Helmed by bassist/lead vocalist Kelly Ogden, guitarist/vocalist Luis Cabezas, and touring drummer Simon Hancock, The Dollyrots are charging into spring with
German Power Metal juggernauts Powerwolf closed out their Wake Up The Wicked tour with their biggest UK show to date, turning OVO Arena Wembley into a cathedral of fire, theatrics and unholy celebration. The final night of the run carried that unmistakable end-of-tour looseness.
Fans in face paint and nuns’ habits, probably even a few wolf pelts and bits of armour, meant a crowd buzzing with anticipation, with bands feeding off the energy like it was communion.
Joining them for this full-force power metal pilgrimage were Italy’s Wind Rose and Sweden’s HammerFall, brothers in arms who set the tone long before Powerwolf’s first flame erupted.
Wind Rose – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk
Wind Rose
Wind Rose opened the evening with Dance Of The Axes, a perfect starter that had Wembley swinging and chanting from the first riff. Dwarven-themed Power Metal might sound niche on paper, but the songs felt built for an arena. Big hooks, big stomps, big voices.
Wind Rose – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk
Songs like The Great Feast Underground and Trollslayer kept the energy high, all booming choruses and fist-pumping rhythms. The band closed with Rock And Stone, a unifying roar that turned the arena into a mining crew celebrating a fresh vein of gold.
Wind Rose – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk
HammerFall
HammerFall hit the stage with the subtlety of a meteor strike. Blood red lights flooded the arena as Hearts On Fire ignited thousands of fists in the air.
Frontman Joacim Cans delivered the line of the night early. “Holy fucking shit, we are HammerFall from Sweden, but you crazy fuckers probably knew that already.”
HammerFall – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk
The set stayed tight, loud and gloriously over the top, exactly what you want from HammerFall. Riffs felt like they were forged on an anvil backstage. By the time the last chorus rang out, Wembley stood well and truly hammered by HammerFall.
HammerFall – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk
Powerwolf
Powerwolf’s cathedral of carnage hit straight from the get-go. The entrance came loaded with theatre, an epic lift raising Attila Dorn above the stage, the band tore into Bless’ Em With The Blade and Armata Strigoi.
Dorn paused only long enough to thank the crowd for being “perfect”, and Wembley roared back. Army Of The Night felt like an undead cavalry charge, galloping melodies painting the picture in full.
The step up to arena level suited Powerwolf completely. Every part of the show felt designed for a room this size. A burning piano smouldered at centre stage, an organ spat fire from its pipes, and handheld flamethrowers blasted arcs of heat across the set.
Powerwolf – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk
Angels appeared with wings on fire, a visual that looked ripped straight from a Metal opera. The band filled the space with confidence and spectacle, turning Wembley into a gothic battleground.
Production matched that ambition. Giant LED backdrops towered over the stage, gothic structures framed the musicians, and the drum riser climbed from a derelict cathedral façade. Purple and blue lights washed over the arena, creating a dark, visceral atmosphere. Fire cannons punched through choruses with ruthless timing.
Dancing With The Dead arrived with dancers setting the scene, while 1589, the tale of Peter Stumpp, transformed the stage into a witch hunt inferno, complete with the mock burning of keyboardist Falk Maria Schlegel at the stake.
Powerwolf – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk
When Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend landed, Attila had the entire arena singing the “ooooo ohhh” hook back at him, OVO Arena Wembley becoming a choir of sinners. New Joan Of Arc track slotted in seamlessly, and We Drink Your Blood drenched the room in red light and adrenaline.
After the encore, the band closed with Werewolves Of Armenia, a final howl from musicians who know exactly how to command a crowd of thousands.
Powerwolf stand apart through more than fire, costumes and gothic grandeur. Crowd control sits at the heart of the show. Every chant, every call and response, every raised hand felt intentional. Ethereal chanting swelled through the arena, guitars wailed and crushed in equal measure, and the night took on the feeling of a ritual shared between band and fans.
Powerwolf came to London to close this chapter of the tour and left with flames, fury and a whole lot of heart.
Powerwolf – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalkHammerFall – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalkHammerFall – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalkHammerFall – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalkHammerFall – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalkHammerFall – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalkHammerFall – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalkWind Rose – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalkWind Rose – OVO Arena Wembley, London – 7 March 2026. Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalkThe post Powerwolf Turn Wembley Into A Cathedral Of Fire On Wake Up The Wicked Tour Finale first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.
