Simone Simons — born in the Netherlands in 1985 — has been Epica's singer since 2002, and is one of the central voices of European symphonic metal. Her training is classical: she studied lyric singing and is a mezzo-soprano with formal technique. That sets her apart from many singers in the genre, who apply an operatic aesthetic without the corresponding training. In Epica that grounding lets her sustain long lines over real orchestra and choir without being buried — a common problem when the voice has to compete with a full symphonic arrangement and distorted guitars. Her function within the band is the high half of a deliberate contrast: lyric soprano and Mark Jansen's guttural growl within the same track. That contrast is Epica's signature, and it depends on both registers being performed with equal conviction — if the clean voice sounds decorative, the effect collapses. She joined at seventeen, debuting on The Phantom Agony (2003), and has led the band through every album since, including the concept records on religion, science and politics that define the repertoire. She also maintains a solo career, in a register closer to alternative rock and chamber music than to metal.
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