A lot of people ask us – ‘is it really worth travelling that far for such a small festival’?. We only answer ‘absolutely’. ProgPower USA has become a staple in the The Metalist’s summer festival diet, and also a indication that the festival season has officially wrapped up. 2016 boasts one of the best line-up’s yet, and we travelled to Atlanta to enjoy every moment of it.

So what makes ProgPower USA so special? The answer is quite simple. It’s the family that has been built inside this venue over the 17 years this festival has been running. No matter what bands are playing, and what diverse tastes in metal that the patrons have, everyone is united by the fact there is a small festival dedicated to giving European bands the chance to gain a foothold in the United States, something that does not happen anywhere else in the country. It’s so appreciated, and that love has spread around the fans and binded them together to a point where ProgPower USA is a yearly must.

Bands like Dragonforce and Blind Guardian take the headliner roles playing to a mere 1’500 people, where a month earlier we had seen both bands play the gargantuan main stage at Wacken Open Air in front of 75’000 fans. The intimacy of shows like these in the USA is something special. In Europe these bands have gotten so big that small shows rarely happen, but in the USA they are considered one of the smaller bands.

This year marked a slight difference in the festival – due to it’s increasing popularity, the promoters extended the two-day experience into a full-blown four day affair, much to the excitement of the regular festival goers. Each day had it’s own monumental headliner as well, by my humble opinion making it the best line-up the festival has ever seen.

DAY ONE

Us Brits struggle in the heat, and it was hot in Atlanta. I mean really hot. Temperatures were topping 37 (100F) everyday of the festival. It was there we thanked our lucky stars that the festival was indoors, and one step outside and we were roasting. The Centre Stage venue in the heart of Midtown was well-prepared, fully air-conditioned and stocked to the brim with cold local beer. That’s how we like to kick off a metal festival.

First up were the heavy metal patrons of Australia, Lord, who have gained quite the significant following in their home country. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them before on their home turf, and it’s quite a show they put on. While some were unfamiliar with their structures of traditional heavy metal riffing with tracks such as ‘Set in Stone‘ and ‘Redemption‘, it’s fair to say the ProgPower crowd was won over pretty quickly with this one. A celebration of traditional heavy metal, Lord own at what they do, and lace their intervals with that Australian charm that the PPUSA crowd have come to love so much.

Stream of Passion were next up to the plate, delivering a performance that was of course one of their finest to date, but threaded into the mix was a solemn atmosphere. The knowledge that the band will be breaking up at the end of the year contributed to that. It did however bring a sense of pride to the fans knowing that they were witnessing one of the last ever performances on grounds far away from the bands home, and definitely put their energy into SoP’s hard-hitters such as ‘Monster‘ & ‘Out in the Real World‘.

So we’ve had some prog, and we’ve had some power, but what comes next is just a bit beyond me in understanding. Maybe I’m just that musically illiterate, but I cannot comprehend Spock’s Beard for the life of me. There’s so many notes, albeit flawlessly executed, that build up these gargantuan progressive pieces, but I can’t follow what’s going on.

I heard it all while these guys were playing, ‘being labelled ‘dad prog’, ‘ultimate prog’, ‘the kings of notes’, ‘music for that of a neck beard’. What I can say is that these five men certainly knew what they were doing, and they really pleased the pure progressive fans in the audience. For myself, it’s overwhelming prog. But I must adhere to the fact that this band pleased the masses.

And then we had the polar opposite in Dragonforce to cap off the evening. While musically technical, song structures were simple, and fast, oh so very fast. It was an awkward transition at first for those who had spent the majority of the Spock’s Beard show standing with their arms crossed and periodically nodding in approval. Dragonforce wanted energy, and struggled to bring it out, until the prog legions were left very impressed with the technical guitar flurries of Herman Li and Sam Totman.

The big hits that included ‘Fury of the Storm‘ and ‘Heroes of our Time‘ finally brought out the best in the venue with jumping, singing and some general movement. Dragonforce are so much fun to watch live, no matter what your opinion is on their music, and a good headliner to finish off the first day of the festival.

DAY TWO

Unlike last year, the ProgPower line-up was not plauged with visa issues. The amount of bands that had to cancel last year because of one issue or another with the US visa system was staggering, however the PPUSA crew are second-to-none when it comes to handling crises, and managed to find brilliant replacements on short notice for those who couldn’t play last year.

Unfortunately this year there was one major cancellation in Gloryhammer that came at the last minute, but the PPUSA crew found a great replacement in the nick of time to ensure the show carried on. That replacement was found in Ghost Ship Octavius, who perform a very interesting brand of gothic prog.

While I don’t know a whole let about their music, the show had a great stage presence with the members donned ethereal Victorian attire, and certainly made a great impression with their sound. I did end up purchasing their CD, which probably says that ‘yes, the band are definitely work checking out’. I’m happy I got to see them now. Ghost Ship Octavius will get bigger.

