Epic, one of the most important bands on the international symphonic metal scene is celebrating the tenth anniversary of their most iconic album, ‘Design Your Universe’, por lo cual han decidido realizar una serie de conciertos especiales a lo largo del planeta – o bueno, al menos en lugares iconicos para su carrera.
Fortunately for your Mexican fans, our country is one of those places, so the band headed by the redhead Simone simons He will be back in Mexico to offer three shows that will surely remain in the memory of his assistants.
We had the opportunity to talk with the guitarist and founder of the band, Mark Jansen about what this tour means to him, the future of Epic and his opinion on world politics.
Hicieron un increíble álbum especial: “Epica vs Attack On Titan”, ¿qué tan familiarizados están los miembros de la banda con el anime y cómo fue la idea de hacer realidad este EP?
Rob is a huge anime fan and Coen is also very involved in those series. I also saw it to get the vibe from the anime. It was a lot of fun working on this project as it was something new and we hadn't done something like this before. They contacted us to see if we were interested in making our own versions of these songs. We write the lyrics based on the concept of the series and bring the music to Epica.
Are they interested in making other anime songs with your style?
Definitely !, whenever an interesting new opportunity arises we will see what we can do.
¿When will we have a new single? Are you planning to record an album soon?
We are already working on new material and we will most likely go into the studio to record next year.
How has Epica evolved and what path do you want to take for your music?
With each album we try to integrate something refreshing and something new without losing our typical Epica identity. It is an interesting path and each new member also brought new influences with him. We always encourage new members to actively work with us on new material, as new impulses are very inspiring.
What do you want to talk about on the next album?
I like the big questions in life, why we are here and what is the purpose. In my lyrics I am always looking for answers to those questions. I read many science books and watch documentaries. I love new discoveries and insights, and I also try to integrate them into the lyrics.
“Por más que necesitemos un crecimiento económico, el mundo se está quedando sin recursos naturales y la población mundial está creciendo inmensamente.”
MARK JANSEN, 2019.
Do you think it is important to raise awareness about the daily problems we are going through, such as global warming, religion or politics through music?
It is important to me as I believe that anything we can change for the better is something we should speak out for. I personally participate in animal projects and take care of 3 stray dogs and 2 cats. I think we can all contribute to making this world a better place. Even small contributions can have a big impact. There are only a few problems that we cannot solve, all others must do everything possible to keep our world livable.
Which artist would you like to collaborate with?
I've always been a super fan of Slash, so I hope someday we can collaborate with him ... (laughs)
What do you think about the current political situation?
The current situation is that money is so important in the world that some of the biggest and most necessary changes cannot be made without affecting economic growth. This growth is like the holy grail of modern times. We all benefit from it and are used to luxury items like cell phones. So not only is it bad, it has many positive aspects and I don't want to complain, but as much as we need economic growth, the world is running out of natural resources and the world's population is growing immensely.
It is clear that this is not a sustainable development and at a certain point the problems will get bigger and bigger at high speed. It will be a great challenge the next 20 years to tackle those problems, and at some point, I think it is clear that these problems are more important than economic growth, and I hope that, on a global basis, governments really work together to address them. and fight problems. At this point, it is simply talking but not acting effectively.
What do you think about the role of metalheads these days and what is the message you want to convey to the girls?
With Epica we have a 50/50 male / female fan base. I think that is great. The message I have is for women and men, be free, stay as you really are, don't let others tell you what to do and how to live, be proud of yourself and love each other so you can love each other.
Regresan a México para celebrar el décimo aniversario de “Design your Universe”, ¿tienes alguna otra sorpresa o acto especial para tu base de fans mexicanos?
In addition to the songs from Design Your Universe, we will also focus on other old songs that we don't usually play live, so they will be very special shows and I can't wait to feel the energy of the Mexican crowd again.
