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On stage: Epica



- Kamelot, Epica & Kotipelto - Apr. 2005 - Bochum (D) -
- Epica & Feedforward - May 2007 - Weert (NL) -
- Masters Of Rock - July 2007 - Vizovice (CZ) -
- Epica & Sons Of Seasons - Oct. 2009 - Veenendaal (NL) -
- Epica, Amberian Dawn & Sons Of Seasons - Oct. 2009 - Bochum (D) -
- Epica & Sons Of Seasons - Jan. 2010 - Andernach (D) -
- Epica - Feb. 2010 - Atlanta GA (USA) -
- Epica & ReVamp - Mar. 2011 - Manchester (GB) -
- Epica & Sin7Sins - Mar. 2011 - Breda (NL) -
- RockHard 2011 - June 2011 - Gelsenkirchen (D) -
- Epica & Stream Of Passion - Mar. 2012 - Bochum (D) -











- Epica & Stream Of Passion -
- March 15th 2012 - Bochum (D), Zeche -





Stream Of Passion - live in Bochum

Stream Of Passion - live in Bochum

Epica - live in Bochum

Epica - live in Bochum

Epica - live in Bochum

Epica - live in Bochum

Epica - live in Bochum

Epica - live in Bochum

Epica - live in Bochum

As usual Epica hit the road in Europe soon after having a new album out and they always play a lot new tunes, so this time most of Requiem For The Indifferent should be on their set list. This time they invited Stream Of Passion to support them, a good choice.


Quite a few fans were queuing when I arrived early and obviously quite a few come from the Netherlands to see Epica in Bochum. Doors opened at 6:30 PM, first only to the bar - where the merch booths are placed - and a little later the door to the club itself opened. Fans hurried to get in front of the stage. Finally the lights went out and Stream Of Passion entered the stage to kick off with Lost, the opening track of their latest release Darker Days. When singer Marcela Bovio entered the stage, all eyes were on her. Next in line was Passion from their 2005 debut Embrace The Storm. "Danke schön! Guten Abend meine Freunde! We are Stream Of Passion from the Netherlands and Mexico." Mexican singer Marcela welcomed the metal fans and wished everybody "Have a great evening!" Without wasting more time they headed into Collide, a song which enchants you with a heavy groove and fragile sounding parts. Keyboarder Jeffrey Revet offered a keyboard interlude to give his mates a chance to change guitars before they offered Darker Days, a song which has a special feel to it due to the Spanish passages. Back to their early days with Haunted and afterwards presented a song from The Flame Within which Marcela introduced "We are honored to play here for all the lovely people and we want to thank Epica for the opportunity to support them. This one is dedicated to Epica!" In The End followed. I was a bit surprised that they play a cover song as they only have limited stage time, another surprise - at least to me - was that it was Radiohead's Street Spirit. They closed the set with This Endless Light where Marcela Bovio picked up her violin. Unfortunately the only time she played her violin... "Vielen Dank Bochum! Auf wiedersehen!" and so Stream Of Passion's set ended.


While Stream Of Passion played more fans arrived and so the club was packed. When the music stopped you could feel the excitement of the audience. The intro Karma off their new album was opening the show and the band members walked onto stage to kick off with Monopoly Of Truth, just like on the album Requiem For The Indifferent. "Vielen, vielen Dank!" Simone Simons said and continued in German, telling the fans that the band is happy to be back in Bochum. "We have a new song for you! We continue with our latest single Storm The Sorrow!" A dramatic opening passage and then Simone's vocals will win you over - if it hasn't already. Time to speed up, to show the more aggressive side with Internal Warfare, a song the band dedicated to the victims of Anders Breivik. Internal Warfare combines the key elements of Epica's sound and so pleased the fans. "This one isn't as new one, well it's not that old... Not just from the new album, we play a song from every album!" Mark Jansen said. "This is a song from Design Your Universe!" And they headed into Unleashed! Actually one of my favorites of DYU and it seems that the majority of the fans loves this one... It seemed that everybody was singing along which made the guys on stage smile. Next in line another new song... "This is the title track of our new album Requiem For The Indifferent, the working title was 'ja wohl'... the track might have something German in it..." Simone told the fans. I wouldn't have guessed, coz the opening passage has an Oriental touch. The long track offers varying vocals - incl. growls and whispered words -, choir parts, black metal-ish elements, speed changes... You name it. With Guilty Demeanor another new song followed. Time for an older tune... The Obsessive Devotion off The Divine Conspiracy and even if I love to hear all the new songs live, I would like to hear a few older tunes as well... Mark Jansen announced: "We guys take a rest - except for Coen!" It was time for the keyboard-based ballad Delirium! One might criticize them for using the same formula as for Tides Of Time, but hell, it's a great tune! And it gives Simone Simons the chance to show a different facet. Later on the other guys return to join in. "Do you want something new?" Mark Jansen asked the audience and the feedback made him smile and so they headed into Stay The Course, a track where Mark adds some growls. Beside that the guys were posing, switching sides and did their best to entertain their fans. After Deep Water Horizon it was time for a classic - Cry For The Moon! And that was it! At least the main part of the set, coz Epica returned for a few more songs. As usual Coen Janssen was the first to be back and spoke to the fans: "We have a lot of songs to play! It was a short set, but we have 5 encores!" Then asked "Do you want more? New? Old? New? Have fun!" and he entered his keyboard pedestal. With Avalanche they continued and afterwards Simone asked the fans to forgive her... "Sorry, I forgot part the lyrics... and as soon as you start thinking about it, it gets worse." But that's live and how can't you be angry with her? Deter The Tyrant and Serenade Of Self-Destruction followed, and then 'not the karaoke version' of the European bonus track Nostalgia. Everybody but drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek had a chance to shine, time for a short drum solo. The others returned and Mark addressed the audience: "We have one more for you! But only if you scream very loud!" And that what the fans did, they loudly screamed and so they closed this chapter with Consign To Oblivion!


