Omg so cool❤❤❤ I'm glad you enjoyed it! I was so honored that Simone asked me to make this song with Epica and get to perform it with these amazing Sirens, it was unforgettable. Thanks for covering the song!
Totally agree. I have been suggesting something by Myrkur/Amelie for many months on post and in live chat. She is such an eclectic artist and her Black Metal is classic stuff as well.
Hauntingly beautiful song. Inspired by the original Little Mermaid tale by Hans Christian Anderson. Reading the lyrics Simone, Charlotte and Amalie Bruun of Myrkur are the Little Mermaids' sisters trying to remind her of her home and encouraging her to take a dagger and kill the Prince. In the original tale the Little Mermaid is heartbroken that the Prince is going to marry another and when it happens she will turn into sea foam and disappear. Her sister's appear and give her a dagger to kill the Prince and regain her mermaid tail and be able to return to the sea and live out her life as a mermaid with them. In the story she is unable to kill the Prince and throws herself into the sea where instead of turning to foam she turns into a luminous and ethereal spirit. Other spirits welcome her and tell her if she completes good works on earth over 300 years then she can earn an eternal soul in heaven. The video IMO puts a twist on the original because we do see blood on the dagger indicating that the Little Mermaid does kill the Prince and returns to the sea to be with her sisters. But the lyrics also have this line "We are the children of the sky. Come earn a soul that never dies" which sounds like the story and so the dagger is not used. As all great artists do they leave the interpretation up to us.
@@EvaMetalhankle Thanks. It is a pretty high level overview that I simplified from another commenter on another reaction to this song. Highly recommend reading the original to get all the great dark details of the story instead of the sanitized Disney version.
You 100% need to check out more of Myrkur. She's such an amazingly talented musician in all areas. Not many can cover the span of black metal to nordic folk music as flawlessly as she does.
I was at an Epica concert last night and on of the surprises was when Charlotte Wessels and Myrkur joined Epica on stage to perform this song. Totally amazing!!!
Elizabeth, how about reacting to LORD OF THE LOST's song "Blood & Glitter", that will represent the metal and goth community as well as Germany at Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool? This awesome band needs all support they can get, as they will take part in the world's biggest music competition, mainly against pop songs - and those who know these five lovely guys also know that they absolutely DESERVE all the love and attention in the world!✨️🖤🩸Of course they absolutely SERVE on an artistic level, always offering huge surprises and major changes with every single album, and with their new album "Blood & Glitter" they don't only explore the Glam aesthetics of the 70's but also the musical vibes of the 80's, using nostalgic drums and danceable electronica among their iconic Goth Metal style. However, even apart from their musical creations, these beautiful souls never cease to amaze their countless fans all over the world: They don't only say that their religion is empathy, they STICK to this heartwarming mindset every single day! For example: They get a lot of hate comments by trolls and negative minds, but they don't react with hate or negativity - instead, they often come up with self-irony and print these hate comments on their own merch!! However, they don't pocket the money they make with these shirts and hoodies for themselves, instead they often donate it to help people who are in dire need or for important causes such as rainforest conservation!🥰🫶✨️ "Blood & Glitter" is an absolute BANGER and would be a great addition to your wonderful channel, and I'm 100% sure that countless Losties want to see this reaction and would be absolutely on fire if this becomes reality!🔥💥🔥 I would find it absolutely heartwarming if all people who love metal, rock and goth would join forces and stick together for this beautiful cause, because our music is not being exposed to such a huge mainstream event that often!🫶 That's my heartfelt recommendation, and I sincerely hope it will be read and considered at some point.❤️✨️
I'm glad Elizabeth mentioned how Charlotte plays with her timbre and placement. She might not have quite as much power in her voice as Simone or Floor, but the way she flips through different placements and sound qualities for different effects is consistently impressive. I've heard her use a classic "symphonic soprano" voicing, rock belt, pop mix, and a melo-death scream.
We need more Simone, Charlotte and Myrkur, and more Epica as well on this channel. I think Epica - Design Your Universe or Chasing the Dragon, both live at Retrospect would blow your musical mind. It's the songs that made me realise Epica is something beyond other bands. Their compositions is just an explosion of creativity, genious musical ideas and combined with a stellar live performance with full orchestra, full choir, a pregnant Simone shining as always and a band that just plays and goofs around while performing mindblowingly gorgeous music.
This song is from Epica's latest Project "The Alchemy Project" and it is a Damn Good Album 🤘😎🤘!!!!! "The Alchemy Project" is a unique collaboration featuring 13 bands and musicians who co-wrote and performed the seven new tracks with the Dutch symphonic metal titans. Simone said: "Charlotte and I go back many years, but we never really worked on music together. Since she started releasing her solo songs, I became an admirer of her work and reached out to her to create a song for 'The Alchemy Project'. That collaboration resulted in the beautiful haunting song, 'Sirens - Of Blood And Water'. We both have a fascination for mermaids, the fairytale from H.C. Andersen and wanted to write a song from the perspective of the sisters of the little mermaid. I loved how our creative minds flowed into the song and having Myrkur, who happens to be Danish just like the author of the tale, add her unique voice to the song was the perfect match that we needed to complete the story." AND the other Sirens: Charlotte Wessels and folk/black metal pioneer Myrkur. I have been listening this album for many weeks and I am still possessed by them . MYRKUR - Ella (Official Audio) ua-cam.com/video/558TW8qVuNE/v-deo.html. NWSU/Epican.
It's time to discover Myrkur's amazing songs. Amalie's voice is so versatile, so pure and so wild! Ella, Ulvinde, Skøgen Skulle Dø, Måneblôt or Onde Børn would be perfect to discover her world. Her music is influenced by folk and black metal. It's also interresting to know that Amalie is the writer, performer and producer of Myrkur. She's also a great multi-instrumentalist. I've seen her live once, it was magical.
According to Simone interviewing Charlotte Wessels for the Epica podcast, this song came together at the last moment in the studio with producer Joost van den Broek (Epica, Ayreon, Powerwolf and Blind Guardian) making the final arrangements in about an hour. Then it was effortlessly recorded. Also the Epica Patreon (Epica Universe) is amazing fan service. They post content everyday and the 20th Anniversary interview (hosted by Charlotte Wessels) is amazing. Gives you some major insight into the band and super fun. Check it out (not a sponsor).
Right on....I love being in the Epica Universe as a Patreon subscriber there, they really give so much to their loved fans there, what a great bunch of humans they are!
Thanks for reacting to this enchanting collaboration with Epica. I listen to Epica every day. I never tire of them. They have an amazingly extensive discography. Another track from their new album of collaborations worth a listen is The Final Lullaby featuring Shining. It has a very nice hook.
