Interview de Epica (Mark Jansen) Accueil Chros Coups de coeur Interviews Back To The Past Live Reports Sorties du mois Liens dateHi, I'm Ostianne for the French Webzine Aux Portes Du Metal.Hi, it's nice to meet you ! How do you feel few days before the release of 'Design your Universe'?Very excited! We've been waiting for this moment for many months, and now, finally it's gonna be release. Unleashed is just a killer live track, and it contains all the Epica elements you’re looking for. I still enjoy playing it night after night, and it keeps my head-banging skills sharp!Retrospect will be released as a deluxe hardcover book with 36 pages, both as a 2DVD/3CD and 2Blu-ray/3CD version, on the 8th of November through Nuclear Blast.In addition to cinema premiers in Holland and Germany, there will be also a premier in Kortrijk, Belgium.06.11 München (D) - Mathäser Multiplex Kino07.

Jeroen Simons had more guess influences on his way of play, and Ariën van Weesenbeeks' way of playing is more metal oriented. They both come from the death metal scene so do you think they contributed to make this album more metal or more 'death' metal?Yes, I think so, because since Ariën is in the band, the way of drumming is completely different than before. Ariën joined the band for 'The Divine Conspiracy' and Isaac joined it while you were working on 'Design Your Univers'. It was for me also a special day, I had for the first time the CD in my hand, I didn't see it before so it was a very special moment. I was very happy to see there was such a run on CDs.

For many people you have listened to this new album, it's the album of maturity. So that's why the guitars have been lift to a next level I think. So there were more possibilities for guitars line, and we kept on sending each others files with updates. And his way of playing the guitar is more death metal than we use before. We had written songs for the new album before Isaac joined the band, that's right, but he also worked a lot with me on the final detail.

And I'm happy we found the right formula to do this album and serve this way the things we tried. And we always try to reach a next level of composing and also playing wise and singing wise for Simone. We always try to find new elements to integrate in our music.

And I kept on writing on this song and changing stuff. I wanted to write it for a side project, which was more black-death metal project, because I knew I couldn't use these things in Epica because our former drummer didn't like to drum like this, but since Ariën joined the band I thought I could use it for Epica as well. What gave you the inspiration for this song?The bases of this song were written already many years ago, three years ago. I'd like to talk about 'Kingdom of Heaven' which is the longest song with a lot of elements and ambiances. I think with this way of working we found the right balance and we want to keep on going like this for the next album. Hopefully we can keep on going in this line and there still many things we want to try out, many ideas for the future.

But every time, the title of the last song was also a great album title. As soon as the last song title doesn't fit to the album, we won't do it anymore. And then we thought 'let's keep on going like this'. With the second one, it was a coincidence. Is it one of your trademarks?Yes, I think it started with the first album.

I think if we really want to, we can. Do you think we are the only master of our destiny and we can change the world with will?I think so. 'Design Your Universe' represents the freedom, the possibility to change our world. So we could go on with this tradition. 'Design You Universe' also fit very well as an album title.

Because people get more individual and don't work together anymore, it's everybody on its own. And now, we really see it's not a way to go. It developed like this and economics were boosted and stimulated, and we didn't care about nature and I think that's why we didn't really want to make a change, because everybody are really focus on their own wallet spilling it, getting what their neighbours have to, the grass of the neighbour home is always greener than at our own home. We live in a world where money is more important than nature.

Of course when you write, sometimes you delete something, thing which is not appropriate, maybe goes too far, but it is because I think myself it's not right to do. When you write your lyrics, do you set a line you don't wanna cross because you think you may go too far or you don't have any limits?I don't have limits. More and more people nowadays realised that we have to do something otherwise it will be awful for the future generations. So far, many people tryed, but it never happened. I think we can, if we really focus on it, to make this change. We have to work together otherwise we destroy all that we have: we destroy the earth, we destroy ourselves.

And do you think you can change people state of mind with your words?I'm sure we can! Many people write messages that they find support in our music. But for everything else, I write down. For myself I have limitations, when I think I'm wrong with something.

I think it's interesting for people to have two completely different lyrics writers, with different way of writing. Do you think it's important for Epica to have two different sides of writing?Yes I think so. If somebody feels better by listening to our music, that's already a change of state of mind! Simone and you are both songwriters.

So I think it could never stop. Every time there are many books I want to read, things that fascinate me. Do you think you have explored the subject as a whole or will you write again about it in the future?Oh, I think every time there is more to explore in this subject, and so much to learn. On this new album, there is the continuation of 'A New Age Dawns'. It's a good thing indeed, there is more variation. There are people who feel more connected to Simones' lyrics, there are people feel connected to my lyrics.

For the second and forth one, which have 'A New Age Dawns' in common, Simone doesn't appear on the cover. If we except 'The Score' and your live album, I noticed your first and your third album had songs in common ('The Embrace That Smothers') and Simone appeared on the albums covers. It just depends on if there are reasons to continue it or not.

So I think in that way the video clip accomplish his goal. Because that's what a video should do, people start to talk about it. I also read on forum people discussing it 'what's the meaning behind the video?' (Laughs) That's good because when it's not too obvious, people start to talk about it and create a buzz. What is its real meaning?I think it's very funny. We didn't think about that but, you are right, it is a connection, but may be, we can come up with some conspiracy behind it! (Laughs) But the fact is we didn't think about it! Your video clip 'Unleashed' intrigues a lot of people.

So he should not stay on the earth anymore. And then he get haunted by the band members, who follow him everywhere in a way try to tell him that he has to get out of there, and go the light for example, to where he belongs because he is dead. So he is still there, His wife sitting there, he tries to getting contact with his wife, but his wife doesn't see him because he is dead, he passed away. But he doesn't realize that he is dead.

And that's why also we realised so many CD already in a relatively short time. And grow in such a court time so fast. And from the beginning on it was very important for us to have the best quality possibility on CD, to have best quality possibilities for live shows, and as we always worked on details, and get the details better, that's why we established our name very fast. The very first shows were not at well visited yet, but as soon as the name got spread better, then more and more people went to the shows. How do you explain that?Yeah, we were very lucky that from the beginning on we had quite good start. Epica seems to be omnipresent in the metal scene since its creation.

We did huge efforts to make it a big show: there were big lights show, pyro, and some special guest. What I read on the Internet and what I heard after the show, people were very pleased with the show. What were the public reactions?We had great reactions. This week-end, you have played in Paradisio to present your album.

I'm happy it went so well. Also the new songs were received very well. So I think all the people who were here were happy about it.

Epica Unleashed