Epica - Sancta Terra (feat Floor Jansen) Live Retrospect show - I WAS NOT prepared for THIS! 

A bit of info for you - the founder of Epica, Mark Jansen (no relation to Floor) was in Floor's first band, After Forever. Floor and Simone are both Dutch and long time friends. Simone was about 3 months pregnant at this show. Now just keep in mind that you have barely scratched the surface of what Floor is capable of. Breathe, Debbie, breathe.

Floor and Simone sing "Stabat Mater Dolorosa" at the same gig. Thousands of metal heads spellbound by a 12/13th Century Hymn!! MAGIC! Epica "Chasing The Dragon" - recommended, to be different. "Consign to Oblivion" is awesome too. Yes, Orchestra and choirs LIVE!... Simone is terrifyingly beautiful - in many ways!

Believe it or not. So far you have just touched the tip of what Floor is capable of. Enjoy the journey.

should we tell her that Floor has a sister Irene that she was singing amazingly too and the sang together????😅 i beleve she is not ready for the Jansen combo🥰

Dear Debby, since you're digging so fast all these wonderful songs with Floor (first Nightwish and now Epica) and since you have noticed her incredible range and versatility, I recommend you've got to start following her also on "Beste Zangers 2019". And if you are exhausted, start with "Shallow" and just dream away . . . . !

Let's give Simone credit here she was prego throughout the entire tour she's a warrior and a awesome singer.

Symphonic metal was a revelation to me too, particularly Nightwish with Floor.

It's amazing the incredible music that is out there that get ZERO attention in the US. Its not that we don't want it its the big record companies and radio don't want us to hear it as it is not profitable to them. Keep searching and you will be amazed with the talent that is out there that we (USA) have never heard of.

This was Epica's 10 year anniversary show that's why they have an orchestra

Btw2. Simone is holding back with the headbanging/windmilling because she was pregnant at the time.

Thanks, and now welcome to Epica

This was Epica's 10 years anniversary - a 3 hour!! Phenomenal concert. Epica is in general considered to be 'heavier' than Nightwish - actually closer to Floor's first band After Forever. (Epica was founded by Mark Jansen from After Forever in 2002/2003) Simone is a world class singer and stage performer, just like Floor - and those two metal head made more phenomenal duets back in the days, when they were touring around on festivals all over Europe - songs like 'Sweet Curse' by Floor.

Debbie someone once said what would happen if you took a Trained Opera singer and a Heavy Metal band and put them together ... The answer is the Priceless Reaction to what you just heard . An Angel and a Goddess both singing at the same time = Mind Blown.

From the same concert Stabat Mater Dolorosa, a very old religious song they do as a duet, completely different sound. If no one else has suggested it, the Shoemaker music video from Nightwish is something to hear. Valley of the Queens from Ayreon featuring floor is amazing also.

Do check out Floor and Simone singing the song Stabat Mater Dolorosa at this same Epica concert. Full Operatic from these two glorious women. Stunning. This was Epicas 10 year anniversary show so they got an orchestra & choir to make it special. Epica is generally heavier than Nightwish, but it is worth checking out. 😀 The mass of hair headbanging on that stage with Epica always makes me giggle. One fellow said he did not understand how these two ladies headbang and windmilled so much, but yet their hair always looks wonderful, lol.

Your pronunciation of Jansen is getting better and better... This show had cost Epica a lot. You can't often bring a whole orchestra plus a choir to the stage.But it was really worth it for their fans. And then to bring Floor on stage too - simply brilliant!...I really want to know what Dutch parents mix into their daughters' food. No matter what it is - I want it too!

