Carl Begai

By Carl Begai

Change has been a regular visitor to the Epica camp over the last few years, all in the interest of keeping the band moving forward. Original drummer Jeroen Simons left the band in 2006 and was replaced by God Dethroned’s Ariën van Weesenbeek for the recording of the band’s all important third album, The Divine Conspiracy. More recently, guitarist Ad Sluijter stepped down of his own free will, making room for ex-God Dethroned shredder Isaac Delahaye to add a needed touch to Epica’s most recent work, Design Your Universe. The time in between the two records brought what was perhaps the most significant, albeit temporary, change to the band’s line-up. Sidelined by a bacterial infection (MRSA) in 2008, vocalist Simone Simons was replaced by collaborator / vocal coach Amanda Somerville for a North American tour with Symphony X. A bold move that raised eyebrows and questions, with Simons’ future as Epica’s frontwoman in doubt as far as rumour mongers were concerned. In the end Simons made a full recovery and reclaimed her rightful place behind the microphone, much to everyone’s relief, including Somerville.

Guitarist / founder Mark Jansen, the man responsible for putting Simons in the spotlight with Epica’s debut in 2003, freely admits her health issues gave him a scare.
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