Trollheart

Without question the silliest, goofiest, and yet funnest sub-genre of metal, the kid brother death, thrash and speed look down on and at which doom and its grumpier cousin funeral doom shake their heads and say what the hell is that? There's no getting away from the fact that power metal is THE most predictable sub-genre metal has: fantasy album covers, crazy names which often sound like something out of LOTR or GOT, songs about quests and kings and dragons and journeys, albums that not always but often begin with an instrumental intro, often acoustic, and/or a dark voice intoning dire warnings for the future or recounting dread deeds of the past, quests and heroes, song titles like "Eye of the Dragon" (maybe), "Lure of the Princess" (possibly) or "Fire of the Wizard" (almost definitely).

Hammering drums, squealing keys, guitar shredding and singers who often sound like they were kicked out of the van by a hair metal band and had to find their own way home, wandering into this other band who took them in. Much of "Volume" or "Book" or "Chapter" in album and/or song titles, usage of mandolin, violin, cello, full orchestra, female vocals (usually operatic and dramatic) and other guest singers. Stories that run over several albums, usage of classical, neoclassical or semi-classical pieces.

Essentially, to me anyway, prog rock but with a metal kick, which although there is already a prog metal sub-genre seems somehow more in tune with bands like Yes and Camel and King Crimson.

Almost never anything new. Don't look to power metal to provide you innovation, experimentation or, hell, progression. Power metal bands know what works, and they stick to it. Bands like Stratovarius and Blind Guardian and Rhapsody of Fire have been dining out on the same fare for decades, and their fans never seem to get tired of it.

And nor do I.

Despite all the formulaic music, the iffy lyrics and the taking-themselves-way-too-seriously that's prevalent, almost required in power metal, I love it. I can't get enough of it. Of course, there are bad power metal bands as well as good, and when they're bad, man are they bad! But in my opinion the good make up for the bad, and if you're happy with a kind of interchangeable format among bands in a sub-genre, if you're not too bothered about change and progression, and above all if you like FUN in your music, power metal is the place to go.

So post your favourite, or least favourite, power metal videos, songs, bands, albums, or expound in scathing detail why you think they're the spawn of Satan (which may very well be the name of a power metal band, would not be surprised).

Was that a long keyboard arpeggio I heard? And a dark ominous voice, about to impart words that could save or doom the planet?

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TheBig3

The greatest genre of music to have ever been. Power Metal has redeemed more souls than the worlds major religions. May you high falsettos forever wave


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwNo-pWxDAY


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38wXhI2ZHls


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERj08qJ2FAU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6osgTR9R120

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Trollheart

I could be wrong, but I think I detect the tiniest hint of sarcasm in there? Can't be sure, as my sarcasm detector is in the shop, but ....

Anyway, came across these guys yesterday and I was impressed, though where they got their name is anyone's guess.


Preterist - "Higher"

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TheBig3

Not sarcastic at all. 100% genuine. Even some of that late-stage Fallout Boy had some Powermetal DNA in it. So ****ing good.

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Guybrush

I haven't gone deep into power metal, but I did dip my toes in around the turn of the century or so. My favorite PM-album, one I discovered back then, is still Rhapsody's Symphony of Enchanted Lands. It's epic, it's big, it's virtuosic, it's dumb - everything you could want. Back then, the guys in the band had a homepage where they wrote trivia about themselves like what food they like. PIZZA. You could leave chat messages there and of course we got real trolly with it.

HOWEVER I already posted Rhapsody when the opportunity last came up, so I'll dig a little bit deeper.

Another band I kinda liked back then was Kamelot. They may be the Backstreet Boys of the genre, I've no idea how big they are. I also really don't know much of their output, but they had a handful of cheesy ballads that I listened to and I kinda liked their trilogy of songs about Elizabeth Bathory.

Their song Karma was also in my rotation back then.

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The Batlord

You casuals need 80s PM in your life!

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Trollheart

Glad to hear it, Big3!

Virgin Steele are the **** alright.
Kamelot I love, but they're really more progressive metal: not quite so bombastic and fun (quite dour, on a lot of their albums, actually) so I wouldn't really class them as power metal.

Shout-out to the new Blind Guardian album The God Machine!



Blind Guardian - "Deliver Us from Evil"

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Trollheart

An example of a power metal band using classical music in their compositions.



Dark Moor - "The Moon"

A band with a silly, pretentious name



Sonata Arctica - "The Rest of the Sun Belongs to Me"

One of those silly little intros I was talking about



Powerwolf (chortle) - "Opening: Prelude to Beginning, no sorry, Prelude to Purgatory"

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TheBig3

There has never been a better video-game inspired track.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSFGppy7EUE

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music_collector

I really need to find my copy of the metal family tree.