German power metal group Powerwolf returns to North America for a 2024 Fall tour, featuring Unleash the Archers. Their first trek into North America came 20 years after the group’s inception, with several dates in 2023 that only touched select markets. Now, the group has set forth to bring a full North American run to all, saints and sinners alike.
The intimate Riviera Theatre on the north side of Chicago was packed to the brim on a Tuesday night. With a lineup of only two acts, there wasn’t long to wait until the much-awaited Powerwolf would make their first appearance in Chicago.
The Canadian power metal act Unleash the Archers was the sole opening act, giving them ample time to put together a solid setlist and do much more than warm up the crowd for the impending headliner. Heavily leaning on their newest album, Phantoma, tracks “Ghosts in the Mist,” “Green & Glass,” and “Gods in Decay” all made appearances back-to-back in the set, however, they still had time to play their fan-favorite tracks from past albums.
Epic power ballad “Awakening” was a treat to witness live, with vocalist Brittney Slayes belting incredible high notes, reminiscent of classic 80s power metal. “Tonight We Ride” turned the crowd up even farther, as the pit went wild and sang along. The final moment, and the loudest sing-along of the set, saw their cover of “Northwest Passage” by Stan Rogers performed with the crowd being nearly as loud as Slayes herself.
With smoke rising around the religious werewolf imagery (you read that correctly) upon the stage, Powerwolf appeared from the shadows, jumping into “Bless ‘Em With the Blade,” from their summer release Wake Up the Wicked. Fast-paced and powerful, as most of their tracks are, they still gave the chance for the audience to sing along to the catchy choruses. Throughout the night, the crowd’s singing was powerful, and vocalist Atilla Dorn was taken aback by just how well the audience knew every single song.
Though performing many newly released tracks, the sold-out crowd had no issues singing along to the likes of “We Don’t Wanna Be No Saints,” or the pirate-themed “Sinners of the Seven Seas,” and even perfectly sang the echoing chorus of “Armata Strigoi” with almost no help from the band at all. It’s hard to tell what songs were “fan-favorites” in this instance, as every song had the same intense reaction from the fans, whether it be throwing crowd surfers into the air, or moshing throughout the set.
Despite the high-voltage moments of most of the set, the calmest moments came during “Stossgebet,” as many fans put their hands together in a prayer pose (with even the crowd surfers “praying” as they flew to the barricade), before the fiery chorus kicked in, leaving no one standing still. “Dancing With the Dead” also brought positive energy to the crowd, as the mosh pit saw strangers linking arms and dancing in a circle, before breaking apart into the usual pit chaos.
Though this was Powerwolf’s first full North American tour in their 21-year history, it had the production value needed for such a visually exciting concept and group. I can only imagine how their subsequent returns to North America will be. Hopefully at even larger venues, as their sold-out shows prove that they draw a crowd, and with pyrotechnics and even more to add to their fun aesthetic. From their set list song choices to their stellar live vocal and musical performances, this may have truly been the perfect show for fans new and old.
You can see the dates below, and get more information at https://www.powerwolf.net/live.
