Power Metal

[Laich21DT]

Uhh, Savatage is power metal, right? If so, them. Can't believe they hadn't been mentioned.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I feel like the definition of power metal is just melting around me.

[kirksnosehair]

Uhh, Savatage is power metal, right? If so, them. Can't believe they hadn't been mentioned.

Yeah, awesome band.  I guess they are power metal.  At least their mid- to late-era stuff was.

[kirksnosehair]

I feel like the definition of power metal is just melting around me.

It's definitely a fairly broad classification, ain't it? 


Someone mentioned Nevermore.  I always thought of them as "thrash"

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Yeah, it is pretty broad. I never would have thought of Nevermore as power metal, either. Guess it doesn't really matter, but it's fun to argue over.

[kirksnosehair]

Some more bands to consider:


Adagio - Early stuff is the best
Sabaton
Lost Horizon
Hammerfall

[jammindude]

Nevermore is hard to classify.

The pre-Nevermore band Sanctuary was certainly power metal, and I consider the first S/T Nevermore album to be a continuation of that sound.   (it's not really fast enough to be considered "thrash")   But Nevermore took on elements of technical death metal while keeping the clean vocals...so that by itself sortof defies categorization.    And I mean that in a good way. 

[gazinwales]

I guess we could throw early Manowar into the power metal genre?
Early to mid 1980's I couldn't get enough of them.

[gazinwales]

There's a few bands i listen to that arn't too easy to classify. at least not into metal subgenres. Like Nevermore. One could say they made power metal and not be wrong. There are a few elements like it.

So yea. Oh i see Conception was listed. I have heard OF them because I am a GIANT fan of Burn The Sun by ARK. Fucking love it. And Tore Ostby was in Conception? OR was it the drummer? idk. I dont know if the chances of finding a Conception album are too good tho...

Yes Tore was the guitarist and main songwriter in Conception.
It does seem that finding Conception on CD might not be too easy.
Seems as they were on the Noise label, who are long gone, and Conception albums are out of print and not on iTunes (Australia at least).
But I'm sure if you look hard enough you can find some 'around' 

[Zook]

Try eBay.

EDIT: I have all 4 which I bought off eBay in '06ish, and I even have the Japanese version of the re-release of The Last Sunset (sadly without the OBI), but after doing a quick search on eBay, I really want this just for the sheer cheesiness of the cover, plus, it's the original version:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/CONCEPTION-Last-Sunset-CD-/360820862267?pt=Music_CDs&hash=item5402996d3b

If someone snags it, I wont be too upset. I'm sure it'll turn up again. I have to watch my spending.

[gazinwales]

I have Japanese version of In Your Multitude (which I bought in Japan in 1995 when I visited) and Jap version of Flow (Great bonus track).
But I never bought the Last Sunset, thanks for the link, it seems to cheap and I don't think that is the actual (original) artwork?
There is also a rare unofficial release called, 'Sundance', which has all the Japanese bonus tracks, demo's and live songs.

[Zook]

According to Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Metallum, it is the original artwork.

[gazinwales]

Seems as though you are correct, I have only ever seen the Noise Records artwork 
Still original label and only $12.99, does seem to good to be true?

[Zook]

It does, but the seller has 100% positive feedback with over 4000 transactions.

[moof]

I used to really love power metal. Fabio Lione from Rhapsody is my favourite ever vocalist

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Some more bands to consider:


Adagio - Early stuff is the best
Sabaton
Lost Horizon
Hammerfall

All of these are great choices. Hammerfall was one of the first power metal bands I got into.

[wolfking]

Some more bands to consider:


Adagio - Early stuff is the best
Sabaton
Lost Horizon
Hammerfall

All of these are great choices. Hammerfall was one of the first power metal bands I got into.

Same.  The first three albums did a lot for me on helping me with my metal journey.  Great albums all three.

[Lowdz]

I guess we could throw early Manowar into the power metal genre?
Early to mid 1980's I couldn't get enough of them.

