Hi Melvin, here is a song from EPICA which will give you a good impression of their symphonic metal sound, you get to hear Simone sing in her full voice and classical voice, she is amazing, this is from a live show in Amsterdam from earlier this year: EPICA - Unleashed (Live At The AFAS Live)
Yes , they've been around awhile. Formed in 2002 by guitarist and harsh vocalist Mark Jansen, after parting ways with his former band After Foever. Her name is Simone Simons, she was 17 in 2002. She started her singing training in pop, but switched to this style after hearing original Nightwish frontwoman Tarja Turunen. Mark had co-founded After Forever, which was the first band Floor Jansen (current Nightwish) joined at age 16. Coen Janssen on keyboards, which are mobile. Isaac Delahaye on guitar, Rob van der Loo on bass ,and drummer Arien van Weesenbeek round out the current lineup. This song is the title track to their 2nd album from 2005, and one of their heavier tracks. It is often used as the set closer, and is still played today. They have 8 albums and several EP's to date. The performance you watched is from 2017. Since you said you like the heavy stuff, try Design Your Universe from the Retrospect 10th anniversary concert, or Universal Death Squad lyric video.
Thanks for the insight, Chris 👍 I didn't realise they'd been around for so long until after I'd made this video. You can definitely tell they are comfortable playing together and almost telepathic. Cheers for the recs too 😁
a great live ! I was in ! And this one is the last of this magic night. Take a look at "retrospect live". This live was for the 10th anniversary of the band. some master pieces in it like "design your universe", "chasing the dragon", ... and a great duet with Floor Jansen: "Sancta Terra".
hi, cool and positive reaction! This group is just a discovery. Yes, this is a team of professionals and real musicians. Each participant is a talent. Separately, I want to mention the drummer, who is just a monster in his field, and the group also has a lot of cool songs by his authorship. In fact, each member of the group is the second music or lyrics, and not just one. The band's work is very diverse, from minimalistic ballads and acoustic tracks to melodic death metal and even black metal, and sometimes all this can magically be found in the same song 😁 as for guitar solos, they are not in every song, but in many.
Yeah the drummer has some serious chops! Glad you liked my reaction 😀 I've heard it several times since I made this video and it gets better each listen. Especially the heavy parts! 🤟🎸
I listen to this song every week as I transition from work week to weekend. If you read the lyrics, you'll realize why. Thanks for being part of my weekly transition!
What a fantastic way to enter Epica's world, with one of the best song, in the best version with this live ! I saw you like Jinjer, and Epica so, and Nightwish, may I suggest Therion ? As for this video, that may be the hundreth time I watch it, and I find everytime something new
Hi Melvin, you just discovered the greatest band in the world, EPICA are simply phenomenal, Consign to Oblivion even for them is a bit extreme!, Their vast catalogue of music ranges from breathtakingly beautiful to very heavy and every style in between, you will never be bored listening to EPICA. You just missed them, they toured the UK earlier this year, we saw them in Nottingham, they were amazing 🙃
Yeah I'm definitely late to the game 🤣 After I made this video, I learned that they've been active since 2002! From seeing the live video, I can only imagine what they would have been like in Nottingham! Assume you saw them at Rock City? Great venue. Thanks for checking out my video and the comment 🤟
Yes this song is not very true to Epicas "sound", and I think it's very strange that Epica fans always lead with this song. Nightwish fans lead with Ghost love score because it's indicative of the Nightwish "sound" while also being a great live performance with a extra twist at the end. But leading with "Consign to oblivion" is like Nightwish fans recommending "Kiss while your lips are still red".
@@Zandman26 I led with this song because I knew he liked heavier music and harsh vocals and thought it would be the best intro specifically for him. But it wasn’t the only song I recommended ;)
Welcome to the phantasmic parade! Epica is musical majesty! A great contrast to this track would be the melodic splendor of Unchain Utopia: ua-cam.com/video/c8XdrOhEZl0/v-deo.html Or if you want more chunky heaviness, try a face-melting track called Victims of Contingency from their spectacular Omega Livestream show: ua-cam.com/video/aT1JsH2_97c/v-deo.html Their showmanship is stellar in every venue! Their whole discography is worth exploring. Every song from lyrics to musicality has something rewarding to offer!
