Live – Epica with Alestorm & Insomnium, San Francisco, November 2012

Shane | 2 February 2013 | Reply

Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, California
November 14, 2012
Reviewed by Robert Kitay

I was a little late arriving, so I missed most of Insomnium’s set. I wasn’t alone as there was only a very small, albeit a very enthusiastic, crowd watching them. It really wouldn’t be fair to write a review of their set since I only caught the final couple songs, but the crowd certainly enjoyed their set.

The second band to play was Alestorm. This is my second time seeing this band. Both times I’ve seen them I wouldn’t classify them as a tight band, but they certainly put on a fun show. All of their songs are about pirates, and really how can a set not be fun with songs such as Wenches and Mead, Shipwrecked, Nancy the Tavern Wench, Keelhauled, and of course Rum. Much alcohol was consumed, not just by the crowd but by the band as well!

After a break, Epica took the stage and put on a fantastic show. This is my third time seeing them, and by far the best. The previous shows were in smaller clubs as opening bands, so it was encouraging to see a larger than I expected turnout to see them headline in a medium sized venue. During this show, they had an impressive stage with one of the best light shows I’ve seen for a medium sized venue. Not only was the light show just plain impressive to look at, but really enhanced the power and mood of the performance.

The band was extremely tight and the Simone Simons’ voice was simply stunning, and a great contrast to Mark Jansen’s death grunts. At one point, Simone admitted that she was sick, but her voice still sounded fantastic. I did notice her coughing at several points in the show (more so as the show went on), but there were no frogs in her beautiful voice. When Simone would head bang her hair whipped around in a mesmerizing fashion, and the rest of the band was entertaining to watch as well. I should also mention that the sound was top notch, which is a nice feat at the Regency Ballroom that seems to often be plagued by subpar sound. It was a very impressive performance indeed.

Setlist:
Karma
Monopoly on Truth
Sensorium
Unleashed
Martyr of the Free Word
Serenade of Self-Destruction
The Obsessive Devotion
Quietus
Cry for the Moon
The Phantom Agony