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Now that the ice is broken, the German power metal band Powerwolf is back at the Place Bell in Laval on their second tour in North America. This time around they are accompanied by the Canadian band Unleash The Archers.

Many fans were waiting in line for most of the day in order to have a good spot for this final concert of the tour. They were all rewarded when the doors opened fifteen minutes earlier than scheduled. Most of them ran directly to the merchandise table to get their shirt as many others went straight to the floor in order to get to the security barrier or their favourite spot to witness what would be another amazing concert. 

The place is pretty packed when Unleash The Archers get on the huge stage and kick things off with the song “Abyss”. Signer Brittney Slayes is on fire with her powerful vocals while the other members are very dynamic on stage. Fans are pumping their fists and headbanging as the band continues with “Ghosts In The Mist”. Nick Miller can’t stand still for two seconds while playing bass and is either jumping or running all over the place throughout their set.

It looked odd to see drummer Scott Buchanan off centre but it was the only spot he could mount his drum kit because the stairs of the two-tier stage did not give him enough room to be at his usual spot. That did not stop him from being a steady force behind the kit for the whole night.

Brittney interacted with the fans as much as time permitted her to do so as the band continued to rip thought their new album with the songs “Green & Glass” and “Gods In Decay”. The band took advantage of the huge LED screen to display their logo but it was a shame that they were not allowed to project more than that. The song “Tonight We Ride” gave the fans a good excuse to push each other furiously as Brittney screamed at the top of her longs. If there is one song that can summarize the band, this is the one. Fans showed their appreciation by chanting the traditional Olé Olé Olé and you could see that the band truly enjoyed this gesture. 

They ended their performance with “The Matriarch” and “Awakening”, two songs that got the crowd going once again before closing things with their version of Stan Rogers’ “Northwest Passage” as the crowd created a bone chilling environment with their phones. This was not the over-the-top ending that bands usually do, but it was so fitting for this night.

It did not take long before Powerwolf got on stage with their background music. Fans were already screaming and pumping their fists before they started the song “Bless 'Em With The Blade”. For this second time around, the band brought pyrotechnics and they started using them for the very first song. The huge background displays what would be the arches of a church along with various werewolf animations. 

Attila Dorn interacted with the fans in French most of the time, this is truly impressive to see a German speaking so well in French. Some will say that he speaks too much in between every song and that it breaks the flow of the night. I think that he is so happy to talk in French that he goes a little over board, but I would need to see a concert in an English market to see if this is the case or not. Being their second time here, the band know how supportive the fans are, so Attila calls them out a few times for their half-hearted response as he has already experienced the craziness that they are capable of. 

With a new album under their belt, it is only normal that the band play many songs from it. In addition to the first song, they played “Sinners Of The Seven Seas”, “1589”, “We Don’t Wanna Be No Saints” and “Heretic Hunters”. Charles Greywolf and Matthew Greywolf complete each other very well on guitars and they swap places on a regular basis and march up the second tier at the back of the stage many times.

Things get serious when the band plays “Amen & Attack” where the fans will scream the chorus and will feel the heat from the balls of fire. This song will also be the signal for the first crowd surfers of many to come. As usual, Falk Maria Schlegel will come to the front of the stage with his big Powerwolf flag and feel the crowd’s energy first hand. The band kept the ball rolling with “Armata Strigoi”, fans sang along the melody multiple time during the crowd participation segment. Attila even asked the security guys to sing the melody that was the first time I witnessed this type of request. 

As usual, he got the crowd to repeat the chorus of “Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend” before starting it. This is really a fan favourite and you could see everyone singing and pumping their first to the rhythm of the music. The heavy metal mass really gets its meaning with the song “Stossgebet” and its slow riffing will give chills to everyone.

The band ended their set with “Sainted By The Storm” and “Blood For Blood (Faoladh)”. The musicians barely had time to leave the stage that the fans were already screaming for the encore. They did not have to wait long before being blessed with “Sanctified With Dynamite”, “We Drink Your Blood” and “Werewolves Of Armenia”.

As it was the case for the first time they played here, the fans loved every second of their heavy metal mass and you could see that the musicians were also very happy with the outcome. The band had high expectations for tonight’s crowd, and they went beyond that easily for this last night of the tour.