EPICA - Kingdom Of Heaven Pt. 1 "Live" (Reaction/Review) Our 1st time checking out EPICA!

[@chriso6719]

EPICA is a Dutch symphonic metal band. Formed in 2002 by guitarist Mark Jansen, after parting ways with his former band After Forever. Mark had co-founded AF, and that is the first band that Floor Jansen( current Nightwish) joined at age 16. Lead singer is Simone Simons. She switched to this style of singing in training, from pop, after hearing Tarja with Nightwish. Coen Janssen on keyboards, Isaac Delahaye on guitar, bassist Rob van der Loo and drummer Arien van Weesenbeek round out the current lineup you see here. That's Mark with the harsh vocals, and they are in English. Some choir parts in some songs use Latin. Most songs are not this long. This performance is from the 2021 Omega Alive virtual show, recorded over 5 days( an intro and 14 songs) , and streamed online at on time. More to try from them: The Skeleton Key, Unchain Utopia,or Kingdom of Heaven Part 3 from this same show, Consign to Oblivion and Beyond the Matrix live at the Zenith in Paris. And you might want to see Sancta Terra at the Retrospect 10th anniversary show (2013), with guest Floor Jansen.

[@Torbjorn.Lindgren]

Supplemental information: Despite having the same last name (Jansen), Floor and Mark are not related - it's just a relatively common last name in The Netherlands.

[@richardwest6358]

Sorry its too long for you - just as well you didn't listen to parts 2 & 3 as well. Your loss.Stick to 2 minute autotuned untrained ass wiggling US metal on silly shape guitars. Stick with Europe if you want to hear brilliant musicians, lyricists and singers. If you bother to try you will find English lyrics

[@enterthecronic]

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR GETTING THIS IN BEFORE THE NEW YEARS!! YOU GUYS ROCK SO MUCH!!

[@cranboogie]

🌀🌀🌀👋👋👋 Kyle, Alanna!

[@enterthecronic]

@@cranboogie wassup EPICAN!

[@cancelled_user]

@@enterthecronic Thanks for your request! I think it would be even better to start with some shorter songs first. Long epic masterpieces are not necessarily the best introduction. 🙂 Anyway, hope they are going to do more!

[@mikedown3219]

This whole live stream is super fantastic. It was a live stream but the songs were live recorded over five days due to all the set and costume changes. Some of the shorter songs are also amazing. The Skeleton Key, Unchain Utopia, Abyss of Time, even their ballads, Rivers & Once Upon a Nightmare.

[@jonathanratliff4780]

The pinnacle of symphonic metal is Epica! Simone is a powerhouse vocally…they are heavier than NW, and often perform with orchestra and choirs in concerts, something NW never does. This can be a huge rabbit hole for you guys if you are ready for amazing talent here. Isaac on guitar is amazing and Arjen on drums man…he was a deathcore drummer at first

[@ChrisPage68]

Pinnacle? They aren't Nightwish.

[@senacht]

If by “pinnacle” you mean more predictable and somewhat formulaic then I agree that Epica is the pinnacle. ;-)

[@christophschmedes5975]

I like more Epica Nightwish is not my music

[@jonathanratliff4780]

@@ChrisPage68 nope they sure are not “folksly” NW….thank u for confirming

[@mikedown3219]

Not just a Les Paul, but a 7 string Les Paul, pretty rare.

[@mikedown3219]

To hear the full range of Simone’s singing you should check out Chasing the Dragon from Retrospect Live 2013. She only dips into her higher register a couple of time and sings the lowest notes I think I have heard from her it is also more of a power ballad so a lot less intense.

[@MrSh0110]

Epica is too epic for some people lol. Starting with one of the most grandiose pieces, before knowing the band and what they are about, is kind of risky. For those who are not used to symphonic metal, I would recommend to start with shorter, more digestible examples like - Epica - Storm the Sorrow Epica - The Skeleton Key Epica - Unleashed

[@scifimonkey3]

Unfortunate that you did not move on to watch ‘The kingdom of Heaven part 3’ from the same Omega alive concert - More great music with even more impressive staging. Maybe time to return to Epica?