I’m so glad you liked it!!! It’s not a super typical Epica song, but I thought you’d enjoy the performance aspect and the harsh vocals-most songs have a more even split, or Simone as the main vocalist. I know it’s a terrible pun, but “epic” really is the only word for them! Not sure how many of their songs feature guitar solos-I’m a newer fan myself so I don’t know a TON of their discography. The Skeleton Key has a nice one, and Victims of Contingency you’d probably like just bc the guitars are so heavy. Like others have mentioned, they are definitely seasoned professionals! Beyond being together for a long time, several of the members have music degrees, and Simone is a classically trained singer. Some of the compositional stuff they do is just crazy, and most if not all of them participate in writing the music and lyrics. Once again, thanks so much for giving them a shot! I’m glad you had a good time with it ^_^
No... Thank you 👍🙏🤟🎸 Great shout and have been surprised by the amount views and feedback it's had in only 12 hours! I loved all the transitions and tempo changes. Very progressive. I love Mastodon, Opeth, Gojira, Death so Epica were on nice twist on the progressive metal sound I adore ♥️
As someone who’s familiar with all their discography, there is no simple definition of typical Epica song. They’re the most diverse and creative musicians I know and they’re keep evolving for more than 20 years. I would say they’re several “categories” of Epica songs and this one is in the “long epic progressive masterpiece” category. They have more than 10 songs in this category, each is more epic than the other. CtO is amazing and typical for this category.
@@melvinthinks Epica also covered "Crystal Mountain" by Death, though I've seen many Death fans moaning about it. There are actually two covers by Epica. One has Simone's vocals in it, which makes it sound more poppy, the other one is just Mark's harsh vocals.
Epica is a really good band, love to see them live (is always a fun party). Have seen them since their start many times and never been disappointed. Holland has many great bands, like Within Temptation, After Forever, Delain, Blackbriar. Mark (the grunts) started out with After Forever and later formed his own band (Epica). Alas After Forever is not together any more but their singer Floor is now the singer of Nightwish, another EPIC band! There, another few nice female fronted metal bands to try out, enjoy!
For sure! I definitely need to get my ears and eyes on some more Dutch bands 😁 Really enjoyed hearing this for the first time and some of the recs I've had so far and intriguing me more 🤔
Glad that Mark got fired from After Forever. If not, most likely Epica would had never been created , and Simone (Mark's girlfriend at the time btw) most likely would not have become a frontline professional singer. And that would have been such a waste!
I don't think he was fired but just wanted to do something else, as far as I know Epica and After Forever stayed friends, Simone and Floor did a duet also and at several times one or the other appeared on stage with each others bands. Their first singer was supposed to be Helena from previous Trail of Tears but glad Mark brought Simone with him. Helena is not a bad singer but maybe biased but not the most stable one (but then again I heard inside stories that could make your toes curl), I prefer Simone over Helena purely in singing. I agree, glad they did get together in this formation. Do miss Ad, Yves and Jeroen but it is easier to replace a drummer or guitar, replacing a singer is more difficult.
Hello Melvin, consign to oblivion is a great song to start, because you seem to really get into the heavier parts, I would recommend you check out either the essence of silence or victims of contigency, it is one of epicas heaviest song and it even has some death ketal influences in it.
Epica has become my favorite band. My background is from the prog rock band of the 1970s. They're the logical extension. A couple heavier bands you need to try, Lovebites and Unleash the Archers. Lovebites is a Japanese thrash/power metal band and may be the best thing in heavier metal right now. UTA is a classic power metal band out of Canada. You can't go wrong with either.
Welcome to the world of symphonic metal. Keep going with Epica! They are a great gateway band to introduce you to the genre. Most people discover the genre through Nightwish, which I would consider the true gateway band of the genre. So, consider going down their rabbit hole as well. While Epica tend to lean on the more heavy side, Nightwish tends to a more balanced sound, that is not to say they don't have any heavy songs, Master Passion Greed being arguably still their heaviest, along with recent remasters/modernization of older songs. If you want more heavy, Consider checking out Eleine. A newer Swedish band form in 2014. They have grown to be one of my favorite overall bands throughout the years, with their latest album "We Shall Remain" being absolutely killer. If you want to spoil yourself and hear the absolute best song (imo) they've made yet from the new album check out "We Are Legion" Link to official video provided: ua-cam.com/video/9pRwOy33DEM/v-deo.html If you want something from the new album but dont want to spoil yourself yet check out "Never Forget" Link provided: ua-cam.com/video/VjP9MA6On7E/v-deo.html If you want some of their older stuff: "Ava Of Death" Link: ua-cam.com/video/_JABrGF8zh4/v-deo.html "Enemies" Link: ua-cam.com/video/PLPxV6LLENM/v-deo.html and a classic "Dancing In Hell" Link: ua-cam.com/video/U-nFWJqYFSg/v-deo.html Please consider checking out Eleine, they truly are a great up-and-comer and deserver more recognition. Other bands of the genre to look at: Xandria (Latest album was fantastic) Diabulus In Musica Sirenia Kamelot (Male fronted) Delain Within Temptation Off Genre: Arch Enemy (Female fronted Melodic Death Metal) Hopefully you'll consider some of these, regardless where you go with the genre though, I' ll be here for it! Always great to see someone discover the genre.
