Isn’t it annoying when you anticipate an album for such a long time, and you build it up so much in your head – that when you finally get to listen to the finished product it can’t help but disappoint you? This is definitely one of those occasions, made even more annoying by the fact it didn’t NEED to be a disappointment.

What becomes apparent almost instantly is this album is far more polished than the last – in fact the sound is so clean you could probably eat your dinner off it. Shame then, that the producer decided to turn off the distortion for all their guitars this time around! This is made even more annoying by seeing Epica live in Brussels last year - hearing the new material sounding like some sort of “heavier than ever before” Dimmu Borgir tribute band – only to FINALLY get the CD and hear it sounding incredibly weak – even more so than debut album “The Phantom Agony”.

Of course it wouldn’t be fair to expect “The Phantom Agony MK II” – but in essence, that is what we have here – only in more accessible, bite-size chunks. This sadly goes towards making the music slightly less interesting for those already familiar with Epica. Their trademark “Symphonic/Gothic” metal sound is still present and correct - however – gone are the long winding 9 minute epics, in favour of more digestible 4 minute fixes.

The band have also veered away from using the growling metal shrieks of Mark Jansen – this is very much a “Simone” flagship album, relying heavily on the female voice throughout. Indeed, Mark’s “death metal” vocals only appear on three songs out of twelve! (Mother of Light, Force of the Shore, Consign to Oblivion). While I try and avoid using a phrase along the lines of “cynical ploy for radio play” I will try and err on the side of positive.

In essence this is still Epica - so that means there are still some gems to be found amongst this highly polished, gothic romp. After the orchestrated intro, album openers “Dance of Fate” and “The Last Crusade” set things pounding along nicely (very reminiscent of the opening combo of “Sensorium” and “Cry For the Moon” in the sing-along stakes). Finally at track six (Force of the Shore) we are treated to the first appearance of Mark’s death metal growls. A cracking tune with thundering organs and equally as impressive shrieks from the man himself. Shortly after the Celtic folk lilt of “Quietus” we are again treated to some more of the old Epica sound in “Mother of Light”, featuring dual vocals from both Mark and Simone (who incidentally, has come along leaps and bounds in her vocal range). In my opinion however, the band only ever hit the nail FULLY on the head on closing track “Consign to Oblivion”. This is what I was waiting for – a ten minute epic. It twists, it winds, it has everything – uplifting choirs, death metal growls, and beautiful vocals. They finally manage to put the Epic in Epica – even if it is the last song.

It’s a shame then, that amongst this “wheaty” goodness there is so much “chaff” that spoils the flow. “Solitary Ground” is somewhat of a nothing ballad wedged in after two very good opening songs. Fair enough you might say – but rather than turning the pace down a notch or two, the effect is somewhat akin to stopping the album like a car crash - and a not very spectacular one at that. This is followed by “Blank Infinity” – a song that features a guitar riff that could be lifted straight from a Bryan Adams classic, making the song sound incredibly uncomfortable and out of place amongst the rest of the material. Lets not even mention power metal crooner “Roy Khan” of the band KAMELOT - coming in to cheese himself through a duet with Simone in “Trois Vierges” – an utter travesty of a song **shudders**.

At the end of the day this is a fabulously enjoyable gothic metal romp – sadly prevented from being a classic. This is a crisp yet ultimately weak sounding production, that would have been a far better experience altogether, had they followed the longer song format of the previous album - rather than going for quantity over quality and treating us to a little too much filler. Oh, and turning up the guitars a little bit would have helped too.

The EPICA fan in me wants to give this an 8, but realistically all I can award it is 7. Still - I strongly advise everyone to see this band live – that way ALL the material will sound fantastic!

Standout Tracks:  Dance of Fate, Mother of Light, Consign to Oblivion.

Overall Score:   7 /10

This album is pretty much the definition of a missed opportunity. “Consign To Oblivion” follows the same atmospheric gothic metal formula as “The Phantom Agony” as evident in the catchy guitar riffing of “The Last Crusade” - and the pleasing mixture of melody and growls in the title track. However the album also downplays some of the elements that made “The Phantom Agony” such a mesmerizing debut: Gone are the longer songs in favour of more 4 minute radio-friendly songs and there is less emphasis on the death growls (which formally provided a great contrast). The production of the guitars is also disappointingly weak in parts, making some songs that could have been truly excellent, utterly under-whelming. However, the album still has many good parts - and deserves a listen from anyone who is interested in something a little more up-market than your usual Male-Female combi-metal.

Overall Score:   7 /10