Symphonic Metal: Epica

I was introduced to symphonic metal in 2007 by my dad. At the time it came as quite the shock to me since up until then I'd never hear my father listen to rock music, let alone metal. But after hearing the music for the first time it all started to the make sense. The music combines the traditional metal instruments like electric guitars and heavy drums with classical instruments like strings and brass. The way in which melodies and harmonies are build up and the combination of choirs with a (usually) female lead singer give the feel of an operatic piece. My father was hooked, and so was I.

My favourite symphonic metal band is the Dutch band Epica (for whatever reason we Dutch are great at making symphonic metal). Although the band already exists since 2002 it wasn't until 2009 that I discovered their music with the songs Unleashed and Martyr of the Free Word. Especially that last one excellently showcases the duality between the animalistic grunting of Mark Jansen and the almost heavenly sounding voice of Simone Simons. A voice that is also expressed nicely in the band's more calmer songs like Solitary Ground and This is the Time.

Last month the band released its latest album titled: The Holographic Principle. It's an album in which they've again outdone themselves with epic songs (pun intended)  like Universal Death Squad and Edge of the Blade.

Other favourites: Never Enough, The Essence of Silence and Unchain Utopia.

Check out their Official YouTube Channel for more videos.

Visual Kei: Versailles

If you look at the picture above you might think that these people are impersonating their favourite Final Fantasy characters. This is however the normal getup of Visual Kei band Versailles. Visual Kei (ヴィジュアル系) is a Japanese genre that is characterized by its looks: fancy costumes, crazy hair styles and lots of make-up resulting sometimes in rather androgynous characters. The genre first started to appear in the early 1980s and can be compared to the western Glam Rock. Although many Visual Kei bands like Versailles play metal music, some bands focus more on an electronic sound.

The first song of Versailles I ever heard was perhaps one of their most famous songs, called The Revenant Choir. I was hooked instantly, the elaborate drum parts, Kamijo's almost opera sounding voice and of course Hizaki's awesome guitar solos. That guy really knows how to play the guitar. Yes, you read that right the person with the long blond hair and nice dress is actually a dude. It took some time for me to find out as well. After releasing four albums Versailles decided to disband in 2012. Kamijo started as a solo artist while the remaining four members went on to form the band Jupiter. And although both released some nice songs, none were at the same level as that awesome first song.

Other songs:

               Versailles:           Philia, Truth

               Kamijo:               Lion of the Dark Night

               Jupiter :               Arcadia, Topaz