Thanks dude this is awesome and greatly appreciated! I've been so surprised and overwhelmed by the knowledge and insight people voluntarily offer following some of my reaction videos, including yours. It's the thing I've enjoyed most since creating this channel - chatting with people I've never met but we have a common love and passion - music 😁 I've actually got a Nightwish video coming out on Monday (8pm UK BST). But I'm gonna add your notes and recommendations to my forever growing list of bands I need to listen to. Hope you stick along for the ride cos this is just the start. Cheers! 👍🤟🙏
Dude - just recorded a video for Eleine - great recommendation!!! Am batch recording a few before I go on hols so should be online within a few weeks. Cheers!
You've now fell into the rabbit hole after this..... a few more of their tracks are worth watching too.... Unleashed, Design Your Universe from Retrospect Concert and Essence of Silence in Brussels Belgium. Then of course you need to check out Nightwish... I would recommend Ghost Love Score live at Wacken 2013 first..... then the rest will follow (trust me)..... and if you want to really go into a huge project as you like the gear, go with Aeryon and The Day The World Breaks Down..... you'll love it. New subscriber now as your reaction was very real. Loved it. 🤘
Thanks for the kind words and the sub JP 👍 Much appreciated. I've had quite a lot of viewers recommended Nightwish to me so it's definitely on the horizon. Watch this space 😊
If you like Epica and more Death metal, check out MaYaN. It’s the growler / guitist of Epica‘s second band. There’s also the same drummer. Check out the live version of Rebirth from Despair. MaYaN is generally heavier (and more complex) than Epica.
Hi Melvin welcome to the world of Epica. They one of my favourite Symphonic metal bands and are one of the heaviest Symphonic metal bands, they do a bit of slightly softer stuff. In my opinion they are one of the best, along with Nightwish who tend to be a bit softer with some heavier songs. Epica are from the Netherlands and Nightwish are mostly from Finland apart from the lead Singer Floor Jansen, she's from the Netherlands and Troy Donorckley from England, he plays the Uilleann pipes ( Irish bagpipes) low whistles, guitar and vocals.
Hey Broderick and welcome to the world of Melvin 😜 There's definitely something in the water in the Netherlands and Scandinavia as they keep consistently churning out great metal bands 🤟🎸
@@melvinthinks Hi, Melvin thanks, yes that's very true, although technically Finland isn't part of Scandinavia but I believe that Northern Europe is the main source of good Metal bands of many genres, of which I have to say that I like very much also other types of music are most appealing to me. America is the Father of western music and the youngsters of Europe have taken it a step further, which for me makes life that much more fun.
@@melvinthinks 8 full studio albums and none of them is considered weak. No filler songs, Epica is a phenomenal band. Just keep reacting to them. Some people make a huge mistake when they only react to 2-3 songs and stop. They think this is just another band with a couple big hits. Epica is different. I can easily name 20-30 song that are absolute bangers! They also have numerous wonderful ballads. In fact, Epica ballads are among the most beautiful I've ever hear in my life, from any band in any genre of music.
Really curious what the other two are - just came here from your Nightwish reaction! Oh yeah, insecure Epica fans…. I mentioned Nightwish on an Epica reaction!! 😂😅
I think Epica/Nightwish fans (from what I've heard and read) crossover so theres a bit of love between the fanbases. Seems so long ago I listened to Epica, which ultimately got me into Nightwish. Crazy!
@@melvinthinks There is indeed a large crossover! And also a Nightwish and The Warning crossover. But there are these certain Epica fans who lose their shit anytime someone mentions Floor or Nightwish on an Epica reaction. It’s especially humorous when they get all up in arms on an Epica reaction that originated from a suggestion on a Nightwish reaction….. I guess we are supposed ignore how the reactor made the journey, on fan suggestions…😅. Makes me think of Faulty Towers, “don’t mention the war”…..
