Who wants to see my power metal top 100 albums?

Tools    





Blind Guardian - A Night at the Opera
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II
Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings
Galneryus - Under the Force of Courage
Rhapsody - Dawn of Victory
Sonata Arctica - Silence
Stormwarrior - At Foreign Shores: Live in Japan (Live)
Wuthering Heights - Far From the Madding Crowd
Lost Horizon - A Flame to the Ground Beneath
Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth
Rhapsody - Power of the Dragonflame
Helloween - Better Than Raw
Blind Guardian - Imaginations From the Other Side
Nightwish - Oceanborn
Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part Two
Virgin Steele - Invictus
Avantasia - The Metal Opera
Lost Horizon - Awakening the World
Galneryus - Angel of Salvation
Kamelot - The Black Halo
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I
Gamma Ray - Somewhere Out in Space
DGM - Different Shapes
Rhapsody - Legendary Tales
Angra - Temple of Shadows
Blind Guardian - Live (Live)
Running Wild - Death or Glory
Echo of Dalriada - Jégbontó
Stormwarrior - Heading Northe
Nightwish - End of an Era (Live)
Galneryus - Resurrection
Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction
Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet
Helloween - Walls of Jericho
Syu - Vorvados
Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond
Dalriada - Áldás
Sonata Arctica - Ecliptica
Kamelot - Karma
Theocracy - Mirror of Souls
Gamma Ray - Power Plant
Helloween - Live in the U.K. (Live)
Running Wild - Port Royal
Lab˙rinth - Return to Heaven Denied
Sonata Arctica - For the Sake of Revenge (Live)
Stormwarrior - Thunder & Steele
Kamelot - Epica
Falconer - Black Moon Rising
Nightwish - Wishmaster
Onward - Evermoving
Blind Guardian - At the Edge of Time
Labyrinth - Labyrinth
Riot - ThunderSteel
Elvenking - Secrets of the Magick Grimoire
Helloween - Helloween (EP)
Running Wild - Under Jolly Roger
Iced Earth - Night of the Stormrider
DGM - Momentum
Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: Part One
Blind Guardian - Tales From the Twilight World
Rhapsody - Rain of a Thousand Flames
Sonata Arctica - Reckoning Night
Timeless Miracle - Into the Enchanted Chamber (EP)
Adagio - Underworld
Iced Earth - Alive in Athens (Live)
Armory - The Dawn of Enlightenment
MindMaze - Back From the Edge
Elvenking - The Pagan Manifesto
Helloween - The Dark Ride
Iced Earth - Live in Ancient Kourion (Live)
Angra - Holy Land
Stormwarrior - Northern Rage
Wuthering Heights - To Travel for Evermore
Apocrypha - The Forgotten Scroll
Scanner - Hypertrace
Iced Earth - Something Wicked This Way Comes
Gamma Ray - No World Order
Lovebites - Battle Against Damnation (EP)
Nightwish - Century Child
Steelfaith - Propustka z nebe
Falconer - Chapters From a Vale Forlorn
Twilight Force - Dawn of the Dragonstar
Iced Earth - The Dark Saga
Blind Guardian - A Twist in the Myth
Grave Digger - Tunes of War
Apocrypha - The Eyes of Time
Nightwish - Once
Marchen Station - World of Maquillage
Adagio - Sanctus Ignís
Despise You - Pig Mindset (EP)
Jag Panzer - Mechanized Warfare
Sonata Arctica - Winterheart's Guild
DGM - Misplaced
Avantasia - The Metal Opera Pt. II
Adagio - A Band in Upperworld (Live)
Rhapsody - Symphony of Enchanted Lands
MinstreliX - Chronostrings
Grave Digger - Excalibur
Helloween - Gambling With the Devil
X Japan - Art of Life (EP)



It's almost...too beautiful.

But seriously, you've made the rest of my month! I can't wait to dive in to the ones I haven't heard of or have wanted to listen to, but haven't yet.

Also a big fan of these:

Blind Guardian - A Night at the Opera
Wuthering Heights - Far From the Madding Crowd
Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth
Nightwish - Oceanborn
Kamelot - The Black Halo
Galneryus - Resurrection
Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond
Falconer - Black Moon Rising
Blind Guardian - At the Edge of Time
Blind Guardian - Tales From the Twilight World
Nightwish - Once



Some of my favorites that aren't on the list:

Crimson Glory - Transcendence
Demons & Wizards - Self-Titled, Touched by the Crimson King
Serenity - Words Untold & Dreams Unlived, Fallen Sanctuary
Stratovarius - Nemesis



Not the biggest power metal fan, but lots of good albums on that list. I wouldn't personally classify Nightwish or Dalriada as power metal, though, but don't want to argue about genres either.

Some albums to check out (if you haven't already):

White Skull - Public Glory, Secret Agony
Opera Magna - El Último Caballero
Saratoga - Morir el Bien, Vivir en el Mal
Sabaton - The Great War
Beast in Black - Berserker
Arrayan Path - Dawn of Aquarius
Satan's Host - Pre-dating God Part 1 & Part 2
Powerwolf - Blessed & Possessed
Ironsword - Servants of Steel
Manowar - Hail to England & Into Glory Ride
__________________



Some of my favorites that aten't on the list:

Crimson Glory - Transcendence
Demons & Wizards - Self-Titled, Touched by the Crimson King
Serenity - Words Untold & Dreams Unlived, Fallen Sanctuary
Stratovarius - Nemesis

Haven't heard those first three bands yet. I'm mostly centering around the countries of origin since I've heard a lot of US and German power metal. But I was never deeply into Stratovarius. Visions and Episode are the only two of their releases I'd consider for that list. Ehen it comes to Finnish power metal, I'm a Sonata Arctica man.


