Review Of Epica's new album "Design Your Universe"

By this release, as far as I'm concerned, Epica can do no wrong. Three consistent quality albums, each with its own style, a masterpiece in its own way. This new one is simply a combination of them all, reaching a pinnacle of sorts, a level that will be hard for them to top next.

First of all, "Design Your Universe" is their most brutal and heaviest album to date. Instead of moving "forward" to a more accessible and commercial sound a la Within Temptation and Sirenia, these guys went back. Way back. It is, as if they wanted to remind us - this is Metal, complex, brutal and unrelenting. At times, we get some mellow passages that trick you into believing that you're going to get a ballad or something, only to quickly submerge you into some crunchy riffs and brutal growls.

Second, like stated above, this album is a combination of all the elements that were separately present in their previous releases. For example, you get the somewhat complex operatic melodies and hymns from their debut album, the more accessible, bordering on Pop-like singing from Simone (but only occasionally) and a bit straightforward melodies from the second album, the heavier and a bit more progressive sound from their third outing. But that's not all. In additions to all old tricks utilized again, they add quite a few new ones, never presented before. We get more vocal chores that sound more gothic and operatic than ever. We get some real Black Metal brutality and blast-beats. We get Mark growling like no-tomorrow, putting himself on front stage, instead of occasionally complementing Simone and letting her rest during the long songs.

Third, ... ah hell, this album just rocks! Really recommended for Epica die-hard fans and Metal lovers in general. Really not recommended for first time listeners of this kind of music and non-Metal girlfriends and wives.