I'd like to recommend "The Tragedy of the Commons" by Delain, which has not only Charlotte but also Alyssa White-Gluz (and is not coincidentally one of my favorite Delain songs). There's a live version, but the vocals are not mixed well IMHO, so I've also provided a link to the studio one: ua-cam.com/video/pSAnY135OCU/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/Z64SU5GYW30/v-deo.html
Charlotte also sings a metal version of Enya's "May it be" from LOTR together with Meliassa as guest vocalist with The Dark Sife of the Moon. Yes, metal Enya.
Love Myrkur she is great new black metal artist similar to Seven Spires sort of just actually like solid black metal. Her lines are so perfectly placed for her to sing in her zone. It really feels all of them write their own lyrics.
A reaction and vocal analysis to „Blood and Glitter“ by Lord of the Lost would definitely be you cup of tea Elizabeth, as it has very interesting vocals with a great range. Chris Harms, the singer, published a „vocal tutorial“ on this song, as he got lots of questions regarding his so unique and gorgeous voice. This metal band will participate at the final show of the Eurovision Song Contest (the biggest one in the world) on May 13th in Liverpool. All who love metal music have the big opportunity to support metal music in general by supporting this metal entry.
Yes, we would all LOVE to see LORD OF THE LOST and "Blood & Glitter" on the channel - not only to support the metal and goth community at Eurovision, but also because this band is just FABULOUS and full of incredibly talented musicians!!! Chris Harms, the lead vocalist, has such a huge vocal range - from deep clean vocals to obliterating growls - , it's just incredible!!!🖤✨️🩸 And we all know that you, Elizabeth, would love to see his approach to vocal delivery and songwriting! "Blood & Glitter" is an energizing, unifying, seductively catchy anthem no one should miss out on!!!🖤🖤🖤
Oh hell yes! I have been waiting for someone to take a look at this - and it is one hell of an awesome piece! :) I love all 3 singers - and this had me giddy when it was released
Since you love Simone's vocals and you liked the cello sounds of Apocalyptica, how about a collaboration of them? Earlier this year they released a song called "Rise Again" and it's pure beauty. There is a studio version with a music video and about one month ago they also released a live performance of that song. You definitley should check it out. Oh, and another vote for more Myrkur on this channel. :)
Sharing a comment made on the original video, that I think is spot on about the meaning of the song: "Konrad Stańczyk: I've been listening to this non-stop for 2 days and just realized that this is an interpretation of the original "The Little Mermaid" story, in which the mermaid's sisters give her a dagger so that she can kill the prince and regain her tail. Simone appears to be the little mermaid, Myrkur and Charlotte are the sisters. Except in their version the mermaid does kill the prince and reunites with her siblings (unlike in the story, where she refuses and turns into foam). Really awesome and well-written lyrics. And what a fantastic song."
Tea time with Myrkur would be great. What an interesting and multi-talented lady she is with a love of folk, classical and black metal!! Oh and she's beautiful too!
I’m surprised you haven’t heard Myrkur before. She’s a really well rounded musician who not only writes and sings, but plays piano, guitar, and nyckelharpa, and has a wide musical range, from metal to traditional Nordic folk music. You should definitely check out more of her stuff.
I very highly recommend checking out more of Myrkur's work! She has a very wide range of styles at her disposal. For something on the harsher side, I'd recommend Ulvinde, and for a more folk-style track, Fager som en Rose is amazing. Both compositionally and vocally, they're wildly different from each other and from this song.
Beautiful job by all three ladies... I had the pleasure of meeting Charlotte several years back In Louisville, Kentucky when Delain was touring with Sonata Arctica. She was so nice.
"Onde Børn" is s great song of Myrkyr's that she did a live studio video for, that is just heaven to my ears. "Tor I Helheim" is a good song to listen to, for hearing some of her Kulning(herd calling) singing.
Yes! Elizabeth Myrkur is amazing, you have to check out her work. She has terrific harsh vocals that we didn’t get to experience in this track, Ulvinde is a great track to check out that really shows what she's all about. Black metal with folk touches and dark haunting melodies.
Oooh yes, a music video and song worthy of analysis. Can't wait to check it out later! (I think it's self-explanatory that it would be awesome to see you dive deeper into Charlotte's music and invite her to a tea time interview some day!)
Very happy you're doing this one. I love this song soooo much. And I would love if you'd do a deep dive in the song Soft Revolution by Charlotte Wessels. The studio version or the live version with Timo on guitar, either is perfection ❤
Not to be "that guy," but you have briefly heard Charlotte with Kamelot and the track "Under Grey Skies!" However, she definitely deserves more of your attention, so please keep hearing her for the first time ;)
Always used to think sailors were pretty dumb getting entranced by sirens. This song and clip made me reconsider. I'm now positive I'd take the bait too. Well played Simone, Charlotte and Myrkur.
Love it. Hope to see you check out more of Charlotte and her solo work like Soft Revolution and Victor. The Live at Tim Tronckoe's Studio 23 videos are great.
Love that you have discovered Myrkur and hope for other analyses! Would also love to see something with Sylvaine or Vermillia, who sit in a similar sonic space. Also, the subject matter is often super-heavy, and it’s not exactly what I would recommend as an “easy” listen, but have you ever thought about covering Lingua Ignota? Classically trained, the music ranges from experimental black metal to liturgical and everything in between. Her albums are survivors’ albums, so…again, not easy subject matter, but honestly some of the most impressive metal / metal-adjacent music I’ve heard this decade.
Never heard of them, but they are so very good, love the harmonies together, this could be the intro from a James Bond movie. Just wow. On this channel I learn a lot. Thank you so much.
Epica is normally alot heavier but every album they do a ballad and this is it. Simone is incredible. Check out Elizabeth's Epica reactions on her channel. Tides of time is a gorgeous ballad. And their heavy stuff Consign to oblivion
I was so overjoyed to see this reaction here - such a stunning piece of collaborative work. I did realise pretty fast that they are mermaids, not Sirens. That the title of the song is playing with the idea of vocal seduction. If you notice the video - with all the weird filters and bubbles effects, the hand movements all three women use, and how ALL of them are always shown either seated with a long gown on, or from the waist up (Myrkur does crawl, but her gown stays in place). You don't see legs. Why? Mermaids. The give away line if not sure is when Simone sings about "bleeding feet" and returning to the sea. I guess Epica didn't like the original (non-Disney) ending, and decided the mermaids would off the prince after all! I really love the women in European symphonic metal and other styles - it seems they are pushing themselves a lot with experimental work, with a well-developed vocal tool kit, and with a great deal of collaboration. I was surprised to hear mention of awareness of Charlotte Wessels' work - Did i miss an upload!? She is such a phenomenal songwriter in her own right, a true poet.
