Design Your Universe
{{short description|2009 studio album by Epica}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Design Your Universe
| type = studio
| artist = Epica
| cover = Epica_design.jpg
| alt =
| released = 16 October 2009
| recorded = December 2008 – June 2009
| venue =
| studio = Gate Studio, Wolfsburg, Germany,
The Huts Studio Antwerp, Belgium,
The Iceman Studio, Ypres, Belgium,
| genre = Symphonic metal
| length = 74:50
| label = Nuclear Blast
| producer = Sascha Paeth & Epica
| prev_title = The Classical Conspiracy
| prev_year = 2009
| next_title = Requiem for the Indifferent
| next_year = 2012
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Design Your Universe
| type = studio
| single1 = Unleashed
| single1date = 25 September 2009
| single2 = Martyr of the Free Word
| single2date = 30 October 2009
}}
}}
Design Your Universe is the fourth studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica, released on 16 October 2009. It was the first album to feature officially new band members Isaac Delahaye on guitar and Ariën van Weesenbeek on drums.
A Gold Edition re-release of the album was released on 4 October 2019.[http://www.epica.nl/news/2019-07-epica-announce-the-release-of-design-your-universe-gold-edition Epica announce the release of Design Your Universe - Gold Edition -] epica.nl. 17 July 2019. Retrieved on 2019-07-19.
Overview
=Pre-release and production=
The band entered Gate Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany on 2 March 2009 to start recording the album with usual collaborators Sascha Paeth, Amanda Somerville and Michael 'Miro' Rodenberg.{{cite web | url = http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=118465 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130221145538/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=118465 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 21 February 2013 | title = EPICA: New Album Title Revealed? | accessdate = 6 October 2012 | date = 20 April 2009 | work = Blabbermouth.net | publisher = Roadrunner Records }}{{cite web | url = http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=123899 | title = EPICA Completes Work On New Album, Announces North American Tour | accessdate = 6 October 2012 | date = 20 July 2009 | work = Blabbermouth.net | publisher = Roadrunner Records}}
The band's previous album, The Divine Conspiracy, was dealing with the idea that God created many religions and that it was to man to understand that they are all the same, and this album will be dealing with the power of thoughts and imaginations, as Mark Jansen stated:
{{blockquote|The album title, Design Your Universe, deals with new breakthroughs in quantum physics. It proves that we are all connected to each other on subatomic level. Also, it shows that we can create or at least influence matter with our thoughts… a very interesting fact. Because it changes everything for us, our whole worldview collapses once you accept these facts and integrate them in your lives. So this had to become the new album title.}}
Three songs of this album continue the A New Age Dawns saga, which started on the album Consign to Oblivion of 2005, and would later be continued in Aspiral from 2025. The sixth track on the album, and the fifth part of the saga, started the Kingdom of Heaven series, with parts two and three featuring on The Quantum Enigma and Omega respectively.
Sonata Arctica frontman Tony Kakko announced in an interview with La Grosse Radio.com that he would duet with Simone Simons on the album.{{cite web | url = http://www.lagrosseradio.com/metal/webzine-metal/interview-metal/p2098-tony-kakko-chanteur-de-sonata-arctica.html | title = Tony Kakko, chanteur de Sonata Arctica | accessdate = 6 October 2012 | date = 15 August 2009 | publisher = La Grosse Radio.com | language = French}} His vocals for the song "White Waters" were recorded in Finland and later mixed with the other sound tracks.
The song "Resign to Surrender" was published on the MySpace website of the record label Nuclear Blast on 23 September 2009.{{cite web | url = http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=127513 | title = EPICA: New Song Available For Streaming | accessdate = 6 October 2012 | date = 23 September 2009 | work = Blabbermouth.net | publisher = Roadrunner Records}} and the video for "Unleashed" premiered on the band's MySpace site on 25 September 2009.{{cite web | url = http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=127592 | title = EPICA: 'Unleashed' Video Released | accessdate = 6 October 2012 | date = 25 September 2009 | work = Blabbermouth.net | publisher = Roadrunner Records}}
The bonus track "Incentive" is one of the very few Epica songs to not feature Simone Simons in any capacity.
