One week ago the Zenith of Paris became the epicenter of the mighty power metal reunion, as Wind Rose, Hammerfall and Powerwolf were sharing a stage that day. This epic trinity was supported by not less epic audience, as there was a straight up costume party: boys and girls with pickaxes(obviously, team Wind Rose:)), creepy nuns, monks, tampliers and werewolves looked very flamboyant and complimenting among the regular, if I may say, metalheads.
So Wind Rose were opening the show, pouring on us all their dwarf-metal might. Authentic costumes and antourage multiplied by enthusiasm and charisma and voilà – welcome to the metal Middle-earth! During their whole gig I couldn’t get rid of the hilarious impression that the lead singer Francesco Cavalieri was reminding me of a fantasy version of the legendary Luciano Pavarotti, and the way he professionally performed a tiny operatic piece during “Diggy Diggy Hole” only confirmed this image in my head.
Hammerfall followed right after, delivering their finest Swedish power-metal to people, the majority of whom appeared to see the guys for the first time. The show was a pure blast of wild energy, with a room for laugh even: while holding a speech introducing the band Joacim Cans pointed on the background of the stage, claiming there was a band’s name to remember, but the stage banner was different and without a name. I don’t know, if it was done on purpose or it was a curious confusion, but it caused a wave of cheerful laughter both on stage and in the audience. So the atmosphere was incredibly positive!
Powerwolf started their show right on time, with no delay, and right away here goes an honorable mentioning of the stage crew that managed to install all the decorations and prepare all the stuff in such a limited time! In my opinion, Powerwolf is one of a few bands on current heavy scene who can make Rammstein pale for a while with their live shows, and it goes without saying that it all requires a huge professionalism from their technitians. The show in Paris was very special for the fans, as Attilla Dorn was speaking fluent French during the whole show, and it surely amplified the level of elation that was already on a high point.