They are always amazing live. I had a the honor of being at this concert, pretty much at the front. It was new to all of us as it was the first time they ever played it live.
What was it like being at the front when the bang went off before The Ghost in Me? I was near the back of standing and it sounded like a bomb went off backstage 😂
They are a true force of nature indeed and I envy everyone who attended that concert. :) I have a lot of respect for 'Arcana' and that Epica chose it to reveal at a concert, because it really shows of what it has to offer at the first listen.
I really love your reaction this time. You are right. Epica live is so much better then in the video’s (but the video’s are amazing) I’ve been to this concert. It was amazing and the sound was mindblowing. The whole AFAS was vibrating. This was for sure one of the best concerts I’ve been too 🤘🏻
There are three backing vocalists, one choir of adults at the back and one choir of kids at the front. They bring different notes and Flavours to this masterpiece.
Epica saves it ALL for the stage! I know exactly what you mean-they’re perfect professionals in the studio, but it’s also so clear how they feed on the energy of their live crowds and it just brings a power to the performance that can’t be replicated. It’ll be interesting to see how things go from here-there’s one more song that was debuted at this concert that they could potentially release as a single, Aspiral, but who knows when that will be? And in the meantime, there’s the rest of the concert. I really hope they’ll continue posting videos from it, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see! In the meantime though there’s PLENTY of live content you’ll find to react to! My personal favorites are Unchain Utopia (Omega Alive), The Obsessive Devotion (Pol’and’Rock), and Code of Life (Live at AFAS Live). Omega Alive as a whole is a very special and spectacular show they did online during the pandemic lockdown, and if you ever feel like doing a deep dive, the whole concert is on their channel. Excited to see what you pick next!
Glad I'm not alone with that impression, in some way I would love for them to go all out in the studio as well, but on the other hand it's so much more satisfying when you see it live. Also it comes back to personal taste, but for me, I would go for the live version 10/10 and I don't think I'm alone with that. Well, I hope they will wait a bit, I need time to catch up with the list of older songs first. Crazy how your top 3 are completely different from what I heard the most (most mentioned was 'Consign to Oblivion'). Someone posted a quite large list, which I'm very thankful for, I'll check if your suggestions are on there as well. Thank you so much for your input.
@kaNjiXIII I understand you well! I think with the studio recordings too, on the vocal side, you really can’t play with power and extremes the way you can on stage, because you always have to be thinking about the mix as a whole and where your voice is going to sit in it, and there’s all this equipment that yes, helps it do that and preserves the quality, but you also lose a little something in the process. On stage though, that’s show-off time. There’s more freedom to let it all rip. Live is always the way! The music videos are fun though-Epica definitely has an unique style, and there’s some songs like Abyss of Time or Storm the Sorrow where I feel like the imagery in the MV really does add an extra layer to their artistry. I’m not surprised that the songs I named haven’t come up much really XD There’s definitely a few most popular “starter songs” people recommend, as with any band. No doubt Consign to Oblivion-and specifically the Zenith live that people will have recommended-is iconic! It’s epic and heavy and really gives you a taste of how brilliant their composition work is. BUT one big thing I’ve heard you mention is wanting to see how far Simone can go with her vocals, so the songs I recommended are ones I personally think show off her range of skill really well.
The subtle choir in the back at 4:20 is actually the three backing vocalists you see at the very left of the stage, that includes both Marcela Bovio (who also did screams with Mark Jansen on Beyond the Matrix :D) and Coen the keyboard player’s wife!! They had them mostly cover the harmonies and other vocals that would be played from a backing track in a normal concert setting so that this could be an experience as live as possible!!
