A shocking setlist with new songs, a wild and loud crowd, and a hyped up Epica, kicked off their Aspiral World Tour! An exclusive U.S. showcase performance in New York City at the intimate Irving Plaza for the limited three date U.S. leg of the tour. This was the first show since the release of their latest album “Aspiral”. The anticipation was through the roof of the small general admission venue in Union Square, which is located in Manhattan. A line completely around the city block formed before the 7pm doors opened. Fans from all over the world gathered as different languages and accents could be heard while waiting in line with a visual sea of Epica t-shirts.
Each of the three U.S. shows have a different opener and for the first night, Seven Spires, hit the stage at 7:45pm with a fantastic opening set focusing only on their latest two albums. A seven song, blistering set with various moods and styles. Singer, Adrienne Cowan, delivered both beautiful and terrifying vocals while the band was heavy, smooth, and even jazzy at times. New York City certainly got a treat with this opener as the crowd anticipation doubled as Seven Spires left the stage. The crowd fully warmed up and ready for Epica’s performance. Ready to cross the divide!
The lights went dark promptly at 9pm as Epica took the stage by force, as the first song began, a shock! Opening with the epic title track of the album “Design Your Universe” was not expected. I really thought Cross the Divide would be the first song, the opening track of Aspiral and traditionally, how they would open such a show. No one seemed upset about this decision as smiles and cheers erupted to singer Simone Simons making her grand entrance.
Quickly noticed was the absence of bassist Rob Van der Loo, who recently announced he would not be able to start the tour with Epica due to surgery recovery. Epica was set to perform the entire concert as a five piece band. Bass lines were left to a backing track, but in reality, the bass was very low or inaudible for most of the set. It was noticeable that there was less of an “oomph” in the live music. It did not take away from the show and overall performance, but without a bass player, the band looked and sounded a bit different than previous shows.
Sticking with older tracks, Menace of Vanity was another surprise as the second song. A recent addition to their shows since the Symphonic Synergy concerts that stayed in the set. A heavy song with guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen displaying aggression causing the crowd to rage as the first crowd surfers of the night begin to rise. Keyboardist Coen Janssen brought out his signature curved Nu-Motion keyboard to engage directly with the rest of the band and crowd.
Once again, the band dug a bit deep and surprised the crowd with a fan favorite from the “Consign to Oblivion” album with The Last Crusade. A really fun performance of this one and you can clearly see from looking at Simone, that she and the rest of the band are having fun on stage performing these songs. Looking out at the crowd along the barrier, those smiles transcended to every corner of Irving Plaza.
Then a moment for the band to talk about the new album and start digging into it by performing new songs! They do a ripping rendition of Cross the Divide for the first time ever, the keyboards standing out most during the performance. The pacing feels quick and the mosh pit responds accordingly. For a new song, the crowd is incredibly engaged while singing along. The breakdown of the song just sounded fantastic even without the live bass.
Progressing into another debut performance for the song T.I.M.E. The crowd started to tame down as the song is less energetic as the previous one. For myself, I found this to be my least favorite song from Aspiral, but it felt a bit more enjoyable live. The bombastic chorus performed extremely well, using some backing tracks to fill in the choir, but without taking away from the live vocals of Simone and Mark. Speaking of the two vocalists, both singing together before the final chorus was easily the highlight of this song.
Simone took to the mic to speak to the crowd about creating the setlist. The disruptive banter from the crowd led to her saying, “can you please shut up? I am talking” to the rude folks of New York City! She then questioned if we would know the next song. Chasing the Dragon was then played for the first time in many years. Really quite shocked to see this come back to life here with a new album, but I would find it hard to believe anyone was upset. Just a classic Epica song performed incredibly well. Also, without a bassist, all these older songs really just stand out for a different sound and experience in the live setting.
