Welcome to the world of Epica. It's a Dutch symphonic metal band founded in 2003 by Mark Jansen.The lead singer is Simone Simons and this 10th Anniversary show lasted for almost 3 hours and she had to keep up those high notes the whole show and she pulled it off while also beeing pregnant for a couple of months. A lot of their songs have growlings by founder and guitar player Mark Jansen. Not everyone likes growling but then again in Epica this has a purpose. Lyrically it's often the opposite of Simone's part. It has become a trade mark of this band her soothing voice and lyrics and Mark's harsh vocals. This all combined with orchestra and choir on all their releases. I would say listen to Unleashed next from this same show. From the more heavy stuff to soaring ballads and everything in between it's all there in Epica's huge catalog.👍
The genre is Symphonic Metal, characteristics of it are generally classical singing and metal with orchestrations behind it (or sometimes in the forefront), and choir work. Epica is my fav band, followed closely by Nightwish (another but more well known symphonic metal band) This concert kicked ass from beginning to end 😁 Epica use what they call "beauty and the beast" kind of arrangements, with the harsh/gutteral voice and the angelic singing. The lead singer is Simone Simons, the gutterals done by Mark Jansen, who founded the band. The keyboardist (Coen Janssen) does the bulk of the scoring iirc. Most of the metal parts are written by Mark, but on the later albums is more done by Isaac (the lead guitarist). The drums were actually quite tame on this one, Arien can really go off! Glad ya enjoyed it 😁
Epica has been around for a good while and I used to listen to them back in the day (around 2008) but haven't been keeping up with the Epica news. I used to classify them as Symphonic Gothic Metal but I think they are less of that and more in the Progressive area since they have a lot of changes and structure within their music much like Classical music does without it being strictly Classical or Neo-Classical. Simone Simons, the main vocalist was classically trained in Opera so she has a natural soprano range and great tone overall. She used to collab with a Symphonic Power Metal band called Kamelot from Florida when their old singer, Roy - another classically trained Opera singer - was in the band but sadly, he left back in 2011 and they have never featured her in any of their albums or live performances since getting their new singer who isn't classically trained but is almost on Roy's level. Both are great bands and there are many like them but few do what they do. The orchestral section is what got me into these subgenres in the first place and the production is always great whether it be real instrumentation or synthesizers and I appreciate all of that being a classical trained violinist myself.
Symphonic metal was invented by Mr, Christopher Johnson, mastermind of the band THERION (still my favourite band) with the album "Theli"; you really have to listen to them (best orchestration, best choirs and best soprano, Lori Lewis). EPICA and NIGHTWISH are the best known bands of the genre and of course they are amazing, but I'm sure you would enjoy also HAGGARD (really amazing music that will make you feel you are in the middle ages)... I hope you will continue your journey with this amazing genre... Greetings from Spain...
Just want to add that quite a bit of important groundwork could also be attributed to the likes of Blind Guardian and Stratovarius, even though they stem from a different subgenre.
Hey! Don't forget about IMPERIAL AGE! Remember they have their first epic music video out: "Legacy of Atlantis" at ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-uv-yZkRd0fE.html. Band originated I believe partly as being SPONSORE,D and certainly encouraged, by the members of Therion, and Therion is the band they are most commonly compared to.
@@TedinCalgary1952 Hi, Ted, I do love Imperial Age and you're right, they are good friends of Christopher Johnson (Therion's mastermind and IMO the best composer in the planet). Legacy of Atlantis is an amazing song, but I love even more "Turn the sun off" (there are 2 live versions, I prefer the older, with the female singer). As it's clear that you like the good symphonic metal, I will suggest you an underated and almost unkonwn band which released 2 incredible masterpieces in the early 21th century: PENUMBRA. Listen to the albums "The last bewitchment" and "Seclusion". I'm almost sure you will like them. Unique sound that always blows my mind... Greetings from Spain...
EPICA!! this band uses 3 voices, the front singer(Simone Simons) The Growl (Mark Jansen) And the Choir, in most songs by epica the 3 will sing as diffrent persons, well it not all the way, but close still, this is a band where the Growl, really comes to senses, Mark is a master at this, Simone is just trained classic, and sing beautiful, and the choir, well thats what is is, always epic to. This show is of cause fantastc, because they got a whole ochestra, and Choir with them on stage, its a long show, i belive its like 3 hours, where the last hour of the show is for me the best part.. you want more epica, i would recomend Santa Terra, Consign to oblivion, Cry to the moon, or Kingdom of heaven.. and i would recomed to watch it live.. so as a huge Epica fan, i hope you do more of this.. BTW, call this symfonic Metal...
