The Road to Paradiso is a book about the Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 symphonic metal

Symphonic metal

Symphonic metal is a term used to describe heavy metal music that has symphonic elements; that is, elements that are either borrowed from classical music or, as with progressive rock music, create a style reminiscent of it, e.g...

 band Epica

Epica (band)

Epica is a Dutch symphonic metal band founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen subsequent to his departure from After Forever. They are known for their symphonic sound and the use of female vocals and male growls performed by Simone Simons and Mark Jansen, respectively. All six members write...

 (written in both Dutch

Dutch language

Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

 and English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

) which was accompanied by a compilation album of the same name. It was released on May 4, 2006, on the same night they performed at Paradiso

Paradiso (Amsterdam)

Paradiso is an iconic rock music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.-History:It is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century and that was used until 1965 as the meeting hall for a liberal Dutch religious group known as the "Vrije...

 in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

. The title The Road to Paradiso was given to the project because the book contained the story of how Epica developed from their beginning days in 2002, until what they had become in 2006. The album also includes demo versions of three of their previous released songs, effectively giving insight into how their songs developed. The album includes four previously unreleased tracks: The Fallacy, Linger (Piano version) (a different version of which appeared on the 'Quietus' single), Crystal Mountain (orchestral version) (from the 'Quietus' single) and Purushayita (a very different version of 'Vengeance is Mine' from 'The Score' album).

The release of the album and book was announced on January 16, 2006 on the official website of Epica. The band stated that they wanted this album and book "to be made for the fans, but also by the fans".

Track listing

1. "Welcome to the Road of Paradiso (Caught in a Web)" – 4:37
2. "Making of Adyta" – 1:34
3. "Adyta (demo version)" – 1:23
4. "Making of Cry for the Moon – 1:29
5. "Cry for the Moon (demo version)" – 6:43
6. "Making of Quietus" – 1:14
7. "Quietus (demo version)" – 3:41
8. "Quietus (Silent Reverie)" – 3:54
9. "The Fallacy" – 3:23
10. "Interview with Ad (on the live tracks)" – 0:32
11. "Solitary Ground (live)" – 4:05
12. "Blank Infinity (live)" – 4:04
13. "Mother of Light (live)" – 6:01
14. "Linger (piano version)" – 4:15
15. "Crystal Mountain (orchestral version) (Death cover)" – 5:01
16. "Purushayita" – 6:20

External links

• The Road to Paradiso - official site