Much of this list was recently re-evaluated. I just changed my fave power metal band from Helloween to Blind Guardian. Ironically, my favorite power metal album is A Night at the Opera, the one that gets a lot of slack.


It's almost...too beautiful.

But seriously, you've made the rest of my month! I can't wait to dive in to the ones I haven't heard of or have wanted to listen to, but haven't yet.

Also a big fan of these:

Blind Guardian - A Night at the Opera
Wuthering Heights - Far From the Madding Crowd
Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth
Nightwish - Oceanborn
Kamelot - The Black Halo
Galneryus - Resurrection
Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond
Falconer - Black Moon Rising
Blind Guardian - At the Edge of Time
Blind Guardian - Tales From the Twilight World
Nightwish - Once

Thanks! You've got some real taste in power metal, too.



Haven't heard those first three bands yet. I'm mostly centering around the countries of origin since I've heard a lot of US and German power metal. But I was never deeply into Stratovarius. Visions and Episode are the only two of their releases I'd consider for that list. Ehen it comes to Finnish power metal, I'm a Sonata Arctica man.
Demons & Wizards is a side project of Hansi Kursch of Blind Guardian and Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth (yep, the guy arrested in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot) so you'd probably like them in spite of recent events. Enjoy!



Demons & Wizards is a side project of Hansi Kursch of Blind Guardian and Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth (yep, the guy arrested in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot) so you'd probably like them in spite of recent events. Enjoy!

It's true that I'm bothered by the fact that he took part in it, unlike Ariel Pink who only showed up to the rally and didn't join the riot at all. I don't think there's anything to forgive if he left before it got violent. But as far as Schaffer goes, at least the guy was the first to plead guilty. Apparently he might help prosecute other rioters. I'm of the opinion that if a man has truly learned his lesson, he's earned some level of forgiveness even if it will take time. Anger is what caused this, and I'm not gonna make the same mistake.


I guess now Iced Earth is all Brent. But maybe it's time to call it quits for them. They've had their classic era and enough great albums to remain legends.


But I'll still support the rest of the band. It's not fair that the others suffer for it.



BTW, this top 100 may update often. I might change it on the thread every so often, especially since I'm going through a lot more power metal right now.



KC, I couldn't help noticing that in your list it was difficult to discern which was the band's name, and which was the song title...

Heavy metal was just catching on when I was in the biz. I enjoyed the powerful sound, but it was too limited and invariable. I'll have to investigate some of the Power Metal.

Which of the examples would you consider to be the top 5 examples of the style?



A system of cells interlinked
Metal!

But wait, where is Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime?
__________________
“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” ― Thomas Sowell



Metal!

But wait, where is Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime?
That would top my progressive metal list.
Speaking of, that is why it's so hard to make lists like these. The symphonic, power, progressive, traditional heavy metal and hard rock lines blur so much. I get what Pahak is saying about not wanting to argue about genres.



A system of cells interlinked
That would top my progressive metal list.
Speaking of, that is why it's so hard to make lists like these. The symphonic, power, progressive, traditional heavy metal and hard rock lines blur so much. I get what Pahak is saying about not wanting to argue about genres.
I separate metal into exactly two genres: Awesome, and ****.


Speaking of that, the new Flotsam and Jetsam record has a couple of awesome tracks on it!



I separate metal into exactly two genres: Awesome, and ****.


Speaking of that, the new Flotsam and Jetsam record has a couple of awesome tracks on it!



KC, I couldn't help noticing that in your list it was difficult to discern which was the band's name, and which was the song title...

Heavy metal was just catching on when I was in the biz. I enjoyed the powerful sound, but it was too limited and invariable. I'll have to investigate some of the Power Metal.

Which of the examples would you consider to be the top 5 examples of the style?

Band - Artist


For pure power metal with no "subgenre," the easy answer is the Keeper of the Seven Keys series by Helloween. There were two with their most famous singer, Michael Kiske, and one with another singer many years later.


1. Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 1
2. Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 2


The symphonic side is HUGE, though. You might wanna start off small, so check out Nightwish.


3. Oceanborn.


US power metal is a similar genre but isn't quite there. It's more rooted in heavy metal tradition than bombastics. Having said that, there are bands that put the two together, notably Iced Earth. I'll recommend an Iced Eartg one despite the fact that Jon Schaffer was a member.


4. Burnt Offerings, but if you don't want Jon Scahhfer, check out Invictus by Virgin Steele.


And finslly, this one album gets down to the nitty gritty of all the most popular forms of power metal, Sonata Arctica


5. Silence.



A system of cells interlinked
Which reminds me, can I get the url for your metal blog? Thanks! I peeped it once, but failed to bookmark it.

I highly recommend people check it out!



Metal!

But wait, where is Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime?

Some power metal to it, but not enough to be a full album. Some prog, some speed, hell some hair metal, but it's incredibly diverse. But it's one of my favorite albums and one of the first metal albums I ever heard.



A system of cells interlinked
Some power metal to it, but not enough to be a full album. Some prog, some speed, hell some hair metal, but it's incredibly diverse. But it's one of my favorite albums and one of the first metal albums I ever heard.
Excellent!

I would recommend @GulfportDoc give Operation Mindcrime a shot, also.



Which reminds me, can I get the url for your metal blog? Thanks! I peeped it once, but failed to bookmark it.

I highly recommend people check it out!
I don't have one. Maybe you're mistaking me with the similarly-named TONGO?
Anyways, I can at least recommend one for you: Angry Metal Guy