Dutch symphonic metal band formed in 2002 by guitarist Mark Jansen, after parting ways with his former band After Forever. Mark had co-founded AF, which was the first band Floor joined at age 16.(Mark and Floor aren't related) Yes, Simone Simons, she was 17 when EPICA started. Simone switched to this style in training, from pop, after hearing Tarja with Nightwish. Coen Janssen on keyboards, guitarist Isaac Delahaye, bassist Rob van der Loo, and drummer Arien van Weesenbeek round out the current lineup. Retrospect is the EPICA 10th anniversary show in 2013. A 3 hour show with full orchestra and choir, and Simone was about 3 months pregnant. Floor joined thenm for 1 other song here, a classical piece called Stabat Mater Dolorosa. This isn't representative of most of their stuff, as Mark adds some harsh vocals on a lot of songs. As with Nightwish, EPICA is great live. For more, try Consign to Oblivion or Beyond the Matrix live at the Zenith in Paris, The Skeleton Key or Kingdom of Heaven PT 3 at the Omega Alive virtual show. They have great ballads too, Rivers live in Chile was posted a few weeks ago.

One of my favourites. I'd love to see nightwish with full orchestra and choir. Ideal location would be Royal Albert Hall in London. 3 reasons. Their orchestra and choir is based in England. It's the ideal venue for a full orchestra. Thirdly on a selfish note, as I am in the UK I wouldn't have to travel far😂

You picked a good one 🙂🤘

Epica Stabat Mater Dolorosa from Epica with Floor. Give your heart a break...lol.

Epica is the highest form of symphonic metal, followed closely by After Forever, the original band of Floor Jansen

I saw EPICA live in concert a week ago, they were incredible, to hear Simone sing live was mindblowing

I saw Epica in Boston last year and the were fantastic. Saw them and Nightwish in the same year...and I can’t really believe I hadn’t heard of either band four years ago. They were both amazing! Glad you like them, you have so much more to look forward to!

I'm a thrash metal guy but i love symphonic metal too. Yours reacts are very cool.

With Floor (Nightwish) and Simone (Epica) you got to know two of the great Dutch symphonic metal singers. There are more to discover: A unique singer of her own is Sharon den Adel from „Within Temptation“. They are incredible as well. First songs to listen to might be „And we run feat. Xzibit“ (symphonic metal meets rap), „Paradise (What Bout us) feat. Tarja“ (the first singer of Nightwish), „Angels“, „Ice Queen“, „Stand my Ground“.... Charlotte Wessels from „Delain“ (not anymore) is the next to explore: „Masters of Destiny“ is a must. Delain did a couple of songs with Marco from Nightwish like „Sing to me feat. Marco Hietala“ Anneke van Giersbergen (former from The Gathering) did a great duet with Sharon den Adel: Within Temptation „Somewhere“ together with a full orchestra. One of the most beautiful duets ever. Another symphonic metal band to mention is Xandria from Germany. They had for some time another awesome Dutch singer: Dianne van Giersbergen. Try „Nightfall“. PS: Nightwish is more symphonic, Epica more trash and Within Temptation more rock ;-)

Hey Debbie, 73 years old hippie from the Netherlands reporting in: Welcome to the music scene in the Netherlands. Keep going, you're in for a rollercoaster ride ...!!! Shine on my dear ...🤘👍

Welcome to the fascinating world of symphonic metal!!!

Epica is epic...and Floor with Simone🔥🔥🤘🇫🇮😎👍

Loving the Binge. Discovering Nightwish is life changing for empaths like us. Keep going and we will keep watching.

The word you are looking for is Epic. Some people might suggest Consign to Oblivion, it's a very heavy song. Before jumping into that one I would suggest the song Unleashed -Retrospect show first. Epica has a very wide range of songs. Some easy listen ones are: Dreamscape, Rivers, Beyond the Matrix, Unleashed (which also has an awesome live acoustic version from TRT2), Code of Life, etc

Simone Simmons is another amazing singer .... she is like a siren.. Queens together doing their magic... fun fact..she was 3month pregnant at that time ... Please check out Stabat Mater Dolorosa... from the same concert.

Who would've thought metal could be so beautiful? Love your reactions!

You need to do a reaction to valley of the Queens by ayreon it features floor also . It's only about 3 minutes but brace yourself there's three ladies singing . And please remember breathe breathe breathe . I love watching your reactions it's like discovering nightwish all over again .

