Simone Simons, known as the prominent lead vocalist for Epica and a collaborator with various artists, including Ayreon, takes her first solo step with Vermillion.

This album showcases her distinctive voice in a more personal and diverse musical context, allowing her to explore styles and themes beyond Epica's symphonic metal framework. While the album is exceptional, I did have to dock it half a point for the growling vocals on a couple of tracks. However, if you're like me and aren't a fan of harsh vocals, don't let that deter you from enjoying this otherwise excellent album. Plus, her collaboration with Ayreon on this record adds an extra layer of depth and intrigue that fans won't want to miss.

Epica fans will not be disappointed, and she should make some new fans as well.

Although this album wasn’t given a full review, it has been carefully listened to and evaluated by Prog Radio and given a Star rating.

You can enjoy tracks from this album in rotation at Prog Radio. (The higher the Star rating, the more tracks we will be playing and with more frequency.)

Look for songs from this and other new albums to be featured in our "What's New Proggy Cats?" broadcast. You're also welcome to request songs by this artist and album on Prog Radio.