The Holographic Principle is the seventh studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica, released on 30 September 2016.

"In between touring, we spent our time in the Sandlane Recording Facilities with producer Joost van den Broek" explained guitarist Isaac Delahaye.

Even though "The Holographic Principle" is one of Epica's most ambitious offerings to date, the album doesn't sacrifice any of its instant appeal, something which Simone says was intentional.

"Also in the mix, the melodies, the grooves, and I think that ever since Isaac joined the band, not only as a songwriter but also the guitars have been lifted to a different level, and have become more interesting to listen to, I find myself.

After I had written the music for Eidola, I felt there was something missing so our keyboard player Coen (Janssen) rebuilt it with many new parts and it became massive.

[14] The second track on the album is entitled "Edge of the Blade" and Simone has stated: “The music for this one was written by our guitarist Isaac Delahaye, but the lyrics are mine.

Edge of the blade is another way of saying 'the tip of the iceberg'; it’s very dangerous to get too wrapped up in unimportant things.”[13] "A Phantasmic Parade" was inspired by the movies Inception and The Matrix.

[13] The lyrics of "Universal Death Squad" are about robots who decide they want to kill; that is, artificial intelligence that's programmed to fight in wars without anyone having to push a button.

"Divide and Conquer" talks about media only giving us one side of the story of what is going on in the Middle East, but when you dig deeper, you find layers of truth about natural resources, like oil, that are influencing the region.

A lot of times, parents don’t take their children seriously, especially when it comes to seeing monsters in the closet so it’s a dark twist on fairy tales.

[13] Mark Jansen said that he is most proud of the lyrics to "The Cosmic Algorithm" and explained the meaning behind the song: “It's about the man beneath the hologram.

Machines operate in numbers and code, and you can find similar algorithms in nature, so literally the whole universe as we know it is built on mathematical calculations.

People have always searched for the meaning of life, but the answers are always the same: love, family, friends and helping each other.”[13] The lyrics of "Ascension – Dream State Armageddon" deal with waking up and realising that everything is a hologram, but there is a danger that if you truly did find the key to unlock the mystery of the universe, everything would implode.

"[9] In February 2017 Metal Rules reported the six unreleased songs to be Fight Your Demons, Wheel of Destiny, Architect of Light, Immortal Melancholy, Decoded Poetry, and The Solace System.

[15] The single Fight Your Demons was given out as part of the VIP package on Epica's Canadian tour in November 2016 on a CD.

[18] To celebrate the release of The Holographic Principle, Epica played two release shows at their own Epic Metal Fest (Netherlands) at 013 in Tilburg on 1 October 2016 and also at the 1st edition of Brazil Epic Metal Fest at Audio in São Paulo 15 October 2016.

[3] On July 27, 2016, Epica announced through their Facebook website that the lead single "Universal Death Squad" would be released two days later.

The song was released 29 July 2016 via iTunes along with its lyric video, that was uploaded to Epica's YouTube account.

The video was shot and directed by Jens De Vos (who is also the guitarist for the Belgian metal band Off the Cross).

[21][22] The first video was launched with the help of Slagwerkkrant at their website and it Is a drum playthrough by Epica's drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek.

"[6] On November 16, 2016, Epica released a lyric video for the track "Ascension – Dream State Armageddon".

The video is compiled of footage shot at band's release show during Epic Metal Fest in Netherlands and was edited by Panda Productions.

"Beyond the Matrix" official music video was released on 11 January 2017 and was again directed and shot by De Vos from Panda Productions.

Transcend together with us and shine past the sky.”[26] The Holographic Principle received positive reviews from critics, including an 8 out of 10 from Ultimate Guitar Archive[31] and a 9 out of 10 from Metal Injection.

It also peaked at number 4 in Netherlands, making it together with Epica's 2014 The Quantum Enigma the band's highest charting album in their homeland.