Love the blending and layering of the beautiful voices and all the switching in the music in this song. Epica really did a good one with this!!! Every now and then you hear a song that you want to hear over and over again. Can't get loose of it, it keeps on going in your head. For me this is definitely such a song. Hmmmmm...makes me think, maybe they are really sirens that lure me into their music... LOVE IT !!! 😍😍😍
Eivør has uploaded her performing the The Last Kingdom: Main Theme (Live at Hammersmith Apollo) and it's incredible, well worth one of your breakdowns :D
I wonder if someone like Simone, who has been interviewed by Elizabeth and knows her already, now when they put up new music wonder "I wonder how Elizabeth's going to react to this?". I know I'd think that at some point. 😅 And here's hoping to see a reaction to Haggard's Eppur Si Muove one day! Still crossing my fingers you'll listen to it one day!
Hi Elizabeth, like I said in the live chat, some more infos about MYRKUR & then a suggestion for another great Metal 3 Stars female singers colllab. called THE SIRENS. 1/ About MYRKUR, I thinks Discogs sums up things well about the band : "Danish one-woman project by Amalie Bruun, born 1985" (Amalie Amtoft Bruun is the complete name). "A singer, songwriter, piano and guitar player who has created her own personal style in between black metal and old Nordic folk music. The word Myrkur is Icelandic for "darkness", in Danish "mørke"."I will add to this note that I recommend her Nordic Folk record which I named "Album of the Year" 2020 though not Metal at all, the album is called "Folkesange" (Wiki describes it as "The album consists of renditions of Scandinavian traditional music performed with period instruments such as mandola, lyre, nyckelharpa and talharpa as well as of original acoustic compositions" / & I'll add to that that I recommend the first song "Ella". I prefer the studio versions of it (also rendition wise it"ll be hard to put it into your videos...) so I picked for you a special performance of another song of the album with her musicians you could use more sound & image wise : ua-cam.com/video/hFjwW8Ranrg/v-deo.html 2/ About THE SIRENS (mostly a live collaboration act gathering 3 stunning singers I had the chance to see perform in Paris in 2014, the Kari Rueslatten (one of the 3 singers) webpage says " In this day and age female fronted metal bands are normal part of everyday life. They are so common, in fact, that it’s a waste of breath making the distinction between them and bands with a hairy, ugly guy behind the microphone. There was a time, however, when the idea of a woman fronting a full-on metal band was dismissed by metal fans and press alike as absurd. The world accepted Doro Pesch fronting Warlock and Sabina Classen leading Holy Moses in the ’80s, sure, but it wasn’t until the rise of The 3rd And The Mortal, The Gathering and Theatre Of Tragedy in the early ’90s that the movement towards equality in metal truly began. Now, in celebration of a revolution that launched an entirely new musical genre, vocalists Kari Rueslåtten (The 3rd And The Mortal), Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering) and Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull (Leaves’ Eyes, Theatre Of Tragedy) have united for a journey into the past presented live on stage: The Sirens. (2013) "/ Sorry to be long, but "now, you know". Here are links to songs from their bands they played in Paris (the whole set is available on youtube, btw), for instance those 3 in a single video (16 mn) with the second song sung in Norvegian by Kari & Liv (Anneke being only in first song here). Note that during that gig, Liv even dared to sing a magnificent "Pie Jesu" at some point... : ua-cam.com/video/i0zq0eKYaLM/v-deo.html
This is such a haunting song, the atmosphere is top notch and they sound amazing together. I hope you can react to some of their Omega Alive stuff. Once Upon a Nightmare is a song that is similar to this one in a sense that it's the closest thing to a ballad in its original album, but ends up suprisingly heavy and both have surprisingly dark lyrics. The way Simone handles the shifts in that song is delightful, especially in the Omega Alive version.
Yep, I was at work, but I knew this would be from The Alchemy Project Album. Oh yeah! LOVE this song. Awesome start to the week. Like starting the week w/ Epica could be anything else? 😁 Happy Monday!
Fantastic choice with 3 amazing vocalists!!! Loved Charlotte since Delain, and she's made a very cool solo career for herself. Simone is a nobrainer. And Myrkur is also great, she used to do very gritty,screamy metal, but I was hooked by her 2020 release Folksange, a collection of Folk Songs, Danish and otherwise, and a few originals too I think.... It's a beautiful album, highly recommended. May I also recommend checking out Bad Omens? I'm positive you'd enjoy them and Noah Sebastian's vocals, especially there's a part in The Death of Peace of Mind that'd make you very happy!!!
This looks like it's going to be an incredible vocal team-up! Looking forward to it! By the way, If you're looking for more Japanese Metal, I highly recommend Lovebites. Every member of this all-female band is an elite level musician, especially their vocalist. Their live video of their song "Holy War" is a great place to start. Their vocalist, Asami, really shines in this performance, and the song as a whole is a great example of how fantastic everyone is! ua-cam.com/video/bgAxpEpEcno/v-deo.html
I fully second the recommendation of Lovebites who have taken the best of different "old school" metal styles from the eighties to the next level. While "Holy War" is a very good place to start, I would suggest "Edge of the World", because IMO Asami shines even more in this performance: ua-cam.com/video/UZjxMjBop7w/v-deo.html Of course, "Holy War" might be more representative as regards the musical direction of the majority of their songs. Maybe "Swan Song + Chopin Intro" would be a good compromise between these two.
I had the privilege of seeing Epica open for Sabaton last October. I was completely blown away by the mix of opera vocals with their metal instrumentals. What an amazing experience. Definitely check Epica out if the opportunity is presented to you.
So glad to see Charlotte getting featured once again and I really hope you dive more into her work! Easily been one of my favourite vocalists for close to 15 years now and she just keeps getting better.
Probably my favourate song off of their latest, and amazing, EP. Right when I heard this song I almost immediately thought of how amazing a reaction from you would be. Glad you had a chance to check it out! Also, there's a song of the same EP to feature one of your favourate male vocalists, Tommy Karevik, called "Wake the World".
Yessss. Have been looking forward to this for a long time now! Now we just need a reaction of one of Epicas best songs ever written, Kingdom of Heaven 3 (although KOH 1 is still great)
You definitely need to check out more Myrkur. Anything off her Folkesange album is great. Her heavy stuff is good as well but I think her voice shines in her softer stuff like Folkesange is.
