Friday the 27^th of September was a day that I had been looking forward to with feverish antiscipation, the way I would have done when I was in my teens. Why? Well, Matt Barlow and his Power Metal troupe Ashes Of Ares were in town and not only was I given the opportunity to interview the man himself, but I would also get to listen to live renditions of the excellent material featuted on their debut, same-titled release.

On top of that, the headliners of said show were Powerwolf – a German Power/Heavy Metal quintet renowned for their anthemic, tongue-in-cheek, warewolf-inspired compositions whose live shows, predominantly on German soil, I have always thorougly enjoyed.

Having conducted a very enjoyable interview with Matt (note: one of the most accommodating interviewees I have come across so far), I headed towards the Underworld and met up with some German friends who were psyched to see Powerwolf performing in the capital of the UK and curious to see what London’s reaction to their Teutonic sense of humour would be.

Consciously having chosen not to see any of the other two support bands, I made my way towards the venue moments after Ashes Of Ares had stormed the stage, yet just in time to hear Barlow produce a completely…out of tune (!) high pitch scream that froze me in my tracks!

Though still in a state of shock, I decided to overlook such a blatant error and attribute it to circumstances beyond the singer’s control, such as poor sound quality. With raised hopes for better things to come, unfortunately it was not long before the truth decided to reveal its ugly face and that was that Matt Barlow and Van Williams’ (ex Nevermore) ensemble were, simply put, terribly under-rehearsed and not ready for tonight’s show – quite a sad thing really, as the material chosen was pretty outstanding and the crowd more than willing to support the quintet.

Though Barlow’s high register vocals were out of control throughout the show, his low and mid register ones were as good as ever, and that meant that we all managed to get the best out of songs like “Dead Man’s Plight” and “Punishment”, which were the highlights of the band’s show. When, after a forty minute set, Barlow and Co took their final bows and promised to soon return to the UK, I am convinced that I am not the only person in the venue thinking that it would be better for the band to properly do their homework for next time.

Everything that Ashes Of Ares lacked tonight, Powerwolf displayed – and in abundance! Choreographed to the finest detail, confident and with an excellent light/sound system and relevant props at their disposal, the corpse-painted Germans stormed the stage of the Underworld, much to the approval of the large audienced that had gathered for this occasion.

Having totally nailed “Agnus Dei” and “Sanctified with Dynamite”, by the time “Amen and Attack” was performed, Atilla Dorn and his troupes had totally imposed themselves on a much energized crowd that was both willing and capable of singing along to all of their anthemic tunes. Humour and high energy are integral parts of a Powerwolf show and these manifest themselves in various ways, with keyboardist Falk Maria Schlegel often at the centre of the stage, rousing the crowd and/or with Atilla dedicating the band’s mighty opus “Resurrection by Erection” to: “All those real men who have gathered here tonight”.

Looking mightily impressed with London’s hospitality, there were quite a few occasions when the members of the band delayed the introduction of a song in order to shake hands with their fans and show their appreciation, offering killer renditions of classic Powerwolf material, such as “Werewolves of Armenia” and “We Drink Your Blood” in the process.

Though we were all aware of the venue’s Friday-night early curfew, neither the band nor its fans were willing to part ways without a decent encore – one that was provided via the crowd pleaser “Raise Your Fist, Evangelist”, the sing-along opus “In The Name Of God” and “Wolves Against The World”, following which the seemingly content quintet made its way backstage, while fans continued to rhythmically chant their name.

Friday the 27^th of September was a mixed bag for me. Though fairly disappointed by Ashes Of Ares, I was once again blown away by Powerwolf’s passion, energy and sheer professionalism, to the point that I have no inhibitions in saying that this has been one of the most enjoyable performances I have seen this year.

The British have always had mixed feelings towards German humour, but what this show suggests is that things may be changing and Heavy Metal is what did it!

Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis

Ashes Of Ares Set List:

“The Messanger”
“Move The Chains”
“Dead Man’s Plight”
“This Is My Hell”
“Chalice Of Man”
“The One-Eyed King”
“Punishment”
“What I Am”

Powerwolf Set List:

“Agnus Dei”
“Sanctified With Dynamite”
“Amen & Attack”
“All We Need Is Blood”
“Sacred & Wild”
“Resurrection By Erection”
“Coleus Sanctus”
“Drum Solo”
“St.Satan’s Day”
“Kreuzfeuer”
“Werewolves Of Armenia”
“Dead Boys Don’t Cry”
“We Drink Your Blood”
“Lupus Dei”

Encore:

“Prelude To Purgatory”
“Raise Your Fist, Evangelist”
“In The Name Of God”
“Wolves Against The World”

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 6 October 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 8 October 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 28 October 2024

IZZY REIGN Spooky Scary Skeletons (FiXT)
THE RASMUS Rest In Pieces (Better Noise Music)
THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)

Featured Albums w/c 28 October 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)