Beschrijving: symphonic metal, Gothic Metal, Female fronted metal, metal, female vocalists, Power metal, Gothic, dutch

Epica is a symphonic metal band from The Netherlands, founded in 2003 by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen subsequent to his departure from After Forever. The band currently consists of Simone Simons (vocals), Mark Jansen (guitars, vocals), Isaac Delahaye (guitar), Yves Huts (bass), Coen Janssen (keyboards, synthesizer), and Ariën van Weesenbeek (drums). In early 2002, Mark Jansen left After Forever due to creative differences and began looking for musicians to integrate a new musical project, initially named Sahara Dust.