Reception
{{Music ratings
|rev1=About.com
|rev1score={{rating|4|5}}{{cite web | url = http://heavymetal.about.com/od/e/fr/epica-designyouruniverse.htm | title = Epica - 'Design Your Universe' | accessdate = 18 August 2010 | last = Bowar | first = Chad | work = Heavy Metal | publisher = About.com | archive-date = 6 November 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091106150235/http://heavymetal.about.com/od/e/fr/epica-designyouruniverse.htm | url-status = dead }}
|rev2=AllMusic
|rev2score={{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/design-your-universe-mw0000831854 | title = Epica Design Your Universe review | accessdate = 18 August 2010 | last = Freeman | first = Phil | work = AllMusic | publisher = Rovi Corporation}}
|rev3=Lords of Metal
|rev4=Metal Storm
|rev4score={{Rating|8.5|10}}{{cite web | url = http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=7243 | title = Epica - Design Your Universe | accessdate = 6 October 2012 | last = Anderson | first = Baz | date = 16 October 2009 | publisher = Metal Storm}}
|rev5=Papel Mag
}}
Reception has been positive from both critics and fans. The album debuted at No. 8 in the Dutch charts, being the highest position an Epica album had reached until that moment. The album remained on the chart for five weeks, and re-entered in No. 94 for one week due to the band's performance at the 2010 Pinkpop Festival.{{cite web | url = http://www.dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Epica&titel=Design+Your+Universe&cat=a | title = Epica - Design Your Universe (album) | accessdate = 6 October 2012 | work = GfK Dutch Charts | publisher = Media Control Charts | language = Dutch}}
Design Your Universe World Tour
Image:Epica-Live-Norway Rock 2010.jpg in 2010.]]
After the release of Design Your Universe, Epica set out on a World Tour to support the album. They did a CD release party at The Paradiso in Amsterdam. They performed at some summer festival concerts in the summer of 2010 and returned to the United States and Canada in late fall 2010. Several dates in Europe, specially in the Netherlands, were sold out. The band also did a South American Tour, performing in Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Uruguay. They played also in many important rock and metal festivals in Europe, such as Wacken Open Air, Pinkpop and Masters of Rock, in front of very large audiences.[http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=55726 Epica Announces North American Tour with Scar Symmetry, Mutiny Within and Blackguard] metalunderground.com. 9 May 2010. Retrieved on 2010-05-15.{{cite web|url=http://epica.nl/?page=gigs&show=past |title=Epica Online |publisher=Epica.nl |date=21 January 2006 |accessdate=13 February 2012}}
Track listing
{{track listing
| total_length = 74:50
| title1 = Samadhi (Prelude)
| lyrics1 = Mark Jansen
| music1 = Jansen
| length1 = 1:27
| title2 = Resign to Surrender (A New Age Dawns, Part IV)
| lyrics2 = Jansen
| music2 = Jansen, Jack Driessen, Simone Simons, Isaac Delahaye
| length2 = 6:19
| title3 = Unleashed
| lyrics3 = Simons
| music3 = Coen Janssen, Jansen, Delahaye
| length3 = 5:48
| title4 = Martyr of the Free Word
| lyrics4 = Jansen
| music4 = Ariën van Weesenbeek, Janssen, Jansen, Delahaye
| length4 = 5:03
| title5 = Our Destiny
| lyrics5 = Simons
| music5 = Jansen, van Weesenbeek, Yves Huts, Simons, Delahaye
| length5 = 6:00
| title6 = Kingdom of Heaven (A New Age Dawns, Part V)"
- I. "Hold in Derision"
- II. "Children of the Light"
- III. "Bardo Thödol"
- IV. "Paragons of Perfection"
- V. "The Harsh Return