@@cancelled_user no, actually I've been listening to lots of female fronted symphonic metal bands back in a day, but eventually lost my interest. Songs like this one, on the other hand, remind me why this genre is so amazing Though it my first time listening to Myrkur. Certainly not the last time
@@xencmo4346 OK. Myrkur (Amalie Bruun) makes folk music, as well as some black metal in the past. But black metal fans are hating on her because she's "not a true black metalist" or whatever :) I hope you know all Epica albums, otherwise you're missing out on beautiful music like this. Epica can get quite heavy but they also have numerous breathtaking ballads and acoustic versions of their metal songs.
@@cancelled_user I actually don't know all of Epica discography, I remember I loved The quantum enigma (and thanks to this channel I know why Simone sounds a bit different there). I started listening to their discography from the beginning and though I liked the songs, I couldn't bear the old sound. Also I was a teenager and I listened to progressive rock cause it's "complex" and tried to find as heavy music as it can get, I thought it made me cool, haha. I considered Epica too "pop" for me🤣. But now that I'm old and tired I actually love pop music and also appreciate Epica much more, especially their lyrics. I really consider listening to their discography again, but not in a chronological order (it never worked for me). What album would you recommend to start with?
@@xencmo4346 Well.. The very first album was very special thanks to Simone's stunning unique voice. I've never heard anything like that from any other singer. More specifically, it was her operatic soprano, still undeveloped but very warm and ethereal. She was just 18 but she sounded (and looked) absolutely beautiful. I would say it also had a bit more symphonic sound than some later albums. But if you want to skip their earliest music (for now), than maybe their 3rd album The Divine Conspiracy. That was when Epica got heavier as they got a new drummer who came from a death metal band. If you still prefer to jump to newer music, besides The Quantum Enigma, The Holographic Principle is incredible! That's from late 2016. The only newer album is Omega (2021) and then The Alchemy Project (2022) EP, but that's a collab between Epica and other artists, so not a typical Epica sound, but still great. One of my most favourite is their 5th album Requiem For the Indifferent (2012). This album is not getting as much love as it deserves. But I think it's brilliant. Besides other great songs, it contains "Storm the Sorrow" which is their more radio-friendly song, with really beautiful catchy melody. If you can, watch the official music video (Simone's dirtiest filming :)
Charlotte is my fave. It's so cool you choose to react on fave singers who the average jane on the street has no idea about. The true music fans know all about them!
with this song, I discovered Amalia (Myrkur), she has just an amazing vocal range 😬 from deep low to piercing high, at times she reminds me of Bjork, but unfortunately, Amalia's work, like Bjork's work, is too specific for me, it's a pity, but from her music I liked literally only two songs ( as for Epica and Simone, everything here is always 200% perfect ❤️ this song is just a dump of the head
So happy you did this song, I love it! Really enjoyed this reaction, you put words to my goosebumps haha It'd be great if you react to a Charlotte Wessels song one day, maybe Soft Revolution? ❤
Suggestion of the day: Red Handed Denial - “Father Said” (Lauren Babic live one take performance) Recentish version of Lauren who can sing beautifully and scream with the best of them. The lyrics are very personal to her too and is worth listening for both her voice and the story.
Lauren is amazing, honestly it's her metal covers of mainstream songs that I think she does best, especially her duets. The 2020 Cascada 'Every Time We Touch' cover (with Cole Rolland) and from a similar time, her cover of "You're Going To Go Far Kid" by The Offspring (with Johnathon Young) are amazing.
Omg so cool❤❤❤ I'm glad you enjoyed it! I was so honored that Simone asked me to make this song with Epica and get to perform it with these amazing Sirens, it was unforgettable. Thanks for covering the song!
Hey Charlotte! Nice to see you here :) Thanks for this beautiful collab.
You all are amazing on this song Charlotte.
Charlotte is White Waters by Epica (shhhh) a good song and should Elizabeth experience it??
Hi Charlotte! Fun to see you around in the comment, send the link to you fellow sirens and maybe they show up here too!
Elizabeth looks like you, Charlotte haha
Great work. The verse when you came in is amazing, easily my favorite part of the song
Hopefully you cover Myrkur as a solo act in the near future. She is amazing live.
And Delain was well...
Totally agree. I have been suggesting something by Myrkur/Amelie for many months on post and in live chat. She is such an eclectic artist and her Black Metal is classic stuff as well.
I agree. Saw her a few live years ago... Chills.
Looking forward seeing Myrkur this year finally with Heilung and Zeal&Ardor. 🤘
A s much as love I love Simone and Charlotte, Myrkur is the true gem.
Hauntingly beautiful song. Inspired by the original Little Mermaid tale by Hans Christian Anderson. Reading the lyrics Simone, Charlotte and Amalie Bruun of Myrkur are the Little Mermaids' sisters trying to remind her of her home and encouraging her to take a dagger and kill the Prince. In the original tale the Little Mermaid is heartbroken that the Prince is going to marry another and when it happens she will turn into sea foam and disappear. Her sister's appear and give her a dagger to kill the Prince and regain her mermaid tail and be able to return to the sea and live out her life as a mermaid with them. In the story she is unable to kill the Prince and throws herself into the sea where instead of turning to foam she turns into a luminous and ethereal spirit. Other spirits welcome her and tell her if she completes good works on earth over 300 years then she can earn an eternal soul in heaven. The video IMO puts a twist on the original because we do see blood on the dagger indicating that the Little Mermaid does kill the Prince and returns to the sea to be with her sisters. But the lyrics also have this line "We are the children of the sky. Come earn a soul that never dies" which sounds like the story and so the dagger is not used. As all great artists do they leave the interpretation up to us.
This isn't the Disney Little Mermaid for sure 😉
Thanks for the info about the original story! I like it way more than disney's take on it!❤
@@EvaMetalhankle Thanks. It is a pretty high level overview that I simplified from another commenter on another reaction to this song. Highly recommend reading the original to get all the great dark details of the story instead of the sanitized Disney version.
Awesome
You 100% need to check out more of Myrkur. She's such an amazingly talented musician in all areas. Not many can cover the span of black metal to nordic folk music as flawlessly as she does.
I was at an Epica concert last night and on of the surprises was when Charlotte Wessels and Myrkur joined Epica on stage to perform this song. Totally amazing!!!
That should have been the best experience ever!
we were there too. one of the best epica concerts i visited since the started.
