Having attended Power Metal Quest Fest for the past three years, I can safely say that it is the equivalent of an important holiday for those who dabble more into the melodic side of metal. Understandably, it’s earned the title of a “household name” for melodic metal festivals, most recently by Siegfried Samer of DRAGONY in our interview with him.
This was the first year where the festival was held on a different date due to venue availability and other reasons that organiser Amie Chatterley delved into in our interview with her. Due to the current financial climate post-COVID and post-Brexit, there were even doubts about whether the festival would continue or be put on hiatus. Luckily, Power Metal Quest Fest has a clan of mighty warriors who believe in the festival and its potential. Due to their dedication of spreading the news of this gallant event and encouraging others to attend, there were only fifty tickets left on the door by the time it came around. This is a hugely promising sign of how much support there is for upcoming talent and platforms to showcase it in the music scene.
There wasn’t anything too unusual about arriving on the day compared to the previous years. Warriors filled up the venue, getting their first drink of the day, browsing the merch from the bards (bands) that played, and having numerous conversations, mainly about whom they were most excited to see and which songs they wanted to hear.
As warriors continued to arrive, MANOWAR tribute/parody act HANOWAR started proceedings. While I had heard of HANOWAR, I hadn’t seen them live before. They put on a brilliant show, filled with inflatable swords, drawn-on abs, and a lot of laughs. They even allowed the audience to take photos of them posing, on condition that it was done in sixty seconds. There were so many fun antics that even with my notebook out to ensure I remembered every detail, it turns out I didn’t need to write it all down. Who else is going to forget a show where party poppers and inflatable swords were chucked into the audience? Their musicianship was also incredibly solid. A huge highlight of their set was when festival organiser/WOMENOWAR vocalist Gemma Lawler lent her powerful vocals to closing song Battle Hymn. Whether you’re an avid MANOWAR fan or a casual listener like me, I highly recommend catching HANOWAR live. Being the opening band of a festival can be daunting, but HANOWAR rose to the challenge and had the crowds warmed up for the rest of the day.
Find HANOWAR on Facebook.
TALES OF TIME were one of the newer bands on the line-up, and this was their first festival appearance. They have a few gigs under their belt and have already established a following. I noticed there were a fair few sound problems during their set, so it was quite hard to hear some of the vocals throughout. I understand that when there are multiple vocalists with different styles, it can be difficult to get levels balanced. The sound quality picked up again the longer their set went on, and was clearer in certain parts of the venue. I have seen TALES OF TIME previously and I know they can deliver really well in a live setting; however, they seemed to be holding back this time. Whether they were thrown by the sound issues or the nerves of their first festival appearance – maybe both – something seemed to be missing. Either way, the majority of the crowd enjoyed their performance and there were queues for their merch afterwards. While this performance might have been a miss, they are a talented bunch of musicians and there is huge potential. From conversations, they are also still establishing their sound, so watch this space.
You can read Lotty’s interview with the band here.
Find TALES OF TIME on Facebook.
My first thoughts when Canadian heavy/power metallers LYCANTHRO came on was that they know how to make an entrance. It made you stand to attention whether you were ready for it or not. There was a supervillain vibe about their entrance: it was clear who was in charge. Their dominant stage presence as they performed their songs full of prevailing vocals and brilliant, harmonised guitars gave off infectious energy as the crowds really took to them. Anna Marie Rose from TALES OF TIME joined them for one of their new songs, and the nerves seemed to have disappeared as she performed with them; her performance was very passionate and you could hear her beautiful vocals clearly. They ended their set perfectly in a thrashy style with Crucible. This was part of their first UK tour, and judging by the crowd’s reactions, the UK want them back to perform again.
Find LYCANTHRO on Facebook.