| lyrics6 = Jansen
| music6 = Jansen, Delahaye
| length6 = 13:35
| title7 = The Price of Freedom (Interlude)
| lyrics7 = Instrumental
| music7 = Janssen
| length7 = 1:14
| title8 = Burn to a Cinder
| lyrics8 = Simons
| music8 = Janssen, Jansen, Delahaye, Simons
| length8 = 5:41
| title9 = Tides of Time
| lyrics9 = Simons
| music9 = Janssen
| length9 = 5:34
| title10 = Deconstruct
| lyrics10 = Simons
| music10 = Huts, Jansen
| length10 = 4:14
| title11 = Semblance of Liberty
| lyrics11 = Jansen
| music11 = Jansen, Delahaye
| length11 = 5:42
| title12 = White Waters
| lyrics12 = Simons
| music12 = Jansen, Simons, Delahaye
| note12 = featuring Tony Kakko
| length12 = 4:44
| title13 = Design Your Universe (A New Age Dawns, Part VI)
| lyrics13 = Jansen
| music13 = Jansen, Delahaye, Janssen
| length13 = 9:29
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Limited and Gold Edition bonus track
| title14 = Incentive
| lyrics14 = Jansen
| music14 = Jansen, Delahaye
| length14 = 4:14
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = iTunes bonus track
| title14 = Unleashed (duet version)
| note14 = featuring Amanda Somerville
| lyrics14 = Simons
| music14 = Janssen, Jansen, Delahaye
| length14 = 5:50
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Japanese edition bonus track
| title14 = Nothing's Wrong
| note14 = Heideroosjes cover
| lyrics14 = Heideroosjes
| music14 = Heideroosjes
| length14 = 3:24
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = The Acoustic Universe - Gold Edition bonus disc
| title15 = Burn to a Cinder
| lyrics15 = Simons
| music15 = Janssen, Jansen, Delahaye, Simons
| length15 = 5:32
| title16 = Our Destiny
| lyrics16 = Simons
| music16 = Jansen, van Weesenbeek, Huts, Simons, Delahaye
| length16 = 5:13
| title17 = Unleashed
| lyrics17 = Simons
| music17 = Janssen, Jansen, Delahaye
| length17 = 5:06
| title18 = Martyr of the Free Word
| lyrics18 = Jansen
| music18 = van Weesenbeek, Janssen, Jansen, Delahaye
| length18 = 3:56
| title19 = Design Your Universe (A New Age Dawns, Part VI)
| lyrics19 = Jansen
| music19 = Jansen, Delahaye, Janssen
| length19 = 8:21
}}
Personnel
Credits for Design Your Universe adapted from liner notes.(2009). "Design Your Universe liner notes". In Design Your Universe [CD booklet]. Nuclear Blast.
Epica
- Simone Simons – lead vocals, photography
- Mark Jansen – rhythm guitar, grunts, screams, orchestral arrangements, mixing
- Isaac Delahaye – lead guitar, engineering
- Yves Huts – bass guitar, engineering, orchestral arrangements on "Deconstruct"
- Coen Janssen – synthesizer, piano, orchestral, choir arrangements, choir vocals
- Ariën van Weesenbeek – drums, grunts, spoken word
Additional personnel
- Tony Kakko – clean male vocals on "White Waters"
- Amanda Somerville – soprano vocals on "Unleashed (Duet Version)", backing vocals, vocals production, engineering, vocal coaching, lyrical editing, choir vocals
- Brian Reese – orchestral arrangements (on "Tides of Time")
Epica Choir
- Bridget Fogle, Cloudy Yang, Linda Janssen-van Summeren, Melvin Edmondsen, Previn Moore
Production
- Gjalt Lucassen – Latin translation
- Jaap Toorenaar – Latin translation
- Sascha Paeth – producer, engineering, mixing, backing vocals
- Simon Oberender – engineering, editing, choir vocals
- Olaf Reitmeier – engineering, editing, choir vocals
- Joost van den Broek – engineering
- Miro Rodenberg – mastering, orchestral arrangements
- Stefan Heilemann – artwork, cover art, art direction, design, photography
Charts
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Epica}}
{{Authority control}}