[@EvaMetalhankle]

Simone, Arien, Mark, Rob and Coen are Dutch, Issac is Belgian. They sing in english and latin, some early songs and a song from the latest album also has an arabic language and an unplugged version of "The code of Life" called "el codigo vital" that has a portion in spanish. And this is completely how they preform live. They love what they do and thrive with the audience... But even without an audience, they give it 100% even when filming to deliver it later to the crowd. Saw them live for the 6th time, last month. They are still getting better and better and the 5th show was half an year ago! Isaac, the guitar solo, is Belgian and he has an youtube channel of his own, playing classical guitar as well...he's a monster at guitar! They are all some of the best people I've ever met, super humble and funny fellows. Mark studied psychology and music, Coen is a classical composer as well, Rob, Isaac and Arïen come from death metal origins which made an huge and masterful impact in the band's sound that gets heavier and heavier on every record. Arïen is called "the beast" by the band and fans because he is a brilliant and resilient drummer. Simone started on Epica has a mezzo soprano and evolved into a very skilled high soprano. She also has been part of a rock opera and also sings jazz beautifully. They all are huge movie and movie score fans and it reflects a lot in the sound and lyrics of the band. They are very versatile and like to experiment not only with classical instruments but also with instruments they never used before. The last record, Omega, also has a children choir that makes everything even more...epic. All instruments and choirs on the albums are 100% real.

[@QuarkStorm]

I already watched some of your reactions and when I found out you guys did this one, my jaw dropped! It's one of their best 👌 if not their best they did. Been an Epica fan for almost 14 years and I've never been deceived! Netherlands have a good hunch of underrated bands and Epica, for me, stands atop the symphonic metal industry. Happy new year to you!

[@dmusiclife5727]

Happy New Year!

[@cancelled_user]

@@dmusiclife5727 Hello! A hardcore Epican here. 🙂 I'm a bit late to the party. Just wanted to tell you that this is not necessarily the best introduction to this phenomenal band. I personally would start with some shorter songs first. Regarding vocals, the gorgeous female lead singer is Simone Simons, a classically trained soprano, as you can probably tell. You can definitely get used to it, even appreciate it. This operatic singing is much more special than standard pop-rock singing. Just think about it... everyone use contemporary pop-rock singing, but very very few use classical singing. It's basically only in opera and symphonic metal. It requires rigorous training and lots of practice. Simone uses both classical and contemporary vocals and mixes them together masterfully. She's one of the greatest female metal singers ever, and my personal number 1 of all time. Stunningly beautiful voice. You haven't heard anything yet! The growling guy is Mark Jansen, the founder and mastermind of Epica, and Simone's ex-boyfriend. The duality between his death growls and her angelic soprano is called "beauty and the beast". Please, bear in mind that Epica is not a band for just 1 or 2 reactions. It's a breathtaking journey. I can assure you that their musical compositions are top notch and it is definitely worth it to set on this journey. If you love beautiful and heavy music, deep lyrics and overall great musicianship, I can promise you that you won't be disappointed. Their music catalogue is very diverse, from long epic masterpieces, to more radio-friendly songs, to wonderful ballads that can melt your heart. Just tell me your preference and I can point you to the right direction. 😉 For example, if you liked the bass sound so much, you will absolutely love the song below. It's shorter, more straightforward, very melodic, catchy, high energy, and it's live! EPICA - Beyond the Matrix (Live at the Zenith)

[@Selynia26]

Best band in the world to me. 100% Love you Epica❤

[@Reeniepie]

Whilst I do love this song, I definitely would not have started with this one especially not live. As people have mentioned in the comments this is one of their long epics and there are more accessible Epica songs.

[@Percy92]

This is from their live stream concert Omega Alive (2021), it was pre-recorded but they did perform the songs live for the recordings. And yes, they're absolutely amazing live! This song is one of their long epic songs. There are three parts of Kingdom of Heaven, this one, The Quantum Enigma - Kingdom of Heaven part 2 and Kingdom of Heaven part 3 from their latest album Omega. All three parts are amazing.

[@Benobot99]

Some very talented musicians. They are one of my top 5 favourite bands.

[@cancelled_user]

Hello! A hardcore Epican here. 🙂 I'm a bit late to the party. Just wanted to tell you that this is not necessarily the best introduction to this phenomenal band. I personally would start with some shorter songs first. Regarding vocals, the gorgeous female lead singer is Simone Simons, a classically trained soprano, as you can probably tell. You can definitely get used to it, even appreciate it. This operatic singing is much more special than standard pop-rock singing. Just think about it... everyone use contemporary pop-rock singing, but very very few use classical singing. It's basically only in opera and symphonic metal. It requires rigorous training and lots of practice. Simone uses both classical and contemporary vocals and mixes them together masterfully. She's one of the greatest female metal singers ever, and my personal number 1 of all time. Stunningly beautiful voice. You haven't heard anything yet! The growling guy is Mark Jansen, the founder and mastermind of Epica, and Simone's ex-boyfriend. The duality between his death growls and her angelic soprano is called "beauty and the beast". Please, bear in mind that Epica is not a band for just 1 or 2 reactions. It's a breathtaking journey. I can assure you that their musical compositions are top notch and it is definitely worth it to set on this journey. If you love beautiful and heavy music, deep lyrics and overall great musicianship, I can promise you that you won't be disappointed. Their music catalogue is very diverse, from long epic masterpieces, to more radio-friendly songs, to wonderful ballads that can melt your heart. Just tell me your preference and I can point you to the right direction. 😉 For example, if you liked the bass sound so much, you will absolutely love the song below. It's shorter, more straightforward, very melodic, catchy, high energy, and it's live! EPICA - Beyond the Matrix (Live at the Zenith)

[@PittDaddy]

This was like starting Nightwish with Poet and the Pendulum. Try out Consign to Oblivion or Skeleton Key.

