1. - Epica is a symphonic m… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists using this name.
1. - Epica is a symphonic metal band, founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen, subsequent to his departure from After Forever. Formed as a symphonic metal band with gothic tendencies, later Epica have incorporated into their sound strong death metal influences. Starting from the third album, even progressive metal attitudes have become evident. In addition, the band often uses thrash metal and groove metal riffs, black metal passages (mostly in the drum technique), power metal moments and references to Arabic music. Some songs also have electronic shades, djent transitions and folk metal melodies derived from middle eastern, Chinese and Celtic traditions. Epica is also known for the attention to the vocal lines that, in contrast to the heavy context, weave very catchy, easy to hold, sophisticated and emotional melodies. The use of mezzo-soprano vocals and growled vocals, performed by Simone Simons and Mark Jansen respectively, is fundamental to the band's sound. They primarily write their own lyrics, which often deal with philosophical, psychological, spiritual, moral, scientific, environmental, socio-political, global and topical and personal themes. Epica is also known for their wide use of orchestra and opera choirs.
In 2003, Epica's debut album The Phantom Agony was released through Transmission Records. Consign to Oblivion followed in 2005, and debuted at No. 12 in the Dutch charts. They moved labels to Nuclear Blast following Transmission's bankruptcy, and in 2007, released their third studio album The Divine Conspiracy, which charted at No. 9 in the Netherlands. 2009's Design Your Universe was met with yet greater success, debuting at No. 8 in the Dutch Albums Chart, and charting across Europe, also garnering much critical acclaim. Epica's fifth studio album Requiem for the Indifferent was released in 2012. Well received by critics, it achieved international success, entering the US's Billboard 200 at No. 104, and Japan's Oricon Albums Chart at No. 172.
At the beginning of May 2014 the band released their sixth album, The Quantum Enigma, which was a huge international success, debuting on No. 110 on US Billboard 200 and peaking at No. 4 in Epica's homeland Netherlands. In June 2015 Epica was awarded the Music Export Awards, which is given to the Dutch act with the most international success in the past year. Their seventh album, The Holographic Principle, was released in September 2016 to continued international success, equaling the peak chart position set by its predecessor in the Netherlands. The band released their eighth album, Omega, in February 2021. On 16 September 2022, the band announced their third EP, The Alchemy Project. It was released on 11 November 2022 via Atomic Fire.
Discography
The Phantom Agony (2003)
Consign to Oblivion (2005)
The Divine Conspiracy (2007)
Design Your Universe (2009)
Requiem for the Indifferent (2012)
The Quantum Enigma (2014)
The Holographic Principle (2016)
Omega (2021)
The Alchemy Project - EP (2022)
Current members:
Mark Jansen – rhythm guitar, unclean vocals
Coen Janssen – keyboards, synthesizer, piano
Simone Simons – lead vocals
Ariën van Weesenbeek – drums, spoken words
Isaac Delahaye – lead guitar, backing vocals
Rob van der Loo – bass
2. - Epica[ is an Italian prog rock band active in the 1990s who released the album Confini in 1995.
- Alessandro Secchi / vocals
- Alessandro Mantelli / keyboards, programming
- Alessandro Crovato / guitars
- Flavio Miotto / bass, guitars
- Gianni Ghezzo / drums
3. - Epica is a three person progressive/trance group from Russia.
Force of the Shore
Epica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So perfect in disguise
There's more than what you see
A semblance is protective
A blinder for the eyes
A place to hide and flee
What you're going to be
If you throw away the key
The truth from the past you can't make it last
Flee and walk away
From what you are this day
If you are afraid to stay
Beyond the shore the sea is filled up
with sentiment and strength
Here lie the thoughts imprisoned
A field of forces and laments
How can we hide here
We need to change our ways
How can we tell lies here
We turn our eyes away
From the truth
From the past
You cannot
Make it last
If you do not cease to run away from truth
You will never see the shadow
of your dying youth
A façade is what we all possess
But on the inside it stays a mess
Superficial changes won't recall the past
Don't deny the clock is ticking
and it's racing fast
Fading tokens of our latter days
Make us think we need to change our ways
Deep, the feelings hide
They're wasted from within
And my shell will never break
Appearance is deceptive
So perfect in disguise
A place to flee and hide and run away
Lift the shadow
The lyrics of "Force of the Shore" by Epica highlight the deceptive nature of appearances and the importance of confronting the truth in one's life. The opening lines bring attention to how what may seem perfect on the outside could be quite different on the inside. The verses then speak of the dangers of hiding behind a façade or a semblance, and how doing so can prevent one from realizing their full potential.
The chorus urges the listener to face their fears and not throw away the key that unlocks their true self. The bridge of the song then introduces the metaphor of the shore, symbolizing the border between what is known and what is yet to be discovered. Here, the sea represents the unknown and the potential for growth, while the thoughts and feelings trapped within the shore represent the struggles and limitations we impose on ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Appearance is deceptive
A semblance is protective and often hides the true nature of things.