The Paramore singer and her collaborator Daniel James have teamed up with Nate Amos (aka This Is Lorelei) for a new rendition of the 2024 track, which is taken from his forthcoming Box For Buddy, Box For Star Super Deluxe edition – due out on April 17.
Hayley takes on bass, guitar and vocal duties on the cover, while Daniel’s credits include producing, engineering, mixing, keys, guitar and programming, and Nate is involved too on background vocals. “Getting to hear Hayley and Dan’s beautiful take on Perfect Hand for the first time was surreal, getting to contribute vocals was even more so,” he says. “Couldn’t be more stoked for this to exist.”
Charm is a powerful drug. At the farthest extremes, charm can alter my perception at a fundamental level, warping what might otherwise be boring, unreliable, or even downright problematic things into something worth defending or even loving. But when it comes to music, charm—in measured doses, of course—allows me to fully enjoy the good in something flawed. This is what ultimately drew me to Greek doom startups Distorted Reflection in 2024, and now again in 2026.
2024’s Doom Rules Eternally introduced founding member Kostas Salodmidis’ new project to the world and established Distorted Reflection’s core of doom. Combining Candlemass riffs with Sorcerer drama and a touch of Sorrows Path shred, that core carries over unchanged into Doom Zone. Kostas’ beefy riffs and screaming solos remain as present as ever, and so does his shaky baritone croon. Vangelis gains greater presence with his bass here, which is a welcome improvement over the debut, burbling in lockstep with riffs and offering counterpoint during solo breaks. Filling out the lineup, Thomas Zen pounds the skins with a swinging stomp that suits this doom-laden material like a fitted suit, classy and reigned into the pocket at all times. It might not be the most exciting or unique formula, but it works.
Unfortunately, Doom Zone lacks the one thing that made Doom Rules Eternally worth covering: charm. Doom Zone isn’t completely soulless, but its flaws dominate my experience, leaving very little room for Distorted Reflection’s earnest delivery and competent riffcraft to shine. Evident from the onset of opener “3000 A.D.” and unrelenting throughout the runtime, Kostas’ vocals conspire to distract and detract at almost every opportunity. Unstable vibrato, strained upper range1, abysmal growls and repetitive melodic phrasing make tracks like “My Second Father,” “Gates of Paranoia,” “Tower of Dreams,” and “Morbid Reality” difficult to enjoy. Doom Zone’s songwriting is also noticeably weaker, suffering from a deeply repetitive structure and monotonous pacing that inevitably stalls any momentum individual elements (riffs, solos, choruses) initiate (“Asphyxiation,” “The Final Attempt”). It’s a good thing, then, that Doom Zone is short, clocking in at a responsible 39 minutes. Even so, it drags such that I routinely check my playback to see if I’m close to the end.
This is a shame, because Distorted Reflection are gifted musicians with great potential. Kostas filled Doom Zone with an arsenal of chunky riffs and high-octane solos (“3000 A.D.,” “Certain Death,” “Diminished,” “Morbid Reality”), many of which aptly reference the great works of the doom metal scene, though perhaps a bit too closely. Zen’s drumming is a perfect fit for this sound as well, and Vangelis’ bass noodling is a delight to hear with such clarity. More importantly, everybody understands their role and can play their instruments well enough to attract the spotlight without having to force it away from someone else. The overarching problem ultimately lies in the songwriting. With the exception of a few solid tracks at the album’s midpoint, like “Diminished,” Doom Zone wholly lacks the dynamics, the creativity, and the voice it needs to succeed.
Charm can go a long way to make me like something I would otherwise pass up. Distorted Reflection almost instantaneously lost the charm they once had after my time with Doom Zone. Unmemorable, uninspired, and at times downright irritating, Doom Zone fails to exhibit Distorted Reflection’s strengths in a way that overshadows their flaws. Instead, it accomplished the inverse. Flaws glare, making the process of picking out highlights a grind, and the experience of enjoying the good a chore. I still have hope that they can turn it around with album three, but as it stands, my recommendation is to leave Doom Zone behind while you traverse the doom zone.
