The equivalent of a holiday day in the melodic metal community took place nearly four weeks ago and those who attended this year are still talking excitedly about it. This year Power Metal Quest Fest offered up one of the strongest line-ups in the festival’s history with legendary DYNAZTY headlining, returning to the UK for the first time in six years, power metal giants DRAGONLAND and a whole host of other promising young bands looking to make a name for themselves on the grand stage.
Quest leaders Amie Chatterley and Gemma Lawler ensured the adventurers had the means to travel to this mighty event. Questers gathered outside the venue nice and early to meet their fellow warriors; whether it was their first time attending or they were regular goers, there was excitement and anticipation in the air. As punters entered the venue to either pick up their merch bundles and browse what they would buy a bit later, grabbing their first drinks at the bar or securing a spot to watch their favourite bands; one thing was clear, Power Metal Quest Fest 2023 was underway.
The first band to hit the stage were Wolverhampton natives THE BLACK HOUNDS. Being the opening band for any gig or festival is a huge pressure as you are essentially setting up the tone for the rest of the show. The band rose to the challenge and excelled. Despite not being the most ‘power metal’ sounding band on stage, their set was full of energetic songs with the right level of power chords and grit that would appeal to those who like something a little heavier. You could also tell that the band were comfortable performing on any stage as they managed to awaken a sleepy midday crowd with their no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point heavy metal sounds. They encouraged bit of crowd participation by splitting the crowd in half and getting them to sing along to their melodies.
Overall, if you like a mix of progressive, groove, and NWOBHM (new wave of British heavy metal) in your metal, definitely check out THE BLACK HOUNDS if they’re playing at a venue near you. Their energy, stage presence, and masterful mix of groove-laden is mesmerising to watch.
You can read Megan’s interview with the band here.
Find THE BLACK HOUNDS on Facebook.
AONIA were next to grace the stage with their presence. From the moment they took to the stage, it was clear how talented the musicians were. The sheer vocal power of Mel Adams and Jo Robinson alone would be enough to take on an evil enemy. The only criticism of the set was that there were times you couldn’t quite hear the vocals at times; that might have been down to the sound. As the set went on, the sound started to pick up and the full power of what the band could offer shone through instantly. Sound problems aside; this didn’t stop the crowd from enjoying a magnificent set of curiosity and wonder. Their infectious energy and passion when performing spread throughout the venue; especially when ending with a cover of QUEEN classic The Show Must Go On. If you’re a fan of bands such as NIGHTWISH and CORONATUS, check AONIA out.
You can read Lotty’s interview with Mel and Matt from the band here.
Find AONIA on Facebook.
Next up were the mighty RISEN PROPHECY. Speaking of bands with a grand stage presence, RISEN PROPHECY took the stage with full force, proving to The Asylum that they were not to be reckoned with. Hailing from Newcastle, the band presented PMQF with a unique blend of power and thrash metal that works tremendously well, especially when blasted through high-voltage speakers. RISEN PROPHECY are not a band who are overtly power metal nor do they claim to be. However, they have incorporated just the right amount of power chords and fantastical imagery that gets the power metal fans into an absolute frenzy. Perhaps the most prominent part of the band’s short but sweet set was the energy of lead vocalist, Dave Bisset, who runs around on stage as if he has an endless supply of energy. If you like crushing riffs and high-pitched vocals reminiscent of JUDAS PRIEST, make sure you catch RISEN PROPHECY if you ever get the chance.
You can read Megan’s interview with the band here.
Find RISEN PROPHECY on Facebook.
WARLOCK A.D. were up next. Providing a similar vibe to RISEN PROPHECY but perhaps leaning more to the classic power metal side of the spectrum, WARLOCK A.D. were one of the more visual bands on the line-up. The band opened with their latest single The Valley Of Vagene, which went down a treat with the crowds. They performed other new songs such as Nano Emporium and Rothguard War Song as well as songs from their debut such as Rise and Geralt Of Labia. Whitacre The Nomad may have lost his warlock powers, but he had the crowds under his spell as they were eating out the palms of his hands. His performance brought Jack Black to mind, in particular his comedic faces and poses alongside his powerful singing. Using a huge dice which they threw in the crowd to dictate which song they’ll play next was a wonderfully, genius touch. WARLOCK A.D. are nothing but fun live and it’s impossible not to smile when they’re on stage. For those who love LARP and D&D in general, WARLOCK A.D. is not a band to skip out on.
