Once upon a time, there was an awesome band called Kamelot who released an album called Epica. Some Dutch individuals liked this CD, and decided to change their band name to Epica. Thus, the female-fronted Epica was born.

The Phantom Agony, their debut, was a cool piece. Consign to Oblivion was a step up, and noticeably more mature than their debut.

The Divine Conspiracy, however, takes the cake. The production is clean enough to eat off of, and the vocals — both female and male grunts — are at the top of their game. Epica have really made what could be considered a top contender in the ongoing history of female-fronted symphonic metal.

Epica doesn't do the whole flowery deal like Within Temptation and To-Mera, which sound like metal bands fronted by a wimpy woman. Female vocalist Simone Simmons provides a surprisingly strong vocal performance considering her usually soft voice, and guitarist Mark Jansen provides some beastly roars that are definitely more polished since the band's debut. The metal is faster and more intricate, and the riffs slice through the mix with ease. Granted, when you hear the name Epica, the meaty riffs never come to mind... This may change when people hear The Divine Conspiracy.

For all of you manly men who avoided Epica in the past, it's time to check them out. The Divine Conspiracy is not wimpy like their debut, the guitars are more present and hold an impact, the growls and screams are used frequently and to devastating extent. Simmons's female vocals are much more confident and sound less like some cheesy Goth album you'd listen to in headphones in the corner of your bedroom. Epica has really matured as a band, and with The Divine Conspiracy, they've definitely released their best album to date. Only problem now is that when they release their next one, it probably won't be as good! (9/10)