Sea of Tranquility

The Demise of Power Quest

13 January 2013

Simon Bray

It's not often now that I'm firmly middle-aged that news from the music world really knocks me for six or deeply affects me. The deaths of Ronnie James Dio and Gotthard's Steve Lee come to mind but the recently announced demise of British power metal band Power Quest leaves me severely irked. In my review of what now appears, sadly to be their last album, Blood Alliance I said;

"I would most definitely be fair to say that Power Quest as a band and in particular main man Steve Williams (keyboards) have not had anywhere near their fair share of luck. For around a decade now they have been making top quality power metal whilst making precious little headway into the mainstream marketplace that say other, arguably inferior similar bands (DragonForce) have managed. Therefore the temptation to pack it all in must have been great when Williams found himself as the sole remaining member despite the excellence of the Master of Illusion record of 2008."

Well now he has and I think it reflects the low ebb that rock music currently finds itself at particularly here in the UK. If a band with such tremendous life-affirming tunes such as the Quest can't make it then who can? Neverworld, Cemetery Gates, When I'm Gone, Children of the Dream; all songs which have meant a great deal to me over the last decade. Crunching the Numbers dealt with the fiscal crisis and the masterful I Don't Believe in Friends Forever mused on lost friendships and backstabbing. In many ways Power Quest had all bases covered with massive choruses and memorable hooks they really should have been massive.

But they weren't and now they're nearly gone because, as Steve Williams said, "If there isn't sufficient demand for the product then there comes a time when reality has to bite unfortunately." Yet nearly ten million people here in the UK watch karaoke talent shows every Saturday when they could be out supporting live music and the many other great bands who must be in a similar position to Power Quest.

One of the things I thought last night when I read the news of Power Quest's passing was, "could I have done more?" I only saw the band live once at Bradford Rios with Pagan's Mind and it was truly unforgettable. I did manage to go and see Pagan's Mind again in Leeds which is fifty miles from my house but I never bothered to see Power Quest at Satan's Hollow of at the Academy when the supported Michael Schenker so yes…I could have done more and now I'll probably never see them again.

So, I think the moral here is to go and see bands when they come near you or otherwise they won't be coming near you again and that will make the place a much, much sadder place.

I only had the pleasure of speaking to Steve Williams once when I interviewed him for the HardRockHouse website and he was utterly charming and extremely courteous and believe me there are some total dicks in the music world. Sometimes there's no justice in life but even though there wasn't sufficient demand for the product, those of us who went on the Quest loved it, really loved it.

Simon Bray