That is odd. Especially as all of my Nightwish requests originated from this one Epica video! Oh, and a Dreamcatcher reaction. Very different audiences! But I also get people saying from my NW reactions "You should listen to Epica... oh... you already have. But try this song instead". I'm not gonna judge. At the end of the day, for me, it's all about listening to cool music (new/old/already heard) and sharing it with people. I've found some great bands already from this community, and I've only been doing this a little while.
@@melvinthinks Yah, Epica to a Nightwish is not the normal progression, usually the other way around! Anyways, despite a few fans, and there are over the top Nightwish ones, the fanbases are pretty cool and incredibly dedicated! But not every fanbase has a Gabriel! We all try to beat him to the comments section when a new reactor arrives - few have ever succeeded! Enjoy the journey! Cheers from 🇨🇦
@@melvinthinks thanks for reply mate im 51 from leicester but live in notts now huge rock metal fan tho love most music .can you react to devilskin voices . The official video. Devilskin are rock band from new zealand with the amazing jennie skulander on vocals .they not heavy but still a great band .hope you ok
Epica are great musicians, and Isaac Delahaye, the lead guitarist, can and does play great solo's, but in general they are not about soloing and shredding, they are more about the songs and collective band performance, and the contrast between Simone's angelic voice and the boy's growling and screeming...
I 💯 agree 👍 Solos for the sake of playing a solo and being traditional and cliché is not always the way to go imo. But I can predict if Isaac were to shred, it would be quite tasty 😋
Hi just wait until you get to Nightwish and the Vakyrie goddess floor jansen and Ayreon it doesn't get any better than this well actually it does when you get to jinjer and band maid lol Oh my you've gone and done it now you have awoken the Epica and probably the Nightwish army who will be arriving at the door 🚪 lol 😊
I've heard a little bit of Jinjer and I definitely wanna do a video for those guys! Tatiana is an incredible vocalist. But I'll add Nightwish to my forever expanding reaction 'To Do' list 😁
@@melvinthinks Floor and Simone from Epica are really good friends, and Floor has sung with Epica on occasion. I prefer Epicas music perhaps, but Floor is an insane singer, you cant help but fall for her.
Love the band, you might like Epica - Essence of silence. Another hi energy song despite the song titel 😂.
Cheers for the rec! 👍🤟🙏
Opeth, Epica and Igorrr are my fav metal bands. I love their contrasts and song structures. All amazing musicians.
Hi Melvin, here is a song from EPICA which will give you a good impression of their symphonic metal sound, you get to hear Simone sing in her full voice and classical voice, she is amazing, this is from a live show in Amsterdam from earlier this year:
EPICA - Unleashed (Live At The AFAS Live)
Nice! Cheers for the recommendation 👍
@@melvinthinks Yes please, do this one next! 🙂
Yes , they've been around awhile. Formed in 2002 by guitarist and harsh vocalist Mark Jansen, after parting ways with his former band After Foever. Her name is Simone Simons, she was 17 in 2002. She started her singing training in pop, but switched to this style after hearing original Nightwish frontwoman Tarja Turunen. Mark had co-founded After Forever, which was the first band Floor Jansen (current Nightwish) joined at age 16.
Coen Janssen on keyboards, which are mobile. Isaac Delahaye on guitar, Rob van der Loo on bass ,and drummer Arien van Weesenbeek round out the current lineup.
This song is the title track to their 2nd album from 2005, and one of their heavier tracks. It is often used as the set closer, and is still played today. They have 8 albums and several EP's to date. The performance you watched is from 2017. Since you said you like the heavy stuff, try Design Your Universe from the Retrospect 10th anniversary concert, or Universal Death Squad lyric video.
Thanks for the insight, Chris 👍 I didn't realise they'd been around for so long until after I'd made this video. You can definitely tell they are comfortable playing together and almost telepathic. Cheers for the recs too 😁
a great live ! I was in ! And this one is the last of this magic night.
Take a look at "retrospect live". This live was for the 10th anniversary of the band. some master pieces in it like "design your universe", "chasing the dragon", ... and a great duet with Floor Jansen: "Sancta Terra".
hi, cool and positive reaction! This group is just a discovery. Yes, this is a team of professionals and real musicians. Each participant is a talent. Separately, I want to mention the drummer, who is just a monster in his field, and the group also has a lot of cool songs by his authorship. In fact, each member of the group is the second music or lyrics, and not just one. The band's work is very diverse, from minimalistic ballads and acoustic tracks to melodic death metal and even black metal, and sometimes all this can magically be found in the same song 😁 as for guitar solos, they are not in every song, but in many.
