EPICA – The Alchemy Project

EPICA - The Alchemy Project album cover art
  • 7.4/10
    EPICA - The Alchemy Project - 7.4/10
7.4/10

Summary

Label: Atomic Fire Records
Release date: November 11, 2022

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In celebration of their 20 year career, The Netherlands’s premiere Symphonic Metal band Epica has just released a 7 song EP titled The Alchemy Project, which is less an Epica album and more of a compilation project. The band invited musicians from 13 different groups to co-write and record songs that cover Symphonic to Progressive, to Death Metal, with highs and lows among the tracks. Each song takes on the flavor of the guest musicians, which is why it feels not so much like an Epica record that fans would be expecting.

About the Album

Beyond the symphonic hymns you’re used to, The Alchemy Project contains Progressive-Melodic-Death moments, saxophone solos, haunting lullabies with a trio of female voices—and the heaviest Death Metal track the band has recorded. Guest artists include: Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep), Tommy Karevik (Kamelot), Charlotte Wessels, Myrkur, Frank Schiphorst (MaYaN), Björn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork), Henri Sattler (God Dethroned), Sven de Caluwé (Aborted), Asim Searah (Damnation Plan), Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium), Roel van Helden (Powerwolf), Shining, and Fleshgod Apocalypse.

Stand out tracks for this reviewer include “Wake the World”, and “Sirens – Of Blood and Water” which was co-written and performed with Melodic Metal queen Charlotte Wessels and Folk/Black Metal pioneer Myrkur together with Simone Simons. “The Final Lullaby” which features Shining has some fantastic saxophone work, and also stands out as one of the cooler tracks on the album.

Final Notes

The Alchemy Project is aptly named as it’s a mixture of Epica with several other bands, with some mixed results. Tracks like “Human Devastation” push the limits a bit much for Symphonic/Melodic Metal fans, and would not be recognizable as Epica. Overall there are some great songs on the album, and if you like a mixture of Death and Symphonic Metal you’re sure to find something you like here.

Epica band photo

Lineup

Mark Jansen – rhythm guitar, growled vocals, co-lead vocals
Coen Janssen – keyboards, synthesizer, piano
Simone Simons – lead vocals
Ariën van Weesenbeek – drums
Isaac Delahaye – lead guitar, backing vocals
Rob van der Loo – bass

The Alchemy Project – Tracklist

1. The Great Tribulation – feat. Fleshgod Apocalypse
2. Wake the World – feat. Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep) & Tommy Karevik (Kamelot)
3. The Final – Lullaby feat. Shining
4. Sirens – Of Blood and Water – feat. Charlotte Wessels & Myrkur
5. Death is not the End – feat. Frank Schiphorst (MaYaN) & Björn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork)
6. Human Devastation – feat. Henri Sattler (God Dethroned) & Sven de Caluwé (Aborted)
7. The Miner – feat. Asim Searah (Damnation Plan), Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium) & Roel van Helden (Powerwolf)

Author

  • Bryce Van Patten

    Bryce is an audio engineer and a graphic designer here at Metal Express Radio. From the day he purchased his first album (Machine Head by Deep Purple), he has had a passion for heavy music, which has influenced his whole life. Bryce is from the great Pacific Northwest in USA, and has played in metal bands like Babylon, Holy Terror, The Wild Dogs, Warhead and Egypt through the 80s. He had his first interview for the Portland, Oregon publication The Rock Rag with guitarist Paul Gilbert in his Racer X days. Then he was honored to get to have drinks, and talk for an hour with the legendary Dan McCafferty of Nazareth for his second interview. In 2013, he spent an amazing hour talking to Andi Deris of Helloween, which was the high point of his heavy metal journalism.   In the year 2001, he formed Man in Black Music Publishing. They released recordings by several local bands, and in the spirit of the old Metal Massacre compilations, he created a 2-album series called The Defenders of Metal. The albums featured classic styled Metal bands from all around the world, with bands from Australia to England, and from Argentina to Russia. Currently, he is the producer/creator/vocalist of the Metal band The Black Tuesdays.

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