CONSIGN TO OBLIVION

A very hard CD to review and to rate. Epica's second efford is surely very good, but it pales when compared to the impact of their debut. Ok, let's be fair, you can't expect one masterpiece after the other. With success comes a lot of pressure, and I wonder how much pressure those guys were under after the unexpected success of their first release. So Consigh To Oblivion sounds to me like it was released before the band had time to fully develop the ideas for this record. That does not mean that this record is bad. Not al all. In fact it is very good.

The orchestral arrangements, the choirs and the production are all superb. The band is as sharp and skillful as ever. Simone Simmons is definitly one of the best female prog metal singers in the world. The only department that is not in full use is the songwriting's. All tunes are good, ok, but the album brings nothing especial or different from the first one. I think that if they had more time to work their ideas the result could be a lot better, but I'm just guessing.

All in all a worth album to have, especially if you like the first one. here are enough good moments to grant a 3 star rating at least. Maybe 3,5, because they are so special. But this CD could be bigger.