Yeah the drummer has some serious chops! Glad you liked my reaction 😀 I've heard it several times since I made this video and it gets better each listen. Especially the heavy parts! 🤟🎸
my favourite band ever") seen them a lot. always a party:)
I listen to this song every week as I transition from work week to weekend. If you read the lyrics, you'll realize why. Thanks for being part of my weekly transition!
No problem and I read the lyrics and now your comment makes perfect sense 😀 Have a great weekend buddy 👍
Does what it says on the tin and then some!
It well and truly is BONKERS!
Si.mone came wirh 17yeahrs to Epica now she is 43 years old and one of the best sopranos in Metall
She's great and I didn't realise until recently how young she was when she joined the band! Credit to Netherlands and to Metal 🤟🤟🤟
We Dutchies know how to make a party, we have a bunch of great singers too!
You guys sure do! lol
My small country is proud of these fenomenal Dutch singers. Rollercoaster vibes! Another similar (less heavier) amazing Dutch band is Blackbriar.
Thanks Robin. There's definitely something in the Dutch genes that helps produce these amazing vocalists 😄
I’m very proud of my in-laws country’s musicians! All the way from 🇨🇦
BANGER 🔥 saw them do this live in London earlier this year, they did not disappoint, my first wall of death 🤘
Glad you survived Jeff, otherwise you wouldn't have got to watch and comment on this video 😜
The Les Paul from lead guitarist Isaac Delahaye is a 7-string Les Paul, very rare!
It's gorgeous! 🤪
What a fantastic way to enter Epica's world, with one of the best song, in the best version with this live ! I saw you like Jinjer, and Epica so, and Nightwish, may I suggest Therion ?
As for this video, that may be the hundreth time I watch it, and I find everytime something new
I'll check it out! I think the community I'm building here on this channel - all of the recommendations have been ace so far 😀
@@melvinthinks and that's very interesting to follow your path
Hi Melvin, you just discovered the greatest band in the world, EPICA are simply phenomenal, Consign to Oblivion even for them is a bit extreme!, Their vast catalogue of music ranges from breathtakingly beautiful to very heavy and every style in between, you will never be bored listening to EPICA.
You just missed them, they toured the UK earlier this year, we saw them in Nottingham, they were amazing 🙃
Yeah I'm definitely late to the game 🤣 After I made this video, I learned that they've been active since 2002! From seeing the live video, I can only imagine what they would have been like in Nottingham! Assume you saw them at Rock City? Great venue. Thanks for checking out my video and the comment 🤟
Yes this song is not very true to Epicas "sound", and I think it's very strange that Epica fans always lead with this song.
Nightwish fans lead with Ghost love score because it's indicative of the Nightwish "sound" while also being a great live performance with a extra twist at the end.
But leading with "Consign to oblivion" is like Nightwish fans recommending "Kiss while your lips are still red".
@melvinthinks
yes Rock City
@@Zandman26 I led with this song because I knew he liked heavier music and harsh vocals and thought it would be the best intro specifically for him. But it wasn’t the only song I recommended ;)
No it definitely wasn't the only song you recommended 😜 Great recommendation 👍
sabaton epica and nightwish my top 3 bands
I think Nightwish are on my radar so watch this space 😊
Welcome to the phantasmic parade! Epica is musical majesty! A great contrast to this track would be the melodic splendor of Unchain Utopia: ua-cam.com/video/c8XdrOhEZl0/v-deo.html
Or if you want more chunky heaviness, try a face-melting track called Victims of Contingency from their spectacular Omega Livestream show: ua-cam.com/video/aT1JsH2_97c/v-deo.html
Their showmanship is stellar in every venue! Their whole discography is worth exploring. Every song from lyrics to musicality has something rewarding to offer!
Nice recs - thanks! 👌 👍 🤘 You sold me with "chunky heaviness" 😬
I’m so glad you liked it!!! It’s not a super typical Epica song, but I thought you’d enjoy the performance aspect and the harsh vocals-most songs have a more even split, or Simone as the main vocalist. I know it’s a terrible pun, but “epic” really is the only word for them! Not sure how many of their songs feature guitar solos-I’m a newer fan myself so I don’t know a TON of their discography. The Skeleton Key has a nice one, and Victims of Contingency you’d probably like just bc the guitars are so heavy.
