30/4/14
013, Tilburg – The Netherlands
By Michael Brookhuis
It has been nearly a year ago since Epica gave their big Retrospect show. Since then, the band has had a lot of things to keep them busy. The birth of Simone’s child, working on the new album and preparing for another great show. Tonight, we would see and hear the new songs being performed live for the first time, but before Epica would enter the stage, it was up for the Finnish melodic death metal band Insomnium to warm up the crowd.
In the sold out venue 013, Insomnium had quite a task ahead. And well, they did just what they were hired for, entertain the crowd. Maybe their style is a bit too agressive and hard for a lot of the Epica fans, bit I think they may have won some new fans that evening. The songs they played were played very tight and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
013 was completely filled, as fans were anticipating the beginning of the Epica show. What a show it would prove to be. During the nearly two hours performance, the entire new album was brought to life, as well as some more familiar songs to please the crowd. When I say brought to life, I really mean, brought to life. Epica really did their best to give an awesome show.
The new songs sound great live. Naturally during the ballad, someone in the audience yelled “Slayer” at the exact right moment, which gave some band members the giggles. Apart from that, the show was very tight. Fireworks, smoke cannons, fire and even lion dancers were part of the show, which made it quite an experience. Also, Daniel de Jongh from Textures joined the band on stage during “The Quantum Enigma”.
Every time a band performs new songs for a crowd, it’s quite risky. You never know how the audience will react. Can you imagine what it’s like when ninety percent of a show consists of new songs. Nonetheless, Epica pulled it off. The crowd was enthusiastic, the songs were great to hear and see live, and together with a great visual show, this was a night to remember.
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Setlist Insomnium:
1. The Primeval Dark
(Live debut)
2. While We Sleep
(Live debut)
3. Revelation
(Live debut)
4. Through the Shadows
5. Down With the Sun
6. Ephemeral
7. Unsung
8. The Promethean Song
Setlist Epica:
1. Originem
2. The Second Stone
3. The Essence of Silence
4. Victims of Contingency
5. Sense Without Sanity – The Impervious Code –
6. Unchain Utopia
7. The Obsessive Devotion
8. Blank Infinity
9. Unleashed
10. Storm the Sorrow
11. The Fifth Guardian – Interlude –
12. Chemical Insomnia
13. Reverence – Living in the Heart –
14. Omen – The Ghoulish Malady
15. Canvas of Life
16. Natural Corruption
17. Kingdom of Heaven
18. The Quantum Enigma – Kingdom of Heaven part II –
(With Daniel de Jongh from Textures)
Encore:
Cry for the Moon