Epica – Aspiral

Milo Lane

You might say you’re not a fan of Epica, and I’ve been guilty of making similar statements over the years. But, as I avoid eggs coming at my face for declaring such a thing publicly, I must accentuate my lack of bias—or expectation—upon hearing its newest release, Aspiral, and… I hope you’ll keep your groceries stored for better use. Having done my homework, I repent—and announce some serious drooling in the following text.

I’d dub it the fraternal twin of The Holographic Principle, only the calmer, more mysterious one. It’s not as openly “dangerous” as “Omega or Requiem for the Indifferent”, but it’s more menacing. It lurks and plots, rather than attacks, and spreads its influence to whatever comes near it. Like an Old God in Warcraft—or an evil politician. Perhaps they should’ve called it “Sigma”. (Can that joke even be funny in 2025?) It’s as if you can smell it, touch it, and taste it, in all its spiritual synesthetic glory. Though Epica was always transcendental in theme, this album took the cake. If there is such a thing as “a new age” and that age is now, Epica has just released the soundtrack to it. Everything before it? Those were just the preparations.

The vocals never felt clearer, and their presence is felt bone-marrow deep. They’re so bright, crystalline, and colorful, like the aura of my favorite migraine. The keyboards either drown you in layers of atmosphere that make you forget they’re even an instrument—and not a prophetic, oddly familiar dream of floating through cosmic nothingness—or they hit you right at the center of the action, impossible to miss. The guitars are both up and down, thick and rough on the low end, and in their heights, breezy and light, almost visual. Everything keeps waxing and waning, in a consistent rhythm above the rhythm—and the rhythm…

At times it’s a bit slow-paced, and keeps you stuck in the same place for too long. Other times, it’s dynamic and wonderful. Another complaint I have to mention are the moments that left me thirsty for more bass—but only because the bass-indulgent instances made me feel drunk off my @ss with it. I’d been left hanging at the deep end (and I mean that literally). Sometimes I’ll agree that less is more, but this is not that time, or that album, and the synergy of the rhythm section is what sold me the whole thing in the first place. More depth, please! I need it to level my spine and correct my posture.

If anything, a different correction has been made—I am now going to like Epica until it changes my mind. Which, hopefully, won’t happen, since it seems to be in the best shape of its creative life, twenty-plus years into it. And if you’ve been a fool like me, consider listening to Aspiral for an instant conversion. However, be warned: you might find a red pill in your mouth by the end of it. And you should probably swallow it.

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release date: April 11, 2025

Website: https://www.epica.nl/

Country: Netherlands

Score:  No score from Milo, but it sounds positive to me!