You have just begone this journey of Floor trust me the more you listen to her the more your mind will be blown away. Floor still blows me away when i listen to her sing I've found them like 3 or 4 years ago

I loved to see how impressed you where, when hearing them sing together. Maybe you should also have a look at Arjen Lucassens Project Ayreon. Arjen puts together a whole new Band for every album. Beneath Floor and Simone there are a lot of other great singers in his songs. I think a good entry point to his work would be "The day that the world breaks down" or the live version of "everybody dies". I'm sure, you will love it, too.

Two friends both classically trained, ...... magic ...... Floor is just genetically gifted with her structure, mouth size, shape, etc ..... She is just a vocal beast. Keep going down the rabbit hole. Please don't ignore "How's the Heart' acoustic version of Nightwish if you want to here stripped down Floor vocals..... her lines are truly stunning on that and it's not often reviewed. It's a duet with Troy from Nightwish (their multi instrumentalist back-up vocalist) on acoustic guitar, and it is very pure and intimate. Also please seek out some of Floors cover songs she did during the pandemic. And I know it's a lot of suggestions, but Floor's solo band is amazing ...... Review their Amsterdam show..... it's really really good! Face Your Demons is a lot of fun to watch..... This woman is amazing......

🇬🇧 Norfolk on your journey with these Dutch queens 😊 At the end Simone says thank you little floor

I saw nightwish just before Christmas for the 3rd time and epica last week for the first time even though I've been following these bands for years and have all there albums to see them live is an amazing experience .I took my daughter to see nightwish it was her first metal concert and she couldn't take her eyes off of floor all night and said she had goosebumps everytime she started singing as for me well simone is absolutely stunning and her voice live is fantastic I couldn't take my eyes off her .hi from London UK 🇬🇧

Epica is sooo good!

It will eventually cease to be mindblowing, but the energy will still be there every time you play it. I envy you the things you have yet to explore :-)

This might be one of the most heartwarming reaction videos I’ve ever seen. Your sense of amazement was so palpable, and it really brought me back to the pure bliss of discovering this unparalleled band. Epica is magic transmuted to music! A great follow up to this would be Unchain Utopia from Epica’s Omega Livestream show: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-c8XdrOhEZl0.html

Hello Debbie, NW Army from Italy here again. Another great spontaneous reaction, I love it. Other people have already given you a bit of news about Epica and Simone Simmons so I want to give you just one more bit of information. During this 3 hour live show Epica was supported by a seventy-piece orchestra (Extended Reményi Ede Chamber Orchestra) and a forty-piece choir (Miskolc National Theater Choir) both from Hungary. I think you're now ready to listen to Ayreon now. Ayreon is not a band but it is a musical project born in the mind of a Dutch musical genius named Arjen Lucassen which also includes Floor, Simone and many other fantastic musicians and singers, all top level artists. I recommend these songs to you: The day that the world breaks down (with 11 different singers) Everybody dies (live) Valley of the Queens (live, wonderful short song) Trust me, you won't be disappointed. Don't forget to breathe and take care. (Please forgive my poor English I know I am an English language torturer) ;-)

Now you can start your Epica journey! 🤟 Next Epica song: "Consign To Oblivion" Live in Paris!

One more thing......the European and Asian Metal scene is just insane....... Some of these bands are just absolutely incredible and they are better live than they are in the studio I think that holds true for a lot of these bands and a lot of their music is just epic........ The singers are and the other members of these bands are Masters at their craft....... It's just absolutely amazing and unfortunately I live in the United States and we live in a vacuum when it comes to music......... And just to say one thing to prove it but that ridiculous magazine the rolling Stone magazine came out with a 200 greatest singers of all time and there was only like three singers from Europe at all....... And I think that all of them were from England.........just a joke.

