Our interview with Mark Jansen from Dutch symphonic metallers Epica features as possibly our last interview of 2009!

Epica recently released their new album ‘Design Your Universe’ in October of this year. It includes a guest appearance from Sonata Arctica’s Tony Kakko and is the first album to feature their new guitarist Issac Delahaye.

Mark talks to Rich about what its like touring in the UK and how such complex musical compositions are created during Epica’s writing process.

As usual we have some great metal tunes to accompany the show. We hope that your looking forward to the festive season and have a very brutal Christmas!

Warpath - Damnation
Mean Streak - Battle Within
Napalm Death - Scum
Construcdead - My Haven
Unsun - Whispers
Epica - Unleashed
Spheric Universe Experience - Lakeside Park
White Wizzard - High Speed GTO
Thaurorod - Warrior’s Heart

 

 Episode 45 - Mark Jansen from Epica [81:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The poster on the wall inside the Glasgow Auditorium on this rainy November evening reads ‘They keep killing him… and he keeps coming back!’. Which is very true; Alice Cooper has been performing for over four decades now (!), being - amongst other gruesome acts - hung, electrocuted, maimed, decapitated and strangled in his legendary live show, but is still going strongly, shocking and grossing-out adults and bores everywhere he goes. Even ex-Home Secretary David Blunkett called him ‘obscene’. What’s that? Oh, yeah, that is the same Mr. Blunkett who got caught shagging his married secretary and breaking ministerial laws for personal gain. But I digress.

First up are Man Raze, who can count Def Leppard’s Phil Collen and The Sex Pistols’ Paul Cook in their ranks. They’ve also got Simon Laffy from Girl on bass (I’d never heard of him either). They fare well tonight on their first Scottish show, with a nice hard rock sound and covers of The Stooges’ ‘Search And Destroy’ and The Jam’s ‘That’s Enterainment’. One very satisfied punter in the front row gives them a standing ovation after every song. Not the greatest of bands, but an enjoyable little act and a nice wee side project for the members nonetheless.
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