After 3 years from their last live performance in Greece in December 2007, Epica visited us Fuzz club on a hot summer’s night of May 29, as a part of their latest tour supporting their recent album “Design Your Universe”. I couldn’t say that the new Fuzz club is a venue that left me with good impressions the first time I ever visited it this March for the show of Fates Warning, since the heat was unbearable and its location in a non convenient area.

This time fortunately there was air conditioning, and even though it wasn’t at its full, at least the temperature was at a tolerable degree. This time the people’s turnout was satisfactory and the venue was almost full.

The opening act was our fellow Greeks “The Rain I Bleed”  and they started their set about an hour later than scheduled, a thing that didn’t bother me personally, since I wouldn’t have made it to be in time for their show otherwise. At the beginning of their show there were many problems, such as major sound interruptions and the microphone of their lead singer Mina was off. When the sound problems were fixed and the microphone was switched by another, the band’s performance had many good elements and interesting tracks, at least as long as we got the chance to watch, since their whole setlist lasted no more than half an hour. I hope there will be a next time to watch them under better circumstances and for longer, but they seem to have a promising future.

At around 10:50 and under the crowd’s cheers, it was the time for Epica, who showed up on stage with the intro of  Samadhi from their latest “Design Your Universe” album.

The sound had some trivial problems at first, since it was not very clear, but these problems were over soon, right after the end of “Resign To Surrender”, which was the second track they played. Simone was on top form, her voice sounded great just like the albums; she was very energetic and had a great communication with the audience. Add that to her extraordinary looks, which is a feature that when combined with great stage performance and talent, leads to inspiring awe and admiration to everyone. Mark Jansen, who’s performance in brutal vocals as well as in guitar was outstanding, was raising enthusiasm to the crowd with his every gesture. The rest of the band was also very professional, tight and articulate.

The keyboardist Coen Janssen left his keyboards for a while I order to give a short speech and inform us that he had visited Greece at the beginning of May for his honeymoon, but what he missed the most was the feeling he gets by playing live in front of an amazing and loud Hellenic audience.

Highlights of the show were the amazing “Cry For The Moon” , where everyone went totally wild from enthusiasm, as it was expected, as well as  “Façade Of Reality”, “Sensorium”, the new hit  “Unleashed”, but also of course the all time classic “Consign To Oblivion”, which was the last encore.

The set list not only was totally satisfactory, but also representative of their finest and most popular times of their carrier, leaving absolutely no clue for complaints or luck of completion.

At around 12:40 they left the stage after 3 encores and after Simone had asked if we seriously wanted for more, due to the increasing heat that was all over the place.

Epica left us with the finest impressions and with the hope to see them again soon in the near future, since their fame as the most promising symphonic metal band is more than fair.

Epica Setlist

1. Samadhi

2. Resign to Surrender

3. Sensorium

4. The Last Crusade

5. Seif al Din

6. Facade of Reality

7. Cry for the Moon

8. Tides of Time

9. Unleashed

10. Martyr of the Free Word

11. The Obsessive Devotion

12. Kingdom of Heaven

Encore:

1. Sancta Terra

2. Quietus

3. Consign to Oblivion


Promoter: Anosi


_{Copyright © 2010-2011 solidrock.gr.}