Epica

On 30 January 2027 Epica will perform at Koninklijk Theater Carré in Amsterdam. Since 2002 the band built around guitarist and songwriter Mark Jansen has been developing its own form of symphonic metal, beginning as Sahara Dust and soon renamed Epica. With the arrival of mezzo-soprano Simone Simons and keyboardist Coen Janssen the sound gained direction; later Isaac Delahaye, Rob van der Loo and Ariën van Weesenbeek joined. On stage the group blends cinematic orchestrations and choral passages with tight riffs, progressive turns and the interplay between Simons’ clear vocals and Mark Jansen’s growls.

From The Phantom Agony and Consign to Oblivion to The Quantum Enigma, The Holographic Principle and the recent Omega, the catalogue sketches a band that engages with themes from philosophy, religion and science, and that soberly juxtaposes electronic accents and acoustic passages. In Carré Epica lets that mix speak with focus and energy, moving from sustained, lyrical melodies to heavier outbursts, always tight in its playing and attentive to dynamics. A concert in which the band brings its symphonic layer and metal foundation together without detours, in the heart of Amsterdam.