Epica is an amazing band. Mind-blowing fusion of metal and classic elements, creativity and lyrics. However IMO this song is not even in their top 50... I strongly recommend you to pick one of these (better more) from the same concert (Retrospect 10th anniversary) - Epica - Unleashed Epica - Design Your Universe Epica - The Phantom Agony Epica - Serenade of Self-Destruction Epica - Chasing the Dragon Epica - Sensorium
This was a special show that's why they had a full orchestra and choir, but it doesn't mean they arranged the songs to fit an orchestra there, not at all. Each and every Epica song is like this in studio. They do all the orchestra and choir arrangements themselves and use actual musicians to record those parts, they do not use samples. I would totally recommend The Devine Conspiracy live Retrospect, Unleashed, Sancta Terra (fwat Floor Jansen) or The Essence of Silence official live ( not from this show) or Unchain Utopia live. Loved your rection! Keep going !
hello MK!...there is nothing more fetching than a beautiful lady with a mastery of a difficult skill of playing a violin(love the nose ring too).....one of the greatest symphonic metal bands, ever..."kingdom of heaven will shatter all your illusions" and "canvass of life" will reconstruct them with vivid clarity
Check out Nightwish and their song Ghost Love Score live in Wacken 2013. Link to the song: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JYjIlHWBAVo.html Although they don't have a live orchestra on stage, they use the London Philharmonic Orchestra to record their orchestral pieces. Tuomas (the keyboardist) writes 90%+ of of all the instruments(orchestra and band) and lyrics. A lot of people call him the Metal Mozart. Also, they have a Valkyrie Goddess of a lead singer Floor Jansen. This will also summon the Nightwish Army to the channel to guide you through your symphonic metal journey. Hope you enjoy 🤘🎸🎻
@@patrickshelley09 Lets hope i'm wrong that the album does get released late 2020. Like anything these days get delayed due complications with the pandemic they say..
The experience to play in that consert would be mind blowing for a classical instrumentalists in my opinion. Love that Epica don't use the orchestra as a prop and really infuse it as a important part of there creation 😁. That's why there my nr1 symfonic metal "band"
Great reaction!! Welcome to the symphonic-metal universe!! Épica, nightwish, haggard, therion are incredible bands of the genre, each one with their own style. But shares the beauty , quality in their music You should react to: -Facade of reality, -The phantom agony, (Both from the dvd "we will take you with us" is a live session performance, you will love it) -Sancta terra, -Quietus (From retrospect 10th anniversary) Any song by Épica are amazing Keep enjoying the symphonic metal!!
Coincides completamente con mi lista, amigo. Te faltan PENUMBRA, pero es normal porque son muy poco conocidos, pero te recomiendo que escuches el album "Seclusion" y luego, si como espero te gustan, escuches mas de ellos. Saludos desde España...
Reaction 001C, yes doing 3 different reactions to all three reactors/analysts: welcome to the symphonic metal universe🤘 8/10? You'll be slappin' 10/10s experiencing more symphonic metal (probably used 'slapping'/slaps wrong here, but will add it to my vocabulary and learn to use it properly) Greetings from Amsterdam, North Holland, The Netherlands 😉
main singer simone simons is best friend of nightwishs singer floor jansen. they have done a beautiful live duet: epica - sancta terra. greetings and love from germany
This would be symphonic metal. Epica is more on the heavy side of symphonic metal, with influences from thrash & death metal. There are tons of bands in this genre, but most of them are complete garbage. Many of these bands just make silly power metal and put some cheesy keyboards over it to make it sound "symphonic". Some really good bands in this genre worth listening to besides Epica are: Septicflesh (symphonc death metal), Nightwish (the most popular band in this genre, not very heavy, so people that don't like metal can listen to it too), Within Temptation (even more mainstream than Nightwish, but their old stuff is really good), Dimmu Borgir (symphonic black metal), Fleshgod Apocalypse (symphonic death metal), Carach Angren (symphonic black metal), Seven Spires (one of the few american bands in this genre, their vocalist is awesome and their music is a mix of everything from "disney metal" to extreme metal), Ad Infinitum (a new band, also very mainstream, but with really good songs).
