It took place about five years ago. Simone Simons, a young girl with long, red hair, discovered an incredible Finnish band by the name of Nightwish. She was blown away by Tarja Turunen's powerful operatic voice. While most people in this situation would simply go out and buy more Nightwish albums, Simone Simons took her admiration a few steps further.

She took singing lessons.

To make a long story short, Ms. Simons is now the frontwoman of the relatively obscure Dutch "goth-metal" band Epica. The band's guitarist/male vocalist Mark Jansen was a member of After Forever until 2002, when he decided to experiment with other projects. Later that year, Epica was born. While I can't guarantee that Epica's music is something for everyone, one thing's for sure: fans of Nightwish will go freakin' nuts over it. Yes, Simone's voice bears a strong resemblance to the woman who inspired her, but that's not all -- Epica's music, much like Nightwish's, has this mystical beauty that's difficult to accurately define. Maybe this beauty lies in the lyrics. Maybe it lies in the wild symphonic elements that both bands continually implement into their songs. Maybe everyone is just naturally high all the time. Regardless of the fact that the truth isn't likely to be based on any of the aforementioned circumstances, it'll be quite a while before Epica's We Will Take You With Us leaves my CD player.

From beginning to finish, this album is so captivating. It's difficult to 'zone out' or become distracted while listening to it. This is especially true in the stirring opening track, "Facade of Reality (The Embrace That Smothers, Part V)". This song is just as creepy as it is astonishingly beautiful -- Simone's mezzo-soprano voice is overwhelming, and I just find myself in awe that the girl is 20, only slightly older than me. She's got such a powerful range, and even though the wild synths and heavy guitars are a spectacle in and of themselves, the centerpiece is her amazing voice. "Sensorium" is equally uptempo, but it maintains a more melodic feel (probably due to the heavy use of pianos) than its predecessor. Simone's voice hovers over an electronically fused attack of sinister guitars; Mark's death-metal growls are used in perfect moderation to provide just the right amount of contrast.

"Illusive Consensus" is a suspenseful number that maintains the album's swift pace with frantic choirs and heavy instrumentation. This song is certainly a standout in my mind because it showcases Simone's broad range perfectly. It seamlessly flows into "Cry For The Moon (The Embrace That Smothers, Part IV)", which makes good use of violins and has the choirs crisply chanting what is easily the album's catchiest hook -- "Follow your common sense / you cannot hide yourself!" The beginning of "The Phantom Agony" features Simone whispering over nearly bare instrumentation, and it led me to believe that it would be a mournful piano ballad. However, when the male choir, cello, and violin kicked in, I knew I was wrong. Sure, this song may not be quite as thrashing as others on the album, but given that it puts the spotlight on Jeroen Simons' speedy drumming skills and some of Mark's most creepy rasps yet, it's definitely no ballad.

We Will Take You With Us celebrates its heaviest moment on the following track, "Seif al Din (The Embrace That Smothers - Part VI)". It actually boasts a slinky, Egyptian groove that serves as the perfect backdrop for Simone's trembly wails. "Feint" came as a huge surprise to me, probably because it's the disc's very first slow-paced song. I'll call it an easy favorite, too -- the tinkly piano is Simone's only accompaniment here, and when the only thing to focus on is her voice, it's a beautiful thing. Her slow, careful enunciations in the peaceful verses lead up to her mournful cries of, "Every beat...of your heart / tore the lies all apart / and foundations quiver / Every wave in the lake caused the porcelain to...break / and I...shiver." Rarely have I heard anything that even begins to touch the beauty of that moment in "Feint".

We Will Take You With Us is a gorgeous, near-flawless album that anyone who loves symphonic metal will surely adore. Sure, I'm not too crazy about Mark Jansen's vocals, but they're not done in excess here. It's nothing too distracting. Most important about my exposure to Epica is Simone's unbelievable voice. She has one of the most chilling, emotive voices I've ever been exposed to. Maybe Epica won't get the recognition they deserve here in the United States, and I can safely guarantee that they won't ever be a household name here. However, they're a band not to be missed out on. Do what you must to track this album down, I insist. It brings an entirely new definition to bliss. It is one of a kind.

Thanks, Daumco! :)




Recommended: Yes