Mark Jansen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Jansen
Jansen performing in 2022
Background information
Birth name	Markus H. J. Jansen
Born	(1978-12-15) 15 December 1978 (age 46) Reuver, Limburg, Netherlands
Genres	Symphonic metal, progressive metal, death metal
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1995–present

Markus Hubertus Johannes Jansen (born 15 December 1978) is a talented musician from the Netherlands. He is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Mark is well-known for his work in the music style called symphonic metal. He has been a key member of several bands, including After Forever (from 1995 to 2002), Epica (from 2002 until now), and MaYaN (from 2010 until now).

In both After Forever and Epica, Mark uses a special singing style called "growled vocals." This is a deep, rough vocal sound that he often uses alongside the clean singing of other vocalists, like Simone Simons in Epica.

Mark Jansen's Music Journey

Starting with After Forever (1995–2002)

Mark Jansen helped start the band After Forever with Sander Gommans. He was one of the main songwriters for their first two albums, Prison of Desire and Decipher. During his time with After Forever, Mark's love for movie music and classical music really shaped the band's sound. The songs often explored big ideas like religion and morals.

Mark left After Forever in 2002 because he and the other band members had different ideas about their music. Mark wanted to mix classical instruments and choirs with heavy metal sounds even more. However, the rest of the band wanted to try a different, more direct style. These differences led to Mark leaving the band.

Forming Epica (2002–Present)

Mark Jansen playing guitar at a concert in 2018.

After leaving After Forever, Mark started looking for musicians who shared his vision for a classical and symphonic music project. This new band was first called Sahara Dust. In 2003, Simone Simons joined as the lead singer. The band's name was later changed to Epica, inspired by an album from another band called Kamelot.

With Epica, Mark continued to combine symphonic metal with other heavy metal styles. Over time, the band added strong death metal influences. They also started to include progressive metal sounds from their third album onwards. Epica's music often mixes different metal styles, like thrash metal and groove metal. They also use sounds from black metal and power metal. Sometimes, you can even hear influences from Arabic, Chinese, and Celtic folk music.

Epica is also known for its beautiful vocal melodies, which are often very catchy and emotional. The band's songs often talk about deep and important topics. These include philosophy, psychology, science, and world events. Epica also uses a full orchestra and opera choirs in their music, which gives it a grand sound.

Creating MaYaN (2010–Present)

In 2010, Mark Jansen announced he had started another band called MaYaN. He formed it with Jack Driessen, who was also in After Forever. Mark chose the name MaYaN because he was fascinated by the ancient Maya civilization. The songs in MaYaN often deal with themes like religion, politics, and world events. They also explore ideas about philosophy, meditation, and inner struggles.

Unlike his other bands, Mark sings in MaYaN but does not play guitar. MaYaN features many different singers, using a mix of clean vocals, growled vocals, and screams. The band's music combines heavy metal with symphonic metal elements. So far, MaYaN has released three studio albums: Quarterpast (2011), Antagonise (2014), and Dhyana (2018).

United Metal Minds (2018–Present)

More recently, Mark Jansen started an international music project called United Metal Minds.

Mark Jansen's Life

Mark Jansen was born in Reuver, Netherlands. He has a master's degree in psychology. When he was a teenager, Mark first wanted to be a cyclist. However, his interest in music began after he went to a concert by the band Gorefest when he was 15 years old.

Since 2011, Mark has been in a relationship with Italian singer Laura Macrì. In the past, he had a relationship with Simone Simons, the singer from Epica. That relationship ended in 2005. Mark first met Simone in a chatroom on After Forever's website. He was looking for a singer for a new project. Simone, who was 16 at the time, impressed him when she sang to him over the phone.

On 12 November 2023, Mark and Laura welcomed their first daughter, Ilse, who was born in Italy. Both parents shared the happy news on their social media.

Music Albums

After Forever

Studio albums

• Prison of Desire (2000)
• Decipher (2001)

Epica

Studio albums

• The Phantom Agony (2003)
• Consign to Oblivion (2005)
• The Divine Conspiracy (2007)
• Design Your Universe (2009)
• Requiem for the Indifferent (2012)
• The Quantum Enigma (2014)
• The Holographic Principle (2016)
• Omega (2021)

Live & Soundtrack albums

• The Score – An Epic Journey (2005)
• The Classical Conspiracy (2009)

MaYaN

Studio albums

• Quarterpast (2011)
• Antagonise (2014)
• Dhyana (2018)

See also

In Spanish: Mark Jansen para niños