My god, that rabbit hole is so deep, I can't. xD Thank you for sharing your knowledge, it's so delightful to learn all those little facts about that seemingly infinite universe, what Epica is and I just stumbled into. :D
@ There were so many special things about that show beyond just the choir/backing singers and orchestra. The three unreleased songs (there’s a third called Aspiral, a beautiful ballad they played second to last), a song called Menace of Vanity they haven’t played since 2012, their cover of the attack on titan theme called Crimson Bow and Arrow they only played twice before these shows, a medley of four different songs (Universal Death Squad, The Last Crusade, The Phantom Agony, and Design Your Universe), Unleashed and Beyond The Matrix having totally unique arrangements, and the song “Sirens, Of Blood and Water” for the first time ever being performed and joined by the two guest singers Charlotte Wessels (former Delain vocalist), and Myrkur
Loved that they had Marcela on stage with them. She has been their back up singer on a number of albums and I thing she even subbed for Simone once when she was ill and couldn't perform. Simone does not like to use her voice for her backing vocals so they use other singers to provide that depth and harmonies. The other two ladies are Linda Janssen (Coen's wife) who also regularly does backing vocals for Epica albums (she was also in the choir for the acapella version of Rivers in Omega Alive) and Marjan Welman, lead singer for Autumn and also frequent guest singer for Ayreon (album and live) as well as doing backing vocals on the last Blind Guardian album. I absolutely love Marcela and all her projects. She is second only to Floor in her power and versatility. Love her solo stuff and her work in Ayreon, MaYan, Stream of Passion, and Dark Horse, White Horse. Her she is singing Epica's Tides of Time at Sandlane studio with Coen after recording some backing tracks for an Epica album. ruclips.net/video/iL_P6VBJJH4/видео.htmlsi=umhyXzvfZzgOzzr2. Also love Out in the Real World from Stream of Passion. From the 2019 Into the Electric Castle and Other Tales live Ayreon concert. ruclips.net/video/Rtrkpxq3dOA/видео.htmlsi=wytkca2cnaf3jzx2.
@@frostfireee28 when "universal death squad" started playing i said "oh my god yes please" and what a bummer it was when it turned out to be just part of a medley 😁 no, of course it's cool that they mentioned this awesome song, even if only briefly, but i would have liked to hear it in full with an orchestra, that would have been the bomb. But by the way, hardly anyone expected to hear "menace of vanity", it was a surprise and it was like I rediscovered this song, and it's pretty heavy and epic as sh@t 😅
I was there. Fantastic show but too short. This is my fav band from some time and I am into metal since 97. You must check their songs from Retrospect show (the best show I`ve ever seen) and Omega Alive.
Hoping for a Christmas present this year to. New unplugged version like another year Epica - Omegacousic. An acoustic version of the song Omega. Like a whole new song. Abyss O'Time was another one, acoustic version of Abyss Of Time. Amazing how they can redo their songs.
oh yeah, i love this side of Epica. after recording albums they just keep having fun in the studio, creating their acoustic versions of heavy songs in a variety of styles, the latin version of "el codigo vital" is awesome
See :) As you plan to move on to Conseign to Oblivion after this, the best version is Live at the Zenith in Paris. You want to go see them go all out? Well ;)
@@kaNjiXIII just be aware, production wise the zenith is very different , this performance at the symphonic synergy is something different and special... The zenith show is from 7 or 8 years ago and the band has grown so much since then!
@@LouisannaBall and yet 😁 even though it was 8-9 years ago. That performance will still remain their most epic Live 😁 it was a real masterclass. amazing energy
@@wildhoney126 That is correct!!!! It's just that watching this perfomance with this huge production and then watching the zenith one can be quite the shock! Totally different
Yes i prefer the live version to, at first listen to studio version i did think it was missing something to, but i did grow on me, i belive it was to much choir, and i wanted to hear simone right, but as said i learned to epreciate the studio version to..
I knew you would love it, like so many bands in this metal genre Epica are better live than in the studio, another band would be Nightwish, Lovebites, Kamelot I can't even list them all, everything that comes from the power/symphonic metal genre is in my opinion better live than in the studio or equivalent. This is also a reason why I go to such concerts even if I have to book an overnight stay in a hotel. Oh before I forget , if you are a fan of guitar solos I have something for you , Lovebites with the song , When Destinies Align.the link ruclips.net/video/e48OwGcT3Bo/видео.html&start_radio=1
On this moment I think one of the best bands (live) with the most beautiful live performances.
@@pauloverbeeke2352 Especially this show with a live orchestra and choir, it‘s so special, I hope there‘ll be more from that show.
They are always amazing live. I had a the honor of being at this concert, pretty much at the front. It was new to all of us as it was the first time they ever played it live.
What was it like being at the front when the bang went off before The Ghost in Me? I was near the back of standing and it sounded like a bomb went off backstage 😂
They are a true force of nature indeed and I envy everyone who attended that concert. :)
I have a lot of respect for 'Arcana' and that Epica chose it to reveal at a concert, because it really shows of what it has to offer at the first listen.
