THIS WEEK I’M LISTENING TO...SIMONE SIMONS – Vermillion (Nuclear Blast)

Hotly anticipated and inherently spectacular, Simone Simons’ first solo outing sees the Epica vocalist joining forces with musical polymath Arjen Lucassen for an album which showcases the best of their combined talents. Simons has, of course, worked with Lucassen on numerous occasions, but in such cases she’s been guesting on his albums whereas this time she’s in the driving seat. The result though is still considerably more Ayreon than Epica, with a number of Lucassen’s motifs cropping up as the album progresses. But is this a bad thing? Of course not. ‘Vermillion’ is a true testament to the power of collaboration, with each artist seemingly bringing out the best in the other. Simons’ vocals are pure and powerful, with ‘Fight Or Flight’ being particularly evocative, while Lucassen’s composition and execution is, as ever, second to none, handling most of the instrumentation himself and ably assisted by bassist Rob van der Loo and drummer Koen Herfest.

There’s a lot to commend here, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving, being as each play reveals a new trick or texture you might not have picked up on before. The strident ‘Cradle To the Grave’ features Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz, one of a number of guests who crop up across ‘Vermillion’s 46 minutes. Apocalyptica’s Perttu Kivilaakso plays cello – naturally! – on ‘Dark Night Of The Soul’, while Epica bandmate Mark Jansen grunts and growls during ‘The Core’ and the belligerent ‘R.E.D.’ which also features a choir of friends including the rest of Epica. Elsewhere, opener ‘Aeterna’ is as bombastic as they come, the second single ‘In Love We Rust’ is a downbeat progressive metal elegy and ‘The Weight Of My World’ is a catchy, crossover number and would / should be a great crossover single.

‘Vermillion’ is a truly great album. In fact, it’s more than just an album. It’s a celebration. It’s a work of art. And if there’s any justice in the world it will find itself highly placed in many best-of-the year Top 10s come December. Trust me on this.

Video clips:
‘Aeterna’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYwb3FTH_z0
‘In Love We Rust’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45SP4O2PcJs
‘R.E.D.’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YyMOQkc2uQ

John Tucker August 2024