As the new album is just out, the band will be playing live a lot to promote their new album. So, if they play your area, make sure not to miss them! And if you want to take your camera with you, no problem, coz Epica is inviting everybody to do photos. You can even take your DSLR with you, they just ask you not to use the flash! Wish more bands would be a bit easier about photos....




Claudia Ehrhardt

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- Epica & Sin7Sins -
- March 18th 2011 - Breda (NL), Mezz -





Sin7Sins - live in Breda

Sin7Sins - live in Breda

Epica - live in Breda

Epica - live in Breda

Epica - live in Breda

Epica - live in Breda

Epica - live in Breda

Epica - live in Breda

When Epica play a show in their home country you better be quick to order your ticket, usually their shows are sold out. Same this time, weeks prior to the show it was sold-out, so a great chance for their fellow countrymen Sin7Sins to play in front of a bigger audience.

The Mezz looks a bit like a stranded whale, not much like a concert venue, but it's a great place to see a band. Fans started queuing long before doors open, but due to the e-ticket system people got in fast.

Many fans had already arrived when Sin7Sins entered the stage. The stage was left in the dark, most of the time only Lotus was bathed in white light. The quintet has just one album under their belt, Perversion Ltd., and recently had to face a line-up change.

Drummer Armada XTC left the band in January and thanks to Heresy 101 they are now able to play the scheduled shows. The band had time to played all songs of the debut album. Songs like Sexual Predator, Taste Of Twilight and Portrait In Blood (Braindead) gave the attending a good idea about Sin7Sins. Singer Lotus looked a bit like a modern gothic version of Cyndi Lauper, even if the band don't want to be labeled gothic. It took the quintet a few songs to warm up the audience, not just because they don't sound like Epica, mainly because the majority didn't knew the songs. After the band introduction they headed into Dead World, a danceable track with a catchy hook. Here guitarist Gen Morphine adds some growls and it seemed that the Epica fans like this. Perhaps they should have played this one earlier in the set... They closed their set with 7even Stitches, a tune which starts with a symphonic keyboard passage, then a danceable beat and mid-paced passages follow. Again Gen Morphine joins in. Obviously the last two tracks were most welcome. Some found Lotus vocals a bit annoying after awhile, but in combination with Gen's growls it worked better.

Change over, then the place was darkened and Samadhi announced the beginning of the Epica show. The guys walked on stage and headed into Resign To Surrender. Even before Simone Simons entered the stage the response was great. Within one song the place was on fire! Next in line was Sensorium and it seemed that everybody was singing along. The band enjoyed being on stage and were joking around. If you saw Epica promoting Design Your Universe you have heard them play most of the songs, but to keep it interesting they partly changed the set list. After The Obsessive Devotion they offered another three songs from DYU - Unleashed, Martyr Of The Free Word and the title track. Then they traveled back in time and presented Cry For The Moon off their debut The Phantom Agony. Drummer Ariën Van Weesenbeek got the chance to play a solo which them embedded in this classic Epica tune. "Our drummer Ariën came all the way from... Breda!" which made the people laugh. With Imperial March they continued. Founder Mark Jansen asked "Do you want more? Are you sure you want more?" And it got really loud! Keyboarder Coen Jansen kicked off Tides Of Time and they guys left the stage. Mark mentioned something about wanting a beer and Simone told him to get one, but not more, coz a beer belly isn't sexy at all. Marks reply drowned in the laughter of the fans. Then the place went silent, the stage was flooded with red and pink light while Simone took the center stage for her favorite Design Your Universe song. A fantastic ballad. When the band returned for Blank Infinity Mark had taken off his shirt like he wanted to proof that he's far from getting a beer belly. The guys were in a splendid mood when they closed the set with Consign To Oblivion.

