When Epica first stepped foot in the UK in 2003 it was off the back of ambitious debut album 'The Phantom Agony'. On this particular night at the Underworld in Camden there were signs that this band could challenge the likes of Nightwish and Within Temptation but at 18 years of age front woman Simone Simons was still relatively new to the role and the tentative, even nervous display from both her and the band emphasised this.

Fast forward 8 years and tonight's support act REVAMP (7/10) boast enough experience in their ranks to ensure confidence is never in short supply despite having not been an active band for too long. Ex-After Forever vocalist Floor Jansen is a giant presence at the front of the stage with a voice powerful enough to send shivers through the smaller male fans squashed down the front. It's an impressive 8pm turnout for the Scala and the people witness a band on form after a series of dates across Europe. The band mix the set well with 'Here's My Hell' and 'All Goodbyes Are Said' bouncing off each other, meddling with the crowds senses. The time with After Forever has given Floor Jansen a strong command of the stage, continuously engaging the crowd throughout. One minute the six foot plus vocalist is calling for more noise during the likes of 'Disdain' during which her voice moves from operatic charm to an impressive Angela Gossow-esque growl, and the next for the crowd to be quiet for the softer 'Sweet Curse'. What ReVamp do better than a lot of their contemporaries is bring a small touch of electronics into their sound, which amplifies the effect of the likes of 'Kill Me With Silence', it's crushing chorus invigorated by said electronics. As 'Disgraced' rounds things off a now rammed venue give ReVamp what is surely one of the biggest cheers for any support band in London this year.

Earlier in the evening when fans were still making their way into the Scala the sight of the diminutive Simone Simons caught several ladies in the queue off guard, their conversation quickly moving to a one minute natter covering such topics as the beauty, the fashion-sense and the voice of the Epica front woman.

This response is nothing compared to the rabid greeting the whole of EPICA (8) receive when they stride on stage to intro 'Samadhi', before diving straight into 'Resign To Surrender'. The symphonic majesty that surrounds the opener, thanks to the keyboard skills of Coen Janssen continues throughout the set making the band sound bigger and heavier than a lot of the female fronted acts currently existing in Europe. When Simone Simons eventually appears and unleashes her fine, melodic, sometimes operatic voice the scene is set for a night of quality compositions.

This isn't the Epica of 2003 but a far smoother, confident and slick version of this Mark Jansen led band, partly due to the almighty 'Design Your Universe' album which clattered the ears of fans in 2009, containing the best Epica material to date.

Simone Simons showed how she had matured into a dominant and outstanding front woman at Bloodstock in 2007, memorably turning heads of half the crowd as she glided from one side of the stage to the other. Tonight her impact is increased tenfold, controlling the gathered hordes with a simple word or arm gesture during 'Unleashed' which soars high into the venues rafters, driven forward by some powerful drumming from Mr van Weesenbeek. 'Martyr of the Free World', with its bouncing riffs and bass lines from Isaac Delahaye and Yves Huts respectively, starts a mini-dance off. The fact that the Scala is heaving doesn't stop several rows of female fans mimicking Simone's movement on stage.

With the amount of brutal male and operatic female vocal led bands currently littering the planet it is easy to forget the impact the classic Paradise Lost album 'Gothic' had on its release. The English gothic metallers were among the first to mix creeping melodies from the lips of female singers but since then it sometimes seems every European band and their dog have adopted a similar approach. Epica though are different as they make it all sound so fresh again. An impressive feat it must be said. Mark Jansen is a real growler and tracks such as 'The Obsessive Devotion' sound downright heavy thanks to his snarling input. Imagine Andrea Ferro (Lacuna Coil) singing alone. He may add an important element to the overall sound of the Italian goth metallers but singing in key is not one of his strong points where as Mark Jansen can carry a song, injecting a barbaric rawness which contrasts nicely with the sweet and caressing calls of Simone. A perfect showcase for this is the partnership of 'Fools of Damnation' and 'Cry for the Moon', the latter's expansiveness acting as a perfect meeting point for the two halves of the set.

A cover of the 'Imperial March', one of the most recognisable pieces of musical outputs in the last forty years strikes a chord with everyone, especially the male Star Wars fans in this part of Kings Cross, before Simone Simons is given the space to stretch her voice from the poignant, lush singing required on the verses to 'Tides of Time', extending into an operatic apex recalling Tarja at her most spellbinding during her years with Nightwish.

'Consign to Oblivion' ends the main set before Floor Jansen is back on stage, joining Simone Simons in a powerful rendition of 'Sancta Terra', but it is Epica's closing number 'The Phantom Agony' that provides the evening with its grand conclusion, the violins colliding with vicious drum beats in a recipe of symphonic delight. The song also acts as an outro as it does on the debut album.

At an hour and forty-five minutes Epica truly lay out the style for London, packing every one of their popular songs alongside a more expansive take of the bands back catalogue. On this cold March evening Epica give a crammed Scala a lesson in true headlining performances and in the process take their brand of symphonic metal confidently into the premier league.