I already heard so much about that famous 'Bang' of 'The Ghost in Me', I think it left quite the impact on everyone. haha
I really love your reaction this time. You are right. Epica live is so much better then in the video’s (but the video’s are amazing) I’ve been to this concert. It was amazing and the sound was mindblowing. The whole AFAS was vibrating. This was for sure one of the best concerts I’ve been too 🤘🏻
There are three backing vocalists, one choir of adults at the back and one choir of kids at the front.
They bring different notes and Flavours to this masterpiece.
Epica saves it ALL for the stage! I know exactly what you mean-they’re perfect professionals in the studio, but it’s also so clear how they feed on the energy of their live crowds and it just brings a power to the performance that can’t be replicated.
It’ll be interesting to see how things go from here-there’s one more song that was debuted at this concert that they could potentially release as a single, Aspiral, but who knows when that will be? And in the meantime, there’s the rest of the concert. I really hope they’ll continue posting videos from it, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see! In the meantime though there’s PLENTY of live content you’ll find to react to! My personal favorites are Unchain Utopia (Omega Alive), The Obsessive Devotion (Pol’and’Rock), and Code of Life (Live at AFAS Live). Omega Alive as a whole is a very special and spectacular show they did online during the pandemic lockdown, and if you ever feel like doing a deep dive, the whole concert is on their channel. Excited to see what you pick next!
Glad I'm not alone with that impression, in some way I would love for them to go all out in the studio as well, but on the other hand it's so much more satisfying when you see it live. Also it comes back to personal taste, but for me, I would go for the live version 10/10 and I don't think I'm alone with that.
Well, I hope they will wait a bit, I need time to catch up with the list of older songs first. Crazy how your top 3 are completely different from what I heard the most (most mentioned was 'Consign to Oblivion'). Someone posted a quite large list, which I'm very thankful for, I'll check if your suggestions are on there as well.
Thank you so much for your input.
@kaNjiXIII I understand you well! I think with the studio recordings too, on the vocal side, you really can’t play with power and extremes the way you can on stage, because you always have to be thinking about the mix as a whole and where your voice is going to sit in it, and there’s all this equipment that yes, helps it do that and preserves the quality, but you also lose a little something in the process. On stage though, that’s show-off time. There’s more freedom to let it all rip.
Live is always the way! The music videos are fun though-Epica definitely has an unique style, and there’s some songs like Abyss of Time or Storm the Sorrow where I feel like the imagery in the MV really does add an extra layer to their artistry.
I’m not surprised that the songs I named haven’t come up much really XD There’s definitely a few most popular “starter songs” people recommend, as with any band. No doubt Consign to Oblivion-and specifically the Zenith live that people will have recommended-is iconic! It’s epic and heavy and really gives you a taste of how brilliant their composition work is. BUT one big thing I’ve heard you mention is wanting to see how far Simone can go with her vocals, so the songs I recommended are ones I personally think show off her range of skill really well.
The subtle choir in the back at 4:20 is actually the three backing vocalists you see at the very left of the stage, that includes both Marcela Bovio (who also did screams with Mark Jansen on Beyond the Matrix :D) and Coen the keyboard player’s wife!!
They had them mostly cover the harmonies and other vocals that would be played from a backing track in a normal concert setting so that this could be an experience as live as possible!!
My god, that rabbit hole is so deep, I can't. xD
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, it's so delightful to learn all those little facts about that seemingly infinite universe, what Epica is and I just stumbled into. :D
@ There were so many special things about that show beyond just the choir/backing singers and orchestra. The three unreleased songs (there’s a third called Aspiral, a beautiful ballad they played second to last), a song called Menace of Vanity they haven’t played since 2012, their cover of the attack on titan theme called Crimson Bow and Arrow they only played twice before these shows, a medley of four different songs (Universal Death Squad, The Last Crusade, The Phantom Agony, and Design Your Universe), Unleashed and Beyond The Matrix having totally unique arrangements, and the song “Sirens, Of Blood and Water” for the first time ever being performed and joined by the two guest singers Charlotte Wessels (former Delain vocalist), and Myrkur
Loved that they had Marcela on stage with them. She has been their back up singer on a number of albums and I thing she even subbed for Simone once when she was ill and couldn't perform. Simone does not like to use her voice for her backing vocals so they use other singers to provide that depth and harmonies. The other two ladies are Linda Janssen (Coen's wife) who also regularly does backing vocals for Epica albums (she was also in the choir for the acapella version of Rivers in Omega Alive) and Marjan Welman, lead singer for Autumn and also frequent guest singer for Ayreon (album and live) as well as doing backing vocals on the last Blind Guardian album.