It was Pyramaze though that struck up a lot of interest for the evening. A show that would include all of the bands past vocalists including the former Iced Earth vocalist Matt Barlow. Bursting on stage to the sound of ‘We Are The Ocean‘ with current vocalist Terje Haroy, the most noticeable aspect of this bands performance almost immediately was the sound was as crisp and clean as progressive bands strive for.
Playing a few songs with Haroy, the energy levels were right up there as the band flawlessly executed a few of their back catalogue tracks – but really came to life when Matt Barlow, a ProgPower celebrity, came to the stage to perform his tracks with his time with Pyramaze. A great run through, in particular his rendition of ‘Year of the Phoenix‘, before Lance King gave his vocal talents on the stage with tracks like ‘What Lies Beyond‘, and all three vocalists wrapping up the show with ‘Disciples of the Sun‘. First time I have ever seen Pyramaze, and it was pretty unforgettable.

Now next up was Norway’s Circus Maximus, a band which I have seen many times before, but unfortunately had to miss this time around due to interview commitments. I understood from the fans though that progsters put on a riveting show as always, and of course left the venue satisfied and embraced their status as ProgPower veterans. There was a certain eagerness spreading around though to get glimpse of a certain German power metal band with a worldwide acclaim, as they were about to do something quite special for the festival.

If you hadn’t figured it out, that band is Blind Guardian. A band I have seen in massive capacities before, but not as intimate as the Center Stage venue. Even more special, they were about to play one of my favourite power metal albums of all time in it’s entirety – ‘Imaginations From The Other Side‘, now over 20 years old.

The band emerge to a roaring reception as they warm up the audience with the newer Guardian tracks, opening with the bombastic ‘The Ninth Wave‘, continuing with the sing-a-long classics ‘Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)‘ and ‘Nightfall‘. With the venue energy in full kilt, it was time to treat us all to a live rendition of the classic album.

What was brilliant about the performance was the modern age twist on the album – a classic played with the 21st century Blind Guardian live setup – and it sounded absolutely fantastic. Something I would go on to hope the band will release on a DVD or live album, as it would seem that that the full album performance of a legendary metal album would be a little milestone in the band’s already illustrious career.

Seeing Blind Guardian in an intimate setting truly was a spectacle, as I know I might never get that opportunity again. The echoing of the final tracks of ‘Valhalla‘ and ‘The Bards Song‘ never get old, and certainly were resonating as powerful as any massive festival would. Yet another great headliner to cap off another day.

 

DAY THREE

And now we are well into the festivities. As people drag themselves into the venue after being blasted from the Atlanta heat, fans were ready for a cold Canadian touch from melodic metallers Ascendia. Not knowing much about this band myself, it was a pretty instant impact on impression. Some traditional power metal elements vastly strengthened by the background symphonics. Canada definitely has a rising progressive-power scene – every band I seem to hear from the country these days seems to do something fantastic, and Ascendia were nothing short of that bar set by the growing local scene. I’ll be watching these guys in the days to come.

And from the other ends of the earth arrive Vanishing Point, hailing from Melbourne, Australia, the band were to perform their first show in the USA in their 25 years of existence. I have had the pleasure of seeing this band a couple times before filling support slots on their home turf, and every time it has been brilliant. It’s actually hard to believe that the band have not toured more extensively around the world.

Of course the band managed to get around to my personal favourites ‘When Truth Lies‘ and ‘Distant Is The Sun‘. But that’s besides the point. From all the jetlag and long struggle to get around the world for this show, Vanishing Point delivered harder than I have ever seen them deliver before. They were out to really make an impression on this American audience, and that kind of effort is always so well received by ProgPower fans. It’s definitely time this band got a full blown tour of the US, so let’s hope there are offers!

Ironically enough though it was Freedom Call who I was most looking forward to in the third day of ProgPower proceedings – ironic because it is probably the band I least like musically out of the bands listed for the day. But Freedom Call are so much fun on the live stage – I have seen them in support roles so many times, and they have ended up blowing the main act away. Their stage presence is energetic and their music delivers such light-hearted fun. Tracks like ‘Power & Glory‘ and ‘Warriors‘ always win their way through audiences, and their first time in the USA proved to be no different. It was definitely a ‘heavy metal party’ and one of my favourite performances of the festival

So the next act in The Gentle Storm was interesting. The act really wasn’t so much as a showcase of the actual project but as an opportunity for frontwoman Anneke van Giersbergen to perform a bunch of classics throughout her career. Of course a few songs from the album served as the openers, but tracks performed ranged from The Gathering, to Devin Townsend covers which surprised me a little, even the Aqua de Annique cover in the mix. But with Anneke being such a prolific frontwoman, it was quite refreshing to hear a lot of these forgotten tracks surface again.