You forgot THERION, HAGGARD and PENUMBRA, my friend, 3 of the most amazing bands in the genre (with EPICA and NIGHTWISH). Therion were the real inventors of the genre... IMPERIAL AGE and SIRENIA are also great bands... Greetings from Spain...
@@rafaelsmerdoufranke6157 I didn't forget those bands. I only mentioned bands that I personally like, and I don't like Therion or Haggard (I can't stand clean male vocals in symphonic metal or gothic metal). I have never heard of Penumbra. Sirenia is way too poppy for my taste (I haven't listened to them since their album Nine Destinies And A Downfall, so maybe they have gotten heavier since then). What sould I say ablout Imperial Age? Well...I don't want offend anyone, so I'm just gonna say that I listened to a couple of their songs a year or so ago, and it's not something I would ever want to do again.
OK, just for you, three metal bands that have/had violinists as permanent members: Shaman, Fairy Tale ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-t4PI2Eb6FsQ.html Eluveitie (Helvetie), Call of the Mountains ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WPaaw4ZIlac.html Turisas, Battle Metal ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wqPKYlkyBJs.html P.s. It's usual for top metal bands to be virtuosos, that play huge festivals all the time, tight af.
It would be awesome if you react to Unleashed, Storm the Sorrow or Sancta Terra from the same DVD (Retrospect) I love them! Funny fact: at that point of the time, Simone (the singer) was already pregnant with 3 months, I believe ❤︎
This is symphonic metal - Bach and Wagner meet electricity! All European metal instrumentalists are world class musicians, This DVD is three hours long, so I am sure you can find lots of angsty material. You might really like their version of Vivaldi's "Presto" from Summer, on this same DVD
Nice reaction, I like this idea of « Symphony Musicians React » a lot! I really think you guys should try Nightwish « Greatest Show on Earth » Live at Tampere - it’s probably Tuomas (the composer for Nightwish)’s biggest orchestral-style arrangements... and there’s fireworks!
you should try sampling Tarja Turunen, a superbly trained operatic vocalist who was the trailblazer and served as inspiration to female lead vocalists of the genre...
This is pretty epic. Simone has a gorgeous voice and is bloody tasty to boot lol. I'm just getting into Epica and they are great. You definitely need to check out Nightwish; Ghost Love Score from Wacken 2012. They are also symphonic metal and use the London Philharmonic for their stuff. also you are right, as a violinist too (albeit amateur) violin is amazing, and a great string section sounds amazing #violingang #practise40hours #LingLingwannabe
Try Epica Cry for The Moon from yes the DVD We will take You with Us and Nightwish Poet and the Pendulum and Hall of the Mountain King from Apocalyptica live of course always when you can.
Funny how I can't get into Epica or Nightwish but have no problem with Guns and Roses use of an orchestra, most likely it because I grew up listening to GNR more...
I don't think that's a good song go start with when you're first being introduced to Epica. I think when you start your Epica experience you should just focus on Epica and nothing else. That way you get the full experience of them. I feel that a lot of people who suggest Sancta Terra with Floor only do it just because Floor is in it and they don't really focus on Epica.
Its always a tough choice on which specific song of a set for a reviewer to react to, so I can't exactly fault you on this. But as you may have noted from fans comments, fans of Epica are also often Nightwish fans and therefore express a preference for the duets that Simone (the Epica singer) did with Floor from Nightwish as part of this set -- particularly "Sancta Terra". I checked RU-vid views on both entries and the total views for various presentations of "Introspect" are between 50 to 70 thousand, at max, while the total views to the main presentation of Sancta Terra (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cx22Yuj2nzg.html) have 2,778,204 total views as of today, August 8. The largest number of views I could find for "Monopoly on Truth" was 45,229. So its easy to see why we might prefer you had reacted to Sancta Terra. But of course you're still free to do so, and it would be a great time!
Personally, I do not like the growling. Great combination of singer, band, orchestra and choir though. I prefer "Sancta Terra" from the same show with Nightwish's Floor Jansen. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cx22Yuj2nzg.html The wee oboe in the intro is nice too.
