Yet another quest to the birth place of heavy metal was about to begin. Elves, warriors, orcs and all manner of heroes combined at The Asylum in Birmingham for another day of the best Power/Symphonic/Prog metal bands around.
Another superb line up featuring bands who have never or have rarely played the UK alongside some bands from this country that should be getting more accolades than they do, it was into the venue at 12 for the 1pm kick off. PMQF has become a staple in my gig/fest calendar due to the quality of the bands, the people and the staff. It’s well run, in a great venue with enough space, for this year at least (more on that later) and everyone is just there to enjoy the cheesy heavy metal fun that comes from power metal and it’s subsidiaries.
As the hordes descended upon the stage, the merch, the bar, there was a sigh of relief when the first band took to the stage to kick of this most festive of festivals. Band number one was Hanowar (9) a tribute to some other American band with a similar name, Hanowar stormed the stage like they were the real thing.
Having seen Manowar, Hanowar are louder, rowdier, move more and have more theatrics in their music, the only other band that come near are of course the legendary Womanowar, who's Erica Had’ems (aka Dakesis' Gemma Lawler) took to the stage for a duet version of Battle Hymns, that put to death anyone believed in false metal and made sure all of the wimps and posers left the hall.
Hanowar are brilliantly bonkers, their interpretations full of skits, fireworks and out of time clapping, played with tongue so firmly in cheek it poked a hole through and they get special kudos for changing THAT lyric in Hail And Kill to something more appropriate.
In blaze of fire smoke and inflatable swords they were gone and the scene had been set for another epic battle. Any band that had to follow that would have their work cut out for them but happily Tales Of Time (7) have enough songs to capture the attention of an audience who were as giddy as a kid on sherbet.
Operatic, progressive symphonic metal with the poppy undercurrent that brought the feeling of Nightwish/Epica/Within Temptation and Lacuna Coil. Using their set as a way to perform the multiple singles they have released it all nodes very well for any future album releases. Anna Maria's vocals are especially a highlight live so her decision post PMQF to step down as the vocalist of Pirate Queen is more than justified as Tales Of Time have a lot more potential.
Speaking of potential, there's probably very few in the UK who will have seen Lycanthro (7), coming all the way from the Great White North of Ottawa Canada this heavy power metal band play the sort of thrashy heavy metal that the North America was built on, bands such as Jag Panzer, Helstar, Vicious Rumours etc are all clear influences of their biting heavy metal. Obsessed with werewolves/horror and things that go bump in the night, while I didn't see any Chinese menus in their hand, these Werewolves of Canada won a lot of new fans in Birmingham.
Next came a band who I discovered at Bloodstock earlier this year, 'the earl grey tea time' of the day (their words not mine), Awake By Design (8) brought a more studious and adult sound similar to romantically inclined and heavy thinking bands such as Kamelot and Serenity. Keys and guitars interplayed with some emotional vocals, the forward march of the quest interrupted by this gothic moment. More towards the progressive side of Quest Fest, they stood in last minute for Dendera and fit the bill better in my opinion as they put the progressive with the anthemic.
Back on more familiar territory with Italian neo classical power metal. Maybe baroque metal if you will as Winterage (8) took to the stage, a band who play symphonic metal with violin as a prominent instrument. Complex arrangements, Italian Renaissance inspired stage outfits they dressed to impress and the music was just as impressive.
Masters of the theatrical their songs are longer and have more complexity, linking them to Awake By Design before but they also have folk influences similar to the much missed Falconer and the use of violin gives vigour and vibrancy. It was also their singer’s birthday so things stopped a little to celebrate but they managed to recapture the attention until the end of their set.
Their own shows must be a theatrical treat, and speaking of theatrics the band many wanted to see arrived in the shape of Dragony (8). What is a power metal festival without dragons huh? There was plenty last year and at previous events but 2024 was a little dragon sparse.
Dragony are a band who merge songs about dragons with historical fantasy playing songs from their great new album that had only been out a day. Now these songs were great but possibly a little too new for the fa s to really enjoy but the classics from their previous records getting a bigger reaction.
Fighting with adversity as their bassist was unwell so couldn't make the trip from Austria they do get bonus points for being the first band to have a Keytar at the 2024 addition something else there was a distinct lack of since last year. Dragony lived up to their billing on this show with the most 'traditional' power metal sound on the bill.