Elizabeth, how about reacting to LORD OF THE LOST's song "Blood & Glitter", that will represent the metal and goth community as well as Germany at Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool? This awesome band needs all support they can get, as they will take part in the world's biggest music competition, mainly against pop songs - and those who know these five lovely guys also know that they absolutely DESERVE all the love and attention in the world!✨️🖤🩸Of course they absolutely SERVE on an artistic level, always offering huge surprises and major changes with every single album, and with their new album "Blood & Glitter" they don't only explore the Glam aesthetics of the 70's but also the musical vibes of the 80's, using nostalgic drums and danceable electronica among their iconic Goth Metal style. However, even apart from their musical creations, these beautiful souls never cease to amaze their countless fans all over the world: They don't only say that their religion is empathy, they STICK to this heartwarming mindset every single day! For example: They get a lot of hate comments by trolls and negative minds, but they don't react with hate or negativity - instead, they often come up with self-irony and print these hate comments on their own merch!! However, they don't pocket the money they make with these shirts and hoodies for themselves, instead they often donate it to help people who are in dire need or for important causes such as rainforest conservation!🥰🫶✨️ "Blood & Glitter" is an absolute BANGER and would be a great addition to your wonderful channel, and I'm 100% sure that countless Losties want to see this reaction and would be absolutely on fire if this becomes reality!🔥💥🔥 I would find it absolutely heartwarming if all people who love metal, rock and goth would join forces and stick together for this beautiful cause, because our music is not being exposed to such a huge mainstream event that often!🫶 That's my heartfelt recommendation, and I sincerely hope it will be read and considered at some point.❤️✨️
I concur!
I can just agree: this band is simply amazing
I can only emphatically endorse this
I agree! Lord of the Lost 🖤
Oh yes please! I adore this band, they are so amazing!! ❤❤❤
I'm glad Elizabeth mentioned how Charlotte plays with her timbre and placement. She might not have quite as much power in her voice as Simone or Floor, but the way she flips through different placements and sound qualities for different effects is consistently impressive. I've heard her use a classic "symphonic soprano" voicing, rock belt, pop mix, and a melo-death scream.
We need more Simone, Charlotte and Myrkur, and more Epica as well on this channel. I think Epica - Design Your Universe or Chasing the Dragon, both live at Retrospect would blow your musical mind. It's the songs that made me realise Epica is something beyond other bands. Their compositions is just an explosion of creativity, genious musical ideas and combined with a stellar live performance with full orchestra, full choir, a pregnant Simone shining as always and a band that just plays and goofs around while performing mindblowingly gorgeous music.
This song is from Epica's latest Project "The Alchemy Project" and it is a Damn Good Album 🤘😎🤘!!!!!
"The Alchemy Project" is a unique collaboration featuring 13 bands and musicians who co-wrote and performed the seven new tracks with the Dutch symphonic metal titans.
Simone said: "Charlotte and I go back many years, but we never really worked on music together. Since she started releasing her solo songs, I became an admirer of her work and reached out to her to create a song for 'The Alchemy Project'. That collaboration resulted in the beautiful haunting song, 'Sirens - Of Blood And Water'. We both have a fascination for mermaids, the fairytale from H.C. Andersen and wanted to write a song from the perspective of the sisters of the little mermaid. I loved how our creative minds flowed into the song and having Myrkur, who happens to be Danish just like the author of the tale, add her unique voice to the song was the perfect match that we needed to complete the story."
AND the other Sirens:
Charlotte Wessels and folk/black metal pioneer Myrkur.
I have been listening this album for many weeks and I am still possessed by them .
MYRKUR - Ella (Official Audio) ua-cam.com/video/558TW8qVuNE/v-deo.html.
NWSU/Epican.
It's time to discover Myrkur's amazing songs. Amalie's voice is so versatile, so pure and so wild! Ella, Ulvinde, Skøgen Skulle Dø, Måneblôt or Onde Børn would be perfect to discover her world. Her music is influenced by folk and black metal. It's also interresting to know that Amalie is the writer, performer and producer of Myrkur. She's also a great multi-instrumentalist. I've seen her live once, it was magical.
Yeah, she's a real gem. Deserves more attention IMHO.
@@MilesDashing I agree, she's truly awesome, so unique, a real artist.
Måneblôt yes
Love Myrkur’s voice. Definitely worth your time looking closer at her :)
She's brilliant! Everything you hear in this piece, absolutely everything is by her..
According to Simone interviewing Charlotte Wessels for the Epica podcast, this song came together at the last moment in the studio with producer Joost van den Broek (Epica, Ayreon, Powerwolf and Blind Guardian) making the final arrangements in about an hour. Then it was effortlessly recorded.
Also the Epica Patreon (Epica Universe) is amazing fan service. They post content everyday and the 20th Anniversary interview (hosted by Charlotte Wessels) is amazing. Gives you some major insight into the band and super fun. Check it out (not a sponsor).
Right on....I love being in the Epica Universe as a Patreon subscriber there, they really give so much to their loved fans there, what a great bunch of humans they are!
Joost is THE MAN!
Nice sponsor bot (joke)
Everything is so very beautiful, this song is one of my favourites of Epica.❤
❤
Hi Amalie. Can we have another collab with Simone? 🙂
Amalie Bruun! I have not listened to her in a couple of years! She's a wizard! Her and Charlotte are indeed alien in a world of far and few.
As i previously did say in 2020 or 2021:
You will love Myrkur voice and her "Folkesange" album.
"House carpenter" is one of my favourites songs ever.
I love house carpenter!
Hear Charlotte Wessels
Delain -masters of Destiny
Charlotte Wessels -soft revolution
Wow, this is whole lot of beautiful TALENT! Their voices are all so pretty and powerful~
Thanks for reacting to this enchanting collaboration with Epica. I listen to Epica every day. I never tire of them. They have an amazingly extensive discography.
Another track from their new album of collaborations worth a listen is The Final Lullaby featuring Shining. It has a very nice hook.
Thank you Elizabeth! We need more Epica on your channel!
Please please please analyze Simone with Apocalyptica, Rise again live! It's Simones best vocal performance
This is one of these best songs, structurally and musically, that I have ever heard - I LOVE IT!!!
When are you going to do The Haunting with Kamelot and Simone Simons?
So happy to see more Charolette. I know this is Epics, but she deserves more love.
I'd like to recommend "The Tragedy of the Commons" by Delain, which has not only Charlotte but also Alyssa White-Gluz (and is not coincidentally one of my favorite Delain songs). There's a live version, but the vocals are not mixed well IMHO, so I've also provided a link to the studio one:
ua-cam.com/video/pSAnY135OCU/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/Z64SU5GYW30/v-deo.html
Charlotte also sings a metal version of Enya's "May it be" from LOTR together with Meliassa as guest vocalist with The Dark Sife of the Moon. Yes, metal Enya.
Oooh, haunting, mesmerizing, gorgeous, harsh... loved it!!
Love Myrkur she is great new black metal artist similar to Seven Spires sort of just actually like solid black metal. Her lines are so perfectly placed for her to sing in her zone. It really feels all of them write their own lyrics.
