Metal
Epica – “Cross the Divide” [Song Review]
We’re “Crossing the Divide”! Epica’s new single (Nuclear Blast Records) is a bombastic return to form from a symphonic metal band that never seems to peak.
“Cross the Divide” opens with an excellent guitar strum before exploding with a triumphant drum beat and synth backing. It only improves from there.
Singer Simone Simons’ soprano vocals are intense, as always, and her work on the chorus here is exceptional. There’s always been a great variety in her voice. Nowhere is that better shown than the breathy, floating notes of the main stanzas compared against intense staccato bursts of the chorus. “Cross the Divide,” indeed!
The instrumentals, however, are easily an equal highlight. They are an excellent complement to the lofty operatic lyrics. Fast-paced without being overwhelming and beautifully ornamented, the guitars are outstanding.
Guitarists Mark Jansen and Isaac Delahaye masterfully blend djent and electronica influences, perfectly enhancing Epica’s signature symphonic-death metal sound. I admit this contrast work has always drawn me to Epica. It kept me listening to this single on loop.
I have never been particularly impressed with this band’s songwriting, and “Cross the Divide” met my middling expectations there. While the lyrics give Simons a lot to play with vocally, and her voice is exquisite, Epica’s brand of philosophic sentimentality never strikes home.
It feels as if Simons and Jansen pick out fun words to sing and sound smart when you figure out what they mean. Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with this approach, and it makes for beautiful music, but it has all the depth of one of those 3-D-looking chalk pictures of a puddle.
Epica, photo by Tim Tronckoe
Overall, I strongly recommend “Cross the Divide.” I’m excited for Aspiral, especially if it continues the same intricate fusion of instrumental styles and saccharine lyrics. Although this song is not an innovation, it is an advancement of a time-tested formula and undeniably shows a maturation of Epica’s artistry.
Here, we have a solid addition to the symphonic metal genre and engaging output from a band at its best.
Run Time: 4:18
Release Date: January 30, 2025
Record Label: Nuclear Blast Records
The Sheepdogs: “We learned a lot because people weren’t willing to give us a chance because we didn’t sound like band A, B, or C, ”
Papa Roach: “It was indicative of the era musically but I think that the music and the lyrics they can transcend that.”
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