Requiem For the Indifferent

Requiem for the Indifferent, the fifth outing from the Dutch progressive metal outfit, is a typically elaborate and ambitious affair, incorporating copious amounts of choral work and classical arrangements into the band's neatly established blend of goth, progressive, power, and symphonic metal. Like fellow neo-classical rockers Leaves' Eyes and Lacuna Coil, Epica sport a frontwoman with an impressive set of pipes, and mezzo-soprano Simone Simons' operatic vocals ride front and center on standout cuts like "Delirium" and "Storm the Sorrow," while lengthy narratives like the title cut and "Serenade of Self-Destruction" dutifully showcase the band's technical mastery of the genre. ~ James Christopher Monger