This is one of my favourites.
Simone Simons and Charlotte Wessels together! Plus Myrkur? And Elizabeth? This may be more fun than a poor old man can stand! 14 hours and counting...
A reaction and vocal analysis to „Blood and Glitter“ by Lord of the Lost would definitely be you cup of tea Elizabeth, as it has very interesting vocals with a great range.
Chris Harms, the singer, published a „vocal tutorial“ on this song, as he got lots of questions regarding his so unique and gorgeous voice.
This metal band will participate at the final show of the Eurovision Song Contest (the biggest one in the world) on May 13th in Liverpool. All who love metal music have the big opportunity to support metal music in general by supporting this metal entry.
Yes, we would all LOVE to see LORD OF THE LOST and "Blood & Glitter" on the channel - not only to support the metal and goth community at Eurovision, but also because this band is just FABULOUS and full of incredibly talented musicians!!! Chris Harms, the lead vocalist, has such a huge vocal range - from deep clean vocals to obliterating growls - , it's just incredible!!!🖤✨️🩸 And we all know that you, Elizabeth, would love to see his approach to vocal delivery and songwriting! "Blood & Glitter" is an energizing, unifying, seductively catchy anthem no one should miss out on!!!🖤🖤🖤
Oh hell yes! I have been waiting for someone to take a look at this - and it is one hell of an awesome piece! :) I love all 3 singers - and this had me giddy when it was released
Since you love Simone's vocals and you liked the cello sounds of Apocalyptica, how about a collaboration of them? Earlier this year they released a song called "Rise Again" and it's pure beauty. There is a studio version with a music video and about one month ago they also released a live performance of that song. You definitley should check it out.
Oh, and another vote for more Myrkur on this channel. :)
Sharing a comment made on the original video, that I think is spot on about the meaning of the song:
"Konrad Stańczyk:
I've been listening to this non-stop for 2 days and just realized that this is an interpretation of the original "The Little Mermaid" story, in which the mermaid's sisters give her a dagger so that she can kill the prince and regain her tail.
Simone appears to be the little mermaid, Myrkur and Charlotte are the sisters. Except in their version the mermaid does kill the prince and reunites with her siblings (unlike in the story, where she refuses and turns into foam). Really awesome and well-written lyrics. And what a fantastic song."
Epica is awesome!!!
I don't know if you covered any old work from Epica. If, not, please consider the studio versions of the phantom agony and cry for the moon.
Tea time with Myrkur would be great. What an interesting and multi-talented lady she is with a love of folk, classical and black metal!! Oh and she's beautiful too!
Always up for more Epica. Of course I am going to recommend Epica's Trois Vierges live with Roy Khan from 2006 that was recently released. :)
Omg you're finally getting to hear Myrkyr!! I can't wait to see your genuine reaction to her amazing voice! ❤
This has a very gothic dark vibe in the music/chords, very reminiscent of what Lacuna Coil tend to do, with these interweaving tones.
I’m surprised you haven’t heard Myrkur before. She’s a really well rounded musician who not only writes and sings, but plays piano, guitar, and nyckelharpa, and has a wide musical range, from metal to traditional Nordic folk music. You should definitely check out more of her stuff.
Love Myrkur. Her Folk stuff and Metal stuff are both great.
myrkur is a fantastic artist! I suggest you listen to "Ulvinde", "Onde Børn (live acoustic)" and "Ella"🖤
I very highly recommend checking out more of Myrkur's work! She has a very wide range of styles at her disposal. For something on the harsher side, I'd recommend Ulvinde, and for a more folk-style track, Fager som en Rose is amazing. Both compositionally and vocally, they're wildly different from each other and from this song.
Beautiful job by all three ladies...
I had the pleasure of meeting Charlotte several years back In Louisville, Kentucky when Delain was touring with Sonata Arctica. She was so nice.
"Onde Børn" is s great song of Myrkyr's that she did a live studio video for, that is just heaven to my ears.
"Tor I Helheim" is a good song to listen to, for hearing some of her Kulning(herd calling) singing.
Agree, I have recommended it many times to Elizabeth over the last few years.
Yes! Elizabeth Myrkur is amazing, you have to check out her work. She has terrific harsh vocals that we didn’t get to experience in this track, Ulvinde is a great track to check out that really shows what she's all about. Black metal with folk touches and dark haunting melodies.
Usually I have a lot to say, this time words escape me. This is beyond amazing.
Thank you for letting me know about it.
🤯✌️🖖
Oooh yes, a music video and song worthy of analysis. Can't wait to check it out later!
(I think it's self-explanatory that it would be awesome to see you dive deeper into Charlotte's music and invite her to a tea time interview some day!)
Very happy you're doing this one. I love this song soooo much. And I would love if you'd do a deep dive in the song Soft Revolution by Charlotte Wessels. The studio version or the live version with Timo on guitar, either is perfection ❤
O yeah, Charlotte deserves more attention to private projects. Personally I like “Vitor” more
Not to be "that guy," but you have briefly heard Charlotte with Kamelot and the track "Under Grey Skies!" However, she definitely deserves more of your attention, so please keep hearing her for the first time ;)
Agreed!
Yeah you're so right! I hope someday she'll react to Phantasma's Let it Die. I'd be so happy ☺️
Oh please, be "that guy"! We need more of you to make it happen :D
Love Epica so much 🤘🤘
Greatest band the world 🙃
you should definitely check the "Soft Revolution" by Charlotte!!
Second that!
Always used to think sailors were pretty dumb getting entranced by sirens. This song and clip made me reconsider. I'm now positive I'd take the bait too. Well played Simone, Charlotte and Myrkur.
Charlotte's voice makes me shiver every time. You're right, she sounds like an actual siren
It's so beautiful and dangerous at the same time! I love love love it!
Love it.
Hope to see you check out more of Charlotte and her solo work like Soft Revolution and Victor. The Live at Tim Tronckoe's Studio 23 videos are great.
What a great and aptly named song thanks for featuring it here. Would love to see you react to Sully Erna 7 years.
Epica is so kreativ .....and great
Yes this is a great song with out of this world talented ladies. You should also check out Rivers by Epica the one shot version is beautiful.
2 Dutch Sirens and the Danish Siren making beautiful magical melodies that can entice and allure even the strongest of wills.
❤ 🇳🇱🇩🇰❤️
I will be at work in that time and that's really sad, but I will watch this as soon as possible ❤❤
Charlotte one of the QUEENS of Symphonic Metal!
Love that you have discovered Myrkur and hope for other analyses! Would also love to see something with Sylvaine or Vermillia, who sit in a similar sonic space.
