POWER OF METAL I CONCERT REVIEW
November 20, 2002
The Social - Orlando, FL
by Dr. Metal
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Rick Renstrom w/Wade & Richard
Dirk, Eggi & Tobias of Edguy
Felix raging on drums
Rob Rock
Bob Rossi
Rick Renstrom
Jens shredding
Tobias Sammet
Tobias & Rob
I was one of the few lucky souls that witnessed both EDGUY's awesome performance at the PROG-POWER festival in Atlanta and their debut in Orlando at the first POWER OF METAL Festival only 5 days later. Now this is why I moved to Orlando! I actually walked down the street after work to see the show. There were even a few guys at the show with their Prog-Power shirts on. The attendance was below what I would have guessed, but the club was small and VERY intimate and eventually filled in nicely. This proved to be quite cool!

The original lineup for this show had Seven Witches and a few other bands on the billing, but it was pared down to Ezra Stone, Rick Renstrom, Rob Rock and Edguy. I was siked to see Seven Witches, as I am a big Jack Frost fan, but it didn't happen. Still an awesome lineup, one that I would never miss.

First up, local Metal band Ezra Stone opened the show. Not terrible, but a spotty performance at best. They need to work on the songs a little more. I grabbed a free demo CD that was tossed my way, and again...there's potential, but a long way to go.

Next was Rick Renstrom, guitarist for Rob Rock, doing his first show on his own. Check out who he had with him on stage: Wade Black (ex-Seven Witches and Crimson Glory) on vocals! I'm a huge fan of his. I got to talk to him a while and get some autographs and photos. Wade lives nearby in Tampa. What a great guy, and truly one of the best singers in Metal. Also on stage with Rick was Richard Christy, drummer for Iced Earth. Again, I got to hang out with one of the coolest and most talented drummers in Metal. He and Jon Shaffer were also at Prog-Power and mingled with the fans. Rob Rock's bassist Stephen Elder played for Rick also. About Rick Renstrom, all I can say is...Wow. Despite his physical limitations, Rick is easily one of the best guitarists I have ever seen. This man is an amazing talent. Check the pics, that's all I can say. The band performed several originals and a few covers, including Yngwie Malmsteen's "I'll See The Light Tonight." It was a brief yet solid performance.

Next was Rob Rock. Rob has sung for numerous bands through the years, but is best known for his work with Impellitteri. Rob released his first solo album in 2000, "Rage of Creation." I make no bones about the fact that Rob Rock is my favorite singer of all time. He is the voice of METAL. This was my first time seeing him play live. Not only that, but I got to talk to him and get his autograph on some of the many classic CDs he has sung on. I went into the pit and banged my head while he performed great songs from his solo album and other classic tunes such as "Nations On Fire" and "Stand Up and Fight" from one of the best Metal albums of all time, M.A.R.S. Project: Driver. He also threw in an Impellitteri tune. Simply amazing! I got some great live shots. Rob has a really solid band, consisting off Rick Renstrom and Bob Rossi (guitars), Tracy Shell (drums), and Stephen Elder (bass).

The Rob Rock setlist:
In The Beginning / The Sun Will Rise Again
One Way Out
Nations On Fire (MARS)
Eagle
Symphony 40 (New)
In The Night
Warrior (Impellitteri)
Stand Up and Fight (MARS)
Judgment Day
Finishing the show was Germany's EDGUY, hot off their blistering performance at Prog-Power in Atlanta. They basically played the same set as in Atlanta, but they also played "Pharoah" from Mandrake, which as you may know, is a very long song (over 10 minutes!) I didn't expect that one. Tobias Sammet was again talkative and hilarious. The Edguys enjoy themselves onstage and that makes their shows even more fun. Again, the highlight was when they did "Avantasia" and asked Rob Rock to join them. Talk about some great vocals! A really powerful set played by a great band made even more special by the fact that I was very close (right up on the stage). I got some great photos, which made up for my lack of good live shots at Prog-Power. I banged my head and sang along. I was rewarded with a guitar pick from Jens and Eggi and a drumstick from Felix.
My thanks to the promoters and Rob Rock for making this show happen. It was a great show and my wife and I had a blast! I can't wait to see what lineup we'll get next year. Hopefully Rob Rock will release his new album and will be back again. Cheers.