If you were looking for the fans of all-things-power-metal on Saturday 7th March, chances are they were probably at the OVO Arena Wembley singing their lungs out to one of the most influential bands of this time – the almighty Powerwolf. They not only brought their high-production Wake Up The Wicked Tour in support of the 2024 album to London, but it was also the last date of the almost month-long run, making it extra emotional for both the fans and the bands alike.
Supported across all twelve nights by HammerFall and Wind Rose, the set brought everything a fan of the genre wanted to see and more.
Wind Rose
Taking over the big stage an hour and twenty minutes after the doors opened, Wind Rose were a highly anticipated band even before the lights went off. Across the fans with the headliner’s makeup and costumes on, many wielded their inflatable pick-axes loud and proud, preparing for the moment when the Italian dwarves graced London with their presence once again. The five-piece wasted no time as their set was only seven songs long — including the opening track ‘Of Ice and Blood’, and instantly brought their unmistakable energy to the sold-out arena. And suddenly, every single person present became a dwarf entangled into the daily stories of its kind.
Francesco Cavalieri did not disappoint with his powerful vocals, that are now a staple of the band’s music, and Claudio Falconcini, Federico Meranda, Cristiano Bertocchi and Federico Gatti all interacted with the crowd as much as they could from the massive stage while keeping the music flowing and steam coming out. Closing the set with one of their most popular songs from their latest album Trollslayer — ‘Rock and Stone’, followed by an electronic remix of the same song, it was with no doubt an absolute masterpiece of an opener, who all the fans did not want to miss out on.
HammerFall
As HammerFall took over the now slightly changed stage, OVO Wembley once again bursted into massive cheers. Bringing a slightly longer set, as the band was listed as special guests on the bill, the five-piece from Gothenburg, Sweden opened with the title song from their latest album — ‘Avenge The Fallen’, but apart from other two songs from the release they primarily played their older stuff, including some of their all-time-favourites such as ‘Hearts On Fire’, ‘Last Man Standing’ and ‘Any Means Necessary’, which was played very early into the set.
Even after thirty years on the scene, HammerFall did not slow down with their live performance, and all the members kept interacting with the audience every chance they got — may it be from their spots at the front of the stage, or from the big stands at the back, while keeping a company to the drummer. As ‘Let The Hammer Fall’ approached its bridge, the vocalist Joacim Cans involved the arena in the song, creating a live choir that harmonised in a beautifully emotional sound. As their set ended, the band was very grateful for the love they received from the London crowd and the chance to play the iconic arena, expressing their unconditional appreciation for each of the people who showed up to see them play.
Powerwolf
Anyone who has seen Powerwolf before knows how generous the band is when it comes to pyrotechnics. Who did not, however, was very surprised by the amount of fire, petards and sparks that was used for the opening song ‘Bless ‘em With the Blade’ alone. From there, Atilla Dorn, the lead vocalist of the band since 2003, did not stop amassing the gazes of everyone present with his strong presence — both vocally and in person. The same can, however, be said about all the members of the band, as everyone had their own unique style to interact. From the guitarist Matthew Greywolf and bassist Dom R. Crey, who stepped into the place of the band’s bassist Charles Grey, as he had to unfortunately step down from the tour, running all around the stage; to Roel van Helden occasionally pointing into the crowd from behind his drumming kit, to Falk Maria Schlegel leaving his keyboards whenever he could to join Atilla at the front.
Apart from the singer, Falk played a big role during the majority of the songs — not only because his organ was a standout instrument the whole evening, but also for the theatrics he often participated in. The fourth song of the evening, ‘Amen & Attack’, featured himself maniacally playing an organ that was bursting fire from its pipes, while ‘1589’ had Falk burned on a stake with the approval of Atilla. Few of the songs, such as ‘Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend’ and ‘Joan of Arc’ called for an additional support on the stage in the form of dancers, although during the second mentioned, the two performers were mostly standing by Atilla’s side, boasting big metallic wings that caught fire – just an additional touch to the already stacked up lineup of pyro.
The set, as it usually goes, could not miss out on some emotional moments too, and in this case, it was the beautifully melancholic ‘Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone’ with the help of audience’s flashlights on the back of their phones. This was only highlighted by the addition of star effects on the big screens on each side of the stage, creating an interesting visual for everyone, who was able to watch it. The most exciting part of the show, however, happened right before the last song, ‘Werewolves of Armenia’, as Atilla sang “My dear believers.” to the crowd, and they sang “My dear Powerwolf.” back at him, coordinated by Falk. The intensity of the moment only increased as he started commanding each section of the arena separately, creating an unforgettable harmony of over twelve-thousand people at the same time, that did not leave a single person without goosebumps.
Powerwolf
Set 1
- Bless ’em With the Blade
- Armata Strigoi
- Sinners of the Seven Seas
- Amen & Attack
- Army of the Night
- Dancing With the Dead
- Incense & Iron
- 1589
- Demons Are a Girl's Best Friend
- Kreuzfeuer
- Fire and Forgive
- Resurrection by Erection
- Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone
- Heretic Hunters
- Joan of Arc
- We Drink Your Blood
Encore
- Agnus Dei (Intro)
- Sanctified With Dynamite
- Blood for Blood (Faoladh)
- Werewolves of Armenia
- Wolves Against the World
As the night closed and the crowd began its last round of applause, Powerwolf expressed its endless gratitude not only to the fans, but also to their crew, HammerFall and Wind Rose for making the tour possible. If there was ever a question about one of the most significant moments in the band’s history, it would with no doubt be this one. But who knows for how long, as the band will surely reach for higher achievement soon enough.
