Roel van Helden — born in the Netherlands in 1980 — has been Powerwolf's drummer since 2011, and the only member to join the band after its founding. His arrival coincides with Blood of the Saints (2011), the record that marked Powerwolf's turn from a circuit band into a festival name in Europe. Since then he has recorded the entire output: Preachers of the Night (2013), Blessed & Possessed (2015), The Sacrament of Sin (2018), Call of the Wild (2021) and Wake Up the Wicked (2024). His function differs from what power metal usually demands. Powerwolf does not build its tracks on double kick at maximum speed: the repertoire is made to be sung by crowds, with mid tempos, clear marking and room for the church organ and the choirs. The drums have to sustain the liturgical solemnity the band pursues without turning everything into a race — an approach of restraint harder to get right than pure speed. Van Helden has solid technical training and also works as a drum educator, and he is Dutch in a German band whose singer is Romanian — a combination that makes Powerwolf a less national group than its image suggests.
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