Mad With Power Fest opened its doors for its eigth iteration with a fiery blast of wind. Figuratively speaking, of course. Hosted as always in Madison, Wisconsin by the legendary Ty Christian of Lords of the Trident, this celebration of all things heavy metal and video games roared to life with joyful absurdity, tight musicianship, and more costumes and inflatable swords than a Spirit Halloween. With a lineup as eclectic as it was electrifying and an energy that could turn even the shyest bystander into a battle-ready bard, the festival’s welcoming vibe was felt from the very first riff as everyone became instant best friends.

Brian Koenig, guitarist of Lords of the Trident, kicked off the festivities. He was a very, very late addition to the lineup, but absolutely no one was complaining about getting a double dose of the Baron! Armed with a guitar and a projector screen loaded with retro goodness, Koenig shredded through a blazing set of heavy metal video game covers. Castlevania, Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda, and more made an appearance, with crowd favourite “Megalovania” from Undertale causing a massive cheer. It filled everyone with DETERMINATION. Though his slot felf brief, Koenig’s high-octane performance showed that great art doesn’t need much prep time, just passion and a whole lot of horsepower.

Next up was Oryad, whose performance transported the audience from the sweaty midwestern venue to some mystical place of mountains, firelight, and epic dreams. Their blend of progressive metal, operatic vocals, and dramatic atmosphere felt like a movie score come to life. Frontwoman Moira Murphy completely hypnotized everyone with her haunting voice and magnetic stage presence, bringing a haunting hush over a crowd that had just been headbanging seconds before. It was a powerful moment of contrast, one that showcased the diverse beauty of this incredible genre.

Mega Colossus hit the stage next like a burst of pure unadulterated energy. Also added late to the lineup, these guys wasted no time whipping the crowd into a frenzy. With tight riffing, soaring choruses, and just the right amount of cheeseball charm, they had fists in the air and voices shouting along by the second song. The crowd was clearly hungry for old-school power metal bombast, and Mega Colossus served it up by the plateful. Their songs were catchy, their smiles were huge, and the energy only climbed as their set continued.

And just when the party couldn’t get any more rowdy, Ty Christian joined forces with Mega Colossus for “Razor City.” It was one of those perfect festival moments: artists coming together just for the love of it. The energy shot through the roof, and fans surged forward to get closer. And just like his collabs last year at Mad With Power 7, Ty radiated pure joy the entire time that was positively infectious. The camaraderie between everyone, musicians, crew, attendees, is part of what makes Mad With Power so special. We’re pretty sure half the reason Mad With Power exists is so Ty can have fun little side quests like this with all his friends. These side quests are some of the best features of the fest, because you never know who will pop out on stage next!

Then after a very much appreciated dinner break (Mad With Power is the only fest with a scheduled dinner break!) came The Dread Crew of Oddwood, who turned the fest into a full-on pirate tavern hoedown. Their acoustic pirate metal brought smiles to every face, and inflatable swords that had been bobbing gently throughout the day suddenly became battle-ready. With songs about rum, sea monsters, and maritime mayhem, the Dread Crew had everyone laughing, dancing, and shouting “YARRR” without a hint of self-consciousness. The set was so fuch fun that even Valerio Storch of Nanowar of Steel couldn’t help but join in for some dancing, backup vocals, and epic air guitaring. The Dread Crew of Oddwood were silly in the best way and ridiculously tight musically.

Nanowar of Steel followed, and somehow things got even more absurd, in the most delightfully silly way. Returning to the U.S. for only the third time, previously opening for DragonForce and co-headlining with Tragedy, and for a single show no less, the Italian parody metal masters leaned hard into their antics and had the crowd howling with laughter. From power ballads about IKEA to disco metal dancing to lamenting about the 1994 World Cup final when Italy lost 3-2 because of penalties, their blend of high-level musicianship and off-the-wall humor was irresistible.

This was one of the largest venues Nanowar has played in the States, which gave so much more room for shenanigans. An extra-large pit means only one thing to Nanowar: an extra-large Wall of Love. Instead of mashing into each other full force like a normal, boring wall of death, Nanowar’s Wall of Love has everyone running in for a big ol’ hug. Barbagianni obviously made an appearance, as is tradition, and everyone already familiar with Nanowar took so much delight in watching the reactions of everyone getting their first taste of the unpredictable antics. No one cared if the lyrics made sense. All that mattered was the joy radiating from the stage and the collective giddiness in the pit.

Closing out the night were Greek power metal titans Firewind, who brought a dose of straight-faced epicness to the festivities. Though they had traveled halfway across the world to play this one set, there wasn’t a hint of fatigue in their delivery. Gus G., as always, played like a man possessed, unleashing solo after jaw-dropping solo that had fans’ jaws firmly on the floor. The band ripped through their set with sharp precision, keeping the energy high and the audience locked in. To round out the set and perfectly balance serious shredding with silly shenanigans, several of the crew joined the band on stage for a wild dance party to a raging cover of “Maniac.”

The final moments of Firewind’s performance felt like a victory lap. Flags were waved, fists were pumped, and more than a few horns were thrown. Gus G. wanted to send the night out not with a ‘goodbye’ but a ‘see you later’, stating “If you jump the fuck up on this next one, we’ll come back to America next year for a full blown American tour. […] And with a new fuckin’ album!” And the Sylvee shook as if overtaken by an earthquake. Looks like we’ll be seeing Firewind stateside again next year!

Every act that played brought something unique and personal to the stage, and the crowd left buzzing with excitement. If day one was a wild, hilarious, heartfelt tribute to the power of community and fantasy, day two promised to take things even further. With big names still to come and surprises likely in store, the adventure is far from over…

June 6th, 2025