Is Best Of a good place to start with Epica?

Yes, Best Of is recommended as a starting point for new Epica listeners. Concert-hall choirs meet muscular metal across a decade-spanning selection that moves from intimate balladry to sprawling symphonic drama. Released in 2013, Best Of surveys Epica’s first decade, from material associated with their 2003 debut The Phantom Agony through 2012’s Requiem for the Indifferent. It appeared after five studio albums and includes two performances recorded live in Miskolc, Hungary.

Best Of works well if you're into dynamic journey with emotional peaks, theatrical soundscape for deep listening and live performance energy captured.

How many songs are on Best Of?

Best Of has 15 tracks, running approximately 103 minutes.

Best Of

Epica · 2013

103 min · 15 tracks · symphonic metal

Concert-hall choirs meet muscular metal across a decade-spanning selection that moves from intimate balladry to sprawling symphonic drama.

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Top tracks — play these first

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Cry for the Moon (live in Miskolc) Start here — The live orchestral setting enlarges an early Epica song built on the contrast between Simone Simons’ clear lead and Mark Jansen’s harsh vocals.
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Unleashed — A direct chorus cuts through the orchestral weight, showing how Epica could compress their theatrical sound into a more immediately accessible song.
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Storm the Sorrow — This track balances a sharply defined vocal hook with choral layers and heavy guitars, offering a concise entry point to the band’s later sound.
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Tides of Time — The ballad gives Simons room to carry the drama without the sustained aggression of the heavier selections, broadening the compilation’s emotional range.
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Kingdom of Heaven (A New Age Dawns, Part V) — At more than 13 minutes, its shifting sections give the band space to move between choral grandeur, heavy passages and quieter interludes.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

57 /100

Foothills

Higher than 6% of albums we've rated

This compilation showcases Epica's strengths but lacks the cohesive flow of a studio album.

What we noticed

Several tracks incorporate orchestral elements alongside heavy guitar riffs, creating a layered sound that is characteristic of symphonic metal.
The running time includes multiple extended compositions, with several tracks exceeding five minutes, allowing for complex arrangements and thematic development.

Composition 25% of the score: 6/10
Craft 20% of the score: 7/10
Durability 25% of the score: 5/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 6/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 4/10

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

dynamic journey with emotional peaks
theatrical soundscape for deep listening
live performance energy captured
wave-like pacing with crescendos
immersive experience for introspection

Maybe skip if you

prefer short, standalone tracks
seek instant gratification

Where this album fits

In the catalog: Fan Favorite — Features live recordings and popular tracks, appealing to dedicated fans.
Themes: philosophical exploration· theatrical soundscapes· live performance energy
Career context: Released in 2013, Best Of surveys Epica’s first decade, from material associated with their 2003 debut The Phantom Agony through 2012’s Requiem for the Indifferent. It appeared after five studio albums and includes two performances recorded live in Miskolc, Hungary.
Stylistic neighbors: Nightwish· Within Temptation· Kamelot