A couple of months ago, EPICA frontwoman Simone Simons told Czech Republic’s Backstage TV about the band’s plans for a new LP: “After this year, all the festivals, we’re gonna start writing a new record… All the bandmembers start writing songs in their home studio by themselves, but I haven’t heard any of those songs yet… When inspiration strikes, we just start writing. But we’re gonna schedule writing sessions. And we’re all excited to write a new record.”

Regarding how the songwriting works in EPICA, Simone said: “Well, it’s mostly that first they have some music, some demos, and then I start to come up with vocal lines for that. That is mostly how it goes. The guys start writing the songs and then they give me a listen so I can already come up with vocal lines and then they can continue writing the songs to support the vocal lines. Sometimes songs are written really fast; sometimes it takes long. And inspiration can strike at the weirdest times. So it’s good that we always have the phone that we can quickly record melodies, whether it’s for vocals or like a guitar riff or anything. Everybody has a home studio, so it’s very practical to quickly record ideas. And then we get together. Because we live in four different countries; we don’t live in the same village. And then we actually sit together and finish writing the songs.”

Last November, EPICA released “The Alchemy Project” through Atomic Fire Records. The EP was co-written and performed with diverse guests ranging from extremists like FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, Niilo Sevänen (INSOMNIUM) and Björn “Speed” Strid (SOILWORK) along with melodic masters like Tommy Karevik (KAMELOT),keyboard legend Phil Lanzon (URIAH HEEP) and Roel Van Helden (POWERWOLF) to a once-in-a-lifetime song with Simons, Charlotte Wessels and Myrkur.