While I've actually had this album for a few days now (I got it before I posted my Nightwish review) I've not really had chance to do a review of it till now.

What can I say? It's definitely Epica. That probably explains why it's taken me this long to do a review.
I'm not really a fan of death metal. I do however like symphonic metal which this definitely is. However, remove the female vocals and orchestral pieces and you are left with just another death metal album. Every track has fast paced drums, distorted guitars and death metal grunting. What makes the album stand out is the exceptional use of female vocals, orchestras and choirs. Put together as a whole and this is simply a work of art, but it's a work of art for a very niche audience. The orchestral pieces are too fine for most death metal fans and the speed of the drums and guitars with their accompanying grunts too dark for your average Nightwish fan.
As I write this Chasing the Dragon is on. To show you what is wrong I'll describe it for you. Almost 8 minutes long it starts off as a soft melodic ballad, acoustic guitar and quiet orchestra with clear soprano vocals. A perfect counterpoint to the heavier feel to the rest of the album. 2 minutes and 56 seconds in the distorted guitars start up, but don't sound out of place. At 3 minutes and 14 seconds you get the most surreal experience of quiet death metal grunting for a few seconds before the song returns back to it's acoustic and orchestral workings. Shortly past 5 minutes and 20 the drums start up, and full death metal grunting ensues. Just over a minute later and every slows down again. I'm left with the feeling that I've either heard a work of genius or insanity and I'm not entirely certain which. Make your own mind up...
Of the 3 big releases this year, the other 2 being Nightwish and Within Temptation, I feel this one is musically the superior. Production is crisp, the choral work is superb and the soprano vocals are as good as anything Nightwish or Within Temptation has to offer. Unfortunately for me this has to be the bottom of the pile for one reason: Soprano vocals and death metal just do not work for me. Ditch the grunting and you have an album that competes with the big guns of the symphonic metal genre. Too much death metal to sit well with symphonic metal fans, too symphonic for death metal fans.