I will start with the conclusion: I know how to pick my favourite bands!

I have been looking up for so long to Epica coming back to Romania (since it’s highly unlikely I can make it to one of their shows in another country and the last concert of theirs I saw was in 2012 at ArtMania). All my wishes were answered when Maximum Rock Fest announced them as headliners.

Obviously, I wanted to interview them and I got the chance to meet Mark Jansen. You will hear all about it in Teen Art Out’s upcoming issue, themed after their „Canvas of Life” song. He was beyond nice and friendly. That just doesn’t begin to cover it. Truly one of a kind.

So, let’s get right to the concert. We all know Epica are good, but this was on another level. The one thing that would set this concert apart from many others I have seen is how much fun they had on stage. They were constantly smiling, laughing, moving, jumping. They had such an amazing energy. The public was not to shabby, either. I must say I am profoundly and pleasantly surprised of how much singing and shouting was going on. Way to go, Romania.

We had everything we could have wished in the setlist, whether we’re talking about songs from their early days (Sensorium, Unleashed), new additions from The Quantum Enigma (aka the album they are promoting. If you haven’t listened to it you don’t know what you’re losing, honestly. Look out for The Essence of Silence and Unchain Utopia, Martyr Of The Free World). Of course, no Epica show would be complete without Cry For The Moon, the one song where the crowd is sure to go wild. And boy, did we go wild. I don’t know if it was just because I was sitting in the front, but where I was staying, I could hear the crowd singing the chorus so much louder than Simone (with a microphone) so that is saying something. My personal favourite is Sancta Terra and that is what they came back at the encore with, along with Unchain Utopia and Consing To Oblivion.

They have so many great song, epic ones, fan-adored and they are now preparing a 7th studio album. It will be so hard to decide upon an Epica setlist. There is something for everyone. And, for those lucky enough to attend Retrospect, their 10-year anniversary concert in 2013, they really got to see a 3 hour long song with everything one’s heart could wish for.

Let’s get back to our concert and say this: they are so good. Simone’s voice has changed after her pregnancy (I am not entirely sure of how that happens) but it is in a league of its own. I have always loved listening to her, but now she is amazing. She can hit those notes like no other. After all, she is Simone Simons And it’s not just something you could have seen on The Quantum Enigma (and the live rendering of it), but listening to the old songs you can feel it in her voice and she was magnificent. And on top of that, absolutely gorgeous, too. It really hits you seeing her again. She rocked that golden glitter and had some new dance moves. I am not trying to talk about this, because I don’t think it’s something to be reviewed. The boys are definitely just as impressive to see in person.

Coming to an end, this was a show you wouldn’t want to have missed, a band of amazing people you want to listen to, you want to meet, you want to get to know. We love Epica!

P.S: If somehow you find yourself in Eindhoven, Epica has their very own Epic Metal Fest on November 22, featuring Eluveitie, Delain, Moonspell, Sepultura, Periphery,Scar Symmetry and Dagoba.