Symphonic Power Unleashed: Epica’s Unforgettable Night in Amsterdam
From the afternoon onward, the queue for Epica’s concert at AFAS Live began to grow, as fans eagerly anticipated Thursday night’s show. Both in line and inside the venue, the atmosphere was cozy and vibrant, with people chatting excitedly about the evening’s event. One striking aspect was the incredible diversity of the audience, with multiple generations coming together to enjoy the magical sounds of Epica.
The crowd’s excitement was palpable as the orchestra musicians took their places on stage. The setup was impressive, featuring two tiers of musicians to support Epica. Right on time, the intro video for the concert began, and soon after, lead singer Simone Simons graced us with the first notes of “Unleashed”. The song started softly, performed initially by the orchestra alone, but quickly picked up intensity, setting the stage for what would be an unforgettable show. Epica definitely set the tone for the evening with this powerful opener.
Simone thanked the audience for being there before introducing “The Essence of Silence”, complete with an electrifying guitar solo. The band charged into “The Menace of Vanity”, a song that hadn’t been played live since 2012, followed by the fan-favorite “Sensorium”. Both the band and the orchestra delivered such a commanding stage presence that it took a moment to even notice the LED wall in the background. During the songs, the screen displayed artistic visuals and animations, while short video interludes featured an anonymous character who spoke about Epica, life, the future, and the concept of unleashing one’s inner beast.
The first video break discussed the theme of patterns and how the audience was teetering between chaos and order as the concert progressed. This led to “Arcana”, a world debut performance. For this set, Epica was joined by a children’s choir, which added a hauntingly beautiful dimension to the atmosphere, fitting perfectly with the song. The rest of the set included “The Skeleton Key”, “The Ghost in Me”, “Storm the Sorrow”, and a medley of “Universal Death Squad”, “The Last Crusade”, “The Phantom Agony”, and “Design Your Universe”.
At one point, Simone explained that the “Symphonic Synergy” tour was their chance to finally play the music as it was meant to be heard, with a full orchestra—a feat previously impossible due to the limitations of tour buses, which prompted laughter from the crowd. With each song, the audience grew more enthusiastic. Beyond the exceptional musicianship, the light show was a true highlight. The synchronization of the lights with instrumental moments elevated the entire experience.
During the performance of “Code of Life”, the concert was humorously interrupted by an alarm from the character in the video breaks: “Amsterdam, we have a problem. The system just went offline. We need to generate power to bring the lead singer back.” The audience took up the challenge, generating energy through their cheers and enthusiasm, and the song resumed with even greater intensity—a memorable moment of audience interaction.
Following this, Simone took a moment to thank the orchestra before introducing another world premiere: “Aspiral”, a beautiful ballad that showcased Simone’s incredible vocal range and live prowess. Epica’s camaraderie on stage was palpable, and their visible enjoyment pulled the audience in even more. For the final song, they went out with a bang, delivering an explosive performance complete with fireworks, confetti, smoke, and flames, as the crowd went wild. As expected, the audience stayed in place, eagerly awaiting an encore.
The final video featured the anonymous character again, granting permission for the encore only if the audience promised to give their all in return. The crowd agreed, and once again, AFAS delivered. Hands were raised, people were jumping, and the atmosphere was electric, with metal horns visible everywhere.
Photos (c) Tim Tronckoe
