Epica

Epica is a Dutch symphonic metal band formed in 2002 in Reuver, founded by guitarist and growl vocalist Mark Jansen immediately after his departure from After Forever. The frontwoman role went to the then-unknown Simone Simons, a classically trained mezzo-soprano whose voice, set in constant dialogue with Jansen's death growls, still defines the Epica sound. From The Phantom Agony (2003), the band pursued orchestral and choral ambition well beyond keyboard simulation. Design Your Universe (2009) is widely regarded as the band's creative high-water mark. The Quantum Enigma (2014) marked a commercial breakthrough, reaching No. 4 in the Netherlands and entering the US Billboard 200. Omega (2021) arrived during the pandemic. Their ninth album, Aspiral (2025), resumed the "A New Age Dawns" saga and became one of their strongest chart performances, debuting at No. 2 in the Netherlands. With a lineup stable since 2012, the band remains a headline-level festival draw and a defining reference point for modern symphonic metal.