The fans wanted more and they got more! The sextet opened the encore part with Sancta Terra - but not in the usual way. Guitarist Isaac Delahaye took over the keyboards at least for a moment, then Coen chased him away. They closed the set with The Phantom Agony and again they surprised the fans! The guys started playing and Simone walked on stage with an oversized pair of glasses, acted like she still couldn't see the audience, trying to feel her way. In the mid-section of the song the lights changed and it was like in an 80's discotheque... The music adjusted to the visual impression for awhile, then they finished of the song in the usual way.

Another great performance of the Dutch sextet. After the show many fans headed into the Mezz Café where the merchandise both was set up and where Sin7Sins were hanging out to talk to their fans, for us it was time to head back home. But it was worth taking a ride to Breda and see Epica in the Netherlands.




Claudia Ehrhardt

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- Epica & ReVamp -
- March 13th 2011 - Manchester (GB), Moho Live -





Epica - live in Breda

Epica - live in Breda

Epica - live in Breda

Epica - live in Breda

Epica - live in Breda

Epica - live in Breda

Epica - live in Breda

© Claudia Ehrhardt
Photos: Breda 2011

Moho Live is getting its fair number of awesome metal gigs lately, but in my opinion none have been as big as these two titans of the symphonic metal scene. The two symphonic giants to grace the small Manchester venue with their presence were fine Dutch exports Epica and ReVamp.

As the members of the large crowd jostled for position the intro music for ReVamp bled through the speakers. The gathered throng went wild as the members of ReVamp took the stage but the biggest roar was saved for vocalist Floor Jansen, whom most readers will know better from her former band After Forever. I'd not heard the ReVamp album (in fact, I'd heard hardly any After Forever either), but by the end of the performance I was determined to redress that situation!
Opening with Here's My Hell the band steamed through the majority of the ReVamp debut with fierce passion, none more-so than vocal valkyrie Floor Jansen whose enormous range and jokey crowd interaction had me won over from the get-go. I had to question whether ReVamp were the supporting band at this gig as I'd have paid the ticket price to see them headline!
After Fast Forward Floor remarked how the UK audiences they had met so far had been very quiet between the songs so she asked the crowd to roar and roar they did! They followed up this madness with the powerful ballad The Sweet Curse after which Floor asked the audience to be silent again. She seemed very surprised when her request was granted! You could have heard a pin drop in the Moho at that point! She whispered the track of the next song 'Kill Me With Silence'. They rounded off the set with Disgraced. The performance of ReVamp was anything but disgraceful however! Epica couldn't top this. Could they?

I'd been waiting to see Epica live for a few years, having not had the opportunity since I'd discovered them. I already knew from other people that Epica have a powerful live show and this was attested to on one of my favourite live albums; The Classical Conspiracy. The wait between the end of ReVamp and the start of Epica's set was unbearably long and I got the impression the headliners would have to shorten their set somewhat from that which they had played in Nottingham the previous night. However, as soon as the mighty Dutch sextet took to the stage to the tune of Samadhi, the interminable waiting was forgotten!
They began the onslaught with Resign to Surrender – A New Age Dawns Part IV, from the most recent album Design Your Universe. The cheers for Epica were somehow even louder than for ReVamp and the guys (and girl) lived up to their name with a truly epic performance! After this they went back in time to The Phantom Agony for the much-loved classic Sensorium.
The passionate rendition of Tides Of Time was met with approval by the fans. This is a song that is even more powerful live than on record and I'm certainly glad it was included despite favouring Epica's faster, more 'metal' songs! One of the highlights for me – and the part when my inner geek went mental - was the metalised version of John Williams' Imperial March, which I'm sure all the geeks in the audience appreciated as much as I did!
The whole set was a great mix of old and new with a good number of Epica classics included, not least Cry For the Moon (complete with crowd sing-along), Consign to Oblivion (probably the song of the evening) and the encore The Phantom Agony.
Of course the true high point of this concert was when Floor Jansen joined Epica to sing a duet with Simone Simons. The song was Sancta Terra and it was amazing to see and hear two such amazing singers belt out this song!

Despite the shortcomings of Moho Live - which was too crowded, so hot the sweat was dripping from the ceiling (as pointed out by Simone!) and so small you could hardly see the bands – the gig was a huge success and it seemed like everybody present thought so too! My only disappointmenst were no Quietus or Kingdom Of Heaven from Epica, but that really is nitpicking! Boths bands were faultless and I cannot wait to see them again!




Mike Thompson

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- Epica - February 28th 2010 – Atlanta GA (USA), Masquerade -




First off: I'm probably going to piss a few people off with this review so if you're easily offended then move right along.

Anyhow... This show was the last stop for Epica's North American Design Your Universe Tour. For anybody that's been to a lot of shows, you know that this often means the bands pulling lots of pranks on each other and various other onstage shenanigans. This show was no exception.

The show started out with two local opening acts. The first was this kind of Gothic metal (but not really) band named (I think) Tortus. This band is very much a work in progress but they have a ton of potential. The biggest problem that they have is that they have a bit too much metalcore influence in some of their songs.

The next band was the Iron Maiden-esque band eclipsed by sanity. These guys apparently have a bit of a name for themselves around town and I can understand why. Their set was really good.

Now that the local openers were out of the way, it's time for the real show to begin...

Blackguard: This makes the third time that I've seen this band, and they are one of those bands that has taken me quite awhile to get into. One thing that I have always liked about them, however, is that they know how to put on a show, and you can tell by watching them on stage that they really enjoy what they do. Toward the end of their set is where the shenanigans began. At one point, everybody in the band walked off the stage, and in their place came the guys in Threat Signal, with their singer John Howard wearing nothing but a Mexican wrestler mask and a pair of Blackguard panties from their merch counter. Thank GOD his junk didn't fall out of those things, haha! The real band was still backstage playing while the Threat Signal guys impersonated them. It was all great fun. Somewhere along the line, I can't remember when, but Threat Signal brought out some grilled cheese and ketchup sandwiches for Blackguard.

Next up was Threat Signal. I do not care much at all for this band or their style of music, so I'm not even going to bother. The shenanigans made their set enjoyable, though, with the members of Blackguard goofing around onstage and harassing the band. The tables also turned when Threat Signal left the stage and Blackguard came on to impersonate them. At some point during the set, one of the guys from Blackguard (EDIT: I was told that it was actually Mark Jansen from Epica) came out wearing nothing but the aforementioned wrestler mask and a towel...and somebody stole his towel! Fortunately he dashed backstage before exposing himself too much for very long.

Finally, the band we all came to see: Epica! I have been a big fan of this band since way back in their early days and back then I never imagined in a million years that I would get to see them live, much less three times.

Here was the set list:

Samadhi/Resign to Surrender
Sensorium
Unleashed
Martyr Of The Free Word
Fools of Damnation
Imperial March
Tides of Time
Seif al Din
The Obsessive Devotion

Encore:

Cry for the Moon
Quietus
Consign to Oblivion


Of course, there were tons more shenanigans during this set, with mostly members of Blackguard harassing the band, giving them shots of liquor, spiking their beer with liquor, and crowd surfing! At one point they came out and were trying to polish Epica's instruments while they were trying to play, and were sweeping the stage with a push broom. It made a great set even better! During the Imperial March (which is what they used this time to give Simone a break instead of the usual Crystal Mountain.

Simone was in top form and was looking and sounding great, and I think Mark's vocals have gotten a lot better since I first saw them in '07.

I will say one thing, however: While Simone can hold her own with Fools Of Damnation, I honestly believe that Amanda Somerville did a much better job at it when she filled in for Simone on their last U.S. tour. I just think that Amanda's voice and her much more commanding stage presence is better suited to this song.

My only other complaint about their set was that there was no Chasing The Dragon but that's ok. I've done this enough where I know that most likely I'll never get everything I want in a set list.


Now for the bitching:

I have never done the whole V.I.P./Meet-N-Greet thing before, choosing instead to just try to catch band members at their merch counter or just hanging out after the show. Since Epica was offering it for this tour and had already expressed a concern over this tour being profitable, I figured I'd go ahead and pay the extra money (My ticket was $45.50 USD through EnterTheVault) and try it this time. I was under the impression that we were supposed to meet the band and then GET IN THE VENUE an hour earlier than door time. What really happened was that we were herded like cattle past the band who were sitting behind a long table, given a brief moment to speak to each one and get a poster signed, and then we were told go go back outside in the cold. We were queued up ahead of the non V.I.P. ticketholders but we were only allowed in the venue maybe a whole 30 seconds before they started letting non VIPs in. On top of this, when we got there, the venue management didn't even know that there was supposed to be a meet and greet and all of us were pretty clueless about how to proceed until somebody asked one of the band members that were hanging out outside.

All in all I don't think it was worth the extra money I paid but I'm not really sure if the problems above were the fault of the band, their tour manager, or the venue itself.

I have determined that most Goth kiddies do not know how to behave themselves at metal shows. When I've got my hands full of beer and I'm trying to weave my way through the crowd, it's not because I'm trying to take your spot, it's because there's somebody up front that's holding my spot on the rail for me. As you can see, I had some douchebag rip my set list trying to get it out of my hand. If this were any other kind of metal show I wouldn't be having to deal with this crap because people would generally know how to act. Also, remember that this isn't The Cure or Depeche Mode or any of that other stuff that you Goth kiddies listen to. it's a friggin' metal show. If you can't deal with mosh pits and crowd surfers then you have no business being up near the front.



Jeff
(guest writer)

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- Epica & Sons Of Seasons -
- January 15th 2010 - Andernach (D), JuZ





Sons Of Seasons - live in Andernach

Sons Of Seasons - live in Andernach

Sons Of Seasons - live in Andernach

Epica - live in Andernach

Epica - live in Andernach

Epica - live in Andernach

Epica - live in Andernach

When Epica hit the road last fall I went to see them in Bochum, but the shows was prior the release of Design Your Universe. So I was looking forward to see them play some of the new songs this time, coz you can appreciate it more when you know the tunes. Beside that Sons Of Seasons were opening for them and as there was no other band on the bill, I expected them to have more stage time... Luckily the weather conditions didn't prevent us to go and so we arrived around doors open.
When Sons Of Seasons kicked off with the title track of their album Gods Of Vermin. Tonight Sons Of Seasons not just had more stage time, they also had more lights. Bassist Jürgen Steinmetz already had an engagement when this show was scheduled, so a friend of the guys jumped in and played bass that night. As Sons Of Seasons have only one album out, they played most of the songs of Gods Of Vermin. Before they headed into Fall Of Byzanz Henning told the audience that this was their first show in 2010 and continued: "We have a great band from Holland with us tonight... Epica!" Highlights of the show were Belial's Tower, Blind Man's Resolution and the closer Falling Family. When Henning announced that he has to do Falling Family without Mark and Simone and that he'll try to make up for it, the fans were sceptic. But it worked quite well. Too soon it was over and I hope to seem them live again soon.
After a change over it was time for the Dutch to enter the stage during their intro - someone first row handed Mark Jansen a cake - to kick off with Resign To Surrender. After so many shows it was no surprise that they delivered a tight performance, but this time also old tunes made it onto the set list and so they continued with one of my favorites - Sensorium! After a tune from the debut they offered Menace Of Vanity off The Divine Conspiracy. It was obvious that the band enjoys being on stage and to rock together. Even Isaac Delahaye who joined them last year looked like he's in the band forever. Epica work like a well-piled machine, but they are heart & soul. From Unleashed they headed into Martyr For The Free Word. Next in line Imperial March. After the instrumental Simone Simons came back and told the audience that the next one is one of her favorites... Keyboarder Coen and Simone presented the emotional Tides Of Time - the beautiful ballad of Design Your Universe. Later the rest of the guys joined in. One of the highlights of the show! Blank Infinity should follow, afterwards guitarist Mark Jansen asked the audience: "You guys want some more?" Sancta Terra came next. With The Obsessive Devotion they came closer to the end of the set, but not without playing the title track of their current album Design Your Universe! And then they were gone... The audience wanted more and after a few moments Keyboarder Coen returned: "Guten Abend! That's all I can say in German... Did you like the show? Did you like Sons Of Seasons?" As the response wasn't as loud as he expected he cheered up the people to get louder. "Okay dear people of Andernach... You make me nervous, I'm not used to talk... You want some more? Are you sure?" And it got really loud! The first song of the encore was Cry For The Moon! Two more and it was over. After Quietus they as usual closed their set with Consign To Oblivion. Time is flying if you're having fun and so it seems to be over too soon - and I guess everybody who attended the show will be back next time around! Personally I can't wait to see the Dutch again, but now they head over to North America... But you might catch them at some festivals... e.g. Masters Of Rock in Czech Republic... I'm looking forward to that one!
Right after the Epica show Sons Of Seasons showed up at the merchandise booth to talk to fans, sign whatever their fans wanted them to sign and patiently let the fans take photos. Later some of the Epica guys showed up to talk to some fans and have a drink with them.
Thanks to the crew of the JuZ for a great evening! See you soon!


















- Epica, Amberian Dawn & Sons Of Seasons -
- October, 14th 2009 - Bochum (D), Zeche -





Sons Of Seasons live in Bochum

Amberian Dawn live in Bochum

Epica live in Bochum

Epica live in Bochum

Epica live in Bochum

Epica live in Bochum

Epica live in Bochum

Epica's new album Design Your Universe isn't even in the stores when the Dutch band hits the road. Bochum was one stop on their tour and even if the venue wasn't packed a few hundred fans came to see them - and hear some new songs.
The opening act was Sons Of Seasons who had their debut released in late April. The band of guitarist / keyboarder Oliver Palotei kicked off with the title track Gods Of Vermin. As they only had a short stage time they headed into Dead Man's Shadows. The guys didn't have to much space on stage, but used every inch. Guitarist Pepe Pierez and bassist Jürgen Steinmetz were always in action and seemed to have a pretty good time on stage while singer Henning Basse's theatric show entertained the people. Their dark symphonic metal was welcomed by the Epica fans. One of the highlights of their album - and so their show - is Fall Of Byzanz where Henning Basse could show his vocal range and different emotions. Songs like Blind Man's Solution and Belial's Tower could win over more then just a handful of Epica fans. They closed their short set with Fallen Family. Actually I would have like to see more of them, but it was time for a change over.
Time for the Finnish Amberian Dawn and I confess that I only know them by name. But as they already played some shows with Epica, some people in the audience already knew them. Musically Amberian Dawn are presenting neo-classical metal with female vocals. Singer Heidi Parviainen is a soprano and adds some operatic vocals. During their 40 min. long set they played e.g. Kokko - Eagle Of Fire off their current album and Evil Inside Me from their debut.
It was getting late and finally at a quarter past 10PM Epica entered the stage! The opening track of Design Your Universe, the instrumental Samadhi was chosen to kick off the show. That one led over into Resign To Surrender which starts with some grunts by guitarist Mark Jansen, then Simone Simons joined the band and took over. The song is catchy and even if it was a new tune, it was easy to get into for the fans. With Unleashed the audience got a song they already knew, coz it was the single, the appetizer for Design Your Universe. The following one was a fast one, a neck breaker where the the four in the front of stage did some headbanging. A little later Mark announced the next song, the longest one off Design Your Universe - Kingdom Of Heaven! This epic 13 1/2 minute long tune is just awesome! Especially the acoustic solo part of new Epica member Isaac Delahaye was great! A cool idea to add this acoustic part and so expand the sound universe. After another instrumental one Mark asked "Do you wanna hear some old stuff?" The fans responded loudly and so they headed into Force Of The Shore. Afterwards Simone addressed the fans and announced a ballad... Tides Of Time! It starts with Coen's keyboard accompanied by Simone's vocals, then the others join in and it becomes heavier. A beautiful balladesque track which comes alive by Simone's vocals. If I got it right they played Deconstruct off the new album... About the rest I can't tell you much, coz I was on my way out to catch my train when they left the stage. I think it was the title track of Design Your Universe, but as I haven't heard the album yet, I'm not sure about that one. So it's speculation, but I guess Consign To Oblivion was the encore, coz it usually is...
Anyway, I wish I could have stayed til the end, but with 2 supports it gets late and if you are relying on public transport mid-week it's a problem. Personally I would have like to see a bit more of Sons Of Seasons and I wouldn't have miss Amberian Dawn. Actually I was surprised that Epica decided to play so many songs of the new album as it's not in the stores yet. The day after the show it was released, other bands would have take the safe way and played more 'old' songs... But they were right, coz the response to the new songs was very good. Hope you come back when we all know Design Your Universe by heart!















- Epica & Sons Of Seasons -
- October, 9th 2009 - Veenendaal (NL), Escape -




I will sing this song to you again

Sons of Seasons opened for Epica. I knew them because of two things: A) Simone's boyfriend / fiancee Oliver Palotai is in this band; and B) Simone is on the album. I've got the album, but I hadn't actually listened to it before leaving. I somehow never remembered to do so. =P And that's also why, I have no clue what they have played. I know the setlist consisted of Dead Man's Shadows and Fall Of Byzanz (I think!). Unfortunately, none of the songs with Simone.. I had been hoping for that, but alas.
So it was an all man's show, and it was pretty awesome! They've got a style they call 'dark symphonic metal'. I didn't really think it was symphonic, it reminded me more of power metal (or was I influenced by Oliver (Kamelot)?). Whatever it was, had a good beat, some nice solos, a great voice and a hilarious front man. Really, the singer was hilarious. It's one of the best opening bands I've seen, and mostly due to him. He did all sorts of cool things with his hands, and it was great to look at and he made me laugh an awful lot. He didn't miss any notes either. Yep, Sons Of Seasons put up a great and solid show, and I wouldn't mind listening to them again. Perhaps I should turn on that CD sometime.
But I hadn't come for Sons Of Seasons, I had come for Epica! They came on soon after, playing this:

Epica: setlist Veenendaal 2009

Or, as you could also see it, the complete Design Your Universe minus the duet with Tony Kakko. (I wish Tony could have come over. That would have been epic. I'm curious if he's present tonight at Paradiso... hm.) This was also my first time hearing the new songs, so you'll get an album review as well. Isn't that fun?
Anyway! They started with the intro Samadhi. Which I'll always think a strange name, but then again, this is Epica. It was pretty cool, though not as beautiful as Indigo or as haunting as Hanab K'u. Still pretty though. But then again, this is Epica. Samadhi was the intro for Resign To Surrender which may or may not have been one of the highlights of the evening. It was catchy, and I loved the choir bits I could hear. It was also a mean opening song, because it takes a while before Simone comes out =P We start off with Mark grunting. And man, that man seems so young. He has a definite baby face lol. So does Isaac by the way (the guy who took over Ad's place as guitarist). Hilarious guys. After Mark finishes grunting we get Simone, and Simone was pretty. She had a really pretty top, it was black and embroidered with silver. No longer the sexy clothes she used to wear, now she's just incredibly beautiful (although she's still sexy of course). She also wore high heels lol, I wouldn't wear heels to a concert, but if Simone feels good on those.. :D
So, Resign To Surrender epicness ends, and the Unleashed epicness starts. That song is strangely catchy. I loved hearing it live. The chorus sounds haunting and I LOVE it.
Then was Martyr Of The Free Word. I had heard many good things about this song, and they were all true! In the hard bits, like in the beginning, they used some sort of flashlight which was cool and painful for the eyes. It looked a bit like this:



Simone was at it again with her awesome headbanging btw this evening. I just remember this bit particularly well, because in this flashing light, it looks like slow motion and it looks SO awesome. :D Simone had loads of fun with this song, I especially love the way she sings the title. She does this nice thing with her eyes and she sings the line in a particular way, and I LOVE it. :D
After Martyr, came Our Destiny. Simone explained (in English, for the foreign people) that they have had a preview show in Groningen last week, but that they hadn't played everything.. so that it was the first time they played this! It was a great experience, I assure you. It's a very pretty song. One of the lines is "I will sing this song to you again". I didn't quite catch the other lyrics, but I wouldn't mind hearing Simone singing this again? It was just totally epic and REALLY awesome.
After Our Destiny, there was 13 1/2 minute of awesomeness with Kingdom of Heaven. It was a long song, but it doesn't feel as if it drags. I like that about Epica. Even their long songs are interesting from beginning till end. What I especially liked about this song live, was how they had to bring in an acoustic guitar for Isaac for small bits.. so he'd get a guitar on a standard so that he could play the acoustic parts for as long as it was needed, and then someone would have to run on stage and take the acoustic guitar away so he could start playing normally again. xD I don't remember an awful lot about this song, but I thought it was pretty at least. I know I liked everything, even if this was one of my least favs yesterday I think.
Then came Burn In A Cider. That one was really catchy. Especially the drums and vocal lines. And there was some particularly cute headbanging from Simone. And some very sweet and cool expressions that seemed to say 'well yes I'm awesome' xD The song demands a lot I think, going from heavy to soft like that, but she pulls it off alright, and she sounds great while doing so.
Tides Of Time then, and oh, that one was beautiful, it was SO beautiful! In the beginning it was just Coen (keyboards) and Simone, and OMG, you can really hear how much her voice has improved there! Especially the chorus! I was in tears. It was just really beautiful. I always knew Simone could sing great, but she has improved a lot.
I liked how the ballad became a heavier song somewhere halfway through. I think it works. Gives the song that extra bit of oomph :D
Mark started explaining that Yves (bass) had written the next song. It's called Deconstruct. Since Fran liked it loads, I was sure I would too, and I did. This is also a catchy song. I don't think I ever really thought Epica was catchy, but somehow I felt that way yesterday. What's all this bullshit of the album needing several spins to get into it? You love it at first listen if you like Epica xD
Semblance Of Liberty then. I didn't catch a lot of this song other than 'there are 5 guys being awesome on stage'. Simone was mostly off stage here, it was Ariën (drums) who did most of the singing. How cool is that? It was annoying for me, I was at the right part of the stage, so I had an obstructed view and couldn't see Ariën properly, but the idea is cool. And Ariën can sing alright. He can sing! (Although, sing is maybe not the right word?) They should use him more often. :D It was a really rocky song. A song with an edge. I love that.
Up last was the album track Design Your Universe. They had to do the same thing with the acoustic guitar as during Kingdom Of Heaven. It will never cease to be hilarious :D DYU was pretty cool. I didn't like it as much as the rest, but it was an okay song. It seems that even when I don't like an Epica song, it's still awesome. What makes me love these guys so much? *sigh*
Okay, so they went off-stage, but it wasn't really the last song yet! They came back for an encore. The first of those was Quietus. Quietus is actually really catchy, even more so than these tracks (which were also damned catchy) and since the audience actually knew this one, everyone started headbanging and singing along. It was quite cool. They changed the song a bit though. Mark grunted half of the song, it was weird. You know, it still sounded good, but I'm used to hearing Simone sing these song. The difference between these two is amazing. =P Anyhow. This was one of the longer bits Mark got to grunt. I wonder how much chocolate milk he got before the show. He sounded pretty fantastic.
The last song was Consign To Oblivion. I'm different from the rest of the fan club and don't particularly love this song. I love bits, but not the whole thing. I like it, but I don't love it. I noticed once again how alone I was in that, as the whole audience just swallowed the whole song up and loved the whole thing. Me? I just enjoyed the "When we stand in front of heaven's gate, it will be TOO LATE" bits doubly so that covered the rest of it. :D
All in all, this was an AMAZING concert. There were some things I didn't like, drunken people throwing beer for instance, but lets forget all about that and focus on the amazing performance and the fantastic new album. I can't wait till I get it. I'll probably listen to it non-stop for days!
And then two other photographs.. Simone and her dorky expressions:






