My last visit to the Bristol Beacon for MetalTalk was in mid-December for the visit of Clutch. A stripped-back show, the Maryland legends let the music do the talking. My first show of 2026 at the same venue is a totally different proposition, as the gargantuan Arcane Dimensions tour rolls into town with Epica, Amaranthe and Charlotte Wessels.
Epica – Amaranthe – Charlotte Wessels
Bristol Beacon – 20 January 2026
Words And Photography: Paul Hutchings
The complete opposite of that Clutch show, this is an evening built on theatrics, big lighting and stage sets, with ample backing tapes to enhance the overall delivery of the songs. The stage has been extended to accommodate everything that the two headliners need to provide a visually spectacular evening.
It means that the photo pit is reduced to club size, making it quite the challenge to scrabble around in the dark for the togs. But it is one of the joys of shooting at this old venue that the staff are relaxed and ‘togs get free rein to shoot from around the auditorium after the mandatory three songs.
Epica
Almost two years to the day since Epica appeared with Apocalyptica and Wheel across the road at the Academy, the Dutch outfit return with their fine 2025 album Aspiral under their belts, and a dazzling show that draws genuine gasps from the audience.
An ill-timed fire alarm mid-set makes for an unwelcome ten-minute pause, which threatens the momentum of the entire evening. Instead, singer Simone Simons and keyboardist Coen Janssen return to deliver Tides Of Time in a swirling mist that transports them into a galaxy far away.
A huge production that would not have been possible in the previous cramped theatre, it is a statement that confirms the band are now really moving into the top tier.
Unlike their co-headliners, Epica really have the songs to match the production. They pull five from Aspiral, including the atmospheric intro Apparition, which segues into the anthemic Cross The Divide.
Cohesive and bone-crushingly heavy at times, they excel with the extra space on the stage. The set is impressive, two-tiered, with drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek high above his bandmates, although keeping Coen in one place is impossible, with his Revo1 curveboard allowing him the opportunity to join his colleagues on the lower stage. At one point, he is sat in the photo pit playing. It all adds to the fun.
Whilst Coen is one point of focus, it is difficult to keep eyes off Simone. She is reasonably reserved but plays the interactions perfectly. “Now is the time to go for a number one … or two,” she laughs as the fire alarm stops the show.
But humour aside, her vocal range remains incredible. A duet with Wessels on Sirens – Of Blood And Water is phenomenal, whilst the operatic range on The Grand Saga Of Existence (A New Age Dawns, Part IX), backed by the pre-loaded choral vocals, shines.
It may be a slightly disjointed show, through no fault of their own, but there is a steely determination to deliver, and if anything, the delay adds fuel to the fire as they power through to the finale of Beyond The Matrix.
Confident, polished but with an underlying grit, thanks partly to Mark Janssen’s growling vocals, Epica move into 2026 in a great place. It will be truly interesting to see how they progress in the next stage of an already 20+year journey.
Amaranthe
It’s not been that long since Swedes Amaranthe were also in this part of the world, and again, across the road at the Academy. A co-headline with Dragonforce no less, and as on that night, it was the Swedes who were on stage first.
The set is impressive, massively impressive, with the dominant backdrop of The Catalyst looming over the stage, whilst the front has what looks like steampunk trappings as well as a walkway for singers Elize Rys, Nils Molin and Mikael Sehlin to utilise.
The latter looks firmly settled into the band now. They do that with aplomb throughout their 90-minute set, which is virtually identical to that which they played in March 2024.
For those who are deeply committed, that is probably no bad thing. The band is not yet promoting new material, but once again, delve deeper into 2020’s Manifest than they do into The Catalyst. They hit the ground running, Fearless and Viral getting the tempo raised, especially after Charlotte’s more controlled and composed songs.
The front trio are energised with more power than the Duracell Bunny on Red Bull, and the movement of Molin and Sehlin is impressive.
The light show supports this huge blend of Euro pop, electronic synths and Symphonic Metal. At times, the songs tend to merge into each other, and the reliance on pre-recorded synths and backing vocals is somewhat bemusing. Unlike Epica, Amaranthe’s style is, to me at least, more repetitive, and as the set continues, their reliance on pre-recorded backing is a little tiresome.
There are plenty in the audience who would fight me about this, mind, and as the songs fly by, the animation on the floor increases. There is no doubt that founder member Olof Mörck, together with drummer Morten Løwe Sørensen and bassist Johan Andreassen, can amp it up, and aided by a great sound, they do on occasion really let go to create one big noise.
However, they are often dominated by the backing tapes, to the extent that at times one wonders if they are actually playing. Regardless of my view on their Eurovision pop rock, though, Amaranthe put on one hell of a show. They have every move in the Metal book, the fist pumps, the look, and the mix of growls and cleans does work. Mostly.
The crowd love it, and as Amaranthe home in on the final run of songs, including the snippet of We Will Rock You in That Song, there is a begrudging admiration for the sheer spectacle they deliver. They will never be my favourite band, but they make many in the venue happy, judging by the smiles all around the auditorium as the band takes their final bow. And that matters most.
Charlotte Wessels
It’s early, 6.40 pm to be precise, when Charlotte Wessels and her band walk out onto the front of the stage. Despite the huge amounts of set hidden behind the screen, there is enough room for the Dutch singer to ease us into the evening with a very pleasing 40-minute set.
Much of it mirrors her support slot with Vola at another Bristol venue, SWX, in December 2024, which proves the pull of this city on the rock world.
Now, five years since her departure from Delain, her style remains eclectic. I admit to laughing as I overheard a mature fan describing her as a cross between Kate Bush and Cannibal Corpse, for although the former is evident in Charlotte’s ethereal delivery at times, a couple of death growls in the closing song, The Exorcism, do not really push her into Corpsegrinder territory. Regardless, there is a captivating quality to Wessels.
She’s still selling the I ♥ Crying t-shirts. In an intro to The Crying Room, which still hits in the feels, she points out a loyal fan on the barrier who is acting as a model for her.
With her band of extremely talented musicians able to flip between heavy and light with ease, and new single After Us, The Flood slipping effortlessly into the set, it is a joy to see and hear this talent again.
I am struck by her capacity for storytelling, and find myself comparing her to Fish at one moment. With more new music coming soon, I think I am not alone in the Bristol Beacon in hoping for another return to a singer who still has much to offer.
