[Live Review] Epica, Afas Live Amsterdam

Symphonic metallers Epica gave two special shows in Amsterdam’s Afas Live venue with an orchestra and choir. We were there.

Sometimes I have a feeling that there just is no stopping Epica. Going strong for twenty-two years now, they still seem to only get better. Starting out as a promising symphonic metal act back in 2002, rising from the ashes of After Forever, they have turned into a behemoth vehicle, a juggernaut in the genre and seemingly capable of anything, culminating in 2021’s Omega and the subsequent Omega Alive which the band recorded during the COVID-lockdowns. Now the band is back on stage for two evenings of Symphonic Synergy. In other words: two evenings with orchestra and choir. We couldn’t wait.

Afas Live isn’t quite sold out on Thursday evening, but pleasantly crowded nonetheless when the lights dim at eight o’clock sharp and a video is being played showing a robot who, in mock surprise, figures out he’s in Amsterdam and notices the crowd. The orchestra and choir are all there when the spotlights then turn on vocalist Simone Simons for the opening track Unleashed, of which the first half is played without the rest of the band before they join in. The sound is a bit shrill at the start of the show but that is soon remedied. Playing for well over two hours, Epica gives us a set that covers the band’s entire discography.

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Of course we’re treated to staples like Consign to Oblivion, Cry for the Moon or Sensorium, but the band also has a number of surprises tonight. Menace of Vanity for example hasn’t been played for years. Crimson Bow and Arrow from their Epica vs. Attack on Titan EP is a welcome addition tonight as well. Three new songs are also debuted tonight, of which The Ghost in Me at first glance is the most fun, being an Epica-ed version of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Dance Macabre. Joined by a children’s choir, this rendition sounds like a love child between Saint-Saëns, Epica and Danny Elfman and would do well as a metalized soundtrack for this years’ helloween.

Further surprises include a medley, comprising of Universal Death Squad, The Last Crusade, The Phantom Agony and Design Your Universe, the excellent Sirens – Of Blood and Water from their 2022 EP The Alchemy Project, during which Simone is joined on stage by Charlotte Wessels and Anna Bruun (Myrkur). Highlight of the set is a reworked version of Beyond the Matrix, which as always ends with a lot of jumping, pyros and a big shower of confetti.

If one thing is clear tonight is how skilled all the people on the stage are. From the band members to the orchestra to the choirs and the backing singers (amongst which we find Marcela Bovio of Stream of Passion and Ayreon fame); everyone’s ridiculously on point tonight. It is also evident how much fun everyone is having. The vibe is one of pure positivity and the joy literally oozes from the stage. Simone is dancing to the music, everyone is smiling and especially Coen Jansen is having a terrific amount of fun, skating around on his keyboard on wheels. The camaraderie is palpable and immensely infectious.

To say that Epica’s Symphonic Synergy this Thursday was a happy place for me is an understatement. It was the most fun, positive time I’ve had at a concert in a long, long time and I’m truly grateful for that. On a more objective note, this was two hours of really well executed, orchestral metal performed by consummate professionals who really are playing at their top level (and then some). For those who couldn’t attend: I’m pretty sure that there will be a DVD release of this coming out somewhere along the road so keep your eyes open for that.

Setlist:

Unleashed
The Essence of Silence
Menace of Vanity
Sensorium
The Fifth Guardian (Interlude)
Crimson Bow and Arrow
Arcana
The Skeleton Key
The Ghost in Me
Storm the Sorrow
Universal Death Squad / The Last Crusade / The Phantom Agony / Design Your Universe
Tides of Time
Sirens – Of Blood and Water
Unchain Utopia
Beyond the Matrix
Code of Life
Cry for the Moon
Aspiral
Consign to Oblivion
Chevaliers de Sangreal (Hans Zimmer song)