EPICA Singer: 'We Will Always Be A Metal Band'

Paolo Bianco of Italy's Musica Metal recently conducted an interview with vocalist Simone Simons of Dutch symphonic metallers EPICA. You can now watch the chat below.

When asked to sum up EPICA's 10-year anniversary in 2012, Simone said, "I was 17 when I started, and now I'm 27; ten years have passed. People say I'm still young. I don't always feel young, because when you're in a band you live faster, you travel so much, you see so much of the world. Sometimes it's really amazing, but it can be quite heavy as well. Back then with EPICA, I kind of had a good feeling about it, I didn't know much about life itself, I just kind of decided to go for it. I got that chance, and somehow back then I had this intuition that told me, 'You should grab your chance. You are very lucky right now, and you should see where [it takes you].' We're still going up, and still getting better. And many bands didn't make it through the years as well. We had our difficulties, like every band, who are a group of people and sometimes you get into a fight, or you want something else in life. That's why we also had two lineup changes already — our drummer and a guitarist left the band — but it's still getting better. Ariën [van Weesenbeek, drums] is fitting in great, and since he and Isaac [Delahaye, guitar] joined the band, we did change a little bit; we have evolved more, and we always stay true to the fact that we are a metal band — we are not gonna change into a rock/pop band. We will always be a metal band!"

The official lyric video for "Storm The Sorrow" can be viewed below. The song, which is available for purchase via iTunes, comes off EPICA's fifth full-length album, "Requiem For The Indifferent", due on March 9 in Europe and four days later in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Gate Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany under the watchful eye of Sascha Paeth.

A video for "Storm The Sorrow" was filmed last month and it "will show the band in a way you have never seen before," according to a press release.

"Requiem For The Indifferent" track listing:

01. Karma
02. Monopoly On Truth
03. Storm The Sorrow
04. Delirium
05. Internal Warfare
06. Requiem For The Indifferent
07. Anima
08. Guilty Demeanor
09. Deep Water Horizon
10. Stay The Course
11. Deter The Tyrant
12. Avalanche
13. Serenade Of Self-Destruction

North American bonus tracks:

14. Twin Flames (Soundtrack Version)
15. Nostalgia

The artwork for the CD was created by Stephan Heilemann and can be seen below.

Regarding the "Requiem For The Indifferent" album title, the band previously said, "This title refers to the end of an era. Mankind can no longer stick their head in the sand for the things that are happening around us. We are facing many challenges. There is an enormous tension between different religions and cultures, wars, natural disasters and a huge financial crisis, which is getting out of control. More than ever we will need each other to overcome these problems. As we are all connected; the universe, earth, nature, animals and human beings, this period in time will be the prelude to the end for those who still don't want to, or simply won't see it. 'A Requiem For The Indifferent', but also a possibility for a new beginning with great new chances!"

A CD-release party for the new EPICA album will be held on March 16 at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands. EPICA will play the new album in its entirety, along with some older tracks, during the more-than-two-hour event. Pyrotechnics and special show elements will be added as well.

Interview:

"Storm The Sorrow" lyric video: