Epica, Meden Agan
Principal Club Theater, Thessaloniki, Greece
27/05/2012
It’s Sunday afternoon, it’s raining and something is missing. Oh, maybe it is a very good symphonic/gothic metal live show to complete the feeling. Epica is one of the most beloved metal bands here in Greece – not only for the metal fans – and it’s a great opportunity to watch one of the best symphonic metal bands with the most beautiful female vocalist in the metal scene. Well, maybe I’m not so warm with the specific genre, but Simone Simons was a really good reason to attend the show. And I was confirmed 100% because this angel gave it all on the stage.
First band of the gig was Meden Agan from Athens, a very capable symphonic metal band that warmed up properly the crowd for the headliners. Their set-list was based completely on their new release “Erevos Aenaon”, a promising record I’d say, even though I’m not a connoisseur of that genre. They had extremely operatic vocals, close to the big names of the symphonic genre. Their highlights were the two cover songs, “Wishmaster” from Nightwish and “Somewhere” from Within Temptation (with the participation of the singer from Visions Of Atlantis) that roused the public. Finally, they closed with “From the Ashes Of Sin” and after much applause and cheer they were off the stage.
It passed a really long time, ’till the headliners came on stage. Epica showed up around 10 o’clock and they played instantly “Karma” and “Monopoly Of Truth” from their newest work. But the dynamite song, that woke up somehow more people was “Sensorium” from the first album. I was drawn by Simone’s appearance but I think that all the band members had a lot of energy, in that song. The travel in time stopped with “Internal Warfare” and “Serenade Of Self-destruction”. It was justifiable to play a lot of “Requiem Of The Indifferent” songs, because that was the reason of their tour. In that moment, Simone showed more of her grandeur, because she didn’t hesitate to headbang during the songs. I guess that every male metal fan imagines his other half like that.
Next on the list was the majestic “Sancta Terra” and the band members unleashed more of their energy, especially Mark and Isaac, and their energy transmitted without any difficulty to the crowd. “Delirium” came a little after, before the band’s return to other old diamonds, like “Blank Infinity” and “The Obsessive Devotion”, which were the highlights of the show. The set-list adapted to the Macedonian climate, with “Storm The Sorrow” before Simone leaving us speechless with “The Phantom Agony”. How much more perfect could it be? Well, it became more perfect, because for the encore they played the incredible “Cry Of The Moon” with an unexpected drum solo at the end, in “Unleashed” they showed why they are the gods of symphonic metal genre and finally they ended their show with another great song, “Consign To Oblivion”.
So, more or less you can imagine, how perfect was the show and how satisfied left the people who attended it. After two years, the Dutch came back for another great appearance in front of their Greek followers. It was something more than majestic and many will agree with that. Maybe the symphonic metal bands that I’m interested can be counted on the fingers of one hand, but live shows like this one cannot go unnoticed.
Report: Stathis “Sethianus” Ntailianas