Uhhhhh wow - I didn't expect you to fall that fast into that parallel rabit-hole EPICA! You got an outstanding show there with the "Retrospect", as Epica had the full orchestra and a full male and female choir on stage for this one... they're not doing this typically but use prerecorded choirs and instruments similar to Nightwish. But as you already may notice, Epica goes a pretty good lot more into the choir-support as well as they go a lot LOT harder musically - this may yet be a mild example. Mark's growling/screaming may not be everyones cup of tea but fits super well in their music and contrast between Simone's crystal clear singing. I guess technically Simone doesn't stand far from what Floor can do but well ... Floor is surely the number one as she can do much more than you have uncovered yet ("Your's is an empty hope - live at Wembley" is yet to come lol). IF you decide to step more into the Epica direction too, well ... some recommended "Consign to oblivion" - live at Zenith Paris - but as already said: This song gets pretty hard and oh ... you will need breathing support too :P ... you also could go on with another song from the Retrospect show: "Unleashed" ... or with "The Skeleton Key".... nevermind if you just continue to explore Nightwish first!!! The Nigthwish Army and the Epicians go shoulder by shoulder as you may notice :D Byyyyy the way: Aside from breathtaking vocals and music, both bands have very deep lyrics, Epica goes deep into some philosophical topics and is always worth a look at the lyrics, and suddenly the mix between heavy growling and Simone's singing gets even more interesting xD

Fantastic reaction! So real and heartfelt. New subscriber here. Nightwish and Epica leave me speechless and breathless also. Please please continue your journey with both of them! You will be So glad you did! Nightwish Army Florida division

Two of the greatest sirens ever. The way that they are so playful with each other while singing it's true devotion and respect for each other. They are great friends in real life. Glad you trip down the rabbit hole is getting fulfilled!🎼🌹

Debbie, if this one takes your breath away, don't watch them sing "Stabat Mater Dolorosa"... Opera or this style of Symphonic Metal, will hit your like you have never been affected before. Oh, and Simone was indeed 3 months pregnant, but this show song was also a part of the show where they sang Sancta Terra. Now, HOW are they this good, together they studied at the Conservatoire together in the Netherlands, I don't recall which one. And Debbie, I still think you are gorgeous. Have a blessed day.

Epica is unmistakably inspired by Nightwish. But they are significantly harder. Fun Fact: The founder of Epica had previously left another band he also founded, After Forever. When the band was formed, they had hired a backing singer for whom it was the first band: Floor Jansen. When After Forever releases the first record she is the main singer. When the last founder falls ill for a long time, the band breaks up against Floor's sake. Her anger sends Floor hurtling towards an abyss: After Forever - Energize Me (Floor Jansen) Full HD With the fate of After Forever 2009 hanging in the balance, she is co-authoring a hard rock album. But she won't release it until 2018 in a revised version, during her baby break at Nightwish: NORTHWARD - While Love Died (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO) At the same time Marko releases his Prog Metal Album: MARKO HIETALA - Stones (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO) And Tuomas founds with his wife and Troy Auri: AURI - The Space Between (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)

New subscriber here (a southern boy also with a twang). It's great that you discovered Epica, another great band in this genre. Looking forward to accompany you on your journey.

Simone and Epica are a great big wonderful rabbit hole like Nightwish. Enjoy !

Hey Debbie, I loved watching your reaction to this song. Yes, their voices will rewire your brain and make you crave more and more. Enjoy your trip down the rabbit hole. Just don't forget to breathe Baby Girl. 😊

Great reaction Debbie! Even though (IMO) Nightwish is the best symphonic metal band, there are several others that are also great. As you are finding out, female fronted symphonic metal music is mesmerizing. Add Epica, Within Temptation, Delain, Visions of Atlantis, Xandria, Sirenia and others to your list. You won't regret it.

EPICA is another super rabbit hole. Just so you are warned.

You may already know by now there is a Choir backing these two up and a full Orchestra in addition to the other members of Epica.