Like others have mentioned, they are definitely seasoned professionals! Beyond being together for a long time, several of the members have music degrees, and Simone is a classically trained singer. Some of the compositional stuff they do is just crazy, and most if not all of them participate in writing the music and lyrics.
Once again, thanks so much for giving them a shot! I’m glad you had a good time with it ^_^
No... Thank you 👍🙏🤟🎸 Great shout and have been surprised by the amount views and feedback it's had in only 12 hours! I loved all the transitions and tempo changes. Very progressive. I love Mastodon, Opeth, Gojira, Death so Epica were on nice twist on the progressive metal sound I adore ♥️
As someone who’s familiar with all their discography, there is no simple definition of typical Epica song. They’re the most diverse and creative musicians I know and they’re keep evolving for more than 20 years. I would say they’re several “categories” of Epica songs and this one is in the “long epic progressive masterpiece” category. They have more than 10 songs in this category, each is more epic than the other. CtO is amazing and typical for this category.
"Beyond the Matrix" has one of their longest solos. Great performance of this song is Live at the Zenith.
@@melvinthinks Epica also covered "Crystal Mountain" by Death, though I've seen many Death fans moaning about it. There are actually two covers by Epica. One has Simone's vocals in it, which makes it sound more poppy, the other one is just Mark's harsh vocals.
Ooh yes! I thought about Beyond the Matrix but couldn’t remember for sure whether there was a guitar solo
Epica is a really good band, love to see them live (is always a fun party). Have seen them since their start many times and never been disappointed. Holland has many great bands, like Within Temptation, After Forever, Delain, Blackbriar. Mark (the grunts) started out with After Forever and later formed his own band (Epica). Alas After Forever is not together any more but their singer Floor is now the singer of Nightwish, another EPIC band! There, another few nice female fronted metal bands to try out, enjoy!
For sure! I definitely need to get my ears and eyes on some more Dutch bands 😁 Really enjoyed hearing this for the first time and some of the recs I've had so far and intriguing me more 🤔
Glad that Mark got fired from After Forever.
If not, most likely Epica would had never been created , and Simone (Mark's girlfriend at the time btw) most likely would not have become a frontline professional singer.
And that would have been such a waste!
I don't think he was fired but just wanted to do something else, as far as I know Epica and After Forever stayed friends, Simone and Floor did a duet also and at several times one or the other appeared on stage with each others bands.
Their first singer was supposed to be Helena from previous Trail of Tears but glad Mark brought Simone with him. Helena is not a bad singer but maybe biased but not the most stable one (but then again I heard inside stories that could make your toes curl), I prefer Simone over Helena purely in singing. I agree, glad they did get together in this formation. Do miss Ad, Yves and Jeroen but it is easier to replace a drummer or guitar, replacing a singer is more difficult.
@@metalmiauws well, anyway, their loss was our gain
Hello Melvin, consign to oblivion is a great song to start, because you seem to really get into the heavier parts, I would recommend you check out either the essence of silence or victims of contigency, it is one of epicas heaviest song and it even has some death ketal influences in it.
Another viewer recomending Essence of Silence. I can see a trend here 😉
Epica has become my favorite band. My background is from the prog rock band of the 1970s. They're the logical extension.
A couple heavier bands you need to try, Lovebites and Unleash the Archers. Lovebites is a Japanese thrash/power metal band and may be the best thing in heavier metal right now. UTA is a classic power metal band out of Canada. You can't go wrong with either.
Oooh - I really want to try some Japanese bands so thanks for the rec! Quite some statement so no pressure on you 😜
@@melvinthinks I have nothing to worry about lol
Haha! Love the confidence. I'm sold.
Welcome to the world of symphonic metal. Keep going with Epica! They are a great gateway band to introduce you to the genre. Most people discover the genre through Nightwish, which I would consider the true gateway band of the genre. So, consider going down their rabbit hole as well. While Epica tend to lean on the more heavy side, Nightwish tends to a more balanced sound, that is not to say they don't have any heavy songs, Master Passion Greed being arguably still their heaviest, along with recent remasters/modernization of older songs.
If you want more heavy, Consider checking out Eleine. A newer Swedish band form in 2014. They have grown to be one of my favorite overall bands throughout the years, with their latest album "We Shall Remain" being absolutely killer.
