Words and Pictures: Adrian Hextall / (C) MindHex Media
A triple-bill of modern power metal, united by theatricality and a shared member in the opening two acts, descended upon London’s Electric Brixton last week. This wasn’t just any tour; it was a celebration of epic fantasy, science fiction, and dwarven might, featuring Angus McSix, Orden Ogan, and headliners Wind Rose. With inflatable pickaxes held aloft and a fantastic sense of camaraderie between the bands and the crowd, the sold-out venue was guaranteed to for an evening of relentless anthems, and the bands did not disappoint.
Angus McSix
Kicking off the night was the band with the most to prove. The history of Angus McSix is famously intertwined with the acrimonious split of its original singer, Thomas Winkler, from Gloryhammer. Formed in 2022 by Winkler and Orden Ogan mastermind Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann, the band’s debut, Angus McSix and the Sword of Power, was not only the fastest selling debut album for a power metal band, but contained more cheese than Lord Roquefort of Emmental on his way to a battle in the mystical land of Parmigiano Reggiano, and.. I might add, we loved every single minute of it as well.
However, the saga took another turn with Winkler’s departure and as a result, this London show was, for many, a first look at his replacement: the new wielder of the holy sword of power is Sam Nyman of Manimal fame, now reborn as “Adam McSix.”
Any apprehension from the crowd evaporated the moment the band launched into their new single, ‘6666′. Nyman is a powerhouse. Where Winkler’s charm was in his narrative delivery, Nyman is a pure, classic metal vocalist. He didn’t just sing the role; he commanded it, hitting stratosphere-high notes with an assertive power that perfectly suited the material. Flanked by Seeb (as “Archdemon Seebulon” on guitar) and the rest of the epic lineup, the band was a blur of motion, energy and fantasy. The band is also now completed by former All For Metal six stringer Jasmin Pabst who brings her own epic playing to the mix.
The set was a compact blast of hits from their debut. ‘Master of the Universe’ served as a perfect re-introduction, its infectious chorus uniting the room. The sheer, joyful absurdity of ‘Laser-Shooting Dinosaur’ had the entire floor bouncing, while ‘Sixcalibur’ proved its mettle as the band’s signature hymn. It was a short but potent set, definitively proving that the legend of McSix is in capable hands.
Setlist:
6666
Master of the Universe
Sixcalibur
Laser-Shooting Dinosaur
The Fire of Yore
Ride to Hell
Orden Ogan
After a swift changeover, Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann returned to the stage, this time front-and-centre with his primary musical force, Orden Ogan. Formed in 1996, the German quartet has spent decades meticulously building a reputation as one of power metal’s most consistent and formidable acts. Often (and accurately) dubbed the “legitimate successors to Blind Guardian,” their sound is a dense, melancholy, and incredibly heavy brand of metal, telling the ongoing story of their mascot, Alister Vale.
Their stage, bathed in reds and icy blues, set a much darker tone. Kicking off with the driving ‘F.E.V.E.R.’, Orden Ogan’s set was a joyous affair and a seminar in modern power metal production. The riffs were tight, the layered vocals were flawless, and Seeb’s presence as a frontman was (as it always is) magnetic. His use of “my friends” when addressing the crowd genuinely leaves you believing you’re all best of mates. No complaints from me. The setlist was a perfect blend of new cuts from their superb 2024 album, ‘The Order of Fear’, with ‘Conquest’ and the title track sounding particularly massive, as well as established classics.
The mid-set pairing of ‘Gunman’ and ‘Let the Fire Rain’ was a high point, with the crowd’s “whoa-ohs” threatening to overpower the PA. But the true highlight of the night was of course, ‘The Things We Believe In’, the epic track that first got me into the band. Seeb paused the show as he always does to instruct the crowd on what to sing but, being a British audience, he had a little more flexibility.
“London!” he bellowed, a grin on his face. “I have an idea. When I say ‘And so we are,’ you sing ‘beer beer beer’!” The crowd laughed and gamely obliged for a round, shouting the new, boozy lyric with gusto. “Okay, okay,” Seeb laughed, “now for the real one!” The band crashed back in, and as the chorus hit, the entire venue roared the traditional refrain, COLD. DEAD. AND GONE.” with a passion that shook the building. It was a perfect, albeit slightly drunken bonding between band and crowd.
SETLIST:
F.E.V.E.R.
Conquest
Come With Me to the Other Side
Heart of the Android
The Order of Fear
Gunman
Let the Fire Rain
The Things We Believe In
Fields of Sorrow
Wind Rose
Finally, it was time for the headliners. It is staggering to witness what Wind Rose has become. The Italian band, formed in 2009, spent its first decade as a respectable (if somewhat niche) Tolkien-themed folk/power metal act. Then, in 2019, they released a cover of a Minecraft-related YouTube song: “Diggy Diggy Hole.”
The world changed for them overnight.
What was once a meme has become a global anthem, and Wind Rose has cannily built an entire “Dwarven Metal” empire upon it. As the lights dimmed, the crowd, now a sea of brown and yellow inflatable pickaxes and hammers, began the “DURIN’S SONS!” chant. The band, led by the colossal (vocally and physically) presence of vocalist Francesco Cavalieri, took to the stage and launched into an set of pure, wholly uplifting, joyous metal.
If you had only seen them as a support act a few years ago, you’d be forgiven for not recognising the band that stood before us. This was a headline-worthy performance, slick, confident, and utterly dominant. Their growth is immense. They are no longer just “the Diggy Diggy band”; they are the undisputed kings of their subgenre.
The setlist took us through the history of the band, tapping into a 15 year career and all of the tentpole tracks were present. The crowd sang every single word back to them. Early hits like ‘Mine Mine Mine!’ were bellowed with the energy of World Cup finals. But the true testament to their new status was the reaction to their latest material.
The band played ‘Rock and Stone’ from their new album ‘Trollslayer’. The song, a direct tribute to the game ‘Deep Rock Galactic’ (which has “Rock and Stone!” as its central salute), was met with a roar of approval, the crowd pumping their fists and pickaxes in perfect time.
Of course, the night had to end one way. As the unmistakable “I AM A DWARF AND I’M DIGGING A HOLE!” intro began, the floor erupted. It is, without exaggeration, one of the most fun, unifying, and loudest songs in the modern metal repertoire. Wind Rose has grown from a novelty act into a genuine phenomenon, and their headline performance at a sold-out Electric Brixton was the final, definitive proof. It was a triumphant end to a night that showcased the incredible health, diversity, and sheer fun of 21st-century power metal.
SETLIST:
Of Ice and Blood – Intro
Dance of the Axes
The Great Feast Underground
Army of Stone
Mine Mine Mine!
Gates of Ekrund
To Be a Dwarf
Trollslayer
The Returning Race
To Erebor
The King Under the Mountain
Shot in the Dark (Ozzy Osbourne cover)
Together We Rise
Diggy Diggy Hole (The Yogscast cover) (with The Yogscast)
Rock and Stone
Rock and Stone Dance Remix – Outro
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