Powerwolf brought their Heavy Metal Mass to Edmonton for the first time, while Dragonforce showed technical mastery in a blistering set!
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September 26, 2025 – Two of the biggest forces in metal descended upon Edmonton for a powerhouse night at the Edmonton Convention Center. With only 2 bands on the bill, both bands had to carry a lot of weight, and they did effortlessly! Dragonforce came screaming out of the gate with their brand of Extreme Power Metal, drawing influences from fantasy themes and video games. Herman Li and Sam Totman are both phenomenal guitar players. Their 8 song set was a testament to their skills, flawlessly ripping through every song.
Half of Dragonforce’s set were tracks from their latest release, “Warp Speed Warriors”. The other 4 tracks were highlights from their back catalogue, and one unexpected cover – Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams”. The energy from both the band and the crowd were crazy high through the whole set, and they finished off their time with “Through The Fire And Flames”, the song that essentially defines Dragonforce thanks to Guitar Hero III. This was my 3rd time seeing them, and they kicked ass as always!
Powerwolf are a relatively new band on my radar, and I’ve really only heard the song “We Drink Your Blood”. That being said, they put on a super entertaining show, and have quite the back catalog to dive into, “The Heavy Metal Mass”, as they put it. In an interview i read online, they confirmed they are not a Christian band, but instead use Christian themes with tongue-in-cheek humor. Songs such as “Demons are a Girl’s Best Friend”, “Ressurection by Erection” and “Sanctified wih Dynamite” cement this stance – but yet Powerwolf still fully commit to their art and performances with incredible costumes and face paint, and a super fun show.
Despite not being super familiar with their music, there were still plenty of moments I could get into and engage – with crowd chants, sing alongs, and catchy choruses, I often found myself participating along weith the crowd, which the band hailed as one of the loudest crowds of the whole tour. I believe it, too. The crowd was absolutely eating up every second of their show.
Stunning visuals, and an air-tight performance, Powerwolf absolutely delivered in every aspect. I can’t wait for these guys to come back! Keyboardist Falk Maria Schlegel had taken a fall off the stage a couple nghts before, yet he still performed the set, and was a key hype guy, pumping up the crowd and helping build excitement.
Setlist:
Bless ’em With the Blade
Incense & Iron
Army of the Night
Sinners of the Seven Seas
Amen & Attack
Dancing With the Dead
Armata Strigoi
Stossgebet
Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend
Fire and Forgive
Alive or Undead
Heretic Hunters
Sainted by the Storm
Blood for Blood (Faoladh)
Encore:
Sanctified With Dynamite
We Drink Your Blood
Werewolves of Armenia