Epica are keeping the pedal to the metal, releasing their second single in a month.
The symphonic metal band shared their new song Arcana today (November 13), less than three weeks after they dropped previous single and rollercoaster tie-in The Ghost In Me (Danse Macabre). The band say they’ll put out even more music in 2025 as well, because sleep is for the weak apparently.
Of Arcana, they comment: “Arcana guides you through the universal stages of spiritual evolution in life. It leads the way to a higher consciousness and spiritual self-awareness.”
They add: “Writing this song was a spontaneous effort, so it came together quickly, which felt so natural that it wrote itself. The music contains classic Epica elements but has some vibes that might remind you of 80s alternative rock or modern metal.”
Epica released their latest studio work, the collaborations-heavy EP The Alchemy Project, in 2022. Metal Hammer called it “a turn for the unexpected with left-field friends” in a 3.5-star review. In August, singer Simone Simons said work on the band’s next album was underway and that it “should be released” in 2025.
“I just wrote with Mark [Jansen, guitars] and Rob [Van Der Loo, bass] yesterday that I’m so happy with the songs,” she told Mariskal Rock (via Blabbermouth). “I’m so proud [of] how everything turned out, and it’s gonna be another amazing Epica album.”
This summer, Simons released her debut solo album Vermillion. The record, written with Ayreon leader Arjen Lucassen, features Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White-Gluz on the song Cradle To The Grave. Metal Hammer awarded it four stars and said the “epic” album “unravels the horrors and joys of the world through a rouge-tinted pair of spectacles”.
Epica have two more shows slated for 2024, due to take place at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City on December 6 and 7. The band are also booked to play Metalfest Open Air in the Czech Republic in June. See details and get tickets via their website.