Me too.  They just didn't kick on from KoM for me. Love SotH.
Vicious Rumors first few albums were excellent. Digital Dictator being their best.
Leatherwolf too. Street Ready is a great album.

I really like Orden Ogan, Dawn Of Silence, Tad Morose, Fifth Angel, Nocturnal Rites, Circle Of sIlence, Dragonland.

[Zook]

So yeah, Lorenguard - Eve of Corruption.

Amazing band and album. Avoid the EP before it, but definitely check out Eve of Corruption.

Best Power Metal I've heard in forever.

https://www.youtube.com/user/LorenguardOfficial/videos

I will say that the title track is the weakest on the album, so if you don't really like that one, try another song. I didn't like it at first.

[TAC]

Some more bands to consider:


Adagio - Early stuff is the best
Sabaton
Lost Horizon
Hammerfall

All of these are great choices. Hammerfall was one of the first power metal bands I got into.

Same.  The first three albums did a lot for me on helping me with my metal journey.  Great albums all three.

Yes, those first three Hammerfall albums are great. Everything else though has been a slight disappointment, though I do love Threshold, and Chapter V has aged pretty well.
Legacy Of Kings made The TAC Top 50.

[Lowdz]

Some more bands to consider:


Adagio - Early stuff is the best
Sabaton
Lost Horizon
Hammerfall

All of these are great choices. Hammerfall was one of the first power metal bands I got into.

Same.  The first three albums did a lot for me on helping me with my metal journey.  Great albums all three.

Yes, those first three Hammerfall albums are great. Everything else though has been a slight disappointment, though I do love Threshold, and Chapter V has aged pretty well.
Legacy Of Kings made The TAC Top 50.

I have to say they never really did it for me. It was all a bit too predictable and boring. Nothing really stood out. I bought Renegade years ago, but I'll check out some other stuff if it's better.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Some more bands to consider:


Adagio - Early stuff is the best
Sabaton
Lost Horizon
Hammerfall

All of these are great choices. Hammerfall was one of the first power metal bands I got into.

Same.  The first three albums did a lot for me on helping me with my metal journey.  Great albums all three.

Yes, those first three Hammerfall albums are great. Everything else though has been a slight disappointment, though I do love Threshold, and Chapter V has aged pretty well.
Legacy Of Kings made The TAC Top 50.

Great to see some love for GttB and LoK. Those albums introduced me to Accept, Edguy and the german metal scene which later led me to more traditional Power Metal bands like Stratovarius, Angra, Rhapsody and many many more. Actually the Gothenburg metal scene with bands like Hammerfall, In Flames, Lost Horizon, At The Gates, Dark Tranquillity and more had a huge impact in my love for metal and on top of that we have all the great bands being produced at the legendary Studio Fredman in Gothenburg. So yea those albums are very important to me even though I rarely listen to Hammerfall anymore.

[TAC]

Old school Accept fan here!
 

[Lowdz]

Old school Accept fan here!
 

New school Accept fan here. Prefer  the new singer to Udo's camp mumble. Eat The Heat is good too.

[NotePad]

So what bands would be considered the big 3 or 4 of Power Metal?

I'd say Helloween is #1 for sure. Not just because of the Keepers albums though. They're still hugely popular especially in places like Germany and Japan. They are definitely the originators of Power Metal and are still #1 for me and many others. They don't put cheesy fantasy stuff in their music, and have done not only happy Helloween type stuff, but have gone darker. Listen to the song Deliver Us; kickass power metal that's dark (love the lyrics) and sounds nothing like the other power metal bands out there. And with albums like Keepers-The Legacy or Rabbit or Gambling With The Devil they display 'classic' power metal and show they still do it better then the newer bands. They are the best and i wish they could'v capitalized on the success of the first two Keepers albums, but then we wouldn't have Andi Deris, who i believe is part of the best band lines up around.

Andi Deris is a big fan of Rob Halford's singing, and the Painkiller album is definitely power metal. I wonder if Painkiller has had much influence on Helloween, recent Helloween.