[@damianvc31]

Epica is a top band of this genre Band is dutch, but they always sing in English, this video just has the Italian subs from the person that uploaded it. This version is from a DVD of a Livestream concert during pandemic (so live but prerecorded and no crowd) A bit rough to start with this one because of the length, but it's one of their best long epics. Simone (the female vocalist) usually sings in an operatic style like here but she also does a more contemporary style, going down her range. But normally they explore her high range more because of the contrast with Mark (the one doing growls) Also in the ballads with only her singing she shows a lot more variety. For the instrumentation it's usually very heavy with death metal influences but with the added orchestral sound hence the 'symphonic metal' label. Good catch with the Gibson Les Paul guitar, not many people comment that and it's really amazing how Isaac does metal with it and it sounds so good

[@ozzman123]

I saw Epica live for the first time last October and it was absolutely badass! Simone and Mark where on point!

[@andreaswennberg9542]

Love the band. Next song on this stream event is Epica - kingdom of heaven pt3 (omega alive). Would be a greate follow up from this song. Would guess Epica fans are 50/50 about favorite song. Part 2 is quite OK to skipp, great song to tho not among the top PS part 3 is less metal The band is from Netherlands 👍😁

[@Percy92]

Part 2 is amazing, it's sad that the song is so underrated.

[@wesleyjgr]

Much more than symphonic metal. Many breakdowns, heavy and melodic in the same time, passages of melodic death metal too… one of the most metal bands of actuality

[@recurrencetheorem4264]

Listen to SKELETON KEY (official video), a little more straight forward

[@hansolo2121]

HOW WEIRD that they chose to go for a version with Italian subtitles right? Of all the versions on youtube.... Where did they even find this version???? And then conclude therefore it must be an Italian band :) For the record: this was a LIVE performance done in the COVID era for the fans. And Epica is a Dutch band not Italian :)

[@ginne7268]

You just witnessed one of the best live band in the world. You opent Pandora's box. PS its a 7 string Les Paul.

[@richardwest6358]

They are Dutch - she is singing in English. So glad you think they are professional - they have been for over 20 years ❗

[@deminybs]

I'd always recommend studio versions first so you got a base comparison for the live version , but still , yayy Epica lol

[@dmusiclife5727]

No way not with this performance. We love live performances and I guarantee you it wouldn’t have hit us like this did

[@Reeniepie]

Agreed

[@cranboogie]

The “live” version of KOH pt1 in Mexico is a must see, Dylan!

[@erwinmulder1338]

Epica are amazing live. (in their own shows, festival sound engineering is usually a bit more hit or miss) There is no reason not to watch a live version if it's from their official channel. In fact, I prefer most live versions over the album versions if it's from before The Quantum Enigma. (This is is when they got their current producer, which does a lot better job on the mixing.)

[@jandemanist]

i think it would have been better to start a shorter song than this song, this song is more for the people who have heard a lot of epica

[@cancelled_user]

Exactly my thought. I wouldn't start the Epica journey with their long epic masterpieces, with any reactor.

[@jonathanratliff4780]

Like Nightwish and symphonic metal some songs are long. The longest one I know Of is Nightwish in greatest show on Earth it’s like 22 minutes but nobody brings it like Epica

[@luBazan1206]

This is not an easy song for a beginner, continue your journey through Epica! You won't regret it!

[@Sky-du7by]

Epica is great! For some shorter songs by Epica, I highly reccomend Universal Death Squad, and The Skeleton Key (which has a live version from the same performance).

[@nimedhel09]

Love the song. The Kingdom of Heaven trilogy is honestly Epica's magnus opus imo. However, I admit it's not the best introduction to Epica, I think. I'd go with their singles first to get used to the sound.

[@christophschmedes5975]

Simone came with 17years to Epica and is now 43years old and is one of the best sopranos in Metall and floor Jansen is simones best frend

[@pestilence6957]

One of the bands that demands your attention throughout. It’s not something for the background ;)

[@bararobberbaron859]

You didn't exactly start on the most accessible song, but I have to say, I really appreciate that she wasn't feeling it that much. I vehemently disagree, don't get me wrong, but it makes me trust the reactions where you are feeling it a lot more, since you're not scared to be honest with it.