Also, the subject matter is often super-heavy, and it’s not exactly what I would recommend as an “easy” listen, but have you ever thought about covering Lingua Ignota? Classically trained, the music ranges from experimental black metal to liturgical and everything in between. Her albums are survivors’ albums, so…again, not easy subject matter, but honestly some of the most impressive metal / metal-adjacent music I’ve heard this decade.
Never heard of them, but they are so very good, love the harmonies together, this could be the intro from a James Bond movie. Just wow. On this channel I learn a lot. Thank you so much.
Epica is normally alot heavier but every album they do a ballad and this is it. Simone is incredible. Check out Elizabeth's Epica reactions on her channel. Tides of time is a gorgeous ballad. And their heavy stuff Consign to oblivion
I was so overjoyed to see this reaction here - such a stunning piece of collaborative work.
I did realise pretty fast that they are mermaids, not Sirens. That the title of the song is playing with the idea of vocal seduction. If you notice the video - with all the weird filters and bubbles effects, the hand movements all three women use, and how ALL of them are always shown either seated with a long gown on, or from the waist up (Myrkur does crawl, but her gown stays in place). You don't see legs. Why? Mermaids.
The give away line if not sure is when Simone sings about "bleeding feet" and returning to the sea. I guess Epica didn't like the original (non-Disney) ending, and decided the mermaids would off the prince after all!
I really love the women in European symphonic metal and other styles - it seems they are pushing themselves a lot with experimental work, with a well-developed vocal tool kit, and with a great deal of collaboration.
I was surprised to hear mention of awareness of Charlotte Wessels' work - Did i miss an upload!? She is such a phenomenal songwriter in her own right, a true poet.
One of my favourites by Epica :-) Amazing singers, all of them.
I just love watching you "nerd out" on stuff like this I have to say this is my favorite song from The Alchemy Project
Love the blending and layering of the beautiful voices and all the switching in the music in this song. Epica really did a good one with this!!!
Every now and then you hear a song that you want to hear over and over again. Can't get loose of it, it keeps on going in your head. For me this is definitely such a song.
Hmmmmm...makes me think, maybe they are really sirens that lure me into their music... LOVE IT !!! 😍😍😍
Listened to this song so much, still gives me goosebumps every time.
Eivør has uploaded her performing the The Last Kingdom: Main Theme (Live at Hammersmith Apollo) and it's incredible, well worth one of your breakdowns :D
I wonder if someone like Simone, who has been interviewed by Elizabeth and knows her already, now when they put up new music wonder "I wonder how Elizabeth's going to react to this?". I know I'd think that at some point. 😅
And here's hoping to see a reaction to Haggard's Eppur Si Muove one day! Still crossing my fingers you'll listen to it one day!
I've only known Mykur from her own albums and had NO idea she performed on this song. So much ❤ for Simone, Charlotte, and Amelie!
Hi Elizabeth, like I said in the live chat, some more infos about MYRKUR & then a suggestion for another great Metal 3 Stars female singers colllab. called THE SIRENS.
1/ About MYRKUR, I thinks Discogs sums up things well about the band : "Danish one-woman project by Amalie Bruun, born 1985" (Amalie Amtoft Bruun is the complete name). "A singer, songwriter, piano and guitar player who has created her own personal style in between black metal and old Nordic folk music. The word Myrkur is Icelandic for "darkness", in Danish "mørke"."I will add to this note that I recommend her Nordic Folk record which I named "Album of the Year" 2020 though not Metal at all, the album is called "Folkesange" (Wiki describes it as "The album consists of renditions of Scandinavian traditional music performed with period instruments such as mandola, lyre, nyckelharpa and talharpa as well as of original acoustic compositions" / & I'll add to that that I recommend the first song "Ella". I prefer the studio versions of it (also rendition wise it"ll be hard to put it into your videos...) so I picked for you a special performance of another song of the album with her musicians you could use more sound & image wise : ua-cam.com/video/hFjwW8Ranrg/v-deo.html
2/ About THE SIRENS (mostly a live collaboration act gathering 3 stunning singers I had the chance to see perform in Paris in 2014, the Kari Rueslatten (one of the 3 singers) webpage says " In this day and age female fronted metal bands are normal part of everyday life. They are so common, in fact, that it’s a waste of breath making the distinction between them and bands with a hairy, ugly guy behind the microphone. There was a time, however, when the idea of a woman fronting a full-on metal band was dismissed by metal fans and press alike as absurd. The world accepted Doro Pesch fronting Warlock and Sabina Classen leading Holy Moses in the ’80s, sure, but it wasn’t until the rise of The 3rd And The Mortal, The Gathering and Theatre Of Tragedy in the early ’90s that the movement towards equality in metal truly began. Now, in celebration of a revolution that launched an entirely new musical genre, vocalists Kari Rueslåtten (The 3rd And The Mortal), Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering) and Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull (Leaves’ Eyes, Theatre Of Tragedy) have united for a journey into the past presented live on stage: The Sirens. (2013) "/ Sorry to be long, but "now, you know". Here are links to songs from their bands they played in Paris (the whole set is available on youtube, btw), for instance those 3 in a single video (16 mn) with the second song sung in Norvegian by Kari & Liv (Anneke being only in first song here). Note that during that gig, Liv even dared to sing a magnificent "Pie Jesu" at some point... : ua-cam.com/video/i0zq0eKYaLM/v-deo.html
I was so exited to see you had done this song! If you want more Charlotte, the number one suggestion by me would be Soft Revolution.
This is such a haunting song, the atmosphere is top notch and they sound amazing together. I hope you can react to some of their Omega Alive stuff. Once Upon a Nightmare is a song that is similar to this one in a sense that it's the closest thing to a ballad in its original album, but ends up suprisingly heavy and both have surprisingly dark lyrics. The way Simone handles the shifts in that song is delightful, especially in the Omega Alive version.
One of Epica's best, I agree completely.
If you like vocal layering... yknow... Epica *does* have an a capella version of Rivers that's fantastic
Yep, I was at work, but I knew this would be from The Alchemy Project Album. Oh yeah! LOVE this song. Awesome start to the week. Like starting the week w/ Epica could be anything else? 😁 Happy Monday!
Fantastic choice with 3 amazing vocalists!!! Loved Charlotte since Delain, and she's made a very cool solo career for herself. Simone is a nobrainer. And Myrkur is also great, she used to do very gritty,screamy metal, but I was hooked by her 2020 release Folksange, a collection of Folk Songs, Danish and otherwise, and a few originals too I think.... It's a beautiful album, highly recommended.
May I also recommend checking out Bad Omens? I'm positive you'd enjoy them and Noah Sebastian's vocals, especially there's a part in The Death of Peace of Mind that'd make you very happy!!!