If you want to spoil yourself and hear the absolute best song (imo) they've made yet from the new album check out "We Are Legion"
Link to official video provided: ua-cam.com/video/9pRwOy33DEM/v-deo.html
If you want something from the new album but dont want to spoil yourself yet check out "Never Forget"
Link provided: ua-cam.com/video/VjP9MA6On7E/v-deo.html
If you want some of their older stuff:
"Ava Of Death"
Link: ua-cam.com/video/_JABrGF8zh4/v-deo.html
"Enemies"
Link: ua-cam.com/video/PLPxV6LLENM/v-deo.html
and a classic "Dancing In Hell"
Link: ua-cam.com/video/U-nFWJqYFSg/v-deo.html
Please consider checking out Eleine, they truly are a great up-and-comer and deserver more recognition.
Other bands of the genre to look at:
Xandria (Latest album was fantastic)
Diabulus In Musica
Sirenia
Kamelot (Male fronted)
Delain
Within Temptation
Off Genre:
Arch Enemy (Female fronted Melodic Death Metal)
Hopefully you'll consider some of these, regardless where you go with the genre though, I' ll be here for it!
Always great to see someone discover the genre.
Thanks dude this is awesome and greatly appreciated! I've been so surprised and overwhelmed by the knowledge and insight people voluntarily offer following some of my reaction videos, including yours. It's the thing I've enjoyed most since creating this channel - chatting with people I've never met but we have a common love and passion - music 😁
I've actually got a Nightwish video coming out on Monday (8pm UK BST). But I'm gonna add your notes and recommendations to my forever growing list of bands I need to listen to. Hope you stick along for the ride cos this is just the start.
Cheers! 👍🤟🙏
Dude - just recorded a video for Eleine - great recommendation!!! Am batch recording a few before I go on hols so should be online within a few weeks. Cheers!
@@melvinthinks Awesome! can't wait to see it!
You've now fell into the rabbit hole after this..... a few more of their tracks are worth watching too.... Unleashed, Design Your Universe from Retrospect Concert and Essence of Silence in Brussels Belgium. Then of course you need to check out Nightwish... I would recommend Ghost Love Score live at Wacken 2013 first..... then the rest will follow (trust me)..... and if you want to really go into a huge project as you like the gear, go with Aeryon and The Day The World Breaks Down..... you'll love it. New subscriber now as your reaction was very real. Loved it. 🤘
Thanks for the kind words and the sub JP 👍 Much appreciated. I've had quite a lot of viewers recommended Nightwish to me so it's definitely on the horizon. Watch this space 😊
😮 Épica es lo mejor, te recomiendo Kingdom of Heaven parte 1 y 3 Omega Alive, excelente reacción saludos desde México!
Thanks so much Berenice and hello Mexico! 😁 👍
If you like Epica and more Death metal, check out MaYaN. It’s the growler / guitist of Epica‘s second band. There’s also the same drummer. Check out the live version of Rebirth from Despair. MaYaN is generally heavier (and more complex) than Epica.
They have time for a second band? 😜 Thanks!
Hi Melvin welcome to the world of Epica. They one of my favourite Symphonic metal bands and are one of the heaviest Symphonic metal bands, they do a bit of slightly softer stuff. In my opinion they are one of the best, along with Nightwish who tend to be a bit softer with some heavier songs. Epica are from the Netherlands and Nightwish are mostly from Finland apart from the lead Singer Floor Jansen, she's from the Netherlands and Troy Donorckley from England, he plays the Uilleann pipes ( Irish bagpipes) low whistles, guitar and vocals.
Hey Broderick and welcome to the world of Melvin 😜 There's definitely something in the water in the Netherlands and Scandinavia as they keep consistently churning out great metal bands 🤟🎸
@@melvinthinks Hi, Melvin thanks, yes that's very true, although technically Finland isn't part of Scandinavia but I believe that Northern Europe is the main source of good Metal bands of many genres, of which I have to say that I like very much also other types of music are most appealing to me. America is the Father of western music and the youngsters of Europe have taken it a step further, which for me makes life that much more fun.
Apologies - I had a brain fart! I meant the Nordics - not Scandinavia 🤦♂️
@@melvinthinks no problem Melvin we all do things like that from time to time.
the weird little piano bit was a joke, its the notes of the french national anthem, as they were in paris :)
I actually think the French national anthem is one of the better anthems out there. So good choice from them 😄
@@melvinthinks i am Dutch, so formally i must disagree of course ;-)
at least you caught it, most reviewers have no idea hehe
I'm British, yet I think we have one of the most boring and dull national anthems out there. I'm not very patriotic, can you guess? 😂
If you would like to react to an artist you might not have heard of before, I recommend Aesthetic Perfection with Gods & Gold!
