Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
“It’s a dream tour that’s taken a long while to happen” sagely notes Simone Simons the legendary frontwoman of Epica midway through a spellbinding set. It’s a tour, with fellow co-headliners Amaranthe and special guest Charlotte Wessels, that immediately caught my attention, upon initial announcement, early last year and was consequently firmly inked into the calendar right on the spot.
Wessels and her tightknit band had greatly impressed, across the city, at SWX (now Electric) supporting Vola last year whilst Amaranthe had captivated and ensnared my heart over the road co-headlining with Dragonforce at the Academy in 2024. Somehow even with nigh on 24 years of history under their collective belts and them being firmly on my radar Epica had, until this rain-soaked evening, remained elusive, to myself, in the live arena.
With stars aligned the course is set eastwards for Bristol but the godly departments responsible for the M4 and climatic offerings both have their interwoven say upon our journey on what feels like the 300th day of January. The supersized Wolf Moon has been and gone, bringing with it the first icy touches of winter-proper, but right out of that neighbouring meteorological drawer labelled utterly miserable we’re ‘treated to rainfall of ark-launching proportions and wind possessing the strength to fill the most voluminous of billowing sails.
The fullest of apologies to Charlotte Wessels but our late arrival means we miss all bar a couple of tracks of the former Delain vocalist’s set; hopefully we can set this right in the near future. What we witness further enhances her reputation as she holds the early-doors Beacon crowd in the palms of her hands. Appearing somewhat more assured and perhaps a little less vulnerable than when supporting Vola Wessels, and her band, shines even brighter than before projecting extra power to delight.
Announcing “We got a little surprise for you!”, to loud cheers of approval, that new Amaranthe music is, whilst some time off, in the offing Nils Molin, one of the band’s triumvirate of vocalists, furthers “What the hell we might as well just play this song for everybody!” Whilst faithful to the core the fast-paced ‘Chaos Theory’ heartily whets the appetite for further injections of fresh-blooded material into the live amphitheatre.
A Scandinavian filling slotted in between a double Dutch dosage provides, on the evening, a neat divergence from the purer symphonic realms of opener Wessels and headliner, on the evening, Epica. The Swedes rarified blend of symphonia and a healthy dollop of Euro-electro proves an instant hooky despatch that straddles sub-genres with glee and defiantly defies strict categorisation.
Lasers pierce the darkened environs of the Beacon as exultant classicals roar from the PA, machinery clanks into action as clouds of dry ice billow industrially. Warning of the follies of reliance upon technology the introductory voice proclaims, “I am the Catalyst!” The stage is set and drummer Morten Løwe Sørensen, first on the boards, greets the crowd raising a pair of sticks in gladiatorial salute. Guitarist Olof Mörck and bassist Johan Andreassen follow and proceed to tear into the opening swiftness of ‘Fearless’.
The triplet of voices belonging to Molin and his colleagues Elize Lyd and Mikael Sehlin tidily dovetail from the off. Other than the new offering Amaranthe’s set remains, with a little restructuring, largely unchanged from their last visit to the city almost two years ago. With a much larger stage to fill a much more grandiose production provides the assisting helping hand that alongside an elevated output demonstrates quite how much is left, as yet untapped in the collective tanks.
The crowd engage from the initial spark and via a time honoured “Good evening, Bristol!”, from Lyd, the gloriously uncompromising momentum continues unabated into the pumping thrust of ‘Viral’. This opening couplet from 2020’s ‘Manifest’, the band’s first release for powerhouse label Nuclear Blast, quietly sets a tone for a set that slants slightly more towards this studio offering rather than the subsequent 2024 release ‘The Catalyst’.
“Start a revolution now” rages Sehlin in the explosive quarters of ‘Digital World’. Acknowledging the warmth of their reception the band, across the board, applaud the Beacon ensemble appearing settled and most content with their lot. Helter skelter the heavy metal Carnivàle of the absolutely irresistible ‘Damnation Flame’ picks up the baton weaving a potent incantation.
Mörck’s searing solo illuminates the punchy coruscant ‘Maximize’ whilst Lyd, in subtle animation of love and appreciation, forms a salute of a two-handed heart midtrack. The triple-pronged onslaught of Mörck, Andreassen and Sørensen thunder above the keys of the backing tape in the atmospherics of ‘Strong’ with yellow spots piercing the sudden gloom and working the dynamics. Molin and Lyd’s vocals dance throughout and the pair enjoy a deserved fist-bump at track end.
An electrifying storm burst ‘PvP’, a 2021 single only release written in support of the Swedish e-sports team segues into the mythical domain of ‘Crystalline’. It’s a raging symphonic masterpiece in my humble opinion which if it were the 80s then it would have, no doubt, morphed into a chart-topping power ballad.
Molin enquires “Hey, Bristol, do you know what else goes boom?” amidst the soaring mayhem of ‘Boom!1’; the breakdown does by all accounts as the label’s instructions are adhered to. With a barnstorming techno underpinning ‘The Catalyst’ well and truly passes muster with surging guitaring to the fore. The thunderous ‘Re-Vision’ follows with rivulets of Roxette subtly prevalent on occasions.
