Dutch symphonic rockers EPICA took part in a very special recording session last week, and a video was made for the upcoming Dutch NTR TV show, Niks Te Gek, in which mentally disabled persons can make their dreams come true. Ruurd Woltring‘s biggest wish was to record one of his songs with Epica, so the band took his music and lyrics, re-arranged it into an Epica song and invited him into the studio.
The new single, entitled ‘Forevermore’, is now available via iTunes here.
The whole episode of Niks Te Gek with Ruurd Woltring and Epica was broadcast in the Netherlands on September 16th on the Dutch TV channel Nederland 2.
NUCLEAR BLAST has issued that on the 23rd of March 2013 internationally renowned metal band EPICA will celebrate their 10th anniversary with a special performance entitled “Retrospect” which will take place in the Klokgebouw in Eindhoven, in their home country the Netherlands. “Retrospect” will be Epica’s most ambitious project to date, joined by a 70-piece symphonic orchestra and choir, international guests and lots of special effects.
Watch the online message of the band here:
Tickets will go on sale on the 15th of September at 10 a.m. (GMT+1) and will be available through the websites of Epica and Klokgebouw.
Over the past 10 years Dutch symphonic metal band Epica, with mezzo-soprano Simone Simons as lead singer, has grown from a local metal band into an international touring act and has done extensive tours of Europe, North-America and Latin-America.
This week the band will embark on their Latin-American tour to promote their latest album “Requiem for the Indifferent” followed by a North-American tour in October/ November, ending the year with a tour of France and the UK.
Epica will celebrate their 10th anniversary with a unique show. A 70-piece symphonic orchestra and choir will accompany the band at the Klokgebouw in Eindhoven (NL). Especially for this show the band has invited the Hungarian Extended Remenyi Ede Chamber Orchestra and Choir of Miskolc National Theatre, the same orchestra and choir with whom Epica recorded the highly acclaimed live album “The Classical Conspiracy”. This anniversary show will be a “Retrospect” on Epica’s career and will contain all trademark elements you can expect from Epica.
INFORMATION
Tickets will cost €35,- + service costs until the 1st of October and are available through the following websites: http://www.epica.nl,http://www.epica-retrospect.com and http://www.klokgebouw.nl. Special VIP-tickets are available as well and cost €65,- + service costs. VIPs will get early access to the venue and exclusive VIP goodies. From the 1st of October the price will increase by €4 for both normal and VIP tickets.
Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers EPICA have already written “about 11 new tracks” for their sixth studio album, which the band plans to record sometime in 2013. The group says on its Facebook page, “This material sounds killer so far.”
EPICA‘s fifth full-length album, “Requiem For The Indifferent”, sold 4,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 104 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band’s previous CD, “Design Your Universe”, opened with 2,100 units to land at position No. 12 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.
“Requiem For The Indifferent” was released on March 9 in Europe and four days later in North America via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Gate Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany under the watchful eye of Sascha Paeth.
EPICA will embark on an extensive North American tour this fall. Support on the trek will come from ALESTORM, INSOMNIUM, SYSTEM DIVIDE, DESTINY POTATO.
Bassist Rob van der Loo (MAYAN, DELAIN) recently joined EPICA as the replacement for Yves Huts.
Dutch female-fronted symphonic metallers EPICA recently guested on the Dutch TV show “Niks Te Gek”, which gives mentally disabled people the chance to make their dreams come true. Ruurd Woltring‘s biggest wish was record one of his songs with EPICA, and so the band took his music and lyrics and arranged it into an EPICA track, inviting him into the studio to record with them.
The song they recorded is entitled “Forevermore”, and a video clip of the recording can be seen below.
The video will air on “Niks Te Gek” on September 16 on Nederland 2.
Commented Ruurd: “On 14 and 15 August, I’ve been in the studio with the Dutch symphonic metal group EPICA, to record an official EPICA version of my self-written song ‘Forevermore’!
“Now, you all probably want to know how this came to. Well, a couple of months ago, I heard from some sort of Dutch TV program called ‘Knoop In Je Zakdoek’ (Knot In Your Handkerchief) from NTR, where people from 18 years or older with a mental or physical restriction can send in one favorite wish, to do an activity together with their greatest idol. Anyhow, I signed up for the program, sent in my wish, discussed some details with the editor of the program (who by then told me it would be broadcasted in a different program, called ‘Niks Te Gek’ (‘Nothing Too Weird’) from NTR), did a couple of camera shots in my hometown, went to EPICA‘s concert at the Rock Harz open air festival in Ballenstedt (Germany) on Friday 13 July 2012, exclusively met the band backstage, played an acoustic version of my song on the keyboard of Coen Janssen (the pianist and keyboardist of the band) and guess what… THEY ALL SAD YES! Yahoo! I’m so excited!
“Oh, and for those who live in Belgium and/or the Netherlands, starting from Sunday 2 September, you can see ‘Niks Te Gek’ on TV (Dutch only), each Sunday around 4:30 (in the afternoon) on Nederland 2. The exact date of my broadcast is Sunday 16 September.”
American/German/Swedish symphonic metallers KAMELOT were joined by Simone Simons (EPICA) and Fabio Lione (RHAPSODY OF FIRE) on stage during their July 15 concert at the Kavarna Rock festival in Kavarna, Bulgaria. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.
Fan-filmed video footage of EPICA‘s May 18 concert at Masters of Rock Café in Zlín, Czech Republic can be seen below. Source: Blabbermouth.net
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