WITH OMEGA ALIVE, Epica have set out to do much more than replicate their regular stage show. Instead, the Dutch symphonic titans have harnessed the power of the livestream to deliver a near-two-hour visual feast that perfectly embodies their ostentatious sound.
The setlist is broken up into acts, interspersed with fantastical film snippets that take place inside an enchanted maze. The storyline is anyone’s guess, but the dreamlike imagery only adds to the fantasia. When the band appear, they’re flanked by full-scale production, featuring two huge metal, smoke-breathing serpents. This one of those ‘go big or go home’ occasions and, as such, the set is heavy on material from recent, eighth album, Omega. Boldly, they open with a salvo of three new, untested tracks that take their orchestral splendour to the next level, culminating with superlative highlight The Skeleton Key.