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On October 9th, Epica announced they’re releasing their eighth album, entitled ‘Ωmega’, on the 26th of February 2021.
Since we know a huge portion of our readers are counting the days till the new album is out, we’ve figured the best way to get ourselves ready for the release would be by recapping the road for Epica so far, summing up their major releases in a timeline and mapping them with other world events so you can go back in your memory or imagination.
The Beginning
The Phantom Agony (2003)
Epica’s debut album was released on June 5th 2003. Feint, The Phantom Agony, and Cry for the Moon were released as singles, with music videos made for the first two.
Cry For the Moon is the most played Epica song on Spotify. Two remarkable names appearing on the album personnel are producer Sascha Paeth and Amanda Somerville (Trillium, Exit Eden) as a choir member and a vocal coach.
Also in 2003…
- Cristiano Ronaldo makes his debut for Manchester United.
- The Iraq War begins.
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is released in cinemas.
- Final season of the sitcom Friends is being aired on TV.
- Berni, meme creator and fan-interviewee, celebrates first birthday.
Two Years Later
Consign to Oblivion (2005)
Two years later Epica released their second album on April 21st 2005, Again, as for the next four albums, they worked with producer Sascha Paeth and Amanda Somerville as choir member. Solitary Ground and Quietus were the singles released from that album, with a music video for each.
Roy Khan, Kamelot‘s vocalist at the time, featured on Trois Vierges.
Same year, Epica released the soundtrack album ‘The Score – An Epic Journey’, for the Dutch adventure movie, Joyride.
Also in 2005…
- Tarja Turunen part ways with Nightwish.
- Panni, fan-interviewee, was born.
- Lionel Messi signs first contract with Barcelona.
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, first Narnia movie and Star Wars Episode III in cinemas.
- First seasons of How I Met Your Mother and Supernatural are being aired on TV.
Another Two Years Later
The Divine Conspiracy (2007)
The third album was released on August 22nd 2007. Never Enough and Chasing the Dragon were the two singles released from the album, with two versions of music videos for the former being released.
Drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek, who would later join the band as an official member, was an additional musician on the album.
Also in 2007…
- One of our authors, Shannon Wilk, celebrates her first birthday.
- Apple Computer Company announce the release of the first iPhone.
- Final Harry Potter book is published.
- 300, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Simpsons Movie, and Ocean’s Eleven in cinemas.
- First season of The Big Bang Theory is being aired on TV.
Another Another Two Years Later
Design Your Universe (2009)
The fourth album in Epica’s discography was released on October 16th 2009. It was the first album with Ariën van Weesenbeek and Isaac Delahaye as official members, and also the first album that would credit Epica as co-producers with Sascha Paeth.
The singles from ‘Design Your Universe’ were Unleashed and Martyr of the Free World, with a music video for the former.
Also in 2009…
- Barrack Obama becomes the first African-American US president.
- Michael Jackson dies mysteriously.
- Cristiano Ronaldo completes his transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid for a record deal at the time (€94 million)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in cinemas.
- The first season of The Vampire Diaries is aired on TV.
It was during this period that I discovered Epica through the song Unleashed. When did you discover Epica? Leave a comment below and tell us your story.
At the End of the World
Requiem for the Indifferent (2012)
While we were all busy with the end of the world in 2012, Epica were releasing the fifth studio album, ‘Requiem for the Indifferent‘, on March 9th 2012. Additional choir musicians for the album included Laura Macri (MaYaN).
One single, Storm the Sorrow, was released from the album. At the same time, a collaboration between Epica and Ruurd Woltring entitled Forevermore was released as a single.
Also in 2012…
- Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 60th throne ascension anniversary.
- First man to land on the moon, Neil Armstrong, dies at 82.
- Whitney Houston dies at 42 due to drug overdose.
- First Hunger Games, Avengers, and The Hobbit movies in cinemas.
- Season 2 of Game of Thrones is airing on TV.
The sixth
The Quantum Enigma (2014)
Epica’s sixth album, ‘The Quantum Enigma’, was released on the 2nd of May 2014. It was the first album co-produced by Joost van den Broek and also first to feature Rob van der Loo on bass guitar. The album’s choir featured the name of Marcela Bovio (MaYaN).
The Essence of Silence and Unchain Utopia were released as singles with lyric videos. A music video for Victims of Contingency was released.
Also in 2014…
- Scotland votes to remain part of the United Kingdom, while US and Cuba resume diplomatic relationship after 54 years of hostility.
- Germany wins the 2014 World Cup hosted in Brazil.
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay I, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy and last The Hobbit movie in cinemas.
- ‘The 100’ begins as ‘How I Met Your Mother’ ends.
On the 2nd of August 2014 I attended my first ever Epica concert at Byblos, Lebanon. Have you seen Epica live? Where and when? Tell us in the comments below.
Number 7
The Holographic Principle (2016)
On September 30th 2016, Epica released their seventh album, ‘The Holographic Principle’. With the same production team as its predecessors, and again featuring Marcela Bovio in the choir.
Two singles from the album, Universal Death Squad and Edge of the Blade, were released, with a lyric video for the first and music video for the second.
Also in 2016…
- Donald Trump wins U.S. presidency, while Britain votes to leave the EU.
- Portugal wins UEFA Euro 2016 hosted in France.
- David Bowie passes away at 69 years old.
- La La Land, Suicide Squad, and Fantastic Beasts in cinemas.
- Final season of The Vampire Diaries is aired.
Here we are
Ωmega (2021)
And here we are! Ωmega is due to be released on February 26th 2021. Joost van den Broek is co-producer with the band again.
What are your expectations for the album? Tell us in the comments below.
Epica has already opened our appetite for more of their music with the first single from ‘Ωmega’.
Trivia and Fun facts
- ‘Ωmega’ will be the first ever Epica album to have one-word-title.
- ‘Ωmega’ will be the fifth album to exceed 70 minutes of playtime in its standard version. It is also the shortest of the five albums. The Divine Conspiracy is the longest while The Phantom Agony is the shortest.
- ‘Ωmega’ will have the third longest Epica song – Kingdom of Heaven, Part 3 – The Antediluvian Universe – with 13 min 24 sec of playtime. It is only seconds behind the first part of Kingdom of Heaven from Design Your Universe(13:35), as well as The Divine Conspiracy titular track (13:56).
- Epica’s most watched music video is Storm the Sorrow from ‘Requiem for the Indifferent’, with more than 19 million views to the date. Can Abyss of Time break that record?
- In the Greek numerals system of writing letters, the letter Ω has the value – get this – Eight hundred!
- The band has said: “Jansen crafted a fascinating concept of beginnings and endings, of life and death.” This concept can be seen through the album cover that has symbols of life and death. The Ankh hung from the woman’s neck is a symbol of life for ancient Egyptians. Omega, being the last letter of Greek alphabet, is used to represent date of death in some places.
- The current band line-up (Jansen, Simons, Janssen, van Weesenbeek, Delahaye, van der Loo) is already the longest reigning unchanged line-up in terms of time period (~9 years). ‘Ωmega’ will make it the longest reigning line-up in terms of releases (3 albums).
