The Classical Conspiracy

The Classical Conspiracy is the second live album released by the Dutch symphonic metal band Epica. The recorded live show took part in Miskolc, Hungary on 14 June 2008 in the framework of the Miskolc Opera Festival, where the Swedish symphonic metal band Therion had done a similar show a year before. Epica performed on stage with a 40-piece orchestra and a 30-piece choir, entirely composed of Hungarian musicians conducted by Zsolt Regos. The expanded ensemble played classical music, excerpts from operas and movie soundtracks, as well as Epica's songs. The album was released on 8 May 2009 through Nuclear Blast Records.[7]

The Classical Conspiracy
Live album by Epica
Released	8 May 2009
Recorded	14 June 2008
Venue	Miskolc Opera Festival, Miskolc, Hungary
Genre	Symphonic metal, neoclassical metal
Length	143:56
Label	Nuclear Blast
Producer	Epica, Sascha Paeth
Epica chronology
The Divine Conspiracy (2007) The Classical Conspiracy (2009) Design Your Universe (2009)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
About.com	[2]
Live-Metal.net	[3]
Lords Of Metal	[4]
Metal Asylum	[5]
Rock Sound	[6]

This is the first album featuring Ariën van Weesenbeek as the new official drummer of Epica and also the last album with founding member and lead guitarist Ad Sluijter, who had already left the band when the album was released.[8]

Track listing

CD 1 - Classical set

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Palladium"	Yves Huts	3:46
2.	"Dies Irae" (from "Requiem")	Giuseppe Verdi	2:15
3.	"Ombra mai fu" (from "Xerxes")	George Frideric Handel	3:06
4.	"Adagio" (from "New World Symphony")	Antonín Dvořák	9:02
5.	"Spider-Man Medley"	Danny Elfman	4:16
6.	"Presto" (from "The Four Seasons")	Antonio Vivaldi	3:06
7.	"Montagues and Capulets" (from "Romeo and Juliet")	Sergei Prokofiev	2:11
8.	"The Imperial March" (from "The Empire Strikes Back")	John Williams	3:25
9.	"Stabat Mater Dolorosa" (from "Stabat Mater")	Giovanni Battista Pergolesi	4:31
10.	"Unholy Trinity"	Huts	3:11
11.	"In the Hall of the Mountain King" (from "Peer Gynt")	Edvard Grieg	3:11
12.	"Pirates of the Caribbean Medley" (European release only)	Hans Zimmer, Klaus Badelt	6:44
13.	"Indigo" (Prologue)	Mark Jansen, Coen Janssen	2:04
14.	"The Last Crusade" (A New Age Dawns, Part I)	Jansen, Huts, Ad Sluijter	4:18
15.	"Sensorium"	Jansen, Sluijter, Janssen, Simone Simons	5:06
16.	"Quietus" (Silent Reverie)	Epica	4:22
17.	"Chasing the Dragon"	Jansen, Huts, Janssen, Simons	8:03
18.	"Feint"	Jansen, Sluijter, Janssen, Simons	4:34

CD 2 - Epica set

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Never Enough"	Huts	5:37
2.	"Beyond Belief"	Jansen, Sluijter, Simons	5:28
3.	"Cry for the Moon" (The Embrace that Smothers, Part IV)	Jansen, Sluijter, Simons	7:44
4.	"Safeguard to Paradise"	Huts, Jansen, Janssen	3:59
5.	"Blank Infinity"	Jansen, Janssen, Simons	4:45
6.	"Living a Lie" (The Embrace that Smothers, Part VIII - Simone Version)	Jansen, Huts, Sluijter, Simons	5:24
7.	"The Phantom Agony"	Jansen, Huts, Sluijter	10:30
8.	"Sancta Terra"	Jansen, Sluijter, Simons	5:11
9.	"Illusive Consensus"	Jansen, Sluijter, Janssen, Simons	5:45
10.	"Consign to Oblivion" (A New Age Dawns, Part III)		12:06

Personnel

Band members

• Simone Simons – mezzo-soprano vocals
• Mark Jansen – lead & rhythm guitar, grunts, screams, band arrangements on tracks 2, 6
• Ad Sluijter – lead & rhythm guitar, editing
• Yves Huts – bass, band arrangements on tracks 5, 7, 8, 11, 12
• Coen Janssen – synthesizer, piano, orchestral and choir arrangements, band arrangements on tracks 2, 4, 7
• Ariën van Weesenbeek – drums

Additional musicians

• The Extended Reményi Ede Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Zsolt Regos
• The Choir of Miskolc National Theatre
• Oliver Palotai - orchestral arrangements

Production

• Sascha Paeth - producer, mixing, mastering
• Daniel Hidvegi, Tamas Gresicki - live sound engineers
• Olaf Reitmeier - editing
• Simon Oberender - editing, mixing, mastering

Charts

Chart	Peak position
Dutch Album Charts[9]	23
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[10]	82
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[11]	58
Switzerland Album Charts[12]	81
France Album Charts[13]	23
German Album Charts[14]	87

References

1. Henderson, Alex. "Epica The Classical Conspiracy review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
2. Bowar, Chad. "Epica – 'The Classical Conspiracy' review". About.com. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
3. Maki, Jeff. "Epica 'The Classical Conspiracy' review". Live-Metal.net. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
4. Smit, Bas. "Epica - The Classical Conspiracy review". Lords Of metal.nl. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
5. Gromen, Mark. "Epica The Classical Conspiracy: Live In Miskolc Hungary review". Metal Asylum.net. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
6. Moorhouse, Giles (June 2009). "Epica – The Classical Conspiracy." Rock Sound (123): 83. ISSN 1465-0185.
7. "Epica To Release 'The Classical Conspiracy' Double Live Album". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 12 March 2009. Archived from the original on 6 April 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2009.
8. "Epica Guitarist Ad Sluijter Quits". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 16 December 2008. Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
9. "Epica - Epica - The Classical Conspiracy - Live in Miskolc, Hungary (album)". Dutch Charts.nl (in Dutch). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
10. "Epica - The Classical Conspiracy - Live in Miskolc, Hungary (album)". Ultratop.be (in Dutch). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
11. "Epica - The Classical Conspiracy - Live in Miskolc, Hungary (album)". Ultratop.be (in French). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
12. "Epica - The Classical Conspiracy - Live in Miskolc, Hungary". Hitparade.ch (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
13. "Epica - The Classical Conspiracy - Live in Miskolc, Hungary (album)". Lescharts.com (in French). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
14. "Epica - The Classical Conspiracy - Live in Miskolc, Hungary". Charts.de (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 August 2011.