Powerwolf – Islington academy, London – 9th September 2015

Tonight’s show had an early start – usually on a weekday that means the first band plays to an almost empty room, but tonight there was a large queue outside well before the doors opened.

First up were Xandria, the German symphonic metal band now fronted by Dutch singer Dianne van Giersbergen. With their drum kit having to be set up in front of Powerwolf’s kit then the stage was extremely cramped, but the band didnt let that bother them at all and they put in a very impressive performance which went down very well with the crowd A great start to the night.

Xandria setlist:

Nightfall
Blood on my hands
Unembraced
Stardust
Voyage of the fallen
Cursed
Valentine

Next up were Orden Ogan, another German band, but this time a Power Metal band. They’re a great band – I’ve got their two most recent albums and last time I saw them live I really enjoyed their set, so I was looking forward to seeing them again. As with Xandria they had little space to move around on stage but made the most of it as they put in a superb set. If you’ve never listened to Orden Ogan before, you really should check them out.

Finally it was time for the headliners, Powerwolf. Both support bands had enjoyed plenty of vocal support from the crowd, but it didn’t take long before it was clear that however much the fans had enjoyed Xandria and Oreden Ogan, it was Powerwolf that they were really excited about seeing. Powerwolf were last here two years ago when they played the underworld, so it was nice to see them in a bigger and better venue this time. Sometimes moving up to a bigger venue means less of an atmosphere but that’s definitely not the case tonight – there’s a great atmosphere as Powerwolf storm through a stunningly good set.
It’s a really strong set from start to finish – not a single weak song here at all, but my personal favourite was the opening song of the encore – “Sanctified With Dynamite”.

A superb night – three great bands all putting in excellent performances.

Powerwolf setlist:

Blessed & Possessed
Coleus Sanctus
Amen & Attack
Cardinal Sin
Army of the Night
Resurrection by Erection
Armata Strigoi
Drum Solo
Dead Boys Don’t Cry
Werewolves of Armenia
Let There Be Night
In the Name of God (Deus Vult)
We Drink Your Blood
Lupus Dei

Encore:

Sanctified With Dynamite
Kreuzfeuer
All We Need Is Blood

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