Signature track ‘Amaranthine’ is both haunting and spellbinding with Mörck’s keys demonstrating that the addition of a touring keyboardist would further enhance. Lyd’s vocals are stunning, perhaps the strongest I’ve heard in several live performances of this number. Utter reverence is offered from the highly respectful Bristol crowd; if a pin had dropped it would have been scaled royally for sure! Beguiling and simultaneously bewitching the rest of the band return to proceedings for the song’s soaring climax.
With pinpoint precision ‘The Nexus’ gets several quarters of the Beacon bouncing with its hi-energy output cascading into the stampeding resonance of ‘Call Out My Name’ which wraps up the main body of the set. The Beacon demands further and Amaranthe, naturally, respond.
Through the catacombs the matriarch marches as choral monks ring out ahead of the Scandinavian metal juggernaut of ‘Archangel’ lifting off. A booming delivery fills the voluminous dimensions of the Beacon; surely larger arenas await. With a cheeky doffing of caps towards Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ the familiar strains of ‘That Song’ not only offer influences from this 70’s classic but additionally from the likes of Halestorm and Joan Jett.
The set-closing ‘Drop Dead Cynical’ lifts the roof with its pulsing uplift. The track is devoured ravishingly; there’s heart handshapes all around. The unique uplift of Amaranthe have, upon their return to Bristol, conquered consummately proving their ability to entertain on a large scale. The new material is eagerly awaited.
Tidily contrasting with their co-headliners Dutch metallers Epica steer their particular brand of symphonic metal in a classical direction alloying touches of the operatic along with proggish elements into the resultant enigmatic brew. This variance most neatly dovetails with the punchier style of their Swedish tour counterparts and provides a truly memorable spectacle.
This is a metal performance for sure but one that wouldn’t be entirely out of place in the West End nestling amongst the likes of Phantom or Les Misérables. From the moment the ‘projector’ rolls – informing us that “Tonight you’re not just an audience!” before inviting “Live in the moment, leave your phone behind this is not a memory yet!” – to the outroing notes of ‘Aspiral’ via the shock of an unscheduled fire-alarm interlude Epica ooze character and refinement.
For over ten minutes, in the somewhat unwelcome, and certainly uninvited, mid-set glare of the venue’s house lights we wondered how the prominent levels we had witnessed until then could be re-ignited without faltering. Charlotte Wessels had just joined her countryfolk on stage for the serene beauty of the spiritual calling of ‘Sirens – Of Blood and Water’. As Simons and Wessels hands touched aloft a tangible moment in the making was surely felt.
However, concerned we should not have been as energised keyboardist Coen Janssen returned with Simons – with the latter proclaiming the seldom uttered “Give it up for the fire alarm!” – for the angelic reverberations of ‘Tides of Time’. Not a singular beat missed the continuation markedly seamless; shear and utter class exhibited within this starburst supernova.
With nine studio releases across a career spanning over two decades Epica have grown steadily – their last visit to this city was across the road at the much smaller O2 Academy – and last year’s ‘Aspiral’ forms a healthy percentage of their evening. This is a band on the march and opening with the couplet of the ethereal symphony of ‘Apparition’ and the quaking seismics of ‘Cross the Divide’ shows the depth of feeling for their most recent long-playing offering.
Comparisons can be drawn to the likes of Battle Beast, Within Temptation and Visions of Atlantis but there’s a striving to be something unique in Epica’s bloodline. Janssen brings out a curved keytar for the frenetic kinetics of ‘Martyr of the Free Word’ with Rob van der Loo’s pounding bass providing structural integrity. The titanic fury of ‘Eye of the Storm’ follows with daubs of melodic death metal slicing through the ether. A hurricane cross-over into a symphonic Amorphis-themed despatch.
The impending rise of the sun approaches in the maelstromic whirlpool of symphonics that comprise ‘Unleashed’; the raven, sleek upon the wing, soars high above the craggy peaks. Janssen employs delicate characteristics of Jean Michel Jarre herein as hands wave from side to side throughout the Beacon. Svelte and sultry ‘Never Enough’ packs melodies and strength in equal copious volumes leading into the glory of ‘Sirens’.
With the ‘wow’ juncture of ‘Tides of Time’ restoring the heartbeat the way is paved for the orchestral detonation of the grandly entitled ‘The Grand Saga of Existence – A New Age Dawns, Part IX’. Magmatic energies spew forth like a heavied up collab between Within Temptation and Visions of Atlantis; it’s a magnificent vista of symphonic territories.
There’s a clear sense of proceedings ramping upwards with the venerable ‘Cry for the Moon’, with its march of gods intro, enthusing the firmly engaged Beacon ensemble. With its futuristic sci-fi vibrancy ‘Fight to Survive’ presses the accelerator hard as the Dutch sextet build towards their climatic finale. Crystalline yet embracing a growling, snarling heart ‘The Last Crusade’ jaunts along to delight into the closing stages.
Even with the potentially cataclysmic jolt of the mid-set fire alarm Epica have prevailed without fuss to present a metalliferous requiem for the 21st century. The galloping shooting star of ‘Beyond the Matrix’ lights up even the stubbornest of darkened corners with its lightning strike. Bright and effervescent it brings down the curtain with a frenzied coruscant final ‘onslaught’. Like Amaranthe before them Epica have triumphed tonight.
Photography by Kelly Spiller for MPM