Nightwish Army South Germany Division The Goddess of Valkyries and the Queen of Epica together on the Stage = This is Epic pur ! And so another chapter of Symphonic Metal opens up for you: The musical world of Epica....believe me, you won't regret it. Debbie, here's something else for info: You remember it was mentioned somewhere in the comments that Floor's husband, Hans van Dahl, is the drummer of Sabaton. Sabaton is a metal band specializing in historical themes. One such work is "No Bullets Fly". I can really only recommend it to you. greetings from Germany the lady P.S. I have a good and important tip: sooner or later you will come across the two big hits "The Poet and the Pendulum" and "Greatest Show on Earth". For both masterpieces, it is highly recommended to have the lyrics superimposed, as some parts of it are very quiet and partly covered by the music, making them difficult to understand. Another important point: For "The Poet and the Pendulum" you should first look up the background to this masterpiece, otherwise you will have a problem understanding the song and its meaning. Have fun for the further journey through the Nightwish universe.

Welcome to the world of Epica! Sancta Terra is a song from their third album already released back in 2007. This song is not written as a duet though. Most of the time stunning Simone sings this song alone. At some occasions she sung this song with several guests. Epica has already released 8 albums. Epica is by far the leading force in Symphonic metal scene nowadays to me. And Simone, well you just saw a snippet of this soprano lady. She will blow your mind with her crystal clear voice like no other. A lot of Epica suggestions already mentioned in the comments. Sancta Terra is just an straightforward Epica song in their huge catalog. They can be quite heavy including grunts..So enjoy the Epica journey!

Hi Queen 👍🏼 i love your reaction on Floor and Simone they are realy pro singers..👍🏼 It's looking so easy when they sing together and stunning good..And the band EPICA is working just as all musicians in Nightwish ❤️👍🏼 they juse the instrument to lift the singers on stage it's wonderful to hear ❤️👍🏼 THX Queen for a wonderful reaction on EPICA Simone and Floor ❤️🇸🇪❤️🇸🇪❤️

You think to yourself "How come we never see incredible music like this on T.V, or hear it on the radio?" Well the simple answer is that music of this genre will probably NEVER be seen on T.V, why?...because it doesn't 'fit' with the so called music media's idea of 'popular music'. That is the reason why so many people when exposed to bands like Nightwish say they had never heard of them, or music like that. Sad, isn't it.

nailed it Floor Yansen. This is what rock/metal sounds like with a little opera thrown in for beauty. Yes, Simone! Loved it Debbie. Hope to see you again very soon.

This song by Epica is fantastic, for sure and I love watching / hearing it again and again. But it is nevertheless not "typical" for them. Songwise and also with the full orchestra. In order to experience them in the most typical way (including harsh ale vocals) I suggest "Consign to Oblivion" live from the Zenit in Paris! 🙂

Holy smokes! With that pace you are going on this Symphonic Metal ride, I am a bit concerned about your health. No problem in slowing down. All your new fans will still be with you in a couple of days. But really another genuinely beautiful and emotional reaction. Thank you. It is simply a huge pleasure to watch. Well, I have to recommend Epica's Consign to Oblivion (Live from the Zenith, Paris) because I think that this perfomance sums up the style of Epica perfectly (definitely harder than Nightwish, but with similar artistry and virtuosity). And I normally would recommend Jinjer - Pisces (Live Studio Session), but I am a bit afraid... (Maybe this would shock you too much) Well, again all the Best from Bavaria, Germany

Hello! You now need to discover much more Epica :) I know most comments are about Floor, but you will see that Simone is another goddess of symphonic metal and Epica is incredible even without Floor. If you have a good ear for music, you will be able to hear that Epica musical compositions are brilliant. Every Epica song has some beautiful melodic line, even if it's a heavy banger. They also have a couple more radio-friendly songs and several breathtaking ballads which are better than what I've ever heard from most bands (in any genre). Please do more Epica asap! I would suggest for example EPICA - The Essence of Silence (Official Live) or EPICA - Unleashed (Official Live)

Just started watching this one so not seen your reaction yet, but was thinking earlier you will definitely love this.

I am laughing my head off as you have made me feel like a pure sadist!! lol. I know you are in control (ish) so I am really enjoying your multiple Floorgasms !!! Great stuff Debbie x

Floor & Simone, Epica, "Stabat Mater Dolorosa". It's a must. Not a metal song, but different. And yes, we do have some 'special metals' in our Dutch waters.🤘🤯 For example, there is also Sharon den Adel, from "Within Temptation", if you like angelic metal singing.

