Stage Buzz: Epica @ Concord Music Hall

Dutch symphonic rockers, Epica, make their return to North America this month, including a show at Concord Hall on January 29. Last year’s co-headlining tour (with Eluveitie and the Agonist) was cut short because of a family illness.

With nearly half of the cancelled dates rescheduled, vocalist Simone Simons is giving a shout-out to American fans’ patience after the tour delay.

“The American audience totally deserves it,“ Simons said. “All fans deserve it, but the American fans have been so patient and understanding and we have to give 200 percent and show them that we want to make it up to them.”

To say Epica tours heavily is an understatement. They are one of the more consistent touring metal bands on the scene today, playing tons of shows yearly, mostly abroad. The band even has its own festival, with the inaugural Epic Metal Fest launched last year Eindhoven, NL . Though they primarily tour far from their home base, they were recently awarded the Music Export Award, which is given to the Dutch metal act with the most international success in the past year.

“About 95 percent of our shows are outside of the Netherlands,” Simons explained. “So, it’s great to be recognized as an export product. We are one of the most touring metal bands out there, although we have toned down a bit because most of us have families. The award was good, but for us, there’s nothing like seeing a happy face in the crowd and know that you can touch somebody with your music.”

The band has been diligently working on new material before their makeup tour commences, but the album isn’t due until the latter half of the 2016.

“We’ve already recorded the drums, and guitar and bass are being recorded as we speak,” Simons told IE. “We have the US tour coming up, then we’re going to Australia. In between the tours I’ll be recording my vocals in April. Everything is going really well. The Quantum Enigma was a successful record, so we’re spending extra hours to make sure that this record has the same quality if not even better. For this record we have about 25 songs to choose from. We have the luxury to be able to choose the best out of the best.”

-Kelley Simms

Epica appears with Moonspell and Starkill on Jan. 29 at Concord Music Hall. For Tickets Click Here

Updated January 20 to include Epica’s most recent album, The Quantum Enigma.

Tags: Ariën van Weesenbeek, Bands from the Netherlands, Coen Janssen, Concord Music Hall, Epica, FM Entertainment, http://www.clubtix.com/epica-concord-music-hall-tickets-416709, Isaac Delahaye, Kelley Simms, Mark Jansen, Moonspell, Requiem for the Indifferent, Simone Simons, Starkill

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