EPICA and APOCALYPTICA Kick Tour Off with a Bang

 

The first day of February 2023 treated Nottingham’s metal scene with a double header from Epica and Apocalyptica, supported by Wheel, all of this being a part of The Epic Apocalypse Tour scheduled in Europe between 18 January and 29 March. For some, if not for most of the audience, this has been a long awaited night rescheduled from 2021, and for the bands themselves it was a first gig in Nottingham since before the pandemic. With all that anticipation and eagerness to be a part of this show, it was simply a recipe for a night to remember.

Due to the considerable but not exaggerated size of Rock City and the round like shape of the concert room, it is a wonderful base for a metal music performance, allowing for the sound to travel across the room and bounce off the walls and floors. Once the floor was full of music longing enthusiasts, it had all begun.

 

Epica

Sharp at 7:00pm Epica’s first sounds echoed in the air, the audience shouted in excitement. What a great moment it was, the music coming from the stage and the energy it emanated spread around the hall like a hurricane. I felt a shiver going down my spine, and tears of happiness coming to my eyes. The drums rumbling and the bass tones were so pleasantly intense you could feel them through your skin and the vibration of the floor. The whole body was experiencing the music, hearing each of the instruments individually and all of them together in a beautiful harmony.

They’ve started heavy with the ‘Abyss of Time’ from the ‘Omega’ album, and took us somewhere else, to this spectacular universe they’ve created within their albums. The band treated us with a variety of songs from across their career, performing one of their newest gems ‘The Final Lullaby’ from ‘The Alchemy Project EP’, and going as far back as ‘The Phantom Agony’ times with ‘The Cry for the Moon’, one of the first songs they ever wrote, during which they encouraged all the audience to sing together in an Epica karaoke – as Simone called it.

Hearing them live again, I can definitely say that Simone is truly one of the greatest female metal vocalists of all time. I am in awe of her vocal skills, range and stage stamina. During the live performance you could hear additional embellishments, vibratos, and slightly changed arrangement of the melody line in some verses. All this undoubtedly added flavour and must have been satisfying for even the most demanding listener. I cannot fail to mention Mark’s growling, that has improved tremendously throughout the years and adds heaviness and dimension to the songs. Mark, Isaac and Rob delivered an outstanding act, playing back to back and side to side, constantly moving around the stage. Arien gave his best with absolutely phenomenal, rhythmical and hard drum punching. And it wouldn’t be Epica’s gig without brave crowd surfing by Coen himself! I still have no idea how he’s able to play the piano on a rotating platform, just a master class. All together they create an unmatched, one of a kind show, that is definitely worth seeing, at least once.

They closed with the ‘Consign to Oblivion’ allowing the audience one more chance for some serious headbanging and moshpit action. The band took off the stage at 8:15 pm. Epica is one of those bands who sounds impeccable on their studio albums. They are also such a musically sophisticated band, drifting from the deepests, boldest and heavier sounds, through the delicacy of a mesmerising soprano voice, and finished with the fiery riffs. Being able to deliver these exquisite sounds and play exceptionally well live, while performing several songs in a row and maintaining this high standard is an utter professionalism and musical genius.

 

Apocalyptica

After about half an hour break needed to clean up and prepare the stage, the Apocalyptica musicians appeared before our eyes. They entered the stage briskly with cellos in their hands. Three cellists and a drummer started the performance, taking us along on this wonderful journey. When I looked around, I instantly noticed something very different in the audience, people were truly focused and transfixed by the music. I’ve not seen anything like that during a metal gig before, this unanimous focus and getting lost in a moment, it must have been the cellos.

Apocalyptica opened with the ‘Ashes of The Modern World’ and gave us a ride through a mixture of newer and older pieces from their catalogue. From the last album, we could also hear emotion packed ‘Rise’, and then we got pretty spoiled with energetic, deep and heavy ‘En Route To Mayhem’. A fantastic dynamic was brought to the stage by the appearance of Franky Perez, demonstrating his solid and strong vocals in ‘I’m not Jesus’, ‘Shadowmaker’ and ‘I Don’t Care’. To everyone’s delight, we’ve also heard the iconic ‘Nothing Else Matters’, and when the first tones of this song resounded, the audience went crazy. The level of excitement went through the roof.

Nearing the end of the gig, when the band took off the stage, the audience began to chant “one more song”. Apocalyptica didn’t keep us waiting long and they appeared in front of us again, with Eicca fuelling the satisfaction among the gathered by saying: “That’s very good, cause we will play you one more song anyway”. And so they’ve culminated with the ‘Hall of the Mountain King’.

I have to admit that I was waiting for this concert with extreme curiosity, as I used to play the cello myself and this instrument holds a special place in my heart. Nonetheless my personal preferences, this was an unparalleled experience to see this band live. Eicca, Perttu and Paavo are true cello virtuosos, the way these Finnish musicians handle their instruments is something impressive and unique. Not only can they enchant the audience with their sounds, but they also show a completely different level of musical skill, playing standing up, constantly moving around the stage and acting as if the cellos were as light as a feather. All of that is perfectly complemented with powerful drumming by Mikko. What an excellent spectacle!

What distinguishes both bands during their live performances is their stage presence. It is very evident how much joy they derive from being able to perform, their interactions with each other and with the audience are full of smiles, expression and emotion. These musicians perfectly know how to establish a relationship with the audience and hypnotise them for the duration of the concert, so that nothing else but experiencing the music matters at that moment.

Rock City saw head banging, moshpit in motion, crowd surfing, jumping and roaring among the audience that night. And I’m sure this was a very much enjoyable gig for all, as the bands gave us an exceptional treat for the senses. So, if you still have a chance to make this tour, don’t think twice and go get your ticket!

 

words: Roksana Black // pics: Wendy Queen