Spirit War might’ve started life as a covers band, but those days are long gone. Now they’re the real deal – a French metal outfit mixing Eastern-influenced atmosphere with proper, old-school heaviness.
From the first riff, it’s full tilt. “On and On” is their vibe – all galloping rhythm and fists-in-the-air defiance. “Never Give Up” follows, packed with determination and grit.
By the time they reach their final track, “Fight to Survive,” it’s clear this lot mean business. The energetic drummer doesn’t just keep time – he’s front and centre, standing up to lead the crowd in a booming chant. It’s a moment. It’s their moment.
No frills, no bullshit – just passion, volume, and conviction. Spirit War are the type of band you’d see in a tent at 3 p.m. at Bloodstock and absolutely fall in love with.
Let’s start with the blindingly obvious: Andry opens her set with “Mistress Of The Night” – and a whip. Whether that tells you everything you need to know is open to question, but what follows is a masterclass in theatrical, bombastic European power metal.
“Skies” is more conventional in tone, but it’s so superbly delivered that it doesn’t matter. Andry’s voice soars throughout, especially on “Black Hole,” which underlines her remarkable range. Even the slower moments are massive in scope – there’s nothing small about this band. Still, it’s the heavier side that suits them best, and the brilliant “Good Trip To Hell” – complete with glittery claws and a snarl – is dedicated to “someone you hate.”
They finish with Deep Purple’s “Burn,” and it feels perfectly at home. Molten metal is very much what Andry do.
There’s a moment in “Soldier” — just the third song in — when the smoke machines fire, the lights swirl, and Yngwie Malmsteen wields his six-string like a weapon. It’s a snapshot of what this show is: theatre, excess, and above all, dazzling skill.
At KK’s Steel Mill, he’s celebrating 40 years as a solo artist, and he wastes no time reminding everyone exactly what he’s done for that long.
Opener “Rising Force” takes things right back to the beginning – a bridge between classical influence and raw metal energy. That balance defines the night: a cross between power metal and otherworldly playing. Whether he’s singing “Into Valhalla” or ripping through the (in his own words) “ridiculous” “(Si Vis Pacem) Parabellum” from his last album, the mastery is undeniable.
There are some sound niggles — feedback, a hum, and a loss of keys — but the guitar never misses. “Adagio” highlights his classical leanings, while “Far Beyond The Sun” becomes the centrepiece, laced with a snatch of “Bohemian Rhapsody” just because he can.
Even when the keys take the lead on “Shadow Sign,” Malmsteen stays front and centre, with piped-in vocals giving it a different dynamic. He loses himself completely in “Toccata” and “Fire And Ice,” making impossibly intricate lines seem effortless. And as a singer? He’s underrated — something proven when he gives “Smoke On The Water” a fresh twist.
“Trilogy (Vengeance)” and “Overture” merge into a symphonic flurry, while “Blue” provides a brief bluesy pause. “Fugue” darkens the mood before spiralling into acrobatic soloing that borders on the absurd. But it’s “You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget” that gets the crowd’s fists in the air — an eruption of glorious bombast.
The encore starts acoustic with “Black Star,” but it’s the grandiose “I’ll See The Light Tonight” where he truly thrives. And without trying to analyse him too closely, it’s clear how happy he looks when he’s playing.
Indeed, at the end of “…Forget,” he hoists his guitar aloft like a trophy. And really, that’s what it felt like — a victory dance.
You don’t last four decades without saying something special. And as difficult as he might admit he is, Yngwie Malmsteen doesn’t just play his guitar — he makes it talk.
