EPICA: New Dates In Mexico, South America Announced

Dutch symphonic, female-fronted metallers EPICA have scheduled the following dates in Mexico and South America:

Sep. 04 - Cafe Iguana - Monterrey, Mexico
Sep. 05 - Circo Volador - Mexico City, Mexico
Sep. 06 - Skyros Concert & Music Hall - San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Sep. 11 - La Alhambra - Valencia, Venezuela
Sep. 13 - Downtown Majestic - Bogota, Colombia
Sep. 16 - Theatro Novedades - Santiago, Chile
Sep. 18 - El Theatro Flores - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sep. 20 - Espaço Lux - São Paulo, Brazil
Sep. 21 - Vitoria - Ginasio Marista, Brazil

EPICA was originally supposed to tour Mexico and South America this past spring but was forced to cancel the trek after the group's lead singer, Simone Simons, was infected with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), also known as the hospital bacteria.

The band utilized the services of singer-songwriter and vocal coach Amanda Somerville as the stand-in vocalist for the band's North American tour with SYMPHONY X.

EPICA took part in a special concert dubbed "Classical Conspiracy" on June 14 at the Miskolc International Opera Festival in Hungary. The band performed a 45-minute set of metal adaptations of classical songs and movie soundtracks, accompanied by the orchestra and choir as well as symphonic versions of its own songs (including a few orchestral songs from singles and "The Score", which have never been played live before).

The band celebrated the five-year anniversary of the release of its debut album, "The Phantom Agony", by performing the CD in its entirety on May 16 at Tivoli in Utrecht, The Netherlands. After the regular set, EPICA returned for a four-song encore: "Veniality", "Sancta Terra", "Fools of Damnation" and "Consign to Oblivion".

Fan-filmed video footage of EPICA performing the song "Sensorium" on January 11, 2008 at the Patronaat in Haarlem, the Netherlands can be viewed below (courtesy of "letthemetalflow").