30.04.2014 Epica

013, Tilburg (Netherlands)

(Pentax K-5 with Tamron SP AF 17-5mm 2.8 XR Di II LD Asp IF and Sigma AF 5-15mm 2.8 EX DC APO HSM II)

The concert of Epica was announced as record release show of their latest album "The Quantum Enigma" an so they opened the show at nearly 20:45 in front of a sold out venue with the intro "Originum". This was followed by further five tracks of their new album which were very energetic (like the fast "The Essence Of Silence") and was shining with an appropriate support by fire and fog effects.
Afterwards followed the first break and four older songs were played that were celebrated by the audience with no less enthusiasm than the others. No matter if it was "The Obsessive Devotion" of the album "The Devine Conspiracy" or also "Storm The Sorrow" of the previous album "Requiem For The Indifferent". Back to the current album they continued with "The Fifth Guardian". This is a pure instrumental track with Asian borrowings during which Chinese dragons entered the stage and performed a wonderful dance. It was a really impressive element of the evening. The album was played chronologically and so the next five songs were again from it. It is only intterupted once more by "Kingdom Of Heaven" before the namegiving track "The Quantum Enigma (Kingdom Of Hearts, Part II)" formed a worthy ending of the regular set. During that song the frontman of the band Textures Daniel de Jongh supported singer Simone Simons and interacted wonderful with her. But this should not be the end as this was reached after the encore formed by the wonderful ballad of "Cry For The Moon".
Overall I have to say that I liked this release show way better than the one of the previous album "Requiem For The Indifferent". The band has more or less kept the style of it but it now does not sound that overloaded anymore and also contains more catchy songs like e.g. "Omen (The Ghoulish Malady)". Besides that it was a usual terrific show with everything that is typical for Epica: fire, fog, great light effects. But also the band itself was totally keen on playing and brimming over with energy. Simone knew to convince with her wonderful voice and also the guys were giving everything on stage (especially keyboarder Coen Janssen with his turnable synthesizer appealing to the audience and interacting greatly with it). Daniel de Jongh integrated during "The Quantum Enigma (Kingdom Of Hearts, Part II)" with his clean voice and grunts seamlessly into the band and could fully convince. A great evening which was over way too early although the Epica concert took nearly two hours.