Mark Jansen

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For the American politician, see Mark Jansen (politician).
Mark Jansen
Mark Jansen playing at Wacken Open Air, in 2018.
Mark Jansen playing at Wacken Open Air, in 2018.
Background information
Born (1978-12-15) 15 December 1978 (age 42)
Reuver, Netherlands
GenresSymphonic metal, progressive metal, death metal
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
InstrumentsGuitar, vocals, keyboards
Years active1995–present
Associated actsEpica, MaYaN, After Forever

Mark Jansen (born 15 December 1978) is a Dutch guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. A prominent figure in the symphonic metal subgenre, he is known for his work with the bands After Forever (1995–2002), Epica (2002–present), and MaYaN (2010–present).

Career[]

After Forever (1995–2002)[]

As guitarist, Jansen founded After Forever with Sander Gommans, and was one of the main songwriters since their debut album Prison of Desire. He left After Forever in 2002. After his departure, the band took a new musical direction.

In a 2007 interview, Jansen described his departure from After Forever as coming as an unexpected shock to him at the time, with the news of his dismissal being delivered to him by fellow band members shortly before a band rehearsal. At the time of his dismissal, the band were preparing to participate in a series of major tours and concerts such as Pinkpop.[1]

Epica (2002–present)[]

Jansen playing at Wacken Open Air, in 2018.

Jansen started a new symphonic metal band called Sahara Dust, which was later renamed Epica. His girlfriend at the time, Simone Simons, joined the band in 2003. In both After Forever and Epica, he has performed growled vocals, complementing the vocals of, respectively, Floor Jansen (no relation) and Simone Simons.

MaYaN (2010–present)[]

In 2010, Jansen announced that he and former After Forever keyboardist Jack Driessen have formed another band called MaYaN.[2] Unlike his other bands, Jansen sings but does not play guitar. The band released their debut album Quarterpast in spring 2011.

United Metal Minds (2018–present)[]

Recently, Jansen has launched the international musical project United Metal Minds.[3]

Private life[]

Jansen was born in Reuver, Netherlands, and has a master's degree in psychology.[4][5][6] In his adolescent years, Jansen originally wanted to become a cyclist; his interest in performing was sparked from attending a Gorefest show when he was 15 years old.[7]

Since 2011,[8] he has been in a relationship with Italian singer Laura Macrì.[9] In the past, he had a relationship with Simone Simons; the relationship ended in 2005, shortly after the release of Consign to Oblivion.[10] Jansen first met Simons in the chatroom on After Forever's website, when he was searching for a singer for a side project, with the then-16 year old Simons making a positive impression after singing to him over the phone during their first telephone conversation.[11]

Discography[]

After Forever[]

Albums[]

Singles[]

  • "Follow in the Cry" (2000)
  • "Emphasis/Who Wants to Live Forever" (2002)
  • "Monolith of Doubt" (2002)

Epica[]

Albums[]

Singles[]

  • "The Phantom Agony" (2003)
  • "Feint" (2004)
  • "Cry for the Moon" (2004)
  • "Solitary Ground" (2005)
  • "Quietus (Silent Reverie)" (2005)
  • "Never Enough" (2007)
  • "Chasing the Dragon" (2008)
  • "Unleashed" (2009)
  • "Martyr of the Free Word" (2009)
  • "This is the Time" (2010)
  • "Storm the Sorrow" (2012)
  • "Forevermore" (2012)
  • "Essence of Silence" (2014)
  • "Unchain Utopia" (2014)
  • ”Universal Death Squad” (2016)
  • ”Edge of the Blade” (2016)
  • "The Solace System" (2017)
  • "Crimson Bow and Arrow" (2018)
  • "Abyss of Time - Countdown to Singularity" (2020)
  • "Freedom - The Wolves Within" (2020)
  • "Abyss o'Time" (2020)

DVDs[]

  • We Will Take You with Us (2004)
  • Retrospect (2013)

Other releases[]

MaYan[]

Studio albums[]

Guest appearances[]

  • Adyta – "The Cognition Concept" in Katarsis (EP) (2011)
  • Diabulus in Musica – "Blazing a Trail" in The Wanderer (2012)
  • ReVamp – "Misery's No Crime" in Wild Card (2013)
  • AGES – "Heinous Nemesis" (2014)
  • Countermove: The Power of Love (2014) Charity single for The Red Cross, originally by Frankie Goes to Hollywood – vocals
  • Carthagods – "a last sigh" in Carthagods (2015)
  • – "Ultimate Intelligence" in Quantified Self (2016)
  • AKHETH - "The Asylum" (2017)
  • Dream Ocean - "Never Enough" in Lost Love Symphony (2018)

Notes and references[]

  1. ^ "Epica interview - Mark Jansen (part 1)". YouTube. FaceCulture. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  2. ^ User, Super. "MaYaN Biography". mayanofficial.com. Retrieved 2018-03-27.
  3. ^ "United Metal Minds". unitedmetalminds.com. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  4. ^ "Members". Epica. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Facebook page". Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  6. ^ "An Interview with Epica's Mark Jansen". Metal Underground. June 16, 2009. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  7. ^ Van Dijk, Erwin. "An interview with Mark Jansen from Epica". Femme Metal Webzine. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  8. ^ "❤️10 years of adventures always together, happy anniversary to us! ❤️". Instagram. Laura Macrí. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-03-10. Retrieved 2017-10-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ "Epica interview - Mark Jansen (part 2)". YouTube. FaceCulture. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  11. ^ Begai, Carl. "EPICA - THE ECSTASY OF AGONY". Bravewords. Retrieved 25 August 2021.

External links[]

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