The Godfather of Shock Rock is finally ready to tell all. Alice Cooper has announced the release of his definitive autobiography, Devil on my Shoulder, which is set to hit shelves on 8th October 2026 via Ebury Spotlight. It’s been a long time coming, and for a man who’s been at the top of the … Continue reading Alice Cooper reveals “Devil on my Shoulder” autobiography and UK book tour
This would have to be one of the most anticipated tours of the last year. The new look, new sounding Linkin Park has tongues wagging ever since the decided to move forward with Emily Armstrong fronting the band.
It’s a bold move for any band to move forward after a tragic loss of a frontman. Everyone from AC/DC has had their share of trial by fire with fans. For me while it was a very bold move to decide to move forward in Chester Bennington’s passing. Picking a female front was even more of a gamble.
With the last record End Zero we saw a rebirth of the band and a new approach. So, live how would this all work …. I will get to that in a moment.
First of all, kicking things off tonight was Sydney’s Polaris who seem to be riding a career peak and high. It’s performances like tonight’s that solidify just how good these five guys are live.
This is a band that knows how to work a crowd and earn their fans. There was so much energy and power in this set and the songs …. Well, they have never sounded better.
You could tell from the smile on frontman Jamie Hails’ face just how special this show was for him. With two nights already done and dusted in the six-date tour Polaris seemed settled and at home.
Hails went on to share the significance Linkin Park had on him as a teen “Linkin Park taught me how to sing, how to play guitar and how to scream”. It was heartfelt and so sincere as the frontman seemed so proud, and a touch overwhelmed by the reaction of the crowd at times during the set.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Polaris show without circle pits or even a wall of death which for where I was sitting was fun to watch. Again, people think these things are dangerous and they may well be but the community that partakes in them always look out for each other.
Polaris and that perfect blend of growls and screams from Hails and the clean vocals from bassist Jake Steinhauser are perfect in the way they blend and massive when they are in harmony. Steinhauser is Polaris’ secret weapon live. Hails is the energy and the feel of the band.
While the stage show wasn’t as spectacular as Linkin Park’s the clever video visuals and personalised lighting took the band to a new level of production. No flames, no CO2 jets just pure energy and atmosphere.
It is without a doubt that Polaris won over a ton of new fans as well as having their faithful’s support them. I remember reading a bunch of comments on socials when Polaris were announced as the support. All supporting the band and at times suggesting were Linkin Park supporting Polaris.
For me Polaris delivered a set that was career defining. The songs represented the catalogue well as an overview of the band. Tonight, there was a hint of what is to come for the band it showed a new level of what is possible for them, and the big stage is most definitely somewhere they will be calling home moving forward. I went from being someone who was a casual fan to someone who is checking to see when their next run of shows is, just to see if they can back up this incredible performance tonight.
Setlist : Nightmare, Dissipate, The Remedy, Masochist, Hypermania, All Of This Is Fleeting, Lucid, Inhumane.
I loved Polaris’ set. It set the tone and standard for the night. It’s always great when the support throws down and challenges the main attraction to do better. So how did Linkin Park do ?
From the ten-minute countdown that appeared on the screens anticipation was building in Rod Laver. The stage is vast and quite barren up close it’s massive. Getting close also gave a hint to just how big a production this show is. A massive lighting rig that simply evolved and changed the mood of the show worked perfectly with the music.
A single laser struck the stage as the band took to their places. Opening with ‘Somewhere I Belong’ there was intent, energy and a little chaos in the production. Good chaos that is.
Mike Shinoda took to the stage grinning like a Cheshire Cat while Emily Armstrong looked somewhat nervous and a little reserved. I guess when you are faced with a legion of die-hard fans from an era of the band that spoke to a generation it does have to be a little intimidating. In this case it’s the band’s first visit to Australia since the passing of Bennington.
It takes a couple of songs for Armstrong to loosen up and begin to shine. Vocally her performance couldn’t be faulted, she just seemed reserved early on. Shinoda is such a natural onstage and never one to stand still wearing the hats of vocalist, keyboard player and guitarist. His knack for delivering a flawless rap while just having so much fun is super infectious.
The set broken into segments had a very cinematic feel to it. Incredible graphics, lighting and camera work made the show much more than a performance. It made it an experience.
The two-hour, twenty-six song show laid focus on the “From Zero” record while mixing in the hits and fan favourites from the back catalogue. Once comfortable Armstrong in her natural self-looked so at home on stage and with the songs. Her clean voice is simply magical and when she lets loose with the throat ripping stuff she simply becomes another being.