Yay! I did not expect you to dip into groups outside of Nightwish as quickly as this, but I am all for it! This concert was for the 10th anniversary of Epica. In case you didn't realise, this song is about a suicide bomber who is convinced they are about to go to heaven at the moment they press the button. You also won't regret checking out Epica's Consign to Oblivion live at the Zenith in Paris.

Another amazing reaction! I'm glad you reacted to this song as it is very beautiful.

Epica are the best!!!

Thank you for a wonderful reaction Look forward to your next reaction

Don't worry too much about having a heart attack. Simone and Floor give just about every one a heart attack when they sing.❤

People describe discovering Nightwish as falling down a rabbit hole, but they are wrong. It is more of a rabbit warren, with tunnels everywhere that you can branch off in all directions. You've now discovered a couple of them, but so many more: Ayreon, Beste Zangers, Floor's solo work, Tarja, Nightwish acoustic, and it is a very short bunny hop from the Nightwish Warren to the Jinjer rabbit hole, or to the Dimash rabbit hole or to the Pentatonix rabbit hole.

You need react Epica - Consign to Oblivion - Live at the Zenith Is Amazing!!!!!!

@TheQuestionQueens: Debbie, you now know what symphonic metal is! Literally, it is a combination of classic symphony music and metal. The fact you noticed the orchestra was... *Chef's kiss* It made me smile to see you notice that little bit. But the thing is, Epica isn't the only band has had a live orchestra and choir. Another Dutch lady, Sharon Adel, the lead singer of Within Temptation, performed with a live orchestra for their "Black Symphony" concert in 2008. My favorite song from that concert is called Truth Beneath the Rose. But there are other great songs in that concert: 1. Somewhere (Best Duet Ever) 2. Memories 3. Mother Earth 4. Ice Queen 5. Stand My Ground 6. Heart of Everything 7. Angels So check out Within Temptation! Once you do, you'll wonder just what, exactly, they put in the Dutch water to produce so many talented artists and bands!

The two best Female singers in the world today, have fun on the stage.

Great reaction!! That was a lot of fun!! I must have watched this video at least 100X by now. LOL. That said, Floor does one other song with them at this concert that you must see and react to (pretty please!!). It is a classical opera piece with just them and the orchestra. It will show you their operatic talents. Another amazing song with Simone Simons and Floor Jansen. "EPICA - Stabat Mater Dolorosa w/Floor Jansen" LINK: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nhtOORYTGx8.html

Yeah, I know I added my voice to recommend this song, but I am glad you enjoyed it!

Hi Debbie, here is one of EPICA's newer songs, this one has a middle eastern feel to it, a great video too: on the Producciones Mist YT channel: EPICA - CODE OF LIFE (VIDEO)

In terms of music there is a world past what you get on the radio. Well, it depends on the country you live in. But most radio stations give you a variation of the same ... easy to go down, no enraged calls from elders, religious people, the daughters of the confederacy, etc. Which leads to a certain sameness in what you hear. Thankfully there's stuff outside of that commercial box although you have to actively hunt for it.

Haah, been enjoying your recent nightwish journey, so glad you are checking out epica too! I love how racked with joy these songs leave you :)

I love your reaction's videos ! I keep thinking "breathe ! breathe !" because i'm holding my breath with you :)

I sent this to my brother during Covid Lockdown. His response was just one word INSANE😎🤘🏼🤘🏼

Who does that ? Symphonic metal does!! 😁😂 You are such a sweetie!!! Please take care!!!!

Indeed greatness is often, surprisingly, terrifyingly beautiful. If one ever had a question about just what symphonic metal actually, tangibly is, well...this is an answer. (i love the shots of the orchestra, conductor And chorus all bopping/head banging!!!) Enjoy your journey - I look forward to enjoying your experiences. rl 🤘👹🤘

Consign to Oblivion is a wonderful performance by Epica. I would also suggest Cry for the Moon. Simone's voice is spectacular.