It shouldn’t have been a shock to get an Omega song. Epica toured as an opener for Sabaton in the US in support of the Omega album and therefore this market did not get to see many songs from the album. Epica must have known this with performing The Skeleton Key which was not performed previously in New York City in 2022. There’s one thing for certain, Simone Simons brought her A game. She was pitch perfect and the contrast from Mark’s vocals work so well in this song.
The band takes us back into Aspiral with Arcana. A song and performance that was incredibly powerful. One of the new songs that have a bit of a different feel than typical Epica, but if you weren’t sure, this live performance really could win you over. The drumming from Ariën van Weesenbeek felt so powerful and raw on a song that doesn’t scream heavy while listening on the album, but certainly ended that way!
Cry For the Moon seemed to be the only expected song as “the oldest Epica song” announced Simone before it began. A fun rendition reminds you that without the bassist, the old songs just feel different. The drums hammer away and hit you in the chest as the song ends.
While there were plenty of moments of calm in the set up to this point, for the first time of the night, the band truly slowed things down and got things a bit quiet for the performance of the Aspiral title track. One thing to note, the band did the extended outro with the extra verse. This was not on the album, but on the live release of the song for promotion of the album. The extra verse at the end adds a lot to the song and really improves it as a whole. Glad to see the band likely agrees!
Mark let the crowd know there was only one more song, but it would be a long one. One more surprise from the back catalog as Epica finished their set with an electrifying performance of Kingdom of Heaven. A great bookend for the set with Design Your Universe to start. Similar songs, both on the same album and part of the New Age Dawns saga. Another song coming back after a few years of not being played and shocking the audience. Coen’s playfulness, jumping away from the keys, with the two guitarists adds a fun live moment to the song. The mosh pits were strong and the energy level was raised in the room before the band left the stage.
“Do we want more music?”, asked Coen, alone on the stage. He proceeded to say we were going to get one more new song before the rest of the band returned to the stage. The fourth and final single from Aspiral, Fight to Survive. An explosive intro and chorus had the crowd jumping and chanting along. A great crowd reaction to a new song. The band really nailed it performing the song for the first time.
At this point of the night, and knowing they wouldn’t be performing any more new songs, it was time to join the fun in the pit. Beyond the Matrix has really turned into a live staple for Epica. The crowd was jumping for the previous song, but somehow even more people were jumping now. Soaked in the moment before the band would ask the crowd to open up the pit. As tradition for every Epica concert, ending with a wall of death during Consign to Oblivion. New York City did not disappoint as the two sides clashed to the operatic vocals. Drenched in sweat and loving every moment of it.
This marked my sixth time seeing Epica, all in New York City, and while my anticipation and expectations were very high, the band exceeded. With one band member down, they did not miss a beat. In fact, the sound was very clear in the venue. The guitars and keyboards stood out a bit more than previously. Ariën’s drumming was unstoppable for the one hour and forty minute performance. Simone, of course, was the consistent shining light in the center.
