Screamo with big slabs of 80s glam rock isn’t exactly the first music crossover to spring to mind however this seems to be a new trend with the Manchester outfit, Dear Superstar, bringing this strange amalgamation of madness to the masses. Unfortunately due to a change in door times I missed the start of their set, but from the little I actually saw, despite the band not really  suited to this particular bill, they proved a tight, entertaining band with some good songs. 

Kiuas, with their Finnish power metal with hints of folk and death metal were, on the other hand, the ideal support band. One of the finds from Bloodstock in 2007, Kiuas showed that their performance last year wasn’t a one off.  In Ilja Jalkanen they have a commanding frontman with vocals to match and even sound problems couldn't dampen the performance. With the likes of ‘The Decaying Doctrine’, ‘Warrior Soul’, ‘Of Ancient Wounds’ and ‘The Spirit Of Ukko’ in the set there was nothing to complain about apart from the fact they deserved more time on stage.

With their latest album, The Premonition, released earlier in the year Firewind are in full support mode starting, as the does the album, with ‘Into The Fire’ and ‘Head Up High’. From there they  moved effortlessly through older material, namely ‘Kill To Live’ and ‘I Am The Anger’  before switching back to the new for ‘Angels Forgive Me’ and ‘The Silent Code’ and it wasn't until the end of ‘My Loneliness’ that frontman Apollo Papathanasio, whose actions tend to have a bit of a pantomime feel about them, actually took a break, letting Gus G and company show off their musical skills.  On Papathanasio’s return there was still  time to deliver a superb take on ‘Mercenary Man', the first single from The Premonition before, at long last a track from the Allegiance album, ‘Till The End Of Time’, brought the main set to a close. 

In truth the encore process was almost farcical at the Little Civic as the band have to wade through the crowd to get to the dressing rooms and it all seemed a waste of effort given that, by the time they actually disappeared, it is virtually time to return to the stage.  When they did return it was with a cover of ‘Maniac’ (who would have thought that this would end up being a performed by a metal band) and finally ‘Falling to Pieces’ which ended things on a highly.  By the end it was obvious that Firewind had thoroughly enjoyed what was a sold out Wolverhampton show, and those sentiments were clearly echoed by the responsive crowd who lapped up everything Firewind delivered.

Darren Brushneen