I absolutely love Marcela and all her projects. She is second only to Floor in her power and versatility. Love her solo stuff and her work in Ayreon, MaYan, Stream of Passion, and Dark Horse, White Horse. Her she is singing Epica's Tides of Time at Sandlane studio with Coen after recording some backing tracks for an Epica album. ruclips.net/video/iL_P6VBJJH4/видео.htmlsi=umhyXzvfZzgOzzr2. Also love Out in the Real World from Stream of Passion. From the 2019 Into the Electric Castle and Other Tales live Ayreon concert. ruclips.net/video/Rtrkpxq3dOA/видео.htmlsi=wytkca2cnaf3jzx2.
@@frostfireee28 when "universal death squad" started playing i said "oh my god yes please" and what a bummer it was when it turned out to be just part of a medley 😁 no, of course it's cool that they mentioned this awesome song, even if only briefly, but i would have liked to hear it in full with an orchestra, that would have been the bomb. But by the way, hardly anyone expected to hear "menace of vanity", it was a surprise and it was like I rediscovered this song, and it's pretty heavy and epic as sh@t 😅
@ I only expected it because Epica leaked a sheet music title for it in a picture promoting symphonic synergy
I've been enjoying your Epica reactions. Looking forward to more!
Thank you so much, then I achieved one of my goals. :)
More is on the way.
I was there. Fantastic show but too short. This is my fav band from some time and I am into metal since 97. You must check their songs from Retrospect show (the best show I`ve ever seen) and Omega Alive.
Hoping for a Christmas present this year to. New unplugged version like another year Epica - Omegacousic. An acoustic version of the song Omega. Like a whole new song. Abyss O'Time was another one, acoustic version of Abyss Of Time. Amazing how they can redo their songs.
oh yeah, i love this side of Epica. after recording albums they just keep having fun in the studio, creating their acoustic versions of heavy songs in a variety of styles, the latin version of "el codigo vital" is awesome
@@andreaswennberg9542 They habe ACOUSTIC versions of their songs??? How is that even possible? Looking forward to it. 😁
@@wildhoney126 That is so cool. Having fun with your art is so important. ❤️
Oh yeah these are amazing. They hit so different
See :)
As you plan to move on to Conseign to Oblivion after this, the best version is Live at the Zenith in Paris.
You want to go see them go all out? Well ;)
@@nebulajumper6216 Haha. 😁
Yes, that’s the one that got mentioned the most, I‘m really excited. I hope I get to it this week. ☺️🫶
I’m ready! 😂
@kaNjiXIII Well let us know if you were because I think you will see a slightly different Epica.
Yes this is the best version 😄
Consign to oblivion live at the Zenith next :)
@@LouisannaBall That‘s the plan. ☺️🫶
@@kaNjiXIII Hope it's soon 😄😄😄
@@kaNjiXIII just be aware, production wise the zenith is very different , this performance at the symphonic synergy is something different and special... The zenith show is from 7 or 8 years ago and the band has grown so much since then!
@@LouisannaBall and yet 😁 even though it was 8-9 years ago. That performance will still remain their most epic Live 😁 it was a real masterclass. amazing energy
@@wildhoney126 That is correct!!!! It's just that watching this perfomance with this huge production and then watching the zenith one can be quite the shock! Totally different
Yes i prefer the live version to, at first listen to studio version i did think it was missing something to, but i did grow on me, i belive it was to much choir, and i wanted to hear simone right, but as said i learned to epreciate the studio version to..
WHEN IT IS NOT DUTCH ,IT AIN'T MUCH !!!!
Hahahahaha. :D
I knew you would love it, like so many bands in this metal genre Epica are better live than in the studio, another band would be Nightwish, Lovebites, Kamelot I can't even list them all, everything that comes from the power/symphonic metal genre is in my opinion better live than in the studio or equivalent. This is also a reason why I go to such concerts even if I have to book an overnight stay in a hotel. Oh before I forget , if you are a fan of guitar solos I have something for you , Lovebites with the song , When Destinies Align.the link ruclips.net/video/e48OwGcT3Bo/видео.html&start_radio=1