By Yuri Woodfall — Western Lead, Photojournalist, Sound Check Entertainment
DragonForce – Speed metal with a surprise pop twist
DragonForce wasted no time in turning the Edmonton Convention Centre into an intergalactic arcade of shred. They opened with “Cry Thunder,” and it was like the entire room got plugged into a lightning socket. By the time they hit “Triforce” and “Fury,” you could see air-guitarists in every corner trying to keep pace with Herman Li’s fretboard wizardry.
Their setlist kept building momentum: “Burning Heart” bled into the video-game chaos of “Space Marines,” followed by a crushing “Doomsday.” But the curveball came mid-set: a full-throttle cover of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams.” And yes, Edmonton absolutely headbanged to it. Metalheads in wolf shirts and battle vests roared along like it was always meant to be a power-metal anthem.
Of course, they closed with the inevitable — “Through the Fire and Flames.” The sing-along was deafening, the energy explosive. It felt less like a closing number and more like DragonForce sending everyone on a speed-metal quest, battered and blissfully exhausted.
Powerwolf – A heavy metal mass in full
If DragonForce were the storm, Powerwolf was the sermon. The stage transformed into a gothic altar, and Attila Dorn presided like a high priest of heavy metal. They set the tone right away with “Bless ’em With the Blade” and the anthemic “Incense & Iron,” both of which had the crowd chanting at full volume.
From there, it was a cascade of fan favourites: “Army of the Night” roared like a battle hymn, while “Sinners of the Seven Seas” had the floor moving in waves. “Amen & Attack” and “Dancing With the Dead” felt like ritual invocations, the kind that blur the line between concert and ceremony.
The middle of the set dug deep into the Powerwolf mythos — “Armata Strigoi,” “Stossgebet,” and the irrepressible “Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend” sent fists in the air. Later, “Fire and Forgive” and the new burner “Heretic Hunters” showcased the band’s mix of drama and melody, before “Sainted by the Storm” and “Blood for Blood (Faoladh)” tore through with pure theatrical bombast.
For the encore, Powerwolf held nothing back. “Sanctified With Dynamite” lit the fuse, “We Drink Your Blood” turned the Convention Centre into a communion of voices, and “Werewolves of Armenia” closed the night in a frenzy of howls and headbangs.
Edmonton’s congregation of metal
The Edmonton Convention Centre pulsed with smoke, and chorus after chorus of fans belting along like they’d been rehearsing in secret. Sure, the mix occasionally swallowed the keyboards under layers of guitars and drums, but the atmosphere more than compensated.
The crowd was relentless — moshing, clapping, chanting, and yes, even swaying romantically to Taylor Swift before diving back into Powerwolf’s gothic grandeur. It was a night where the worlds of parody and reverence blurred, and everyone leaned all the way in.
Final Verdict
This was more than just a gig — it was a pilgrimage of power metal. DragonForce brought velocity, chaos, and a pop-culture wink, while Powerwolf summoned fire and faith in equal measure. Edmonton answered with roars, howls, and a unified chorus.
Scorecard:
- DragonForce: 9/10 (bonus marks for Swiftie metal glory)
- Powerwolf: 9.5/10 (theatrical, thunderous, unforgettable)
- Edmonton Crowd: 11/10 (headbanging congregation of the night)
