The Metal Voice recently spoke to Epica's singer Simone Simons about the bands upcoming 9th studio album Aspiral which will be released April 11, 2025 via Nuclear Blast.
Watch Full interview here
When asked what has Epica done differently musically on this album then the last one (Omega)
"I think with Omega we already tried to write differently or have a different writing process meaning that we would get together in like a sort of writing camp. We booked a house for a week and we were all together there with our producer. We loved that so much that we did it for Aspiral and we really cleared our schedules from tours and shows so we could really focus on the music and be there under the guidance of our producer and that was a lot of fun. In between Omega and the Aspiral we had the Alchemy Project and there we did something different recording wise where we would record the drums, the guitar and bass at the same time to give it a little bit more raw feeling sound. That's something that we also continued now on Aspiral and besides that we decided to give Epica a little bit of modern edge by adding more since but we did not abandon the choir and the orchestra and we make sure that every element gets their moment to shine."
When asked about the continuation of the A New Age Dawns saga on this album and will it continue on next album
"I think it's the ending of this saga but who knows what Mark comes up with and does something new for the future. But since this was our ninth album and the topic of the album or topics of the album were a really great material to continue that for him. So he wrote the lyrics, we both write lyrics like 50/50 and the for the songs that he wrote the music for he then continued the A New Age Dawns for those songs with that idea in the back of his mind with lyric writing. It's basically (meaning) in a nutshell just comes to that we are at the end of the shift in our consciousness where we all have to get together in this chaotic world in order to try to change things for the better."
When asked about Touring highlights over the years
"We played with Metallica. That was one of our highlights was, it last year or the year before that no it was 2023. We played Metallica three shows. It was amazing. I mean it was a matter of seconds where we had to immediately jump in and confirm that we could do the gigs and we couldn't believe it ourselves but we're very grateful for it. It was lovely to play on that round stage very different from what we're normally used to but I decided to not think of it like the magnitude of that show but just have a good time you know run around on the stage. I was going to the gym a lot so my stamina was pretty good so I could run, jump and sing and entertain the crowd. We met the the whole band they're very lovely and they also very hospitable they they had like welcome gifts in the backstage there was a cake and there were cards and yeah really nice and we got a warm welcome from the guys."
Breathe in, breathe out, EPICA is back with a ground-breaking record.
The journey of growth follows a spiral, continuously widening and deepening with every cycle.
By sticking to this fundamental principle, symphonic metal innovators EPICA have again reinvented themselves on their ninth effort “Aspiral”. The new studio album shows a band brimming with a newfound joy. Make way for a masterclass in storytelling, grandeur, and timeless melodies.
The album title is derived from the eponymous bronze sculpture made by Polish sculptor and painter Stanisław Szukalski back in 1965. It stands for renewal and inspiration – keywords that define Epica in 2025. In Szukalski’s work every detail is a piece of art on its own 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 album: each song stands on its own with a distinctive vibe and meaning, while together they enforce each other into a monumental effort.
At the same time this symbolizes EPICA’s group dynamic throughout this process: they have encouraged, inspired, and challenged each other repeatedly. Determined to achieve something that is greater than the sum of its parts, they left no stone unturned in their search for perfection. If it’s up to creative people to push boundaries, then this sextet sure did just that.
In addition, the process of both writing and recording the album was completely revised: from multiple secluded writing camps, enabling the band to create “Aspiral” as a team, to live band recording sessions capturing the raw energy of the live gigs in a studio environment. Standing united, every single band member brought inspiration, ideas, and years of song writing experience to the table.
Just like the Szukalski statue, the album lyrics create a link between chaos, suffering and the beautiful new things to be born out of it. “Aspiral” describes it all in one simple word.
01. Cross The Divide
02. Arcana
03. Darkness Dies In Light - A New Age Dawns Part VII
04. Obsidian Heart
05. Fight to Survive - The Overview Effect
06. Metanoia - A New Age Dawns Part VIII
07. T.I.M.E.
08. Apparition
09. Eye Of The Storm
10. The Grand Saga Of Existence - A New Age Dawns Part IX
11. Aspiral
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