What are your guy's favorite Power Metal bands?

you're KILLEN me Kieth

CAULDRON BORN
WARLORD
ONWARD
WINTERS BANE
TALISPHERE
DEADLY BLESSING
ALTERED STATE
FAITH FACTOR
SACRED WARRIOR
METAL CHURCH
CRIMSON GLORY
SCREAMER

James B. wrote:

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Crescent Shield

dig those guys alot, is the chick still in the band ?

Unfortunately, the band was put to rest after the tragic death of Michael Grant last summer... R.I.P.!

Not my favorite, but I have some sentimental attachment to this demo. It is from 2005, basically a home-made project by two Ruskies dudes:

Ooops, wrong thread- I don't touch this subject.

ultmetal wrote:

I've always preferred the U.S. power metal stuff, with METAL CHURCH being the very definition of what power metal is. Metal Church, Reverend, Heretic, Meliah Rage...all come to mind. In the 80's power metal were those bands that weren't quite thrash but they were a bit heavier and faster than your typical traditional heavy metal bands.

I do like some of the European dungeons and dragons power (flower?) metal as well. I don't really keep up with the scene, but I was really into Rhapsody for a long time. Also, Labyrinth were great! "Return To Heaven Denied" was brilliant IMO. I use to be heavily into Blind Guardian as well. I still like them, but don't listen to them anywhere near as much as I use to. I really like Narnia as well.

An American band with a European power metal sound that I listen to frequently is Rob Rock. His "Holy Hell" and "Garden of Chaos" albums both fit into that sound. Of course, I think his band was basically Narnia on those two albums with Roy Z and Gus G lending a hand in writing, recording and producing.

You might like this band InnerSiege

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyVl04Q2yRs

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

simple question gets simple answer:

Labyrinth
Gamma Ray (older)
Crescent Shield
Domine
Grave Digger
Freedom Call (older)
Pharaoh (if applicable)
Dark Moor

I love Grave Digger I can't believe I forgot to add them.

In keeping with the thread, I would say:

Theocracy
Metal Church
Theocracy
Hammerfall
Theocracy
Angra
Theocracy

and some Helloween. I am pretty burnt out on them by now tho.

Sanctuary

Titan Force
Crimson Glory
Jag Panzer
Fifth Angel
Malison Rogue
Warlord

I'm not really much into "flower" power metal, but I like Helloween's first three albums and Hammerfall's first album.

Blind Guardian
Hammerfall
Inner Wish
Theocracy
Narnia

stormspell wrote:

James B. wrote:

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Crescent Shield

dig those guys alot, is the chick still in the band ?

Unfortunately, the band was put to rest after the tragic death of Michael Grant last summer... R.I.P.!

what a bummer, great singer RIP

choosemetal wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

I've always preferred the U.S. power metal stuff, with METAL CHURCH being the very definition of what power metal is. Metal Church, Reverend, Heretic, Meliah Rage...all come to mind. In the 80's power metal were those bands that weren't quite thrash but they were a bit heavier and faster than your typical traditional heavy metal bands.

I do like some of the European dungeons and dragons power (flower?) metal as well. I don't really keep up with the scene, but I was really into Rhapsody for a long time. Also, Labyrinth were great! "Return To Heaven Denied" was brilliant IMO. I use to be heavily into Blind Guardian as well. I still like them, but don't listen to them anywhere near as much as I use to. I really like Narnia as well.

An American band with a European power metal sound that I listen to frequently is Rob Rock. His "Holy Hell" and "Garden of Chaos" albums both fit into that sound. Of course, I think his band was basically Narnia on those two albums with Roy Z and Gus G lending a hand in writing, recording and producing.

You might like this band InnerSiege

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyVl04Q2yRs

I do indeed. In fact, I have shared the stage with them when their name was Strangeland.
http://nolifetilmetal.com/innersiege.html

Avantasia
Blind Guardian
DragonForce (yeah, I know. I can't help it!)
Edguy
Faith Factor
Hammerfall
Helloween (early)
Iced Earth
Rob Rock
Sacred Warrior
Seventh Avenue
Stratovarius
Sympathy X (if we can count them)
Theocracy

I meant symphony x. I was looking at my iPod and sympathy and symphony x are right there together. Although I suppose the combination of the two would make an interesting band. . .

Whenever I think of power metal, I instantly think of the European originators and the bands influenced by them. So for me it is essentially Helloween, Running Wild, Grave Digger and Rage. However, even in the European it is debatable whether all the bands I listed are in fact power metal - all too often people label RW, GD and Rage as being speed rather than power metal bands.

I always found the term speed metal to be very confusing - it's not exactly thrash it's not exactly traditional it's not exactly power but it is fast though not too aggressive, but it is melodic though not melodic enough to sound like maiden etc. f*ck that ... speed metal is my most loathed sub-genre because it makes almost no sense.

So for me, yes RW, GD and Rage are all power metal bands.

For American power metal - well there's the obvious (at least to me) contenders Virgin Steele, Manowar, Omen. However I also consider the likes of Manilla Road as being power metal - it seems very few classify MR as such. It is a bit harder to find a proper classification for MR since nearly all their albums sound different - at times they are doomy, other times a bit thrashy and aggressive...

Metal Church
Sanctuary
(old) Savatage
Blind Guardian
Helstar
Symphony X
Crimson Glory
Tad Morose

Alex Dee Rokket wrote:

Whenever I think of power metal, I instantly think of the European originators and the bands influenced by them. So for me it is essentially Helloween, Running Wild, Grave Digger and Rage. However, even in the European it is debatable whether all the bands I listed are in fact power metal - all too often people label RW, GD and Rage as being speed rather than power metal bands.

I always found the term speed metal to be very confusing - it's not exactly thrash it's not exactly traditional it's not exactly power but it is fast though not too aggressive, but it is melodic though not melodic enough to sound like maiden etc. f*ck that ... speed metal is my most loathed sub-genre because it makes almost no sense.

So for me, yes RW, GD and Rage are all power metal bands.

For American power metal - well there's the obvious (at least to me) contenders Virgin Steele, Manowar, Omen. However I also consider the likes of Manilla Road as being power metal - it seems very few classify MR as such. It is a bit harder to find a proper classification for MR since nearly all their albums sound different - at times they are doomy, other times a bit thrashy and aggressive...

this is why there are only two genre's for this guy here.....stuff I dig and stuff I don't.

I am not even sure if what I chose for this topic are considered power metal by others ?

True on Manilla Road, hard to classify but some of it is killer.

Blind Guardian #1

Falconer

Kuias

Masterplan

Timeless Miracle

Rob Rock

Cage

Dark Moor

Wuthering Heights

Elvenking

Ensiferum

Power Metal is my favourite genre nowadays.

Always in the mood to discover new bands.

Recently purchased an album by Helker, a band from Argentina.

Any fans?

Gamma Ray
Helloween
Early Queensryche
Dark Moor
Stratovarius
At Vance
Luca Turilli's Rhapsody
Sanctuary

Add Sinbreed to my list. Finally got around to listening to "When Worlds Collide."

MetallicSeminarian wrote:

Add Sinbreed to my list. Finally got around to listening to "When Worlds Collide."

A great album for sure.

choosemetal wrote:

At the moment for me I would have to say Blind Guardian and Sabaton!

Dragonforce is pretty good

Most of my favourites have been mentioned so far, but here are a few relatively recent discoveries that I've quickly grown to like a lot.