A pretty varied 2021 so far, with February having some strong efforts from many acts across metal’s many facets. Epica managed to just squeeze out the winner this time, with their first full-length in five years. Managing to keep the ‘epic’ completely in their name, while still providing a number of tracks that hit on a more immediate level makes Omega one of the band’s strongest. Not to mention a testament to what the symphonic metal genre can do when it is utilized properly.
An excerpt from Kyle McGinn’s 9/10 review, which posted on February 19, 2021:
Ever the beacon when it comes to top-shelf symphonic metal, Epica always seem to find a way to live up to their name with their grandiose and bombastic sound. Even though it’s been five years since their last full-length (The Holographic Principle), there’s been no shortage of EPs, acoustic tracks, and cover songs in the time in between. But Epica’s eighth full-length is not to be overshadowed, and Omega succeeds in managing to one-up their sound yet again to exquisite results.
The tracks on Omega are incredibly polished with TLC. The argument can be made that it’s just more Epica, but with tracks that are this impressive and worth discussing/dissecting on an individual basis, it’s hard to deny the overwhelming strengths and lasting impression that it leaves. Epica is one of the leaders of the symphonic world for a reason, and Omega makes sure it will be a while before they are unseated from that position.
Read the entire review HERE
Read our recent interview with guitarist Mark Jansen HERE