EPICA
Once known as Sahara Dust, the Netherlands-based symphonic metal band EPICA has been turning heads since their re-imagining in 2003. Their aggressive yet melodic and cinematic wholly fits their namesake, the scope of their international reach and claim truly embracing the word 'epic'. Weaving operatic vocals among a wide gamut of inspiration from many metal subgenres, EPICA's sound has been self-described as "symphonic death metal", striking stark contrasts between gentler, grandiose singing, massively gritty guitar riffs and thundering, rapid-fire drumming.
First explored in osu! by HellDawn with Fools of Damnation back in 2012, EPICA's distinctive sound spawned a legacy spanning decades, taken up again in 2015 by acclaimed mapper Sieg with Martyr of the Free Word, and a cataclysmic upsurge in popularity from Xayah's collaborative set for Victims of Contingency.
Mappers who thrive amidst longer-form symphonic tracks will find a perfect candidate in EPICA's work, with long, sprawling tracks well-suited to challenging both mappers and players alike.