Powerwolf - Warewolves that do not disappoint!!!

September 9th 2015

London, Islington o2 Academy, UK

****1/3

Powerwolf the best wolf band around!!!

Powerwolf ****1/3 are a German Power Metal band that mix up Heavy Metal with Symphonic Metal and Rock, with a blend of Operatic Rock and theatre. In Europe they are already starting to become a household name, with performances at the Graspop festival in Belgium and Waken in their native country Germany.

Last time they played in London, they filled the Underworld in Camden. There wasn’t room to move, and tonight is no different at the bigger venue in Angel, The Islington Academy. The thing i like about Powerwolf is that they always go all out, the stage is packed with great decorations and banners.

Setting the scene for the bands forthcoming performance. When they finally hit the stage there is already mass cheers all around, a lot of people have been really waiting for their set. Going through two opening bands Xandria and Orden Ogan, two bands that have really warmed them up.

The band are drapped in their normal gowns, and their copse like wolf face paint. The content of their songs are all about Romanian Werewolves and Vampires, and their image is made to tie into that. The band are now on their sixth album ‘Blessed and Possessed‘ , which is their strongest to date.

They have decided to open with the title track off this record, which is also the opener of the album. This track really shows off that they mean business and that their theatrics are going to be something to watch. ‘Coleus Sanctus’ shows off how the band can write a really good catchy song, and this one really get’s stuck in your head.

Like the Viking Metal Esq. ‘Amen and Attack’, this song makes you feel like your in a big ship and your ready to go out and fight... think Ensiferum, Amon Amarth mixed with Sabaton. Singer Attila Dorn really knows how to command a stage, while brothers and guitarists Matthew and Charles Greywolf interchange with each other nicely.

Swapping sides of the stage for different parts of the songs. With Attila looking and sounding majestic on ‘Cardinal Sin’, and the Greywolf’s going all out… the place starts to erupt with twiddly bits on guitar for this fast paced number.

‘Army of the Night’ has become a real Powerwolf anthem and brings up the heat to a new degree, as the venue starts to get hot and sweaty. While ‘Resurrection by Erection’ one of the bands sillier songs just makes us all smile. They get Melodic on ‘Armata Strigoi’, fore they go off stage and leave us for a drum solo segment. This is the middle of the set, but the best is still to come.

Powerwolf launch bank in with some of the best material The Cure inspired 'Dead boys don't Cry' and ‘Werewolves of Armenia’, one of my personal favourites by the band and the Horrific but brilliant ‘We drink your Blood’ and not to forget the tittle track of the album ‘Lupus Dei’. This track has a strange Romania Ghost B.C. Esq. feel to it, and is a little haunting at the beginning.

The best songs in the encore are ‘All we need is Blood’ and ‘Wolves against the World’, which have now grown in sound and vision. I do think that some of Powerwolf’s songs do sound a little too familiar, and this is the bad thing I always find about them.

But they do have moment’s of brilliance and their show is really great to watch. And Tonight’s show was really good fun, and Powerwolf really pulled it off in a bigger UK venue. I do think that Powerwolf are one of the better bands around at the moment in their genre. Also tonight’s concert really shows off that Power Metal and Symphonic Rock / Metal is getting ever more popular, and it is a genre that should be covered more in the magazines.