On Friday night, it was time once again to head to the poppodium Nieuwe Nor. Wings Of Steel, the American heavy metal prodigy’s everyone’s talking about right now, was performing in the Netherlands for the second time in their career.
This was the kickoff to a series of European “festival” shows..
phönix rising
The German band Phönix Rising has been booked as the opening act for the show. These are a group of seasoned veterans. The band has been around for nearly 30 years and has long since earned its place. As soon as their show begins, that becomes immediately clear. Here we have a group of men, led by singer Ralf Riebatski, who are clearly eager to throw a party. And that rubs off on the audience as well. In any case, it’s great to see a band at work that—perhaps partly because there’s a new man behind the drum kit—still plays with fire and passion.
They unleashed songs like “Sunset Hero,” “Outlaw,” “Heart Attack,” and “Angel Of Darkness” on the crowd, and the audience welcomed them with open arms. On top of that, the sound was excellent. Phönix Rising proved to be a more than entertaining opening act, and they’re also a very likable bunch of persons.
Wings Of Steel
After a quick changeover, it was finally time for Wings Of Steel. Unfortunately, after the intro, the audience had to endure a false start, because during the opening song, “Burning Sands,” the band was giving it their all on stage. However, the front-of-house sound cut out completely; during the opening song, the sound gradually became audible, and as the setlist progressed, the sound fortunately kept getting better. On stage, the guys didn’t seem bothered by this, as their in-ear monitors appeared to be working fine. Of course, it was a pity, but these kinds of things happen sometimes when you’re at the start of a tour.
Singer Leo Unnermark certainly has a more than respectable vocal range, which at times reminded me of Michael Kiske or Crimson Glory’s Midnight. And of course, the music itself also had a hint of Crimson Glory. And that’s definitely not a downside.
Lead guitarist Parker Halub is the other key figure in Wings Of Steel. Together with Leo, he founded the band with the goal of capturing the power and essence of heavy metal with modern precision in their music.
chemistry
Have they achieved that goal? If I have to go by the audience’s reaction, I’d definitely have to say yes, because it’s abundantly clear that we’re dealing with a very talented band. The chemistry between singer Leo and guitarist Parker is both audible and visible. To me, however, the other band members seemed almost like hired hands, which I find a shame, because each and every one of them contributed to the sound the band creates. Drummer Mike Mahan and bassist Mathieu Trobec provide a tight and thunderous foundation, and rhythm guitarist Stefan Bailet stands out positively with his tight playing and beautiful twin guitar parts. Leo and Parker are clearly the backbone of the band and responsible for the songs, but I’m convinced the band would come across even stronger if they were a more cohesive unit.
As for the setlist, the songs were performed with great precision. And especially as the sound improved, the audience was in for a real treat. As far as I’m concerned, this band has what it takes to become one of the leading heavy metal bands with a slightly progressive edge. Here on stage are five young men who could very well become a huge name. And given that the band is booked for quite a few festivals like Into The Grave, Hellfest or Alcatraz this summer, that might just happen.
Setlist:
Burning Sands
Liar In Love
Saints And Sinners
Stormchild
To Die In Holy War
Rhythm Of Desire
We Rise
Fall In Line
Flight Of The Eagle
Encore:
Winds Of Time
Wings Of Steel
Report & Images by Raymond Helebrand
