When bands tour together, it’s always nice if they have a song they perform together, or rather, if the singer from one band joins the other band on stage for a special moment. There may be a marketing strategy behind these types of collaborations, but that doesn’t take anything away from the music itself. This, at least, was the reasoning behind the two common songs that APOCALYPTICA and EPICA played together during their Epic Apocalypse Tour.
Released as a single back in December 2022, “Rise Again” is an updated version of the instrumental “Rise” from APOCALYPTICA’s latest studio album, the excellent “Cell-0.” It features gorgeous vocals from EPICA’s vocalist Simone Simons as well as uplifting lyrical content.
Talking about this song and collaboration, Eicca Toppinen had this to say: “It was so great to make ‘Rise Again’ with Simone Simons! When we were putting the Epic Apocalypse Tour together, we were thinking of making this collaboration with Epica even deeper by releasing a song together. ‘Rise’ from our ‘Cell-0’ album had the beauty and feel, which we felt could fit perfectly for Simone’s unique voice. We are so happy about the song and really excited about this tour with Epica, as it will be something really special and amazing!”
“Rise” became an instant favorite of mine when listening to “Cell-0” back in 2020. There was something soothing yet vibrant about this piece of music that resonated with me on a deeper level. It told a story, even without lyrics. Sure, one could argue the same about every track from “Cell-0,” but the crescendos and flow of “Rise” created such a beautiful world in itself that I felt no words were needed to make it feel complete.
With that being said, “Rise Again” offers a whole new range of emotions to the listeners, as it takes the instrumental track to a different level of intensity. Obviously, the main focus lies on the vocal delivery, but without well-written lyrics that tell a compelling story, the singer can only do so much. Luckily, we are in the very capable hands of Simone Simons, who passionately sings about how she will rise again from the remnants of (what feels like) a toxic relationship (romantic or otherwise).
The music starts off on a mellow note and slowly builds up in intensity as the protagonist finds herself in the grasp of a negative person that causes her more harm than good. The lyric, “your judgment tore me down” makes this aspect perfectly clear. The majority of the song is spent wrestling with the pain that has been caused, which left her feeling “lost and numb inside” and wondering if she will ever rise again. Ultimately, she finds strength in letting go, “of my past, of your grasp” so the healing can begin.
The musical and emotional climax of the song is really the last chorus section, which is in stark contrast to the previous ones, as now the protagonist feels “loved and strong inside” shouting to the world that “you will see me rise again.” Also, in contrast to the first verse are the last lines of the song: “the rain inside my heart / has gone away, no tears will flow / I let you go” as the story comes full circle.
A beautiful song that boasts such an empowering message, “Rise Again” is one of APOCALYPTICA’s best collaborations up until now. Simone Simons is flawless in her studio performance but there’s something about the live version of this song that makes it all the more impactful. The same can be said about EPICA’s ballad, “Rivers,” which is made even more dramatic by the added layers of cello melody from APOCALYPTICA. There is something truly magical in a live rendition and you can check out the two tracks via the links below.
Written by Andrea Crow
