"Heavy" power metal: A dying breed....

[Harvester]

Angel Dust
Morgana Lefay
Tad Morose
Brainstorm
etc, etc...


I don't count thrash, death, doom, symphonic/speed, or traditional bands.

Where is the next wave of heavy & aggressive power metal bands (other than the inbreeding of existing bands)? Where is the kick in the nuts crunch at with good vocals?

 

[General Zod]

Angel Dust
Morgana Lefay
Tad Morose
Brainstorm
etc, etc...


I don't count thrash, death, symphonic/speed, or traditional bands.

Where is the next wave of heavy & aggressive power metal bands (other than the inbreeding of existing bands)? Where is the kick in the nuts crunch at with good vocals?

Agreed. And Power Metal isn't the only Metal sub-genre suffering from a lack of Metal. The Prog Metal genre is also quite light on the "Metal" component. Aside from Zero Hour, Future's End and Pagan's Mind, there's very few Prog bands, that are truly heavy (I'm discounting bands that leverage harsh vocals).

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

Sabaton?

 

[TychoCelchu]

Agreed on both points. I'm trying to think of a newcomer band playing heavy power metal that doesn't share members with an older band and I'm coming up dry. This kinda makes me want to try starting a band, something I haven't really done but have been thinking about lately.

 

[Harvester]

Sabaton?

I'd give you a partial on that one.

Plus they aren't exactly a new band with five releases under their ammo belt.

 

[Palabra de Dios]

Sabaton is so happy, though. It's like I was talking to Matt Johnsen. I said "Sabaton is like the Bolt Thrower of power metal." He said, "No, no, no. Bolt Thrower is all like 'WAR IS FUCKING HELL' and Sabaton is all like 'War is great tra la la la *keyboard explosion*'". That is a paraphrase, b/c Matt doesn't talk like that, haha. Anyway, point is...he's right: Sabaton are fucking happy as all hell.

I do agree that it'd be nice to see some fucking ANGRY ASS power metal come out. Something that's like Iced Earth's Burnt Offerings only not Iced Earth, ya dig?

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

well they are newer than Brainstorm, Iced Earth, ect.....

and Zod I had a new heavy progressive band I was thinking about the other day, but can not think about it now.

 

[Pelata]

I know what you mean...bands like you mentioned, Angel Dust, Tad Morose, etc, are kinda scarce these days. Bands that are HEAVY but still melodic...bands that don't throw in all the keyboards and speedy/symphonic stuff...

 

[Palabra de Dios]

Many of the veteran bands that do this brand of metal are still putting out solid material, though.

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

Many of the veteran bands that do this brand of metal are still putting out solid material, though.

I still believe that even the worst Iced Earth album is still, album of the year material.

 

[Spiderpact]

How about Adagio or Narnia? both are pretty heavy!

 

[PureXul]

I still believe that even the worst Iced Earth album is still, album of the year material.

Iced Earth is my favorite band, but that is a huge stretch...mediocre Iced Earth is still good music, yes, but the only way something like "Crucible of Man" would be album of the year is if a LOT of other bands suddenly decided not to release any more music.

 

[Pelata]

How about Adagio or Narnia? both are pretty heavy!

I don't think Narnia is very heavy at all, really...I mean, it's Melodic Metal, but I think we're talking about the heavier, more aggressive bands like Morgana Lefay, Tad Morose, etc...

 

[TychoCelchu]

Narnia's moving in the right direction, but Adagio is off in a different area these days. Between the two, Narnia's closer to what the thread's aiming for.

 

[nomisofsiman]

I still believe that even the worst Iced Earth album is still, album of the year material.

uke: No. No. NO! Sorry, I like Iced Earth and all, but I refuse to believe that. I don't even hate their last album as much as some do but it was just mediocre. I just have never been one to agree that anything by one certain great band even at their blandest is album of the year material.

I like this topic though, not that I like that there is a lack of HEAVY power metal but yeah. There aren't many. I was actually thinking something like this a couple of months ago, where I was trying to think of not just the HEAVY but what are some of the great up and coming power metal bands? Truthfully, outside of possibly Sabaton there really aren't that many HEAVY or melodic for that matter that are great, who are possible headliners. You do have some bands like Helloween, Gamma Ray, Primal Fear, etc. that are doing a pretty good job but they've been around for years. In the 90s and part of the 2000s there was a lot of upcoming bands such as some of the aforementioned plus Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius, Rhapsody, etc. I would just say though that much like other genres, it's probably just a bad time for this genre and that it will someday recover. Sort of how thrash was pretty down on quality for years, it seems to be regaining some speed lately. So, I think it'll turn around but as far as when, I don't know. We just seem to be stuck with a bunch of mediocre to good new power metal bands but nothing great.

 

[Fire breath]

it's not completely dead if you like it heavy you know. Other "heavy" power metal bands:

Mystic Prophecy - The ultimate "heavy" IMO. Most albums crush.
Cage - Recent albums rule!
Domine - long time since seen in action but a heavy enough band with some great material if you can look past the ultimate air raid siren Morby!
Dream Evil - I class them as heavy. they have a lot of crunch and it's not about speed. they are the ultimate power metal band these days with no duff tunes in sight.
Eldritch - MIA and slightly prog but El Nino was a wicked heavy album.
Elwing - Greek Running Wild/Grave Digger copy. heavy and catchy on the "War" album.
Grave Digger - still going and still heavy no?
Fracture - From Norway released this year. It's a real heavy and melodic one.
Hibria - From Brazil. heavy and speedy and very underrated.
Inner Wish's new album is heavier than before.
Jag Panzer - always been heavy and we'll wait to see what they come up with.
Powerwolf - one of my faves of recent years. adore the last two cds.
Rage - quality heavy power/thrash
Sacred Steel - Ok most people detest this band but SS is damn heavy!
Third Eye - new band released recently. Very heavy and chunky prog/power
Triosphere - very heavy and cool.
Wizard - heavy true metal. Solid and enjoyable band.

 

[Fire breath]

two Frenchies to add:

Nightmare and Kragens. Both released cool and heavy albums in recent years with solid vocals for Frenchies! Check Kragens myspace if you haven't heard them. http://www.myspace.com/kragensmetal

 

[Harvester]

it's not completely dead if you like it heavy you know. Other "heavy" power metal bands:.

The focus of my question was really on the new bands. Your list contains some good examples like Mystic Prophecy and Dream Evil. However, once again, they have been around for a while. I would also not categorize many on those lists as "aggresive, dark power metal" as opposed to traditional type sound.

Triosphere is a nice pick though.

I am going to check out Fracture and Third Eye from your list.

 

[Cheiron]

Tough call. I'll add Lion's Share, despite that they are an older band its really the last 2 albums that would qualify.

I'll also add Fool's Game and Pharaoh. Pharaoh has a few now, but still, should qualify.

 

[Diabolik]

Tough call. I'll add Lion's Share, despite that they are an older band its really the last 2 albums that would qualify.

I'll also add Fool's Game and Pharaoh. Pharaoh has a few now, but still, should qualify.

Pharoh are far from crunchy dark power metal. They are more traditional metal.

Nightmare....but they have been around a long time.

I think like the more upbeat style it is slowly fading away. Like most sub genre's, it will take a band to put out a great disc in that style to revitalize it.