Aspiral is out now you can order your copy HERE
Tracklist:
Cross the Divide 4:18
Arcana 5:02
Darkness Dies in Light – A New Age Dawns Part VII 7:59
Obsidian Heart 5:05
Fight to Survive – The Overview Effect 6:10
Metanoia – A New Age Dawns Part VIII 7:18
T.I.M.E. 3:58
Apparition 4:13
Eye of the Storm 4:43
The Grand Saga of Existence – A New Age Dawns Part IX 6:51
Aspiral 5:40
Epica current tour dates are as follow:
08 MAY 2025
Masquerade – Atlanta, GA, US – United States
10 MAY 2025
The Bellwether – Los Angeles, CA, US – United States
11 MAY 2025
Foro Jai Alai – Tijuana, MX – Mexico
13 MAY 2025
Showcenter – Monterrey, MX – Mexico
15 MAY 2025
Auditorio Explanada – Puebla, MX – Mexico
16 MAY 2025
Foro Arpa – Queretaro, MX – Mexico
18 MAY 2025
Auditorio La Isla – Merida, MX – Mexico
20 MAY 2025
Auditorio STOA – Cancun, MX – Mexico
23 MAY 2025
Foro del Lago – Leon, MX – Mexico
24 MAY 2025
Teatro Tangamanga – San Luis Potosi, MX – Mexico
25 MAY 2025
Teatro Studio Cavaret – Guadalajara, MX – Mexico
06 JUN 2025
Metalfest Open Air 2025 – Pilsen, CZ – Czech Republic
19 JUN 2025
Graspop – Dessel, BE – Belgium
20 JUN 2025
Hellfest – Clisson, FR – France
27 JUN 2025
Summerside Festival – Grenchen, CH – Switzerland
28 JUN 2025
Posthalle – Würzburg, DE – Germany
30 JUN 2025
Atlas Arena – Lodz, PL – Poland
01 JUL 2025
Peugeot Arena – Bratislava, SK – Slovakia
01 AUG 2025
Fezen Festival – Fezen, HU – Hungary
02 AUG 2025
Kucukciftlik Park – Istanbul, TR – Turkey
06 SEP 2025
Opinião – Porto Alegre, BR – Brazil
07 SEP 2025
Ópera de Arame – Curitiba, BR – Brazil
09 SEP 2025
Grande Teatro BeFly Minascentro – Belo Horizonte, BR – Brazil
11 SEP 2025
Toinha – Brasilia, BR – Brazil
13 SEP 2025
Sacadura 154 – Rio de Janeiro, BR – Brazil
14 SEP 2025
Terra – Sao Paulo, BR – Brazil
16 SEP 2025
Teatro Caupolican – Santiago, CL – Chile
19 SEP 2025
Music Box – Montevideo, UY – Uruguay
20 SEP 2025
Artmedia (Espacio ‘C’) – Buenos Aires, AR – Argentina
23 SEP 2025
Centro De Convenciones Arena – Lima, PE – Peru
25 SEP 2025
Teatro Universidad de Medellin – Medellín, CO – Colombia
27 SEP 2025
BE Sport – San Salvador, SV – El Salvador
28 SEP 2025
C.C Vasco Nunez De Balboa – Panama City, PA – Panama
16 JAN 2026
Palladium – Cologne, DE – Germany
17 JAN 2026
Zenith – Munich, DE – Germany
18 JAN 2026
Forest National – Brussels, BE – Belgium
20 JAN 2026
Bristol Beacon – Bristol, GB – United Kingdom
21 JAN 2026
Barrowlands – Glasgow, GB – United Kingdom
23 JAN 2026
O2 Apollo – Manchester, GB – United Kingdom
24 JAN 2026
Eventim Apollo – London, GB – United Kingdom
25 JAN 2026
Le Zenith – Paris, FR – France
27 JAN 2026
Halle 622 – Zürich, CH – Switzerland
28 JAN 2026
Alcatraz – Milan, IT – Italy
30 JAN 2026
Razzmatazz 1 – Barcelona, ES – Spain
31 JAN 2026
Sala La Riviera – Madrid, ES – Spain
01 FEB 2026
Coliseu dos Recreios – Lisbon, PT – Portugal
03 FEB 2026
Le Bikini – Toulouse, FR – France
04 FEB 2026
Radiant-Bellevue – Lyon, FR – France
06 FEB 2026
MHP Arena – Ludwigsburg, DE – Germany
07 FEB 2026
Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam, NL – Netherlands
06 MAR 2026
Inselpark Arena – Hamburg, DE – Germany
07 MAR 2026
Haus Auensee – Leipzig, DE – Germany
08 MAR 2026
Columbiahalle – Berlin, DE – Germany
10 MAR 2026
Poolen – Copenhagen, DK – Denmark
11 MAR 2026
Fallan – Stockholm, SE – Sweden
13 MAR 2026
Tapahtumakeskus Tullisali – Oulu, FI – Finland
14 MAR 2026
Black Box – Helsinki, FI – Finland
15 MAR 2026
Helitehas – Tallinn, EE – Estonia
22 MAR 2026
Jahrhunderthalle – Frankfurt, DE – Germany
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