3 great metal singers in one song all with classical training You cannot go wrong!
this is one of my favorite songs!!!! Will now have to listen to it on repeat for the rest of the day
Mykur's "Folk Sange" album is fantastic. It inspired me to make a nyckelharpa.
Going to see Epica at Download in June! Looking fwd to this to get me in the mood! 😀
This is an amazing song from "The Alchemy Project" album by Epica. I also enjoy "Wake the World" from the album, which features Tommy Karevik.
The Miner is my favourite!
My favorite bands :)
Greetz from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Thank you for reminding me I haven't listened to Epica lately, and will go rectify that.
This looks like it's going to be an incredible vocal team-up! Looking forward to it!
By the way, If you're looking for more Japanese Metal, I highly recommend Lovebites. Every member of this all-female band is an elite level musician, especially their vocalist. Their live video of their song "Holy War" is a great place to start. Their vocalist, Asami, really shines in this performance, and the song as a whole is a great example of how fantastic everyone is! ua-cam.com/video/bgAxpEpEcno/v-deo.html
Unlucky Morpheus JUST MINDBLOWING!
Yes! I've been wanting Elizabeth to react to that for a while!
For vocals, I would suggest Edge of the World first. Asami's voice is wonderful in that song.
Lovebites is phenomenal. Please react.
I fully second the recommendation of Lovebites who have taken the best of different "old school" metal styles from the eighties to the next level. While "Holy War" is a very good place to start, I would suggest "Edge of the World", because IMO Asami shines even more in this performance: ua-cam.com/video/UZjxMjBop7w/v-deo.html Of course, "Holy War" might be more representative as regards the musical direction of the majority of their songs. Maybe "Swan Song + Chopin Intro" would be a good compromise between these two.
I had the privilege of seeing Epica open for Sabaton last October. I was completely blown away by the mix of opera vocals with their metal instrumentals. What an amazing experience. Definitely check Epica out if the opportunity is presented to you.
So glad to see Charlotte getting featured once again and I really hope you dive more into her work! Easily been one of my favourite vocalists for close to 15 years now and she just keeps getting better.
Probably my favourate song off of their latest, and amazing, EP. Right when I heard this song I almost immediately thought of how amazing a reaction from you would be. Glad you had a chance to check it out!
Also, there's a song of the same EP to feature one of your favourate male vocalists, Tommy Karevik, called "Wake the World".
Yessss. Have been looking forward to this for a long time now! Now we just need a reaction of one of Epicas best songs ever written, Kingdom of Heaven 3 (although KOH 1 is still great)
Can't wait to hear this one!
You should soooo do Wake The World by Epica, from the same album. It's such a beautiful song and Simone and Tommy Karevik do an amazing job.
You definitely need to check out more Myrkur. Anything off her Folkesange album is great. Her heavy stuff is good as well but I think her voice shines in her softer stuff like Folkesange is.
Oh my god I just discovered this song because of this video and I love it!
Your first Epica song? 🙂
@@cancelled_user no, actually I've been listening to lots of female fronted symphonic metal bands back in a day, but eventually lost my interest. Songs like this one, on the other hand, remind me why this genre is so amazing
Though it my first time listening to Myrkur. Certainly not the last time
@@xencmo4346 OK.
Myrkur (Amalie Bruun) makes folk music, as well as some black metal in the past. But black metal fans are hating on her because she's "not a true black metalist" or whatever :)
I hope you know all Epica albums, otherwise you're missing out on beautiful music like this. Epica can get quite heavy but they also have numerous breathtaking ballads and acoustic versions of their metal songs.
@@cancelled_user I actually don't know all of Epica discography, I remember I loved The quantum enigma (and thanks to this channel I know why Simone sounds a bit different there).
I started listening to their discography from the beginning and though I liked the songs, I couldn't bear the old sound.
Also I was a teenager and I listened to progressive rock cause it's "complex" and tried to find as heavy music as it can get, I thought it made me cool, haha.
I considered Epica too "pop" for me🤣.
But now that I'm old and tired I actually love pop music and also appreciate Epica much more, especially their lyrics. I really consider listening to their discography again, but not in a chronological order (it never worked for me).
What album would you recommend to start with?
@@xencmo4346 Well.. The very first album was very special thanks to Simone's stunning unique voice. I've never heard anything like that from any other singer. More specifically, it was her operatic soprano, still undeveloped but very warm and ethereal. She was just 18 but she sounded (and looked) absolutely beautiful. I would say it also had a bit more symphonic sound than some later albums.
But if you want to skip their earliest music (for now), than maybe their 3rd album The Divine Conspiracy. That was when Epica got heavier as they got a new drummer who came from a death metal band.
If you still prefer to jump to newer music, besides The Quantum Enigma, The Holographic Principle is incredible! That's from late 2016. The only newer album is Omega (2021) and then The Alchemy Project (2022) EP, but that's a collab between Epica and other artists, so not a typical Epica sound, but still great.
One of my most favourite is their 5th album Requiem For the Indifferent (2012). This album is not getting as much love as it deserves. But I think it's brilliant. Besides other great songs, it contains "Storm the Sorrow" which is their more radio-friendly song, with really beautiful catchy melody. If you can, watch the official music video (Simone's dirtiest filming :)
Charlotte is my fave. It's so cool you choose to react on fave singers who the average jane on the street has no idea about. The true music fans know all about them!
Awesome song! Beautiful contrast of light vocals with heavy instrumentals.
with this song, I discovered Amalia (Myrkur), she has just an amazing vocal range 😬 from deep low to piercing high, at times she reminds me of Bjork, but unfortunately, Amalia's work, like Bjork's work, is too specific for me, it's a pity, but from her music I liked literally only two songs (
as for Epica and Simone, everything here is always 200% perfect ❤️ this song is just a dump of the head
So happy you did this song, I love it! Really enjoyed this reaction, you put words to my goosebumps haha
It'd be great if you react to a Charlotte Wessels song one day, maybe Soft Revolution? ❤
❤❤Please reacting to Blood & Glitter from Lord of the Lost❤❤❤
Suggestion of the day: Red Handed Denial - “Father Said” (Lauren Babic live one take performance) Recentish version of Lauren who can sing beautifully and scream with the best of them. The lyrics are very personal to her too and is worth listening for both her voice and the story.
Lauren is amazing, honestly it's her metal covers of mainstream songs that I think she does best, especially her duets. The 2020 Cascada 'Every Time We Touch' cover (with Cole Rolland) and from a similar time, her cover of "You're Going To Go Far Kid" by The Offspring (with Johnathon Young) are amazing.