There was more non-traditional metal instruments as Skiltron (7) took to the stage with the inclusion of bagpipes, more divisive than Marmite, Skiltron use them better than most but if you don't like them I'm your music then you will soon leaving as they are integral to Skiltron's sound. Now I'm not the biggest fan of the folk metal sound especially bagpipes but I enjoyed the energy Skiltron have and their previous frontman coming back into the fold added something more to their show.
Then it was time to unfold the board, get out the D12 or D20 and stride forth into the finale quest of the day. Expected to be the most epic yet, we are brought into the world of the Twilight Kingdoms by the exquisite fantasy metal of Twilight Force (9).
Their own shows must be a theatrical treat, and speaking of theatrics the band many wanted to see arrived in the shape of Dragony (8). What is a power metal festival without dragons huh? There was plenty last year and at previous events but 2024 was a little dragon sparse.
Dragony are a band who merge songs about dragons with historical fantasy playing songs from their great new album that had only been out a day. Now these songs were great but possibly a little too new for the fa s to really enjoy but the classics from their previous records getting a bigger reaction.
Fighting with adversity as their bassist was unwell so couldn't make the trip from Austria they do get bonus points for being the first band to have a Keytar at the 2024 addition something else there was a distinct lack of since last year. Dragony lived up to their billing on this show with the most 'traditional' power metal sound on the bill.
There was more non-traditional metal instruments as Skiltron (7) took to the stage with the inclusion of bagpipes, more divisive than Marmite, Skiltron use them better than most but if you don't like them I'm your music then you will soon leaving as they are integral to Skiltron's sound. Now I'm not the biggest fan of the folk metal sound especially bagpipes but I enjoyed the energy Skiltron have and their previous frontman coming back into the fold added something more to their show.
Then it was time to unfold the board, get out the D12 or D20 and stride forth into the finale quest of the day. Expected to be the most epic yet, we are brought into the world of the Twilight Kingdoms by the exquisite fantasy metal of Twilight Force (9).
Having recently dropped three members it was a brand new guitar line up that took to the stage first, dressed in the LARP-style outfits, the most recent members Galyn (Galen Stapley- guitar), Bramley Underhall (Bradley Hall – guitar) and Xandor (Alex Miles – bass) took to the stage alongside drummer De’Azsh (Isak Olsson) and band leader/keyboardist Blackwald (Daniel Beckman to start off the show with Dawn Of The Dragonstar, as they powered into the opening triumphal riff, Allyon (Alessandro Conti) arrived resplendent in his armour and opened up his ear piercing vocals.
Typical of the Italian power metal sound of Rhapsody and also of the Michael Kiske highs in Helloween (he’s also singer in Trick Or Treat), Conti’s voice is superb as a clarion call to all the adventures of Birmingham. Played out like a live action D&D session set to music, there was no way I could complain about the lack of dragons in this one as every other song seemed to feature a mention of them.
Typical of the Italian power metal sound of Rhapsody and also of the Michael Kiske highs in Helloween (he’s also singer in Trick Or Treat), Conti’s voice is superb as a clarion call to all the adventures of Birmingham. Played out like a live action D&D session set to music, there was no way I could complain about the lack of dragons in this one as every other song seemed to feature a mention of them.
Much like Dragony, Twilight Force are the sort of band you think of when you hear power metal and with storytelling between the songs, those helium vocals, lighting guitar solos, symphonics and orchestral, the audience lapped it up with inflatable swords high in the air, as was an inflatable dragon on Flight Of The Sapphire Dragon. Even a string breaking part way through the show couldn’t stop them as the PMQF crew made sure they smashed this quick time event and got Galyn back out in front of the crowd.
By the time Power Of The Ancient Force had rung out it was time to end and there was a massive high throughout the venue as this year’s quest came to a triumphant end. The atmosphere was joyous and welcoming once again, PMQF continues to be the most passionate and accepting crowds. The ethos that Amie and the entire PMQF team have cultivated deserves all the plaudits it gets, this is quite niche genre of the metal scene one that is underappreciated. To continue this festival through pandemics, line-up changes and now wildly uncertain live music scene can only be commended.
Looking it ahead to 2025, it seems that any fears of the support tapering off can be put to bed as the now rebranded Quest Fest, will be taking place in KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, I cannot wait to see who they get to fill that now hallowed hall!
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