The opening trifecta of the grand symphonic prelude “Alpha – Anteludium”, the fast-paced crusher “Abyss Of Time – Countdown To Singularity” and the more nuanced and mid-paced yet highly catchy banger “The Skeleton Key” come off as fairly similar to what Nightwish has been doing in recent years, though here the guitar work carries a greater role in shaping the arrangement and the dueling vocal personas of Simons’ consonant beauty to Mark Jansen’s guttural beast largely steal the show. Having come about just under 4 months since the release of their latest studio album “Omega,” the setlist tended to favor said album with a strong showing of brand new material to the live setting. Combined with an ensemble cast of ballet dancers and acrobats, the performance often took on the appearance of a circus event within a piece of musical theater, yet also carried with it a darker, Gothic-tinged demeanor that set it apart from even the most artsy of carnival endeavors.ĭespite the extremely visual character of Epica’s presentation, in most other respects this concert checked all of the boxes of a typical touring event. Each object present on the stage would serve to accent the orderly placement of the band, as well as give the entire space itself the sense of being a world unto itself, particularly in how the pyrotechnics would seem to animate each segment of the whole. The mysticism that permeates the game of notes beneath front woman Simone Simons’ angelic mezzo soprano would be accented by an elaborate array of stage ornaments, most notably a pair of cobra statues at each side, towering above a collection of metal sculptures. In keeping with the cinematic tendencies of their signature sound, Epica has opted to present their first concert of 2021 in Omega: Alive Universal in a matter befitting the big screen, complete with elaborate scene transitions in between their massive anthems set on a colossal stage with numerous visual accents to entice the eyes. With nearly 20 years now in the rear view (or longer if counting mastermind Mark Jansen’s time with After Forever, of which Epica could be considered a continuation of sorts) and the still ongoing pandemic lockdowns hindering the prospect of an immediate tour in support of their 8 th studio album “Omega,” this elite merger of classicism and modernity has now become the latest to endeavor upon the popular medium of online streaming to reach the masses. While the specific tale of Epica only began in 2003, a good while after the likes of Kamelot (whom inspired the band’s name), Nightwish and Rhapsody Of Fire had done much to pioneer the mixture of lofty orchestral arrangements with a driving and technically ambitious metallic style set, their more melodic death metal tinged niche with a penchant for Middle Eastern musical influences has set them apart from the crowd ever since and arguably ingratiated them a bit more to the arena-friendly crowd within metal circles. Never ones to disappoint, Epica once again reach their epic quotient on Omega without choking, perhaps proving that too much of a good thing is a good thing.The concert as a grand spectacle and the sub-genre of symphonic metal are companions almost to the point of necessity, and have been since the latter’s inception during the late 1990s. Code Of Life, for all of Mark Jansen’s angry-man growling, is one of the best platforms for Simone’s vocal talent while the shamelessly self-indulgent Kingdom Of Heaven Part 3 finds enough catchiness and unbridled drama within its 13-plus minutes to justify its length. Stacked up against their back catalogue, though, it’s hard to put Omega in the same league as The Divine Conspiracy and Design Your Universe for a simple lack of memorable songs, but peel back the histrionics and there are compositions here that hint at being future fan favourites. By contrast, the Eastern-tinged Seal Of Solomon – a flavour that Epica often apply to add a luxurious, otherworldly gleam to their sound – opts for their tried and tested fast-and-heavy tactic. Recorded with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and a children’s choir, Omega bursts with cinematic soundscapes that are balanced beautifully on the album’s more sensitive moment, Rivers, swelling with childlike emotion as it reaches its crescendo. With so many layers of unadulterated bombast, it almost feels as though Epica are striving for excess, yet in characteristic style, it’s tastefully done.