Epica at Hammerfest II
Epica, a symphonic metal band from the Netherlands, took to Hammerfest’s first stage on the Friday evening. A huge crowd had gathered for this special performance; you could barely move for bodies!
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The band kicked off in the dramatic fashion for which they are famous and when mezzo-soprano vocalist Simone Simons took to the stage, the crowd erupted. As she unleashed her powerful voice, the atmosphere in the room turned electric; when Mark Jansen added his thundering metal roar to the mix, the effect caused by such a huge contrast was breath-taking!
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Epica's music covers a range of styles; from folk rock to more mysterious dark songs such as ‘Cry of the Wolf’. Choral effects, dancing keyboard melodies, pounding guitars; I was spellbound! The band have successfully found themselves a niche in the metal market; there is nothing else like them out there!
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The song that stood out the most for me was ‘The Obsessive Devotion’, the heaviest contribution of the set. It showed off the band’s individual skills wonderfully and the impressive light show had many jaws dropping to the floor.
Epica blew my mind at Hammerfest and I still can’t get their set out of my head; they were in a league all of their own. Simone Simons in particular is such an inspiration. It was so refreshing to see a strong woman holding her own in what is a hugely male-dominated genre.
I think I've got a new favourite band..!
To view all photos taken during this set click here. There are 5 available.