On September 22, 2025, the GLC in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA was the host venue for Power/Epic Metallers Powerwolf, with Extreme Power Metalists Dragonforce as their special guest.
Dragonforce’s stage was jam-packed with blow up dragons, video game counsels, and a stuffed chicken – barely allowing ample room for its 6 members to wander across the stage. But the band made the best of its tight confines and immediately hit the crowd between the eyes with a powerful rendition of “Cry Thunder”. With Dragonforce’s incredible speed, it’s essential for each musician to be on top of their game and on the same page at all times. And on this night, they most certainly were.
Vocalist Marc Hudson was in excellent voice, serving as an incredibly talented frontman and a striking specimen for Heavy Metal in general. Guitarist Herman Li played his axe so frenetically that his hands sometimes were in a blur, nearly setting his fretboard ablaze. The band played their “classics” for about 55 minutes, ending with a rousing version of “Through The Fire And The Flames” before exiting the stage. The only complaint here was Dragonforce played for less than an hour … certainly leaving the fans wanting (and deserving) more. Nonetheless, Dragonforce knows what Extreme Power Metal fans want, and they certainly delivered as a more than worthy opening act.
As the fans patiently awaited Powerwolf to take the stage, the crowd began barking like bloodhounds to get the show underway. Right on queue, the lights went down, and the band began their Heavy Metal onslaught with “Bless ‘em With The Blade”. The sound was excellent … loud as hell but properly mixing in bass tones and keyboards. Gothically dressed with full-face paint, vocalist Attila Dorn showed time and time again how powerful and dynamic his voice is. All songs registered a roaring response from the crowd, especially “Amen & Attack,” “Demons Are A Girls Best Friend”, and “Heretic Hunters”.
One thing you get at a Powerwolf concert is plenty of interaction with the band. Dorn spoke to the audience after every song to introduce the next one coming up, often getting the audience to participate in sing-alongs, which also included the antics of spry keyboardist Falk Maria Schlegel. If you like audience interaction and bands who make the extra effort to engage the crowd, then seeing a Powerwolf concert will provide extra icing on the cake. If not, then some may prefer Dorn and Schlegel reduce the breaks to maybe every other song and add more music to the setlist.
Putting aside that minor preference, Powerwolf cranked it out and fed the crowd the red meat they were craving, along with the spiritual epiphany they wanted to refresh their Heavy Metal souls. In the end, the band gave the audience their money’s worth and then some. Well done, Powerwolf! Wooo Wooo Wooo Wooo ….
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