[@fritsyt2090]

Epica forever and ever! 🤘🏻

[@erwinmulder1338]

Maybe not the most accessible song to start with, but if you made it trough this one, I am sure you will love the rest of their repertoire. I have seen them play this live (on several occasions) and it sounds exactly the same as this video. So even there was no actual audience in this video, this is pretty much what you get when you hear them live. Isaac (and everyone else for that matter) is just killing it on his guitar(s). And yes, they switch to/from acoustic guitar(s) in concerts too. PS: There are quite a few songs where Simone is not singing full on opera. That said, she does have a naturally pretty high pitched voice to begin with, so don't expect her to go really low.

[@MrErikbaan]

You should listen to Sancta Terra ( live with Floor Jansen) or The Final Lullaby.

[@MrErikbaan]

@huh8607 lol sorry! I was thinking about accessable Epica songs 😉 Oh and I am not a Floor fanboy so calm down!

[@fritsyt2090]

@@MrErikbaan lol if they can handle Kingdom Of Heaven part 1 than they definitely can handle every single song of Epica. So not needed to recommend "accessable" songs u can also recommend Semblance of Liberty, The Essence Of Silence and Ascension - Dreamstate Armageddon, that is heavier Epica at it's finest. 😃🤣

[@himarei]

Maybe not the right song to start EPICA. A shorter more pop song like Edge of the Blade or Universal Death Squad might be more to you tastes. Also the Italian lyrics seems to have confused you more than anything.

[@hansolo2121]

Dude the lyrics are English it's the subtitles that were Italian. HOW WEIRD that they chose to go with a version with Italian subtitles right? Where did thet even find this version????

[@markbeers5176]

Talking of Dutch bands I would love to see your reaction to Hocus Pocus by Focus. Live version from 1973 is incredible and unlike anything you've ever seen..trust me on this.

[@obud3777]

Lot's of people in metal play Les Paul's. Isaac, the lead guitarist of Epica plays a 7-string LesPaul, which is not so common.

[@dmusiclife5727]

What other guitarists in metal bands play Les Pauls?

[@tomx312]

​@@dmusiclife5727 Bill from Mastodon

[@renerubio5073]

I'm so excited for you guys to finally react to this epicness

[@emirridane2608]

After the reaction I don't think you're still excited

[@renerubio5073]

@@emirridane2608 well yes and no because I get it, I've been listening to rock and metal for a while but it took me some time to get into symphonic, and this song being their first Epica song probably wasn't the best option but at least they were honest, one thing I absolutely hate is how some reactors act like they love everything they listen to

[@jonathanratliff4780]

Pandemic stream concert

[@alx201]

Respect the singer while she sings! 🙂

[@jesusmoreno1872]

Id recomend Epica The Essence of silence live official video Consign to oblivion live at zenith Facade of reality live paradiso

[@alcofgod4211]

11:10 I thought exactly the same OPETH :) Good musical progression.

[@alfianmelodic]

love your both reaction guys, this song is not a joke and i know it's hard to listen till the end. 😁🔥

[@notdynomonkey]

You ogle the Les Paul but fail to notice it's also a 7 string!! So awesome!!!!

[@EvaMetalhankle]

Deftones and then epica.... 👌

[@kennytroen6147]

7 string les paul

[@dmusiclife5727]

What? No they don’t make those did he actually get a custom made 7 string from Gibson Less Paul?

[@nightgoblin29]

@@dmusiclife5727Yes custom made :)

[@erwinmulder1338]

@@dmusiclife5727Yes, they are apparently really rare. And in fact, he has a number of them. He recently (December 2022) added a black one to his collection.

[@zoolooz2327]

I think the italian subs lead you on a wrong road, but doesn't matter because at the end of the day it doesn't change your reaction. :)

[@andreaswennberg9542]

I've got it Deftones intro! Am I right or did I an ass of myself?

[@dmusiclife5727]

You WIN! Yep! the Mighty Deftones

[@rayvanes1]

Dutch dutch Dutch. The netherlands mate

[@junerev8900]

Please react to Kingdom of Heaven Part 3

[@rimbolchenstalaz9517]

Well you most certainly did disrespect this song and band, but that is not all that unexpected from you guys.

[@dmusiclife5727]

How did we disrespect them?

[@christopherblue2004]

Next you gotta reatc to Aerch Enemy, Amaranthe, Infected Rain and some Poppy.

[@marianamiranda423]

Qué aburrida esa chica. Mejor hacé solo los videos!

[@florianglassel2062]

Bla bla bla.... Blub Blub ....🤮🤮

[@strangemachines_]

ITHACA - THEY FEAR US 🔥🙏🎆 react to it bro !

[@danwhite9644]

There are symphonic metal band from the Netherlands Simone Simmons has such a great voice