| Prologue | Mea Culpa | 2:00 | After Forever | Prison Of Desire | 2000 |
A New Age Dawns is the collective title for a series of songs written and performed by the Dutch symphonic metal band Epica. The first four songs were released on Epica's 2005 album Consign to Oblivion. These first four installments, as well as the rest of the songs on the album, were heavily influenced by the collapse of the Mayan Civilization.
The series was not continued in Epica's 2007 release, The Divine Conspiracy, perhaps leading fans to believe that there would be no continuing parts. On July 30, 2009, however, Epica released the artwork and track listing of their 5th studio album, Design Your Universe, which contained the following 3 parts of A New Age Dawns.
The first four installments were heavily influenced by the collapse of the Mayan Civilization. On a broader prospect, they dealt with the idea that it is often our lack of action that results in our own downfall, demonstrated in the title track "Consign to Oblivion" (Part 3):
"How can we let this happen and just keep our eyes closed till the end? When we will stand in front of Heaven's Gate, it will be too late!"
And later on in the same song:
"Our good intentions have always been delayed so our generous acts have always come too late."
Very little is known about the lyrical content of the following 3 installments. When speaking of the new album, Jansen mentioned that a influential factor in the songs was the idea that the mind could influence the matter around it, hence the name "Design Your Universe."
On September 23, 2009, the song “Resign To Surrender” was released via Nuclear Blast’s official MySpace. Midway through the song, we hear the first direct reference to “A New Age Dawns”:
"There is hope along the way, and there a new age dawns."
This sequence of song could also be seen as a character eventually coming to the choice to "Design (His/her) Own Universe". From going from a victim to being a person actually taking charge of their life. This would be seen in the lyrics of the final two songs of the sequence of songs. These lyrics involve a more proactive feeling opposed to the first sequence of songs which are more things which could lead to their downfall, to the final songs name which is Design Your Universe.
| # | Title | Length | Band | Album | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prologue | Hunab K'u | 1:43 | Epica | Consign to Oblivion | 2005 |
| 1 | The Last Crusade | 4:22 | Epica | Consign to Oblivion | 2005 |
| 2 | Mother of Light | 5:56 | Epica | Consign to Oblivion | 2005 |
| 3 | Consign to Oblivion | 9:45 | Epica | Consign to Oblivion | 2005 |
| Interlude | Samadhi | 1:29 | Epica | Design Your Universe | 2009 |
| 4 | Resign to Surrender | 6:21 | Epica | Design Your Universe | 2009 |
| 5 | Kingdom of Heaven | 13:37 | Epica | Design Your Universe | 2009 |
| 6 | Design Your Universe | 9:29 | Epica | Design Your Universe | 2009 |
The Embrace That Smothers is the collective title for a series of songs written largely by composer Mark Jansen and with help from Simone Simons, Ad Sluijter, Coen Janssen, and Yves Huts. The songs are performed by After Forever and Epica and spread out over three different albums.
The theme of the series is the danger involved in organized religion. The songs therefore contain ideas that could be considered "anti-religious". The songs contain lyrics in both English and Latin.
The first four songs were released on After Forever's 2000 album Prison of Desire. The next album by After Forever, Decipher, did not contain any songs from the series. After that album Mark Jansen departed from After Forever, but continued The Embrace That Smothers with his new band Epica. The next three parts in the series were released on Epica's 2003 debut album, The Phantom Agony. In 2007, on Epica's The Divine Conspiracy, the final three parts of the series were released.
There are two songs in Epica's repertoire that reference an 'embrace' in their titles: 'Adyta - The Neverending Embrace,' (The Phantom Agony) and 'La‘petach Chatat Rovetz - The Last Embrace.' (The Divine Conspiracy) Despite the allusion to an embrace, which could possibly be a reference to The Embrace That Smothers, neither song is recognized as part of The Embrace That Smothers. 'La‘petach Chatat Rovetz - The Last Embrace,' is, however, used as an introduction to part 7 of The Embrace That Smothers, 'Death of a Dream.'
| # | Title | Length | Band | Album | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prologue | Mea Culpa | 2:00 | After Forever | Prison Of Desire | 2000 |
| 1 | Leaden Legacy | 5:07 | After Forever | Prison Of Desire | 2000 |
| 2 | Follow In The Cry | 4:08 | After Forever | Prison Of Desire | 2000 |
| 3 | Yield To Temptation | 5:53 | After Forever | Prison Of Desire | 2000 |
| 4 | Cry for the Moon | 6:44 | Epica | The Phantom Agony | 2003 |
| 5 | Façade of Reality | 8:12 | Epica | The Phantom Agony | 2003 |
| 6 | Seif al Din | 5:47 | Epica | The Phantom Agony | 2003 |
| 7 | Death of a Dream | 6:03 | Epica | The Divine Conspiracy | 2007 |
| 8 | Living a Lie | 4:56 | Epica | The Divine Conspiracy | 2007 |
| 9 | Fools of Damnation | 8:42 | Epica | The Divine Conspiracy | 2007 |
