About the band

Epinikion is an epic symphonic metal band from the Netherlands, founded in 2020 by Renate de Boer on keys and Robert Tangerman on guitar. What started out as a project with an ambitious rock opera album, has long since evolved into a spectacular and entertaining live act.

After Robert and Renate had ended their top sport careers, Robert came up with the idea to do something in music. The combination of his electric guitar and Renate’s classical piano almost naturally led to the choice for symphonic metal music. As a result of the passion and sports mentality of Robert and Renate, the band evolved rapidly. It gave rise to the need for professional music production. 

From the very beginning Epinikion combined heavy guitar riffs with subtle progressive and heavy metal influences, completed with harmonic and bombastic orchestral lines. The typical Epinikion sound is described as ‘epic, cinematic with captivating melodic lines. Refreshing symphonic metal with a personal twist’.

The debut album Inquisition was met with critical acclaim from all over the world, and the positive reviews led to a need to bring the music to a live audience, initially with session musicians for the first shows. In 2023 Kimberley Jongen joined the band on vocals, followed by Maarten Jungschläger on lead guitar, and Rutger Klijn on bass. In 2024 Michal Gis joined on drums to complete the permanent lineup, bringing together a group of talented and like minded people.

The story

The story begins when a woman named Eleonor, was brought before the Inquisition. She is on trial for heresy, which is charged to her by the Spanish inquisitor in the Netherlands, the father of her beloved Luca. The charge is heresy and since Eleonor and her family are Protestants, that is enough to imprison her. The real reason is her relationship with the son of a Spanish nobleman and inquisitor, Luca. Looking back, Eleonor meets Luca at the market, does not know who he is but is immediately in love. She knows her love for Luca is being disapproved and that she notices a strange kind of jealousy. This is a forbidden relationship but who can help her? She has fled into the dark forest to hide and be safe. But she can’t stay there forever. Luca wants to fight for the relationship and rebels. In Eleonor’s "fight" to survive, she must make it clear that her accuser is a big con artist himself. After having so much proof by witnesses and many adventures to reveal the truth, people openly and freely talk about the terrible stories they no longer want to be part of. Eleonor and Luca celebrate their victory and stay together. The moral of the story: before you judge, take a step back and look from a different perspective. Go into a story with an open mind, you can come to solutions that may have always been there for the taking but that you never saw!