Whilst AWAKE BY DESIGN played, I was grabbing some food, but I was able to catch a great portion of their set. They mentioned in their interview that their energy was so high that they were too fast for the photographer; having witnessed them play live twice now, I can confirm that this is correct. They also had a very clear sound that is similar to the recordings, but not so much alike for me to suspect them of miming their own material. While the band themselves are still a mystery to me, that adds to the charm and appeal they have among fans of melodic metal. Keep your eyes and ears pealed for AWAKE BY DESIGN; they are definitely one of those bands that can blend into most festival line-ups.
Find AWAKE BY DESIGN on Facebook.
While it wasn’t WINTERAGE’s first time in the UK, it was their first UK festival appearance. They emerged onto the stage like they had stepped out of the baroque period in their grand, majestic stage outfits, and this matched the majestic performance they gave. Their passionate stage presence was consistent throughout as they performed with fantastic vocals, wonderful orchestral sounds, and violin solos – yes, you read correctly! – violin solos. The setlist consisted of songs from their latest album Nekyia, including Simurgh the Firebird, The Cult of Hecate, the title track, and even a little jig in their song Numen. There was also some material from their back catalogue, including Of Heroes and Wonder and closer The Harmonic Passage. Their bombastic melodies and gallant stage presence won the crowds over, to the point where some of them walked away as new fans of the band.
You can read Lotty’s interview with the band here.
Find WINTERAGE on Facebook.
By the time DRAGONY took to the stage, I was doing more dancing than note-taking. Having been interviewing another band, I entered their set as they were playing their second song Gods of War. Along with Legends Never Die, Gods of War was one of the first songs I heard by DRAGONY, so to hear this live was an amazing experience. Their magical set contained a balance of their classic songs including Lords of Hunt and If It Bleeds We Can Kill It and songs from their latest record including Dragon of the Sea (Sic Parvis Magna). This magic spread across the venue, particularly during closer Beyond the Rainbow Bridge, which is a clear favourite. It was their first UK appearance and judging from the crowd’s reaction, it won’t be their last.
Find DRAGONY on Facebook.
I never thought I would hear someone say, “They are sound checking the bagpipes,” until Power Metal Quest Fest 2024. This was said before Argentine folk metallers SKILTRON took to the stage. I had seen them perform at Epic Fest at the beginning of the year, and their shows are full of energy, passion, and… well, bagpipes! They delivered this exact show to Power Metal Quest Fest and their vast sound went down well with the power metal crowd. This energy was so infectious that even the bar staff couldn’t resist having a jig. They played tunes such as Bagpipes of War, Hate of My Life, and Lion Rampant. They were worthy warriors getting the crowds ready for headliners TWILIGHT FORCE.
Find SKILTRON on Facebook.
It was very clear from the chats I had with Quest Fest goers and band members that TWILIGHT FORCE were heavily anticipated and high on their watch list. There was a mix of fans: some hadn’t seen them for a long time and for others, it was their first time.
They wasted no time opening up with Dawn of the Dragonstar, which was warmly welcomed by avid fans and new quest members across the venue. This was also one of the first performances with the new line-up, so the anticipation was high in the air; the band rose to the mighty quest and proved that they were absolutely the right band to take the lead. This line-up had a tight sound and a welcoming stage presence that brought pure happiness to the venue that day.
Three words came to mind as I experienced their set: charm, character, and magic. This warm and welcoming energy was present as they performed songs from across their tales, including Long Live the King, Dragonborn, Sunlight Knight, and Flight of the Sapphire Dragon, where the famous inflatable dragon got the crowd surfing treatment.
Choosing Battle of Arcane Might and The Power of the Ancient Force as their final scrolls proved to be a wise decision. It gave the warriors one last chance to experience the magic of their set before the festival proceedings ended.
Find TWLIGHT FORCE on Facebook.
Power Metal Quest Fest once again delivered a quality day of the best melodic metal. The atmosphere is electric and infectious. It’s a place where everyone can unmask and be their true self whilst enjoying some of the best new talent melodic metal has to offer from the UK and worldwide.
Words: Lotty Whittingham
Photos: Phil Whitehouse
Early Bird Tickets for next year’s quest are on sale now! Click here to find out more!
