Based in a North London shopping mall, the O2 Academy Islington is a no frills venue, that is not so much spit and sawdust as just spit. Tonight, they were hosting the Domination Tour, made up of the Power Metal legends Primal Fear and Heavy Metal’s Ronnie Romero.
Primal Fear – Ronnie Romero
O2 Academy Islington – 11 March 2026
Words: Sean Titley
Photography: Manuela Langotsch
Headliners Primal Fear arrived to huge cheers from the expectant crowd, which clearly contained many long-time fans. From the opening, the assembled horde are celebrating, punching fists and waving arms in the air from the start and throughout the gig.
The stage aesthetic backed up the pounding beat of the drums with a striking backdrop of a red-eyed eagle gliding forward with talons outstretched, flanked by side images of mythological monsters snarling and fanged, framing the musician’s intensity.
Primal Fear radiated good humour and were playfully self-aware, bringing out that other side of German Power Metal that it is uplifting and fun rather than the all-out aggression that the imagery projects.
The set ran through a lineup of their most famous and loved songs, including Chainbreaker, which got a fevered roar from the crowd when introduced, the beautiful Fighting The Darkness, the fast-paced tempo romp of Nuclear Fire and the emotional Final Embrace.
Primal Fear showcased their 2025 album Domination by playing Destroyer as their opener, along with I Am The Primal Fear and what for me was the standout catchy hook track, The Hunter. All songs were belted out with the piercing high-register vocals, driving drums, exquisite shredding and riffing of the lead guitars and the backbone bass of Mat Sinner.
Thalia Bellazecca’s presence was what, for me, took the night from something wonderful but predictable (for a long time fan of Power Metal) to a real surprise. Rather than settling with nostalgia, the band has injected a jolt of energy into the lineup with this twenty-something Italo-Cuban lead guitarist.
Clad in a spike-studded black top and skin-tight, glossy black spandex trousers, knowingly echoing earlier Metal iconography, she looks every bit the modern heir to the larger-than-life rock star throne.
In the ’80s, every boy would have had a poster of her on their wall. Now, it is a high-octane reason to hit follow on Instagram. Tall, charismatic and armed with a sleek, black Flying V, she attacked the fretboard with confidence while her bouncing halo of hair moved with a life of its own.
Throughout it all, she played with a broad, infectious smile, a sense of sheer joy that is palpable and quickly spreads through the crowd.
Musically, Bellazecca proved an ideal complement to fellow lead guitarist Magnus Karlsson, often mirroring his stage movement and locking into harmonised passages as she sharpens her craft alongside an established master axeman. Her fluid leads and swagger, reminiscent, to me, of a young Jimmy Page, signal a star on the rise.
The set was wildly fun and a striking contrast to today’s usual diet of mosh pits and walls of death. Instead, there were wailing guitar solos, harmonised lead guitars, lording of stage podiums, sing-along choruses belted out with the crowd by vocalist Ralf Scheepers, banter and sinking beers on stage.
Harking back to a different era, the only thing missing was a lit cigarette hanging out of a musicians mouth as they performed some ridiculously dextrous musical manoeuvre.
Hands Of Time, the penultimate track, touched deep for a fanbase and band that have matured together. Seeing frenetic, high-tempo drummer, Andre Hilgers, humbly sitting by his kit, keeping the beat with only his drumsticks, only rising to tickle a final cymbal, marked a skill in understanding that gentleness can pack the same musical impact as force.
Of course, Primal Fear were not going out without a final rumpus, which Running In The Dust duly delivered, leaving a happy, buzzing crowd heading out into the night.
Ronnie Romero
Ronnie Romero’s four-piece band delivered a tightly focused set that felt like a deliberate throwback to Heavy Metal’s most balls-to-the-wall era.
Romero himself dominated the performance. His voice carries a striking resemblance to the soaring power of Ronnie James Dio, with the same ability to rise into dramatic, sustained screams while keeping a rich melodic tone.
Romero leaned fully into the Metal drama, throwing his hands skyward before launching into a soaring vocal run.
Musically, the band kept things disciplined and old school. The drummer drove a steady, traditional Metal tempo throughout, while the lead guitarist delivered full-tilt solos complete with the guitar ‘pull off’ mid-solo, and plectrum hand-in-the-air pose, which was stock once upon a time but refreshing to see again.
The crowd were a little slow to warm up to the excellence on stage, but were soon to be seen clapping along and punching the air.
With the O2 Academy Islington letting the queues into the venue late, there were clearly some behind-the-scenes scheduling glitches, which led to a sense of urgency on stage. The band repeatedly checked the clock and referenced their shortened set time. Even so, they maintained momentum.
They closed with a spirited cover of Deep Purple’s 1993 track The Battle Rages On, drawn from one of Romero’s cover projects. It was a fitting finale. Metal veterans delivering a polished performance that celebrated Metal’s enduring power and Romero’s first-rate voice.
