Epica – Retrospect (2013)

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Released as a deluxe hardcover book with 2 DVDs or 2 Blu-rays and 3 CDs, “Retrospect” marks the band’s 10 year anniversary with an amazing performance with more than 70 musicians on stage with the Reményi Ede Chamber Orchestra and the Choir of Miskolc National Theatre. This release features a massive 180+ minutes of material, perfect for any diehard fan of the band.

Since the first disc, the band takes the stage with a commanding presence led by Simone Simmons and Mark Jansen. The choir arrangements are amazing and all the band’s hits are delivered with perfect execution. With an impressive stage and a fired up crowd since the first minute, this live release perfectly captures the experience of watching Epica live and the incredible intensity of all band members.

With the band/orchestra playing classical tracks like “Presto” (Vivaldi), “Stabat Mater Dolorosa” (Giovanni Battista Pergolesi), as well as special versions of “The Divine Conspiracy” and all-time fan favorites like the Star Wars “Battle of the Heroes / The Imperial March”, this release has everything a fan could ever wish for. A very minor issue we had was that some of the shots were too bright, but this might just be the promo copy we receive, and we expect the Blu-ray to really take advantage of the HD footage.

Not giving too much away, this release has appearances by older band members and none other than Floor Jansen in some of the tracks. For people like us that like extra behind the scenes stuff, there is a 15-minute section just for us. If interviews are your thing, this release also features a good amount (25+ minutes) of interviews with the band. For people that want to listen to this live show in their cars, the 3 CD’s included feature very high quality audio of the whole performance as well.

Overall, just reviewing the crystal clear CDs and compressed video promo’s for the DVDs, we have to say that this is a superb release. The band put on an amazing show for their 10 year anniversary and for us unlucky enough to not be there, we can at least live vicariously through this audio/visual testament. We can only image how much more awesome the book and whole package will be, so line up your wallets and order a copy of this release before the run of 3,000 copies of the DVD version runs out.

Band: Epica Album: Retrospect

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: November 26th, 2013 (North America)

Oficial Site Social Media

Genre: Symphonic/Gothic Metal

Country: Netherlands

Rating: 90/100
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