Review Summary: Aspiral is the sound of a band still at the top of their creative game.
In a recent interview, vocalist Simone Simons said
Aspiral, “added a couple of new elements, but also went back to the roots, the old Epica.” Usually when a band makes the ‘back to roots’ statement it’s because they’ve strayed too far from their core sound and they’re trying to win back their old fans. That line-of-thought doesn’t really make sense within the context of Epica, however. I would argue they’re probably doing better than ever, and the music they created in their second decade has been some of their best – and this is before we even consider the awesome and imaginative live shows they’ve been delivering. So, at best, the decision to return to their roots was clearly more of an artistic choice than one made from necessity... for whatever that’s worth. With the semantics out of the way, what exactly is Epica restoring from their earliest days and how does that affect their music in 2025? For those unfamiliar with Epica’s history, some context may be required.
As Epica has progressed throughout their career, their albums have become more extreme in just about every aspect. The extreme metal influences became much more prominent, the progressive elements began to dominate the very foundation of their songwriting, and the symphonic influence trended towards the bombastic. Combining all these intense elements often led to a dense wall of sound that was only tempered by the angelic vocals of Simone Simons. That formula started to change with
Omega. On that release, the extreme metal (specifically the riffs and percussion) and progressive elements were reigned in ever so slightly. On
Omega these changes were subtle, but on
Aspiral they’re blatantly obvious.
Aspiral is a deliberate move away from the constant bombast and overt extravagant excess the band had made a staple of their sound.
To accomplish this, they went back to the days of
The Phantom Agony when the songs were simpler, more melodic, and less bombastic. To that end, much of
Aspiral focuses on nuance and melody while tempering many of the extreme metal and progressive elements – using them more to provide brief dynamic shifts instead of allowing them to dominate entire songs. The symphonic influences, too, have been dialed back to more of the support role they used to occupy (instead of contributing to the wall-of-sound Epica eventually evolved towards). This change is readily apparent on the opening track (and pre-release single) “Cross the Divide” which is a high-energy song focused on a strong hook and simplistic beat. Yes, there are still a few extreme metal moments and symphonic elements, but they’re not the overwhelming and dominating force they once were. Gone are the days when Arien van Weesenbeek’s percussive performance jammed a sense of chaos into every song. Equally absent are the death/thrash riffs that provided the crushing heaviness Epica had been delivering for years. In their place are simpler, less frantic beats, and easily consumable chunky riffs that augment instead of dominate.
These elements are replaced by the ‘new elements’ Simone had referred to in her interview. These new elements revolve around catchy pop/rock foundations that emphasize infectious keyboard melodies, hook-laden choruses, and accessible beats. That’s not to say the modern extreme Epica sound has been completely eradicated. The first single “Arcana” brings plenty of bombast with huge choirs, a dark undercurrent, and a massive extreme metal crescendo (probably the heaviest moment of the entire album), but they share time with a much more subdued verse section. There are also the four songs that feature a dash in their title – most notably the trilogy of songs that fall under the “A New Age Dawns” moniker. These songs are the longest on the album and are easily the least restrained. They’re the songs where you’ll find the progressive and extreme metal influences in their most unabridged form, complete with a little symphonic excess. Even these tracks, though, lack the extended ferocity that was once commonplace.
So, what does all this mean for the quality of Epica’s music? In the grand scheme of things, it means very little. This is still Epica replete with the strong songwriting and grandiose feel they’ve been delivering for a majority of their career. Despite the simplified approach and emphasis on hooky accessibility, they’re still delivering doomy emotive ballads such as “Obsidian Heart” and proggy symphonic metal masterpieces such as the trilogy of “A New Age Dawn” tracks – and Simone Simons is still at the top of her game. That doesn’t mean
Aspiral won’t catch some fans off guard with its updated direction, especially if they haven’t heard the two pre-release singles “T.I.M.E.” and “Cross the Divide”. However, if they give the album a chance, these fans should soon realize that
Aspiral is another solid Epica release – albeit in a more simplified and melodic form overall.
Aspiral represents a new chapter for Epica as they move into their third decade of existence. This decade, it seems, is going to be marked by a more direct, streamlined, and restrained Epica. The orchestrations are still lush and dramatic, but they feel more integrated, augmenting the songs rather than dominating them. The guitars and drums, as well, have relinquished their prominence so that they, too, can more easily supplement the melodies and hooks that are more the focus of
Aspiral. There are going to be those fans that miss the overt extreme metal elements and chaotic bombast (I count myself among them), but that doesn’t mean
Aspiral isn’t another great Epica release. What
Aspiral lacks in sustained energetic aggressive enthusiasm, it makes up for with sheer catchiness and strong songwriting.
Aspiral clearly features a band that are still at the top of their creative game.
