The Arcane Dimensions Tour rolled into London’s Apollo on Saturday night—two co-headliners who swap closing slots every show. Amaranthe went first this time, and Epica closed it out. Nobody seemed to mind either way.
Amaranthe kicked things off looking like they’d stepped out of the future and plugged their guitars into a PlayStation. “Fearless” and “Viral” came out swinging, three singers somehow not stepping on each other’s throats. Clean vocals, growls, and Elize Ryd, who can actually sing without sounding like another Evanescence clone. It’s like if ABBA got really into Soilwork and discovered synthesizers that don’t suck.
Speaking of Elize, she mentioned in an interview leading up to the tour that there may be a new song in the set, and there was. It was fucking brilliant. “Chaos Theory” ripped through the theatre like a chainsaw. Heavier than their usual stuff, but still with those hooks that burrow into your skull whether you like it or not. They’re getting meaner without losing the pop sensibility, which is either genius or completely insane. Maybe both.
The encore was where things got ridiculous. “Archangel” went full cathedral mode and turned the place into a Saturday night mosh pit at a wedding reception. “That Song” (terrible name, solid tune) dialed things back into glossy pop metal territory. They closed with “Drop Dead Cynical,” basically their mission statement: metal can be slick and polished and still heavy as fuck. Would’ve loved to have heard “365.” That’s my go-to for introducing people to the band, but you can’t have everything. I love this band and still can’t get enough of them.
Then Epica took over and reminded everyone why they’ve been doing this for over twenty years. Simone Simons emerged draped in a black veil with smoke swirling around her like the start of some metal ritual before tearing straight into the hard stuff. Opening with “Apparition” immediately set the tone. It felt like a battle to see which band could come out heavier. Simone and company brought the symphonic grandeur, the kind of stuff that makes you understand why people use words like “majestic” without sounding like idiots. Five songs deep into their new album, Aspiral, and the material holds up live. “Eye of the Storm” and “Tides of Time” hit hard, proof that fresh doesn’t mean soft.
They pulled Charlotte Wessels back out for “Sirens,” which made sense since she co-wrote it. The rest of the set pulled from across their catalogue: “Cry for the Moon,” “Fight to Survive,” “The Last Crusade.” Closing with “Beyond the Matrix” after a 13-song run? They weren’t messing around.
The whole co-headlining thing works because neither band is trying to be the other. Amaranthe’s neon-drenched future-pop-metal against Epica’s orchestral weight. Shouldn’t work on paper, but in the same room on the same night? It does.
EPICA
