Epica
Aspiral NUCLEAR BLAST
Glorious, grandstanding album full of pomp and fireworks.
Most bands start an album with a riff or piano motif. Not Epica. For this album they took inspiration from a sculpture crafted by artist Stanisław Szukalski, in whose work every detail is a piece of art on its own but still, ultimately, a sum of its parts. That said, there’s nothing here to scare the horses or the longstanding Epica fan. Like all of their best work, this album feels like being strapped to the mast of a galleon in the middle of a storm.