Like yourself I am from the United States I discovered nightwish at the beginning of the pandemic like a lot of other people did........ And when you discover one thing you discover a lot more......... Now I don't know how big the country of the Netherlands is but it doesn't look overwhelmingly big but let me tell you something there is at least 15 female singers from that small country....... that are absolute beasts on the microphone.......... I'm not here to start anyting......... But if all of those singers took a plane to the United States and started singing on American radio stations.......... They would change a lot of the conversations about music in the United States.

You should also check out Nightwish first singer Tarja Turunen. Sleeping Sun from End of an Era concert, she is an amazing singer.

"They're both doing it !!!" :))) Please breathe, D. 🖤

This concert was to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Epica... in 2013...

They have a few videos together " sabat mater delorosa" from the same show and they do a Revamp ( floors 2nd band) song " Sweet Curse " together .

Yes Epica. The 2nd unbelievable Symphonic Metal Band next to Nightwish. Simone is fantastic. Made for ballads 😀. Maybe the best one to continue is "Rivers" live from Chile, one shot video. Or if you like to stay more heavy "Beyond the Matrix" Zenith live, "Unleashed" live Retrospect. A lot of Epicans will say "Consign to Oblivion" and I don't concour because it is a harsh one with a lot of growls. And yes it is epic. Epica's diversity is huge. They have unbelievable songs of beauty, but they are also influenced by Death and Black Metal. So one side of their repertoire is very heavy. You can say, Nightwish is all about harmonies (Floor & Marko) and Epica is about contrast. The beauty and the beast idea. Building harmonies with Simone (angelic) and Mark (growls). 🙂

Simone and Floor are not only Dutch. They've also been friends for a long time. Greetings from the Netherlands.

Epica - Abyss Of Time and Beyond the Matrix are on heavy rotation in my playlist. I hope you would enjoy them too.

This is absolutely beautiful

I was on more than 130 live shows since 1991, but Epica's Retrospect show at the Klokgebouw in Eindhoven, Netherlands will always be the most memorable show EVER for me

Please keep digging into the Epica rabbit hole! There is so much to explore in this band, especially since the band just celebrated their 20th anniversary! From Epica's early days, one of the things to look out for is the footage from their concert at Paradiso in Amsterdam in 2006. Here's a song called "Facade of Reality" from there: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_j8XnlixSeo.html There is an honourable tradition of rock ballads, and Epica does these too. Probably the best one is "Tides of Time", which is where the band got closest to writing a classical aria. The studio version is the gold standard here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MFPn1lFDlyE.html The video you just watched is from the Retrospect show, which was their special 10-year anniversary -- hence the orchestra and choir! This was a 3-hour concert, which Simone Simons endured while being 3 months pregnant. Fittingly for an anniversary show, they brought back the three original band members who left the band, for this particular song called Quietus: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-K0sMkgwsI_c.html Among the more recent material, you should look out for anything called "Omega Alive". This was Epica's corona lockdown project, where they made a kind of "concert" in studio, with no audience, instead focusing on good video production. It looks like music videos, but it's really recorded and filmed live. To show off Epica's harder side, here is the song "The Skeleton Key": ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zIZkvhiOUU8.html (although rumor has it that the children's choir did not sing live in this video)

Hi, great response, these two beautiful ladies Floor and Simon are first of all friends and both come from the Netherlands, Mark Jansen who founded the band Epica is also a co-founder of the band After Forever the first band that Floor sang in and which I highly recommend, regards, take care of you

Now you’re heading down the Floor Jansen rabbit hole which is very deep ❤️

This was 2/3rd of the way through a 3 hour set and Simone was three months pregnant. Listen to Chasing the dragon, from the same show, for her full vocal range and Design Your Universe which was the final song of the main set and Simone was still flawless. Here are the links Chasing the dragon… ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WFXzKI215Us.html Design your universe… ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9nlPx-HEpCU.html

They voice is a goddess