Read Lotty’s interview with the band here.
Find WARLOCK A.D. on Facebook.
Arguably one of the most important sets of the day was from that of DAKESIS. A household name in the underground metal scene, DAKESIS (in particular bassist/backing vocalist Amie Chatterley and lead vocalist Gemma Lawler) are responsible for the formation of Power Metal Quest Fest.
From watching their set you could feel the passion and love for the over-the-top but self-aware genre that tells stories about dragons, kings, and epic quests. These are the hallmarks of Power Metal Quest Fest and DAKESIS’S brand of power metal permeates this. Amie said there would be sparkles and there was. Yes, literally in their stage wear but also in their stunning live performance of songs that delved deep into your emotions and feelings.
Like the other bands on the bill this year, DAKESIS have a tremendous stage presence and keep the crowd informed, riled up and hungry for more in between songs. These emotions were high when Gemma expressed the message that we are seen before giving a passionate performance of To Conquer Or Die. Like at their Bloodstock performance, the Pride Flag was brought out to openly show their support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Finishing their set with the epic By The Fading Light, the band jokes that even though it’s their last song, it’s still fifteen minutes long, and what a treat it was.
Overall, DAKESIS are a must-see band if you love traditional power metal with a progressive twist.
Read Lotty’s interview with Amie here.
Find DAKESIS on Facebook.
Space Warriors VICTORIUS were one of the first bands announced as this year’s lineup a year ago so it was clear they were a highly anticipated band on most people’s list to see. Their fun and interactive stage presence whilst performing mighty songs such as Mighty Magic Mammoth, Shruiken Showdown and Dinosaur Warfare kept the crowds heavily engaged throughout their set. They mentioned you can expect action, comedy and power poses; this was what the crowds got. The band’s energy was so infectious that even some of the bar staff were joining in by jumping and dancing around to the clear, crisp sound. My word of advice; catch VICTORIUS if you can, it’s a show you don’t want to miss.
Read Lotty’s interview with Andreas and Dirk from the band here.
Find VICTORIUS on Facebook.
After the tremendous VICTORIOUS, one of the long-awaited and of the day, DRAGONLAND finally took to the stage. As you’d expect, with a name like DRAGONLAND, their set was full of songs about dragons, magical kingdoms, and adventures.
DRAGONLAND were one of the more progressive bands on the line-up which made a nice change to the faster, gutsier power metal that the crowd had witnessed up until that point. While their set was a little more chaotic in terms of stage presence and crowd participation, the band were still lively and were there to prove why they had such a fierce reputation in the power metal scene. Lots of people were dressed as dragons to show their support for the band and ending with their cover of Never-Ending Story proved to be a welcome treat for all that were there.
Overall, the Swedish natives performed a good set with the right amount of energy and musical prowess that you’d expect from a veteran band like DRAGONLAND.
You can read Megan’s interview with the band here.
Find DRAGONLAND on Facebook.
Last but by no means least, the headliners DYNAZTY took the stage. This was their first time back in the UK after about six years and it was clear from the loud claps and cheers this welcome back was expected.
There were a few sound issues as they opened with In The Arms Of The Devil but that was sorted very quickly and they were underway as they performed Firesign. Their setlist was the perfect balance of songs from the latest album Final Advent and from previous albums such as Titanic Mass, Firesign and The Dark Delight.
From more energetic songs like Natural Born Killer to slower power ballads like Yours, the band pulled together a well-rounded set that took into account the crowd’s energy levels. A clear fan favourite was Presence Of Mind, evidence of this could be seen through most of crowd belting out the lyrics and grabbing the air as they did so.
Finishing with the anthemic Heartless Madness, the band closed off an amazing festival with a great bit of fanfare that involved splitting the crowd to see who could sing the chorus the loudest.
You can read Lotty’s interview with Nils and Jonathan here.
Find DYNAZTY on Facebook.
For some, it was their first time and they have talked about coming back next year. This gives hope for the future of Power Metal and independent festivals alike; let’s keep supporting independent festivals and bands. They are the future of music.
If you love power metal and have a passion for discovering new bands but also enjoy festival-friendly headliners, then you absolutely must try Power Metal Quest Fest next year.
Words: Lotty Whittingham & Megan Taylor
Photos: Phil Whitehouse