Thanks!
More Epica! Kingdom of heaven from OmegAlive next 🔥 it’s a masterpiece
I've got over 20 years of material to get through! 🤣
@@melvinthinks 8 full studio albums and none of them is considered weak. No filler songs, Epica is a phenomenal band. Just keep reacting to them. Some people make a huge mistake when they only react to 2-3 songs and stop. They think this is just another band with a couple big hits. Epica is different. I can easily name 20-30 song that are absolute bangers! They also have numerous wonderful ballads. In fact, Epica ballads are among the most beautiful I've ever hear in my life, from any band in any genre of music.
Thanks Kyle 👍 I will definitely do some more one day, for sure. Have had a lot of tracks recommended to me in the last 24hrs alone!
@@melvinthinks OK, looking forward to next reactions 🙂
Really curious what the other two are - just came here from your Nightwish reaction! Oh yeah, insecure Epica fans…. I mentioned Nightwish on an Epica reaction!! 😂😅
I think Epica/Nightwish fans (from what I've heard and read) crossover so theres a bit of love between the fanbases. Seems so long ago I listened to Epica, which ultimately got me into Nightwish. Crazy!
@@melvinthinks There is indeed a large crossover! And also a Nightwish and The Warning crossover. But there are these certain Epica fans who lose their shit anytime someone mentions Floor or Nightwish on an Epica reaction. It’s especially humorous when they get all up in arms on an Epica reaction that originated from a suggestion on a Nightwish reaction….. I guess we are supposed ignore how the reactor made the journey, on fan suggestions…😅. Makes me think of Faulty Towers, “don’t mention the war”…..
That is odd. Especially as all of my Nightwish requests originated from this one Epica video! Oh, and a Dreamcatcher reaction. Very different audiences!
But I also get people saying from my NW reactions "You should listen to Epica... oh... you already have. But try this song instead". I'm not gonna judge. At the end of the day, for me, it's all about listening to cool music (new/old/already heard) and sharing it with people. I've found some great bands already from this community, and I've only been doing this a little while.
@@melvinthinks Yah, Epica to a Nightwish is not the normal progression, usually the other way around! Anyways, despite a few fans, and there are over the top Nightwish ones, the fanbases are pretty cool and incredibly dedicated! But not every fanbase has a Gabriel! We all try to beat him to the comments section when a new reactor arrives - few have ever succeeded! Enjoy the journey! Cheers from 🇨🇦
Try Nightwish! Wacken 2013....
On my list, buddy 😁
On the symphonic metal scale, Epica is definetely more metal, Nightwish is more symphonic. That’s why both are amongst my favourite bands.
I'm gonna try and do another Epica track in the next few weeks so watch this space.
Hi mate u ok im steve uk 51 huge rock fan glad u liked it mate
Hey Steve all good thanks and hope you are too. Shout back from the UK dude 🤟👍
@@melvinthinks thanks for reply mate im 51 from leicester but live in notts now huge rock metal fan tho love most music .can you react to devilskin voices . The official video. Devilskin are rock band from new zealand with the amazing jennie skulander on vocals .they not heavy but still a great band .hope you ok
I'll definitely add them to 'To Do' list. Which keeps getting bigger every day! lol
@@melvinthinks thanks mate
Epica are great musicians, and Isaac Delahaye, the lead guitarist, can and does play great solo's, but in general they are not about soloing and shredding, they are more about the songs and collective band performance, and the contrast between Simone's angelic voice and the boy's growling and screeming...
I 💯 agree 👍 Solos for the sake of playing a solo and being traditional and cliché is not always the way to go imo. But I can predict if Isaac were to shred, it would be quite tasty 😋
Check Nightwish - The Greatest Show On Earth
I've got a Nightwish song coming out soon. Watch this space 😊
Hi just wait until you get to Nightwish and the Vakyrie goddess floor jansen and Ayreon it doesn't get any better than this well actually it does when you get to jinjer and band maid lol
Oh my you've gone and done it now you have awoken the Epica and probably the Nightwish army who will be arriving at the door 🚪 lol 😊
I've heard a little bit of Jinjer and I definitely wanna do a video for those guys! Tatiana is an incredible vocalist. But I'll add Nightwish to my forever expanding reaction 'To Do' list 😁
@@melvinthinks Floor and Simone from Epica are really good friends, and Floor has sung with Epica on occasion.
I prefer Epicas music perhaps, but Floor is an insane singer, you cant help but fall for her.