Solyndra
http://solyndra.livejournal.com
(guest writer)

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- Epica & FeedForward - May 25th 2007 - Weert (NL), de Bosuil -




On a Friday night about 300 people found their way to Weert to see Epica live. The Dutch decided to play 2 club shows to test some new songs live and tonight they were joined by FeedForward - another Dutch band with a female singer.
The show started even later as announced, but the fans waited passionately. At 9:30 PM finally the intro started and draw the attention to the stage. FeedForward mainly played songs from their debut Barefoot & Naked which was released in December 2006 - as I learnd later. Biejanka and the guys offered some catchy rock tracks with complex parts and arrangements. They cross boarders. Biejanka is a charismatic singer with a warm voice and her style reminds me a bit of Anneke van Giersbergen at times of Mandylion.... Her voice is powerful and emotional, especially at the last track Fade Away. Somehow the songs sounds familiar... Even the first lines of the lyrics... It's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't grab it. Anyway, they did a good performance, but unfortunately the vocals been a bit too low, so that her voice partly drowned in the music. Beside that the sound was very good and the lights supported the songs atmosphere very well. Check them out!
The change over took longer then expected, coz Epica's soundman didn't arrived in time... Finally the music was turned off and Indigo, Epica's intro started. The band started into the set with Last Crusade and it was obvious that they really enjoyed being back on stage. Simone Simons and the band haven't played live awhile and were hot to perform. After Sensorium it was time to present the first new track! The Obsessive Devotion will be on their coming album The Divine Conspiracy and fit perfectly to the old songs. Perhaps a bit heavier... The band rocked the house and so did Simone! The red-haired singer enjoys every minute on stage and is making jokes with her band mates. Sure, Simone is also singing opera style, but with a rock attitude! After Quietus and Cry For The Moon it was time for another new track - Menace Of Vanity. On this one guitarist Mark Jansen is taking over the vocals for awhile... Well, he adds some grunts. The new songs get good response from the fans and so Epica were quite happy. A few more old songs incl. Crystal Mountain and Façade Of Reality - at some part keyboarder Coen Janssen took over some backings and I guess many envied him for his beautiful micro stand, coz Simone was leaning on the upper keyboard and hold the mic for him - and it was time for the first single of The Divine Conspiracy - Never Enough! When the band left the stage the fans loudly shouted for more and they returned for The Phantom Agony! Too soon it was over. Not just the fans wanted more, it seems that also the band was hot to play more... More shows! But beside some festivals this summer the fans have to wait til November when they will tour Europe with Sonata Arctica.


Set list Epica:

Last Crusade
Sensorium
The Obsessive Devotion
Quietus
Cry For The Moon
Menace Of Vanity
Linger
Blank Infinity
Crystal Mountain
Seif Al-Din
Facade Of Reality
Never Enough
______________________
The Phantom Agony


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