- advertisement -

Photo Credits: Tim Tronckoe

It is 2021 and we have become used to live streamed performances as opposed to the good old days of metal festivals or small gigs at a bar. Those feel so far away. But that does not mean a band cannot bring their music to life with full force for their adoring fans. Leave it to EPICA, a group with twenty years of creative experience, to do just that with OMEGA ALIVE.

Omega was released in 2020, much to the fans joy I might add. It is a beautiful, high energy album that brought smiles to many. I reviewed it on KNAC.COM and you can find my review HERE. Keeping that in mind, I was nothing less than elated when I found out that the band would bring this masterpiece to life via the internet. However, it is not just a case of the band filming themselves playing…no no no. EPICA gave us a wholistic visual experience, complete with acrobats, dancers, fire dancers, choirs, and the many outfits of Simone Simons to top it all off.

It all begins with “Abyss of Time”, which sets the energy levels for all that follow until we get to “Rivers”, which is performed with choir accompaniment. Simone’s vocal skills are of course the center point of this enchanting song. We are treated to quite a few songs from Omega, but there are also notable crowd favourites from the past, such as “The Obsessive Devotion”, “Kingdom of Heaven” and “Cry for the Moon”. That song gets some special attention from the band due to being one of their most well loved and iconic pieces. EPICA has been serenading us for two decades after all, and this is the one that started it all, so they chose to send a special message to the fans. Naturally, it is a personal favourite of mine as well.

The entire stream is divided into five parts, each with a few songs and added flare from additional performers. The audience is taken from one part to the other through the eyes of a young girl, which fits the themes of their music quite well. Nothing is out of place as each accompanying performance reflects either the theme or the energy of the band. I shall not say much more though, after all, the stream is still available as of my writing this, so you have the chance to see it for yourself! A friend of mine who has never heard of EPICA also loved the entire show and I think he is now a fan.

Thank you to EPICA and their team and all those who worked hard to make this possible. It is much needed fuel for the soul during these times, and we are all excited to see EPICA back on stage again. Until then, I fully recommend going to www.epicastream.com for your chance to view the entire show, which is available until June 15th.

Check out some more photos from the livestream!
Photo Credits: Tim Tronckoe