I'm sure people will say Gamma Ray. Not a fan, but whatever. And Blind Guardian.

I heard Blind Guardian's first 2 albums are actually thrash metal. Listened to a clip of an early song and the vocals reminded me of Kai Hansen, and also the album Walls of jerich which was more thrash/speed metal.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Stratovarius. I'm not a huge fan, but they're one of the flagship power metal bands. Other than that... Helloween, Gamma Ray. I honestly don't see Blind Guardian as being very power metal anyway, as they don't really sound like any other power metal bands.

[gazinwales]

I was around long before the genre/term power metal was created/invented.
Helloween were always called speed metal in their early days and as already stated, Blind Guardian were thrash.

[Lowdz]

I was around long before the genre/term power metal was created/invented.
Helloween were always called speed metal in their early days and as already stated, Blind Guardian were thrash.

True. I remember Vicious Rumors were the first band I heard termed Power Metal.

[gazinwales]

The Big 4 of Power Metal, is of course a massive can of worms to open.
I would say if your talking historically and veteran bands with a 10 plus album catalogue:

Helloween
Blind Guardian
Stratovarius
Manowar

[Lowdz]

Just Spotified Hammerfall's Glory To The Brave and whilst I like it the choruses are just too Church hymn-like for me. The riffing is fine, the verses are fine, just not the choruses.

[gazinwales]

Hammerfall never did a single thing for me, I always thought they were an average band, in the right place at the right time.

[NotePad]

I'm not very familiar with Manowar. I remember hearing about them a lot in the past, being mention on a Maiden board i believe. I was getting the impression that Manowar are consider as great and legendary as Maiden by some. I never thought of them as power metal, but then again i have yet to hear them!

And Hansi Kursch is an awesome vocalist! I'm watching BGs 2011 Wacken show right now. I really love his vocals and style, i just wish BG strayed from the fantasy stuff. I'v never listened to Angels and Demons. Sound like it's fantasy stuff though, am i right? But i think i'm still gonna give Blind Guardian another chance, as i have some of their music available to listen in my car and i have a driving job.

A lot of people assume lots of these power metal bands are hugely influenced by Helloween. And that may be true for a lot actually, but i remember reading a quote by Blind Guardian saying they were never influenced by them. And i'm not surprised really, i'm not sure BG ever purposely meant to become a "Power Metal" band when i look at their history. Seems like they started out as a thrash metal band, then evolved into having a more symphonic sound, but still wanted to make thrash/speed metal as it's in their nature, and voila! They sound like Power Metal! And of course no thrash band writes shit about elves and wizards and magic fuckin spells..

to close this rant, i just want to state how much a hate that so many people ignore newer Helloween! There are tribute albums that only have Kiske-era songs. When people talk about Helloween being the originators of power metal, i always wonder if they're also talking about the post-pink bubbles stuff too. With Deris they have done some amazing stuff, for the genre too! Plus, Kiske hated Helloween too. People talk about him coming back being so great, but he never respected what the band was doing.

[gazinwales]

i'm guilty as charged for ignoring Deris era Helloween.
I think I have Time Of The Oath, Master of The Rings and 7 Sinners from the Deris, all of which I rarely bother with.
Probably has to do with Deris voice, which I am not a massive fan of.
I'd much rather listen to Gamma Ray.

[Lowdz]

Back in the day Helloween were accused of being hugely influenced by Maiden. That put me off them at the time and its only recently I've started to see what i was missing.

And ManOwaR are one of my guilty pleasures. The first 4 albums are just great. Short, but great. Eric Adams is a truly underappreciated vocalist.

[gazinwales]

Yeah I think they were referred to as 'Iron Maiden on speed'.

Yeah Manowar, I had a tape of Battle Hymns in the early 1980's, back then we shared albums and made copies
on blank cassettes. Loved Hail To England, never got my ears around Into Glory Ride.
But Kings Of Metal, Fighting The World and The Triumph Of Steel, were the trio that did it for me.