So perfect in disguise
Appearances can often deceive, making us believe things that are not true.
There's more than what you see
Things are often not what they seem and there is always more to them than meets the eye.
A semblance is protective
Appearances can protect us from the harsh realities of life, allowing us to hide and flee.
A blinder for the eyes
Appearances can prevent us from seeing the truth and reality of a situation.
A place to hide and flee
Appearances can provide us with a refuge, a place to hide and escape from the difficult situations we face.
Flee and you'll never see
If you run away from your problems, you may never see the opportunities that await you.
What you're going to be
The future is always uncertain, but running away from your problems will not help you shape it.
If you throw away the key
If you give up and let fear control your life, you may never unlock your true potential.
The truth from the past you can't make it last
Living a lie will never sustain in the long run, and you can't change the past, no matter how hard you try.
Flee and walk away
Running away from difficult situations might seem easy but will not help you understand them.
From what you are this day
You will only progress if you stay and face your fears.
If you are afraid to stay
When you are scared of failure, refusing to change will not help you overcome it.
Beyond the shore the sea is filled up with sentiment and strength
The more hidden and unknown is often the source of strength.
Here lie the thoughts imprisoned
Our thoughts and emotions can often hold us back, keeping us imprisoned and stifled.
A field of forces and laments
Our thoughts and emotions can be very powerful and can dictate our actions in life.
How can we hide here
Hiding from the truth may seem like an easy way out, but it will not help us grow and develop.
We need to change our ways
In order to progress and succeed, we have to be willing to change our ways and face our fears.
How can we tell lies here
Lies may feel like they offer protection, but they will only hinder our progress in the long run.
We turn our eyes away
Ignoring the truth will not make it disappear, it will only make it harder to deal with later.
From the truth
Ignoring the truth will only lead us to repeat past mistakes and hinder our progress.
From the past
We cannot change what has already happened, but we can learn from it and make better choices in the future.
You cannot
Denial and ignoring the truth will only hurt us and our chances of progress.
Make it last
Ignoring the truth may feel easier in the short term, but it will not provide long-term solutions.
If you do not cease to run away from truth
Running away from the truth will only make it harder to deal with later on.
You will never see the shadow of your dying youth
If you keep ignoring the truth, you will never be able to learn from past mistakes and grow as a person.
A façade is what we all possess
We all have a protective layer that can hide our true selves and emotions from others.
But on the inside it stays a mess
Despite our protective layers, our inner emotions and thoughts can still be a mess and need to be processed.
Superficial changes won't recall the past
Changing only the outside will not heal the inner pain and trauma we may have experienced in the past.
Don't deny the clock is ticking and it's racing fast
Time is limited, and it is important to acknowledge the passing of time and to make the most out of what we have.
Fading tokens of our latter days
Remnants of our past might seem to fade, but the emotions and scars will last for a long time.
Make us think we need to change our ways
Our experiences shape us, and our past mistakes make us realize that we need to change our ways in order to progress in life.
Deep, the feelings hide
Our emotions can be deeply buried and need a lot of introspection to bring out to the surface.
They're wasted from within
If we do not acknowledge and process our buried emotions, they will keep affecting us negatively from within.
And my shell will never break
If we keep hiding behind our façade, we will never be able to break free from it and grow as a person.
Lift the shadow
We have to acknowledge the truth and face our fears in order to lift the shadow of our past and progress in life.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ADRIANUS SLUIJTER, COEN JANSSEN, MARKUS JANSEN, SIMONE J M SIMONS, YVES HUTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Caio Ramon
Headbanging like a teenager!!! This album is so nostalgic!!
Олекса Дерев'янченко
"Here lie the thoughts imprisoned // A field of forces and laments" OMG I have such strong goosebumps from my vertex to my heels! I imagine the underwater part of World Ocean, all this massive of water being full with dreams that try to come back to people, but can not...
I've heard this song before, but only after reading the lyrics I fully realized its AWESOME EPICNESS. Best album!
v1asec
What also surprises me is that Simone Simons wrote the lyrics. After all, Mark Jansen is the guy with doctorate in psychology and I thought he writes most of the lyrics. But I checked Wikipedia and it appears that while he wrote most of the first Epica album, in the later albums Simone writes roughly a half of the lyrics on her own. Jansen is still probably the main creative mind behind the music though.
strange person
Only now I realize how powerful these lyrics are
Hermetika 97
Épica the BEST band ever
Cassie Richards
Facts
Francisco Rezende
It’s Grateful Dead
Beegeezy
Solid. 😎👌
Juan Carlos Ramirez
🌹🌹🌹👏👏👏👏👏
Ismail Osman
Nyau²