Words and photos by Scott Rowe
The German power-metal group, Powerwolf, has been a mainstay in the metal sub-genre for over 20 years but if you haven't seen them live, there's a reason for that. Since their inception back in 2003, Powerwolf have headlined 13 tours, performed at multiple prestigious rock festivals across Europe, and released eight albums (with number nine to be released in 2023). But one thing they haven't done in those 20 years was go on their own North American tour. That all changed in 2023. The seven-date, seven-city tour which started in NYC and will end in Los Angeles at the Wiltern, made a stop in Dallas at the Factory in Deep Ellum to a house of hungry fans, ready to join the Metal Mass and finally see a band known for their over the top production, onstage theatrics, and an energetic performance they won't soon forget.
The German-quintet (four of which are original members, which absolutely astounds me) brought the force and fury into the Factory, ripping into the opening song, the appropriately-named "Faster Than the Flame". As I mentioned before regarding the theatrics, it only helps build the anchor of their show, where each member does thier very best to engage the audience and make sure everybody has a good time. With a formidable voice and an equally formidable appearance, vocalist Karsten "Attila Dorn" Brill, actually has a non-suspecting humor about him and does a fantastic job as hype man, engagement coordinator, and last but definitely not least, front man. Attila politely and energetically engaged with the crowd, talking about their time in America on this tour, giving singing lessons and orchestrating singalongs during "Armata Strigoi" and "Demons are a Girl's Best Friend".
The show itself was a blur, an onslaught of power metal that spanned their entire catalog, as the 18-song set represented seven out of their eight albums. While the production of this show didn't quite compare to some of their European gigs, i.e. lack of pyro and giant LED displays, the atmosphere and crowd energy made up for that tenfold. The chants of "Powerwolf" echoed throughour the Factory at numerous points of the show and the band soaked it in, egging the crowd to continue and to get louder. And when I say Attila can sing, this man can sing. In reference to the genre of music, it's like listening to an opera singer surrounded by fast, unrelenting metal with a splash of religious reference and a knack for pomp and circumstance. The show was so much fun, way more fun than I was expecting. Hopefully it doesn't take the band another 20 years to make it back to the States, because I'll be sure to be in attendance if they do.
Powerwolf @ the Factory in Deep Ellum, Dallas, TX
Reviewed by Scott Rowe, Editor
on
March 22, 2023
Rating:
Reviewed by Scott Rowe, Editor
on
March 22, 2023
Rating:
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