I listen to Power Metal only because it is the closest genre to classical Heavy Metal (Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne,Motörhead, Judas Priest) and almost no band sings classical Heavy Metal anymore.
Trad revival is a big thing these days. But I think there is something subtle about even older power metal that sometimes makes it a bit different from something you'd class as "plain" speed metal. Its a bit hard to put in words precisely. But that is why I love the genre so much. I am not so much into pure speed metal or thrash metal.
I listen to Power Metal only because it is the closest genre to classical Heavy Metal (Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne,Motörhead, Judas Priest) and almost no band sings classical Heavy Metal anymore.
I'll seed you Seven Sisters (UK), Riot city (Can), Traveler (Can), Toledo Steel (UK), Road Wolf (Austria), Bullet (Swe), Crazy Lixx (Swe). Take those to BandCamp/Metal Archives and look for "bands like" these and you'll see there are hundreds of UK, Canadian and Swedish bands. There is also the ever awesome Jorn (Swe) still putting out amazing Heavy Metal. Hope that helps. No need to listen to power metal ;)
Traveler is amazing, I second that recommendation.
Also, a point of interest: Riot City and Traveler are both from Calgary.
Vancouver, Calgary and Quebec City are sort of the trio of metal in Canada; AFAICT.
I wonder whether bands are more consistent in style of play over their lifetime, as compared to lyrics or other 'metrics'. It's probably easy to find all types of variance/consistency. My hunch would be that the more specific and entrenched a genre is, the closer these bands stick to their styles (and lyrics).
"My hunch would be that the more specific and entrenched a genre is, the closer these bands stick to their styles (and lyrics)." They usually also have the problem, that their fans often don't like them to change. They want more of what they know, but better. Not different (especially in entrenched genres). Turisas for example, a band making songs mainly about vikings. I watched them live a few years ago - was quite…
If you want that, ideally you should spin up a new band name for a project thats too different in style from a band whose style you have already established.
Its not that people resist change, thats how thrash metal bands changed into death metal slowly and the invention of death metal is highly celebrated. But it was a slow and organic change. Typically bands that have some sense about this tend to spin up a different name if they want to play something totally different from their existing band.
Big metal fan here, as are some of my friends. The Power Metal genre is less popular here in the US for sure. For example as great as the playing is for bands like Rhapsody my friends and I always found them too silly to get into. Some other bands make the cut of course. But why this resistence to the genre in general? My working theory is one of culture: Songs about dragons and shit probably resonate a lot better if…
Tennessee, Texas, Minnesota, and California have castles. They pop up all over the U.S. if you look hard enough. Some of them are fassades, and some of them are 100% legit imported organic homegrown European.
It was largely unknown in town. Contrast with trips I have taken to Europe (yes even work trips) where randomly I would come across a castle. For example in Swansea near the train station there was a castle a couple blocks from a TGI Friday's. It is different over there!
Here in Spain they were arguably the biggest power metal band ever. Shirts with their art were very common - a tier below Maiden shirts, but putting up a respectable fight in popularity. They also filled some of the best venues - not stadiums, but the tier right below, the premium venues, which I think is a great achievement for such a niche genre. When I was a kid I loved some of their classics like Mirror Mirror, b…
Scorpions with the Berlin Phil is also fabulous.
Thanks for the recommendation, I knew they had done that but had never listened to it. Love me some Scorpions and of course Berlin Philarmoniker is cream of the crop.
I found power metal because I was looking for a more positive sub-genre of metal. What I was listening to before often had ahrimanic themes - death, violence, satanism etc.
Power metal is either brazen ego worship and/or or similarly (to death metal) talking of topics like mass murders and rapes. Though unlike the more neutral/clinical approach of death metal, power metal lyrics usually come from an angle of glorifying these things. edit: I am merely relaying the common lyrical subjects of the genre. I made no judgment whether its a good or bad thing.
Big metal fan here, as are some of my friends. The Power Metal genre is less popular here in the US for sure. For example as great as the playing is for bands like Rhapsody my friends and I always found them too silly to get into. Some other bands make the cut of course. But why this resistence to the genre in general? My working theory is one of culture: Songs about dragons and shit probably resonate a lot better if…
Tennessee, Texas, Minnesota, and California have castles. They pop up all over the U.S. if you look hard enough. Some of them are fassades, and some of them are 100% legit imported organic homegrown European.
I found power metal because I was looking for a more positive sub-genre of metal. What I was listening to before often had ahrimanic themes - death, violence, satanism etc.
I grew up on power metal and nowadays I mainly listen to two genres: black metal and classical music. One of the things they have in common is that I can't understand a word in either. I really appreciate that because I find lyrics in songs distracting and most of the time cringy.
If it's not cheesy, it's not power metal. Eventually you just realize that you're a cheesy person yourself and embrace it.
"My hunch would be that the more specific and entrenched a genre is, the closer these bands stick to their styles (and lyrics)." They usually also have the problem, that their fans often don't like them to change. They want more of what they know, but better. Not different (especially in entrenched genres). Turisas for example, a band making songs mainly about vikings. I watched them live a few years ago - was quite…
If you want that, ideally you should spin up a new band name for a project thats too different in style from a band whose style you have already established. Its not that people resist change, thats how thrash metal bands changed into death metal slowly and the invention of death metal is highly celebrated. But it was a slow and organic change. Typically bands that have some sense about this tend to spin up a differe…
In general, for sure. Only some big bands have managed to change their style and have their fans follow them. For most a different band would make the most sense. And I am only guessing about Turisas, but they probably should have done so, but it was probably more comfortable to make money with the established hits and name. Starting something new is not easy, after all.