I hold early Linkin Park so closely, those first three records were untouchable and connected with me on such an intense level. They pushed boundaries sonically and the songs from the Chester era sit in my soul so deeply. It was always going to be hard to hear ‘Numb’, ‘One Step Closer’, ‘In The End’, ‘What I’ve Done’, ‘Crawling’, ‘Somewhere I Belong’ and ‘Bleed It Out’ without Bennington, however I must say Armstrong nailed them all with the exception of ‘Numb’ which just didn’t carry the emotion it should have. Although the capacity crowd gave it something special as they sang out back with so much heart. It just felt flat for me.
‘In The End’ and ‘Faint’ closed out the set which were the perfect closures and the energy simply lifted to another level. Well, that was until the encores which simply tore Rod Laver apart.
By the encores Armstrong really didn’t have anything left to prove, she came, she kicked ass and she conquered. One final flurry of CO2 jets and another dose of confetti just seemed like the perfect end release for a show that really was a journey in storytelling, in mood, in light and dark. The performances were all sublime and if you caught the smiles from the band during the show, you know the band were so happy to be back out off the road and delivering a show of such high quality visually, emotionally and sonically.
I came into the show a little on the fence and left appreciating and loving everything this show is.
Setlist : Somewhere I Belong, Lying From You, Up From The Bottom. Crawling, The Emptiness Machine, The Catalyst, Burn It Down, Over Each Other, Where’d You Go, Waiting For The End, Castle Of Glass, Two Faced, When They Come For Me/Remember The Name, IGYEIH, One Step Closer, Lost, Good Things Go, What I’ve Done, Overflow, Numb, Let You Fade, In The End, Faint
Encore : Papercut, Heavy Is The Crown, Bleed It Out.
Dayseeker have announced that they are heading back to the UK and Europe at the end of the year for some of their biggest headline shows on this side of the world yet.
The band will make their way through the mainland and across the UK throughout December, seeing 2026 out in some style. And if that wasn’t enough, they will be bringing along Northlane and Siamese, too.
01 – LEEDS Project House 02 – MANCHESTER Academy 1 03 – BRISTOL Prospect 05 – GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow 06 – LONDON O2 Academy Brixton 08 – PARIS Élysée Montmartre 09 – OBERHAUSEN Turbinenhalle 1 10 – HANNOVER Capitol 12 – WARSAW Proxima 13 – BERLIN Huxley’s Neue Welt 15 – PRAGUE Lucerna Music Bar 16 – MUNICH Tonhalle 18 – AMSTERDAM Melkweg
Tickets will be on sale from March 13 at 10am local time.
Dayseeker are on the cover of the latest issue of Rock Sound. With latest album ‘Creature In The Black Night’ propelling them to bigger and bolder places, vocalist Rory Rodriguez reflects on the journey so far and what the band – musically, emotionally and personally – means to him in 2026.
Dayseeker have announced a UK and European headline tour.
Kicking off with two nights at KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton at the end of November, the band’s Creature In The Black Night run will then see them head to Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow, before a massive date at London’s 5,000-capacity O2 Academy Brixton on December 6. After that, they’ll head over to mainland Europe to continue the party until a week before Christmas.
Support comes from Northlane and Siamese, with tickets going on general sale this Friday, March 13 at 10am local time.
Catch them live at the following:
Dayseeker UK and European tour with Northlane and Siamese
1 Leeds Project House 2 Manchester Academy 1 3 Bristol Prospect 5 Glasgow O2 Academy 6 London O2 Academy Brixton 8 Paris Élysée Montmartre 9 Oberhausen Turbinenhalle 1 10 Hannover Capitol 12 Warsaw Proxima 13 Berlin Huxley’s Neue Welt 15 Prague Lucerna Music Bar 16 Munich Tonhalle 18 Amsterdam Melkweg
Charm is a powerful drug. At the farthest extremes, charm can alter my perception at a fundamental level, warping what might otherwise be boring, unreliable, or even downright problematic things into something worth defending or even loving. But when it comes to music, charm—in measured doses, of course—allows me to fully enjoy the good in something flawed. This is what ultimately drew me to Greek doom startups Distorted Reflection in 2024, and now again in 2026.
