – they have moved away from synthesized instruments and toward “real” physical strings, brass, and winds – a noticeable sonic difference.

“Beyond The Matrix” is arguably the best track on the CD – a rolling, theatrical, triumphant tune that snaps from orchestral madness to vocal/bass Hard Rock and back – the essence of Epica.
The band softens to violin and strings during the sweeping “Once Upon A Nightmare,” a track that allows the passion in Simone’s voice to shine – but quickly cranks the intensity back up while searching for answers to “The Cosmic Algorithm.”
Middle Eastern and Asian overtones (thanks to some well done exotic instruments) make “Dancing in a Hurricane” unique – almost a folk metal tune, while “Tear Down Your Walls” rolls in some soft atmospheric touches before becoming an intense Progressive heavy rocker.
The eleven minute plus epic “The Holographic Principle – A Profound Understanding Of Reality” sums up the album – running that gamut from choral chant to soft piano to bluesy guitars to … well, you get it.

This Limited Edition Digipak includes the bonus CD “The Acoustic Principle”, featuring really well crafted tunes like the joyful “Beyond the Good, The Bad and the Ugly”, and the acoustic version of “Immortal Melancholy”, the Japanese bonus track

As always, Epica seems to take the approach that bigger is better, and they thrive on throwing in everything into their music – including the proverbial kitchen sink. This at times sense of reckless abandon is what makes Epica what they are today – a fearless and unapologetic act that pulls no punches and always seems to be having fun as they perform.

While retaining the trademark bombast intrinsic to the symphonic metal scene, Epica remain much more rooted around the riff than their peers with innovative and, more importantly, catchy guitar work peppered all over the album.
If you like this genre with a more ‘rocking approach’, this is a winner.

CD 1 : The Holographic Principle
01 – Eidola
02 – Edge of the Blade
03 – A Phantasmic Parade
04 – Universal Death Squad
05 – Divide and Conquer
06 – Beyond the Matrix
07 – Once Upon a Nightmare
08 – The Cosmic Algorithm
09 – Ascension – Dream State Armageddon
10 – Dancing in a Hurricane
11 – Tear Down Your Walls
12 – The Holographic Principle
(A Profound Understanding of Reality)

CD 2 : The Acoustic Principle
01 – Beyond the Good, The Bad and the Ugly
02 – Dancing in a Gypsy Camp
03 – Immortal Melancholy (Acoustic Version)
04 – The Funky Algorithm
05 – Universal Love Squad

Simone Simons (vocals)
Mark Jansen (guitars, vocals)
Coen Janssen (keyboards)
Isaac Delahaye (guitar)
Rob Van Der Loo (bass)
Arien Van Weesenbeek (drums, vocals)

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