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Epica and Eluveitie in Cracow


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If we are to call out ghosts, let’s do this well… following this idea we’ve decided to spend Halloween evening taking part in a concert. A long awaited performance of two metal gigants, Eluveitie and Epica is taking place precisely on the 31st October at Wisła Hall in Cracow. So we follow the dark and misty way to the nether world… however, before we immerse ourselves into a ‘music maelstrom’ we need to face the queue to the entrance… the queue to the cloakroom… earthly stuff…. And that’s it… we’ve got the stage right in front of us. It’s a bit early, but the fans are sticking to the barriers. Some of them are sitting on the floor, there are more and more people. A moment of suspense, excitement, thrill. There is something magical about the very first guitar sounds of every single concert, especially when you know what kind of show you will see this time. 
Scar Symmetry appeared on the stage a few minutes before the announced time. The first impression: it’s going to be heavy. Let’s not judge by appearance though. So the second impression: something is wrong…well the dangerously looking vocalist, one of two by the way, is singing in a pop-like way. It doesn’t sound convincing, I would say weird. Anyway, it's a plus for a good contact with the audience. The ‘warm-up’ done, so let’s move on.
The stage gets bigger, the audience is now able to see back drops, side screens and into the world of celtic wizardry with some heavy beats we are led by Eluveitie. Starting with very first sounds, fans literally get mad, driven by their instincs. You can clearly feel the floor shuderring. It is true that songs which mix heavy guitars and mild folk melodies are just charming and captivating. However, it was Anna Murphy who cast the most spells with her grace and unearthly aura, when the lights went out and only her silhouette was visible on the stage thanks to a single stream of light. Somewhere in the middle of the concert the atmosphere calms down. The musicians play several acoustic tracks and we are completely enchanted by celtic magic. Instrumental compositions evoke imagination and let the thoughts wander, following the meanderings of this mystical land. The concert as a whole is convincing, all elements harmonize and complement each other. The band has a great interaction with the audience and you can perfectly feel their energy as well as a characteristic ambience created by them. Awoken pagan ghosts are still gyrating when the last sounds are gone and musicians leave the stage.
One more break, changes in the stage decorations and a bit of worrying emptiness. It seems that most of the fans came to the concert because of Eluveitie. Anyway, few minutes before the scheduled time, Dutch band Epica enter the stage to play a concert, which is a part of European tour, promoting their latest album ‘The Quantum Enigma". Coen Janssen, who is absent because of some family issues, is replaced by Ruben Wijga (Revamp). Epica creates quite a different atmosphere with their performance, however, with equally monumental sound and charming vocals. Simone is one of those vocalists who are just magnetic, she seduces and overwhelms with her energy and beautiful voice timbre. You simply cannot stop staring at her and listening to her. Her vocals suite perfectly complex compositions and create along with guitar riffs and symphonic elements entrancing completeness. The concert may be called cross-sectional, as the band plays classics such as "Sensorium" or "Cry for the Moon" as well as tracks from the latest album. The whole concert influences all senses with the lights and stage movement, it’s almost like a theatrical performance. The musicians proved their great conditio and high artistic level. It was heavy, it was sublime but also funny when Simone put a weird hairband on her head given her by the fans. The band leaves the stage but the fans don’t give up and there’s an encore. And because it’s Halloween Simone performs "Sally’s song" proving her amazing singing abilities. So three more songs after that, a photo for facebook and the concert is done.
When it comes to organization, it was nice, fun and well-done; artistically – interesting, spine-tingling and diversified. The audience – glad and satisfied. Well then, we shall say thank you to the organizers and musicians for warming up that autumn evening.

Setlista ELUVEITIE

1. Origins (Intro) 
2. King 
3. Nil 
4. Thousandfold 
5. AnDro 
6. Slanias Song 
7. Omnos (Metal Version) 
8. De Ruef vo de Bärge 
9. From Darkness 
10. Brictom 
11. Memento 
12. Reel Set 
13. Scorched Earth 
14. A Rose for Epona 
15. Kingdom Come Undone 
16. Neverland 
17. Quoth the Raven 
18. Alesia 
19. Inis Mona

Setlista EPICA

Originem (Intro) 
1. The Second Stone 
2. The Essence of Silence 
3. Sensorium 
The Fifth Guardian (Intro) 
4. Chemical Insomnia 
5. Unleashed 
6. Martyr of the Free Word 
7. Cry for the Moon 
8. The Obsessive Devotion 
9. Victims of Contingency 
10. The Phantom Agony 

Encore:
11. Sally's Song 
12. Sancta Terra 
13. Unchain Utopia 
14. Consign to Oblivion
Author:
Translator: morrigan
Add date: 2015-11-19 / Live reports


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