In a new interview with Brazil’s Gustavo Maiato, EPICA singer Simone Simons was asked if she was “already a fan” of the symphonic metal genre before the making of the band’s debut album, 2003’s “The Phantom Agony”. She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Yes. Yeah, I was. Before I knew what metal music was, I was more into rock, alternative rock bands like RADIOHEAD, SILVERCHAIR, DEFTONES, R.E.M. And then I got into black metal, actually. I was a fan of CRADLE [OF FILTH], DIMMU BORGIR, MYSTIC CIRCLE, OLD MAN’S CHILD, to name a few. And then I heard bands like LACUNA COIL, NIGHTWISH, WITHIN TEMPTATION, AFTER FOREVER. Hearing this metal combined with a beautiful female voice was something completely new to me, and combined also with classical music, classical singing, I thought it was magical.”
Asked if there were any particular records from these symphonic metal bands that caught her attention back then, Simone said: “Yeah. From LACUNA COIL, it’s, I guess, ‘In A Reverie’. From WITHIN TEMPTATION, ‘The Dance’. NIGHTWISH — ‘Angels Fall First’ and ‘Oceanborn’, those albums. And TRISTANIA, I think it’s ‘Beyond The Veil’. Those were the albums.”
She added: “I recently found — my mother gave me a cassette, a little mix tape that I made from my favorite bands back in the day, and there’s LACUNA COIL on it and NIGHTWISH, DIMMU BORGIR. It’s really cute. I don’t have a cassette player or a Walkman anymore. I should buy one so I can listen to it, for nostalgic reasons.”
EPICA‘s ninth studio album, “Aspiral”, came out on April 11 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP title is derived from the eponymous bronze sculpture made by Polish sculptor and painter Stanisław Szukalski back in 1965 and stands for renewal and inspiration — key words that define EPICA in 2025. In Szukalski‘s work every detail is a piece of art in its own right, and there’s always more to the story than you initially think. The band saw this as the perfect analogy for the creation of this ninth album: each song stands on its own with a distinctive vibe and meaning, while together they enforce each other into a monumental effort.
The album, featuring stunning cover artwork by Hedi Xandt (RAMMSTEIN, GHOST, PARKWAY DRIVE),was recorded once again at Sandlane Studios and expertly mixed and produced by Joost Van Den Broek.
To celebrate the “Aspiral” release, EPICA played three exclusive shows in the United States in early May: in New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe (courtesy of Nuclear Blast)
