The Phantom Agony

The Phantom Agony is the first full-length studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica. It was released in 2003 by the Dutch label Transmission Records. It is the first album recorded by guitarist Mark Jansen after his departure from the band After Forever. On this album, Mark Jansen continues with the collection of songs that make up "The Embrace That Smothers". The first three parts can be found on Prison of Desire (2000), After Forever's debut album, and the following three parts can be found on The Divine Conspiracy (2007), Epica's third album. These songs deal with the dangers of organized religion.[7]

The Phantom Agony
Studio album by Epica
Released	9 June 2003
Recorded	December 2002 - March 2003
Studio	Gate Studio, Wolfsburg, Germany
Genre	Symphonic metal
Length	53:56
Label	Transmission
Producer	Sascha Paeth
Epica chronology
The Phantom Agony (2003) Consign to Oblivion (2005)
Singles from The Phantom Agony
"The Phantom Agony" Released: 29 October 2003 "Feint" Released: 8 January 2004 "Cry for the Moon" Released: 13 May 2004

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Sea of Tranquility	[2]
Musical Discoveries	[3]
Metal Ship	[4]
Lords of Metal	[5]
Metal Reviews	[6]

The album was re-released on 23 March 2013, which coincided with Epica’s 10th anniversary Retrospect show, as a 2-disc expanded edition by Epica’s former record label Transmission Records.[8][9]

Track listings

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Adyta (The Neverending Embrace)"	Simone Simons	Mark Jansen	1:27
2.	"Sensorium"	Jansen	Jansen, Ad Sluijter, Coen Janssen, Simons	4:47
3.	"Cry for the Moon (The Embrace That Smothers, Part IV)"	Jansen	Jansen, Sluijter, Simons	6:44
4.	"Feint"	Jansen	Jansen, Sluijter, Janssen, Simons	4:18
5.	"Illusive Consensus"	Simons	Jansen, Sluijter, Janssen, Simons	4:59
6.	"Façade of Reality (The Embrace That Smothers, Part V)"	Jansen	Jansen, Sluijter, Simons	8:10
7.	"Run for a Fall"	Jansen	Jansen, Sluijter, Janssen, Simons	6:31
8.	"Seif al Din (The Embrace That Smothers, Part VI)"	Jansen	Jansen, Sluijter	5:47
9.	"The Phantom Agony"	Jansen	Jansen, Sluijter, Yves Huts	9:00

Bonus tracks

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
10.	"The Phantom Agony" (Single version, first single from this album)	Jansen	Jansen, Sluijter, Huts	4:35
11.	"Triumph of Defeat" (On Japanese edition)	instrumental	Janssen	3:58

Bonus tracks 2013 Expanded Edition (Disc 1: Chapter 1)

No.	Title	Length
10.	"Veniality"	4:37
11.	"The Phantom Agony" (Single Version)	4:33
12.	"Triumph of Defeat"	3:54

2013 Expanded Edition (Disc 2: Chapter 2)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Adyta (The Neverending Embrace)" (Orchestral Version)	1:28
2.	"Sensorium" (Orchestral Version)	4:53
3.	"Cry for the Moon (The Embrace That Smothers, Part IV)" (Orchestral Version)	6:40
4.	"Feint" (Orchestral Version)	4:18
5.	"Illusive Consensus" (Orchestral Version)	5:02
6.	"Basic Instinct"	4:07
7.	"Run for a Fall" (Orchestral Version)	6:26
8.	"The Phantom Agony" (Orchestral Version)	9:00
9.	"Veniality" (Orchestral Version)	4:35
10.	"Feint" (Piano Version)	4:53
11.	"Cry for the Moon (The Embrace That Smothers, Part IV)" (Single Version)	3:30
12.	"Run for a Fall" (Single Version)	4:29

Personnel

[10]

Band members Simone Simons - lead vocals Mark Jansen - guitars, grunts, screams, orchestral arrangements Ad Sluijter - guitars Coen Janssen - synths & piano, orchestral and choir arrangements Yves Huts - bass guitar Jeroen Simons - drums Additional musicians Olaf Reitmeier - acoustic guitars on "Feint" and "Run for a Fall", engineer Annette Berryman - flute on "Run for a Fall" Production Sascha Paeth - producer, engineer, mixing Robert Hunecke-Rizzo - orchestral arrangements Hans van Vuuren - executive producer, coordination and research Peter van 't Riet - mastering

Epica Orchestra Thomas Glöckner - violin Andreas Pfaff - violin Tobias Rempe - violin Marie-Theres Stumpf - viola David Schlage - viola Jörn Kellermann - cello Cordula Rhode - cello Andrè Neygenfind - contrabass Epica Choir Melvin Edmonsen - bass Previn Moore - tenor Bridget Fogle - alto Cinzia Rizzo - alto Annie Goeble - soprano Amanda Somerville - soprano, vocal coach

Singles

The Phantom Agony

"The Phantom Agony" was the first single.

Track listing

1. "The Phantom Agony" (Single Version) - 4:35
2. "Veniality" - 4:36
3. "Façade of Reality" - 8:17
4. "Veniality" (Orchestral Version) - 4:37

Feint

Feint was the second single.

Track listing

1. "Feint" - 4:18
2. "Feint (Piano Version)" - 4:53
3. "Triumph of Defeat" - 3:56
4. "Seif al Din" - 5:46

Cry for the Moon

Cry for the Moon was the third single.

Track listing

1. "Cry for the Moon" (Single Version) - 3:33
2. "Cry for the Moon" - 6:44
3. "Run for a Fall" (Single Version) - 4:29
4. "Run for a Fall" - 6:31

References

1. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Epica The Phantom Agony review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
2. Popke, Michael; Pierce, Ken (28 April 2004). "Epica: The Phantom Agony". Sea of Tranquility.org. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
3. Elliot, Russell W. (2 March 2004). "Epica / The Phantom Agony". Musical Discoveries.com. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
4. des Dragones, Elric (16 July 2010). "Chronique de The Phantom Agony" (in French). Metal Ship.org. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
5. Barten, Michiel. "Epica - The Phantom Agony". Lords of Metal.nl. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
6. "Epica - The Phantom Agony". Metal Reviews.com. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
7. "Epica (Nld) - The Phantom Agony". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
8. "Epica - The Phantom Agony (Expanded Edition)". Epica.nl. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
9. "Epica - The Phantom Agony (Expanded Edition)". discogs.com. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
10. The Phantom Agony (CD sleeve). Epica. The Netherlands: Transmission Records. 2003.CS1 maint: others (link)