Symphonic metal, gothic metal, progressive metal, black metal, death metal, power metal whichever genre you are looking for, look no further as two of the best female fronted metal bands Epica and Lacuna Coil rocked a packed house on the Ultimate Principle Tour on Sept. 15th at the Novo DTLA in Los Angeles, California.
Milan, Italy’s Lacuna Coil is touring behind their release Delirium via Century Media. Their stage attire was appropriate, looking like they escaped from the sanitarium. Drummer Ryan Blake Folden, bassist Marco Coti Zelati, guitarist Diego Cavallotti and frontman Andrea Ferro in blood smeared and splattered straightjacket jumpsuits and frontlady Cristina Scabbia in a long blood-stained lab coat. Opening the set with Ultima Ratio off Delirium, followed by Spellbound from Shallow Life and rounding out the first three songs Die & Rise off Broken Crown Halo taking the fans through eight years of Lacuna Coil’s discography in the first three songs.
Scabbia gets personal with the fans, shining a little light on the difficult time she has endured, stating “It’s been a hard year losing both of my parents. Sometimes it’s hard to deal with pain but when we overcome the pain we become stronger and have a different vision of the world and what I’ve learned, even more, is that sometimes the things cant go away you cant ignore them, but we can learn to deal with them. So I’m, going to ask you guys to bring some light in the room, whether it’s a lighter, cell phone, and I want you guys to think of that special person that’s not physically here anymore, but is definitely here forever The song is called Downfall.” A very touching moment, tugs at my heartstrings as I sit here typing it.
Lacuna Coil‘s set consisted of thirteen songs, focusing on their latest release Delirium. 2018 will mark the 20th anniversary of Lacuna Coil‘s metal debut. Planning on a special show on January 19th in London, which is a very special city for them as they welcomed the band twenty years ago. Also in the works, their first book set to be published in 2018 with the title Nothing Stands In Our Way.
I’m sad to say I have never heard of this band until tonight, one of the best parts of this job is seeing a new band and becoming a fan. I look forward to seeing this band again in the future.
Connect with Lacuna Coil online: Website Facebook Twitter Instagram
Setlist:
Intro/Ultima Ratio
Spellbound
Die & Rise
Heavens a Lie
Blood Tears Dust
Ghost in the Mist
My Demons
Downfall
Our Truth
Delirium
N.S.I.O.W. – Nothing Stands in Our Way
The House of Shame
As the stage gets turned over for the headliners Epica from the Netherlands, you see a backdrop of the solar system with the band name across it. The lights dim, drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek appears behind the skins greeting the fans. Bassist Rob van der Loo, keyboardist Coen Janssen, guitarist Isaac Delahaye and founder rhythm guitarist/growled vocals Mark Jansen kick it in gear, as frontlady Simone Simons hits the stage wearing a green sequin dress, looking great with her red hair. She is a fashionista doing her own hair and makeup also designing her own stage attire. Opening the set with Eidola followed by Edge of the Blade off their 2016 release Holographic Principle and rounding out the first three songs with Unleashed off Design Your Universe.
Epica’s full studio album Holographic Principle was released September 2016. Due to having written and recorded more songs telling this story, Epica released its first EP The Solace System, in September 2017. In a previous interview founder Mark Jansen states, “This is only based on the fact that the record should not exceed seventy-six minutes,” Since the band didn’t like the idea of a double CD, they finally decided to release an EP with six brand-new numbers, which were created during the creative phase of “The Holographic Principle”. Both are worthy of adding to your music collection.
A ninety-minute set consisted of fifteen songs covering their entire discography, which includes Cry for the Moon, Sancta Terra, The Essence of Silence and Wheels of Destiny off their current EP The Solace System. A special appearance from Lacuna Coil frontlady Cristina Scabbia joined Simone Simons on Storm of Sorrow from the album Requiem for the Indifferent. Not only was the music phenomenal, there was so much to absorb. Keyboardist Coen Janssen with a curved keyboard, body surfing the crowd while playing, guitarist Issac Delahaye jumping off the stage making his rounds in the crowd.
Before you know it, the set ends as Simons addresses the fans stating, “We always do this at the end of the show it’s called The Wall of Death,” splitting the crowd on the floor in half and giving them instructions. By the time they count to three, GO! As the fans collide forming a mosh pit for Consign to Oblivion from the song titled album.
Lacuna Coil and Epica complimented each other nicely on this Ultimate Principle Tour. Good time had by all!!
Connect with Epica online: Website Facebook Twitter Instagram
Setlist:
Eidola
Edge of the Blade
Unleashed
Wheels of Destiny
The Essence of Silence
Universal Death Squad
Ascension
Dancing in a Hurricane
Victims of Contingency
Storm the Sorrow w/ Cristina Scabbia
Unchain Utopia
Cry for the Moon
Encore:
Sancta Terra
Beyond the Matrix
Consign to Oblivion
All photos by Tammy Greene
©2017. Please DO NOT copy or use without permission.
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Epica:
