What do you get when you mix an operatic soprano vocalist, a death chant metal vocalist, a keyboardist, and a symphonic metal band? The answer is the Dutch band known as Epica with Simone Simons (vocals), Mark Jansen (rhythm guitar, vocals), Isaac Delahaye (lead guitar), Coen Janssen (keyboards/piano), Rob van der Loo (bass), and Ariën Weesenbeek (drums). Founded in 2002, the band immediately made its mark on the metal world with their dual vocalists of contrasting styles and a wonderful blend of symphony and heavy metal. Nearly 20 years and 8 albums later, Epica is still going strong with their last release Ωmega on February 26, 2021 via Nuclear Blast. Sadly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band couldn’t tour to support the album but wanted to do something for the fans this year. In collaboration with Danny Wimmer Presents, directed by Jens de Vos of Panda Productions, and produced by Epica, the band debuted their first-ever universal streaming event titled Ωmega Alive on June 12, 2021.
After watching this streaming event, I found it hard to determine how to write this review. Why? Because there is so much to discuss I’m not even sure where to start! Let’s talk about the production overall. This is probably the biggest production I’ve seen for a streaming event ever. One floor stage, a large drum riser stage, two rising platforms, and another stage behind the drum riser. Two massive steel framed cobras that spat out fog and fire and pyrotechnics for the entire event. Did I also mention this streaming event clocked in at 1 hour and 45 minutes long? And the lighting was perfect to send the mood and the tone throughout the entire event. And Jens and Epica told a theatrical story through the event. They broke up the songs into segments with each about 2 to 3 songs which had the story shown in between while the stage and band’s outfits were changed.
And when Epica is putting on a show, they go all out as they did with this event. Coen was Creative Director behind the event and he and the band came up with some phenomenal ideas for this show. Acrobats on a swinging chandelier, fire dancers, ballet dancers, flag bearers, children’s choir, banners, and a literal ring of fire. Every song provided something new and unique to capture your attention and make you go “Wow!” Two of my favorites was watching Simone disappear into darkness, throwing herself backwards off the stage behind the drum riser during their performance of “The Obsessive Devotion” from their 2007 album The Divine Conspiracy and watching the rain effect pour down over the band and the stages as they performed “Victims of Contingency” from their 2014 album The Quantum Enigma.
As for Epica‘s performance, it was truly spectacular. Their music is a perfect mixture of goosebump-raising guitar riffs, headbanging drumbeats, euphoric keyboards, thunderous bass, and symphonic metal vocals you will never hear anywhere else. Supporting their most recent album Ωmega, the band performed a number of tracks from the album including “The Skeleton Key”, “Kingdom of Heaven – Part III – The Antediluvian Universe”, and “Freedom – The Wolves Within”. They also performed their very first single ever “Cry for the Moon”. But, to see them live raises all of this to a whole new level of performance. Simone and Mark have fun singing to each other during songs, Coen and Isaac have a guitar/keyboard duet with Coen using a portable curved keyboard on a harness (it is a sight to behold), but the true mind-blower was watching Coen playing the piano literally on fire. Epica always wants to up the ante to give the crowd a mind-blowing experience.
I also have to mention the amazing vocal talent Simone brings to Epica. Her acapella performance of “Rivers” from Ωmega with a choir was hauntingly beautiful. Her voice is so powerful, so clear, and just enraptures the audience.
Epica – Ωmega Alive is probably the streaming event of the year. This is the type of production you want to see the band take on the road and play in the theater. I could not praise this event enough. The full setlist from the event was:
- Abyss of Time – Countdown to Singularity
- The Skeleton Key
- Unchain Utopia
- The Obsessive Devotion
- In All Conscience
- Victims of Contingency
- Kingdom of Heaven
- Kingdom of Heaven – Part III – The Antediluvian Universe
- Rivers
- Once Upon a Nightmare
- Freedom – The Wolves Within
- Cry for the Moon
- Beyond the Matrix
- Omega – Sovereign of the Sun Spheres
There is still time to watch the streaming event! Go over to www.epicastream.com to pick up your ticket and exclusive merchandise. You only have until Tuesday, June 15th at 11:59 PM ET to do this before the stream and merch are gone! If you want to find out more about Epica go over to their website at epica.nl for music and merch.
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