The Almighty Defenders Bring Salvation to Sled Island

The Almighty Defenders were looking a little less than, well, mighty when they took the stage of Calgary's Royal Canadian Legion #1 for the first night of Sled Island.

King Khan's decision to skip the gig because of a nasty feud with longtime accomplice Mark Sultan, aka BBQ, may have been well advised, but it was clear that the supergroup, which also features Black Lips and Khan's now-former bandmate Sultan, seemed out of sorts without the infamous singer on deck.

At least that was the case until Sultan kicked the audience into gear with his pseudo-sermon. "Do you feel me? If you feel me, raise your hands," he rumbled like a man possessed before launching into the gospel romp 'Cone of Light.' Getting into the spirit -- the holy spirit, that is -- the ensemble thrilled with more gems off of their 2009 self-titled debut like 'Jihad Blues,' winning points for their over-the-top religious robes and wild demon-like growls. And while the boisterous charm of Lord Khan would have been an added bonus to the performance, it's nice to know that the rest of the Almighty Defenders can still bring plenty of salvation on their own.