EPICA guitarist/founder Mark Jansen recently spoke with Australia's Blunt Magazine about the band's 10th Annivesary. An excerpt from the interview is available below:

BM: Epica has just had their tenth anniversary, how does it feel to reach the ten year milestone?

Jansen: "It’s a big achievement I think, because it’s hard for many bands to stay together for so long, but I think the reason we’re still together is we always kept a good vibe in the band. It’s also very important to keep the fun aspect; it should be fun to stay on the road and be together. We also take a rest every time we feel it’s needed and I think this way bands can stay together forever. It’s also very important that everybody in the band feels important. You see some bands where it’s one guy, a kind of boss, who’s bossing everybody around, and sooner or later some people get disappointed or they don’t feel comfortable in the band anymore, and you see these bands breaking up. Making everyone feel important is our strength, and that’s why we can keep on going for the next twenty, uh (laughs), I’ll say ten years."

BM: At this stage in your career, do you feel like Epica’s sound has been defined or is it still evolving?

Jansen: "I think even today it’s still evolving. On every album we find some new influences, some new ways, and we never stop without trying some new stuff. I think that’s also important, otherwise it can get boring and if one day we get the feeling that it starts getting boring, then we won’t release an album until we get excited again. There are already too many albums out there that make you feel like there’s something missing, and we want to avoid that. You need to keep trying to evolve otherwise you lose the fun for yourself but also the fans will be disappointed after a while because they expect you to come up with something new and not a repeat of something you did before."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Epica's Australian tour schedule is as follows:

April

7 - Hi Fi - Brisbane
19 - Metro - Sydney
21 - Billboard - Melbourne
23 - Capitol - Perth

Epica re-released their 2003 debut album, The Phantom Agony, on March 23rd to coincide with their special tenth anniversary show at the Klokgebouw in Eindoven, Netherlands. According to an update from the band, the album entered the Dutch album charts at #8, which is their highest chart entry to date.

Epica’s previous label, Transmission Records, re-issued The Phantom Agony as a deluxe digipack containing 15 bonus tracks, including seven previously unreleased versions and one previously unreleased song. The album also contains a 20 page booklet with photos and liner notes by founder Mark Jansen.

Along with the deluxe digipack, the album has also been released on double vinyl being pressed on high quality 180 gram audiophile vinyl and put in a 350 gram cardboard sleeve including all lyrics. This includes six bonus tracks. There are also exclusive bundles with a limited edition t-shirt.

Comments Jansen: “We have put aside our differences ‘cause at the end of the day, both parties want to have the debut album available to the Epica fans as it has been out of print for more than five years!”

You can order the album here.