Extraordinary modern power metal?

James B. wrote:

metalhead777 wrote:

Just posting an assortment.

I almost sprayed coffee all over my monitor screen

I won't lie, the mans voice can be comically high at times. But hey, it puts a smile on my face!

It's probably just me, but I've played through most of the clips posted within this thread (for as long as I could take it anyway) and I haven't heard anything "extraordinay".

MetalGuy71 wrote:

It's probably just me, but I've played through most of the clips posted within this thread (for as long as I could take it anyway) and I haven't heard anything "extraordinay".

Opinions my friend, opinions. What may be extrodinary to one, maybe utter crap to another.

DallasBlack wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

It's probably just me, but I've played through most of the clips posted within this thread (for as long as I could take it anyway) and I haven't heard anything "extraordinay".

Opinions my friend, opinions. What may be extrodinary to one, maybe utter crap to another.

Yea, I know. Like a few others mentioned, I was all into power metal awhile back, then got burned out on it and ditched allot of what I had. Seeing "extraordinary" in the title piqued my interest enough to see if I'd been missing out on anything in the last 5 years or so. It did not.

I guess I'm just not into the genre. It still sounds too samey for me. To quote Austin Powers "It's not my bag, baby!".

MetalGuy71 wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

It's probably just me, but I've played through most of the clips posted within this thread (for as long as I could take it anyway) and I haven't heard anything "extraordinay".

Opinions my friend, opinions. What may be extrodinary to one, maybe utter crap to another.

Yea, I know. Like a few others mentioned, I was all into power metal awhile back, then got burned out on it and ditched allot of what I had. Seeing "extraordinary" in the title piqued my interest enough to see if I'd been missing out on anything in the last 5 years or so. It did not.

I guess I'm just not into the genre. It still sounds too samey for me. To quote Austin Powers "It's not my bag, baby!".

Kind of like how I feel about new wave of thrash. I love thrash and enjoy some modern thrash bands, but for the most part they're too samey to me.

DallasBlack wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

It's probably just me, but I've played through most of the clips posted within this thread (for as long as I could take it anyway) and I haven't heard anything "extraordinay".

Opinions my friend, opinions. What may be extrodinary to one, maybe utter crap to another.

Yea, I know. Like a few others mentioned, I was all into power metal awhile back, then got burned out on it and ditched allot of what I had. Seeing "extraordinary" in the title piqued my interest enough to see if I'd been missing out on anything in the last 5 years or so. It did not.

I guess I'm just not into the genre. It still sounds too samey for me. To quote Austin Powers "It's not my bag, baby!".

Kind of like how I feel about new wave of thrash. I love thrash and enjoy some modern thrash bands, but for the most part they're too samey to me.

Yea, I'm getting that way with some of the newer thrash too.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

It's probably just me, but I've played through most of the clips posted within this thread (for as long as I could take it anyway) and I haven't heard anything "extraordinay".

I the genre as a whole is so overdone now. I have bought more pm albums this year than in a long time but its still nowhere near what it was back when Hammerfall, Falconer, Rhapsody were in their prime.

I have been meaning to respond to this thread in some time... work life always drains most of my time but let me put this out there: power metal has fewer bands than black metal because of the mindset required to write happy/fantasy music versus dark, sinister, atmospheric and at times depressive music.

Often in the past, I would come across threads on other boards where people would try to make a case for why there is more talent in power metal than black metal. I disagree, there is talent in both genres, it is more about the mindset one is in when expressing their feelings and emotions through music.

Would you agree that writing about depressive subjects, or alternatively, things you hate and despise - a normal human condition - than it is to write about things you cannot immediately and naturally associate yourself with: unicorns, elves, knights, castles, warriors etc.

Black metal simply put is misanthropic, it is the soundtrack to misanthropy. Power metal is idealistic, it seeks the principle of good vs evil, chivalry etc. It is optimistic and tries to fashion reality into something that it is not and could never realistically be...

I know this may be too simplified and I know there are all sorts of permutations of black metal bands whose themes are more power metal-like and power metal bands whose themes are more black metal inspired. There are those who claim some of those black metal bands (like Immortal) are not in fact black metal bands and so on...

Alternatively, the above could be all just a hodge-podge and the reality why there are fewer power metal bands is simply the limited amount of people who can sing and sing well... which may also be the reason why very few power metal bands are really worth listening to...

You're not incorrect but try taking it to different forums and see the result, because unfortunately metalheads are kind of not always tuned into what makes art and expression.....

Might as well post some more.
Probably one of my favorites in recent years.

Spiner202 wrote:

I'm not sure if you are looking for something more recent, but I'm surprised Lost Horizon hasn't been managed in this thread. They are absolutely one of the most brillant bands ever and both albums are quite similar and yet completely unique. The first album is much more rhythmically intense, while the second one is more melodic.





Sadly their output is quite limited, so I'm not sure I'll ever prefer them to bands like HammerFall, Gamma Ray, Edguy, etc., but their two albums are two of my favourites ever. Also, Daniel Heiman is (IMO) the most talented singer in all of metal. I've never heard a singer hit some of the notes he does on "Highlander (The One)"

Thanks for all of the responses.

The ones with clips I am working on checking out, and am keeping some of the other bands listed in mind. Some I have already heard/own, others I've never heard of.

I don't have time to comment on all, but I will mention Lost Horizon. They are actually a band I am already familiar with. I bought Flame to the Ground Beneath as a blind buy from Tower records around when it was released. I loved it, and wanted to get their other album, but never found it locally. By the time I got to ordering CDs online regularly, the power metal days had passed, so I never even got it. I did just listen to that song though, and it is good.

LH are definitely one band that I think fits the title of this thread well.

Throwing another band into the mix (and adding a female-fronted band to the list), here's Seven Kingdoms.




However, they sounded very different on their first album as they had a male vocalist who sang in a mixture of clean vocals and growls.

For what it's worth, my 10 favorites over the past 5 years or so are...

Labyrinth - Return to Heaven Denied II
Keldian - Journey of Souls
Dragonland - Astronomy
Winterborn - Cold Reality
Vanishing Point - The Fourth Season
Royal Hunt - Paradox II-Collision Course
Excalion - Waterlines
Crescent Shield - The Stars of Never Seen
Elvenking - Red Silent Tides
Dark Moor - Tarot

None of these are the thing like HammerFall or Lost Horizon from end to end as they incorporate either progressive elements, hard rock or AOR, and etc...really, no warriors or dragons to be found in any of these, zero. However, I'd assume that's refreshing, and I love it, so go pick those up.

One of my big introductions to cheesy power metal. Growls scared the crap out of me too, oh young me.

Have you heard Orden Ogan? If you miss mid 90's Blind Guardian they're your band.

Dark Horseman wrote:

Have you heard Orden Ogan? If you miss mid 90's Blind Guardian they're your band.

Haven't heard them yet, but came accross an awesome album cover of theirs:

That's the newest one. I think the last one is a tad better.

You know what, I forgot to mention Wuthering Heights - Salt. That would make my list go to 11, as it should be.