inspired by Kamelot's album of the same name. Through Epica, Jansen continued to further pursue the combination of symphonic metal with gothic metal elements, that had been present in After Forever's first two albums. Over time, the band began to incorporate strong death metal influences into their sound. Starting from the third album, progressive metal influences have also become evident. In addition, the band often uses thrash metal and groove metal riffs, black metal passages (mostly in the drum technique), power metal moments and references to Arabic music. Some songs also have electronic shades, djent transitions and folk metal melodies derived from Middle Eastern, Chinese and Celtic traditions. Epica is also known for the attention to the vocal lines that, in contrast to the heavy context, weave very catchy, easy to hold, sophisticated and emotional melodies. The band's lyrics often deal with philosophical, psychological, spiritual, moral, scientific, environmental, socio-political, global and topical and personal themes, and the band is also known for their wide use of orchestra and opera choirs. MaYaN (2010–present) In 2010, Jansen announced that he and former After Forever keyboardist Jack Driessen have formed another band called MaYaN. The name was chosen by Jansen out of his fascination for the ancient Maya civilization. MaYaN's lyrical themes include religion, politics, and world events, as well as philosophy, meditation, existence, and inner struggles. The band has released three studio albums to date, Quarterpast in 2011, Antagonise in 2014 and Dhyana in 2018. Unlike his other bands, Jansen sings but does not play guitar, with the band featuring many different vocalists (either full-time members or guests) in a mix of clean vocals, growled vocals, and screams, supported by an instrumentation combining both heavy metal and symphonic metal elements. United Metal Minds (2018–present) Recently, Jansen has launched the international musical project United Metal Minds. Private life Jansen was born in Reuver, Netherlands, and has a master's degree in psychology. 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. Since 2011, he has been in a relationship with Italian singer Laura Macrì. In the past, he had a relationship with Simone Simons; the relationship ended in 2005, shortly after the release of Consign to Oblivion. Jansen first met Simons in the chatroom on After Forever's website, when he was searching for a singer