The Phantom Agony
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
The Phantom Agony is the first full-length studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica. It was released in 2003 by the Dutch label Transmission Records. It is the first album recorded by guitarist Mark Jansen after his departure from the band After Forever. On this album, Mark Jansen continues with the collection of songs that make up "The Embrace That Smothers". The first three parts can be found on Prison of Desire (2000), After Forever's debut album, and the following three parts can be found on The Divine Conspiracy (2007), Epica's third album. These songs deal with the dangers of organized religion.[1]
Themes
This album's lyrics are mostly based on events that happened during the writing of the album.
- "Cry for the Moon" is based on the abuse of children by Catholic priests. It has been released as a single in 2004.
- "Feint" was written after the murder of Pim Fortuyn.
- "Façade of Reality" is based on the September 11, 2001 attacks. It features two fragments from a speech by Tony Blair.
- "Run for a Fall" expresses Mark's frustrations towards his former band After Forever.
- "Seif al Din" is about Islamic fundamentalism.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Notes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Adyta (The Neverending Embrace ~ Prelude ~)" | S. Simons | M. Jansen | 1:27 | |
| 2. | "Sensorium" | M. Jansen | M. Jansen, A. Sluijter, C. Janssen, S. Simons | 4:47 | |
| 3. | "Cry for the Moon (The Embrace That Smothers, Part IV)" | M. Jansen | M. Jansen, A. Sluijter, S. Simons | The third single | 6:44 |
| 4. | "Feint" | M. Jansen | M. Jansen, A. Sluijter, C. Janssen, S. Simons | The second single | 4:18 |
| 5. | "Illusive Consensus" | S. Simons | M. Jansen, A. Sluijter, C. Janssen, S. Simons | 4:59 | |
| 6. | "Façade of Reality (The Embrace That Smothers, Part V)" | M. Jansen | M. Jansen, A. Sluijter, S. Simons | 8:10 | |
| 7. | "Run for a Fall" | M. Jansen | M. Jansen, A. Sluijter, C. Janssen, S. Simons | 6:31 | |
| 8. | "Seif al Din (The Embrace That Smothers, Part VI)" | M. Jansen | M. Jansen, A. Sluijter | 5:47 | |
| 9. | "The Phantom Agony" | M. Jansen | M. Jansen, A. Sluijter, Y. Huts | 9:00 | |
| 10. | "The Phantom Agony (single version)" | M. Jansen | M. Jansen, A. Sluijter, Y. Huts | The first single, bonus track on some editions | 4:35 |
| 11. | "Triumph of Defeat" | instrumental | Bonus track on Japanese edition | 3:58 |
Personnel
|
Epica Orchestra:
Epica Choir:
|
References
- ^ "Epica (Nld) - The Phantom Agony". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
- ^ The Phantom Agony (Media notes). The Netherlands: Transmission Records. 2003.
{{cite AV media notes}}:|format=requires|url=(help); Unknown parameter|bandname=ignored (help)