Such a sweet and tranquil atmosphere had been created by The Gentle Storm, only to be hacked down by the brutal and technical Scar Symmetry. I am just fine with that. The Swedes have been consistent on my playlists for a number of years now, producing albums that have one of the sharpest edges and the cleanest sounds what I can argue as something to set a bar for the entire industry. Despite an initial muffled sound, the band finally got into their groove to pump out classics like ‘Morphogenesis‘ and ‘Mind Machine‘. It was the first time I’ve seen Scar Symmetry play for 90 minutes, and every minute was enjoyable as the next, even further proving that Per Nilsson is one of the best guitarists in metal at the moment.

So here is a band that quite honestly I never got in to. But wait – the only album I actually own by them happens to be ‘Awaken the Guardian‘, and I like that one. It also happens to be the album they will be performing in it’s entirety this evening with their original vocalist John Arch. It couldn’t have fit any better as my first Fates Warning show really. Take it away!

While it almost instantly seemed John Arch was a little out of practise on his vocals, the whole experience was quite special. The sound was perfect, and bringing such an underground progressive masterpiece to life in the 21st century made for yet another memorable ProgPower experience. Metal fans from all shades of the spectrum were watching and approving of what was likely one of the albums that they listened to in their youth, and probably still sits somewhere on a shelf, be it cassette, CD or vinyl. Like I keep saying after every day at this festival, another memorable night.

DAY FOUR

Let’s kick the day off with some British heavy metal shall we? Yes let’s do it. Savage Messiah are the first to storm the stage. It’s just what you need to open a day of music, simple heavy metal done well. From the traditional mid-tempo riffing to the blazing fast guitar solos, the band are kicking ass and easing you in to the more intense music to come. Fans are loving it, the band is loving it, it’s the perfect start to a Saturday afternoon.

Serious Black take the stage next to pump out their brand of traditional European power metal. What I didn’t actually know about this band is that besides vocalist Urban Breed, the band is actually made up of quite a few prolific musicians including Bob Katsionis of Firewind and Alex Holzworth of Rhapsody of Fire. It’s quite the supergroup performing at ProgPower today, and noticable through the impeccable sound that resonates throughout the venue during the entirety of the performance. Tracks like ‘Sealing My Fate‘ and ‘High and Low‘ bode well with the fans, as the band wrap up a rare yet enthusiastic performance in the USA.

Moving on to Refuge now, a band that is not actually established, but represents the classic line-up of Rage between ’88 and ’93. As a long time fan of Rage, this was the act I was most looking forward to, and I was not disappointed one bit. The band reenacted their performances of old, churning out the classic dirty heavy metal tracks like ‘Enough is Enough‘ and ‘Solitary Man‘. Much to my surprise Refuge were extremely well received for a band that had really never touched American shores, it was quite pleasing to me that even more people than expected sit on the Rage train.

So how often do you see a band get on stage to play one song? Not very I would imagine, but that is exactly what Green Carnation are at ProgPower to do today. Here to play their one song, ‘Light of Day, Day of Darkness‘, would baffle any non-informed person like myself, but this song was one album clocking at 60 minutes long, and today the reunited band will perform that song in it’s entirety. You’ve probably figured that I don’t know a whole lot about these Norwegians, so watching this performance was interesting. The sounds thrown into this single track mix were certainly appealing, but it was one of those performances that struck just a little to artsy for my liking. It was much appreciated by those who understood it, but perhaps I must give the band more time to appeal to me.

Next up was a band I had been pestered in to seeing. My colleague told me to listen to them, he told me to see them, and I simply didn’t. Boy do I feel stupid now. Haken are unreal. Probably ranking in the top of the best progressive performances I have ever seen. It was flawless execution of well-constructed progressive masterpieces threading every note on the live stage together as if the music was more of a journey than entertainment. Shows like that really do bring back the art form to music, it was fantastic. And yes, I listened to everything they’d ever done on the plane home. Brand new Haken fanatic here. And we even got a surprise appearance from ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy!

It was 2005 when I last caught glimpse of Devin Townsend. Back then he was in a wee band called Strapping Young Lad. They were supporting another wee band called Arch Enemy, and I’ve been a Devin fan ever since this band totally blew the headliner off the stage. I’ve never managed an opportunity to see him since except following his live exploits on the internet which get better on every tour. Finally 11 years later I can see this magnificent man and his band perform again to end the ProgPower festivities.

And with Anneke van Giersbergen on board for this show to provide the female vocal support, it was to be yet another Devin Townsend epic. Bone crushing sound with industrial strength guitar riffing provided the atmosphere while Devin showcased his vocal talents on the live plain, ranging from the operatic in ‘Angel‘ to the Nordic shrieking in ‘Addicted!’, intermittently babbling in between his music with some comical farce.

Ending with the magnificent ‘Grace‘, Devin was certainly one of the best ProgPower performers in the 4 years I have been attending, but that’s not many years though by the average ProgPower attendee standards. The quality of music that surrounds this festival has long been a key pillar of success for this festival, but it’s the great organisation, fan response, and mutual love of progressive and power metal music that bind the fans, bands and crew together in this small festival, and creates one happy family.

ProgPower USA is an annual family reunion, and we’ll certainly be there to catch up next year.