10 Favorite Power Metal Albums

[waif]

Wintersun? Really? Since when is Wintersun power metal?

It's not, really...but I dunno what else to call it. Beyond The Dark Sun is totally power metal. Sadness and Hate is something else entirely.
I guess you just have to call it melodic extreme metal.

And I never want to hear Wintersun and Bodom in the same sentence ever again.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

And I never want to hear Wintersun and Bodom in the same sentence ever again.

QFT. I wish people would stop comparing them.

 

[Einherjar86]

I see where you're coming from. Wintersun isn't traditional power metal, but it's hard to fit it in somewhere. I guess I'd throw it in the same vein as Ensiferum, to be honest. What do you classify them as?

Or maybe like a symphonic melo-death kind of deal.

 

[waif]

Einsiferum? I always hear them referred to as Viking Metal...not well-versed in their stuff, so I dunno what to call them.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

I'm not too familiar with Ensiferum... But aren't they like, Folk?

 

[rms]

Their latest could be compared to some Wintersun I guess...but Iron and S/T fuck no

 

[Qoppa]

Well, Ensiferum is Jari's (the brainchild of Wintersun's) old band. It's kinda the same style of music as Wintersun but with more folk influences.

 

[Einherjar86]

Einsiferum? I always hear them referred to as Viking Metal...not well-versed in their stuff, so I dunno what to call them.

Well, their lyrical material isn't similar, but the sound is. If Ensiferum are only called viking metal because of their lyrics then they seriously need a genre reconsideration (what exactly consitutes viking metal, actually... I guess I never really thought about that). Wintersun sounds a lot like Ensiferum, only more bombastic and symphonic. I guess I'll call it symphonic melodic metal; because it really doesn't seem right to call it power metal to me. I know earlier V said that harsh vocals don't consitute death metal. I suppose it could be said that clean vocals don't consitute power metal, but something about that just seems weird. Personally, I think we have to take vocals into consideration.

So yeah, Wintersun is great; but I'm calling them some kind of symphonic/melodic metal (whatever... I have no clue).

 

[waif]

If Ensiferum are only called viking metal because of their lyrics then they seriously need a genre reconsideration (what exactly consitutes viking metal, actually... I guess I never really thought about that).

SHHH! VVVVV will hear you and flip out at Viking Metal.

 

[rms]

Well, their lyrical material isn't similar, but the sound is. If Ensiferum are only called viking metal because of their lyrics then they seriously need a genre reconsideration (what exactly consitutes viking metal, actually... I guess I never really thought about that). Wintersun sounds a lot like Ensiferum, only more bombastic and symphonic. I guess I'll call it symphonic melodic metal; because it really doesn't seem right to call it power metal to me. I know earlier V said that harsh vocals don't consitute death metal. I suppose it could be said that clean vocals don't consitute power metal, but something about that just seems weird. Personally, I think we have to take vocals into consideration.

So yeah, Wintersun is great; but I'm calling them some kind of symphonic/melodic metal (whatever... I have no clue).

Are you talking about their latest or their previous albums? If youre talking about Iron/S/T you have a screw loose

 

[Einherjar86]

SHHH! VVVVV will hear you and flip out at Viking Metal.

Haha, yeah, and if he sees it's me that's broaching the subject he's likely to hunt me down and cut off my fingers so I can't type anymore.

 

[Einherjar86]

Are you talking about their latest or their previous albums? If youre talking about Iron/S/T you have a screw loose

Wait, wait... clarify. Do you think that Iron and the self-titled DON'T sound like Wintersun, or that they do? Because Jari was with them on the first two records, which is why they sound similar, in my opinion.

 

[rms]

Iron and S/T sound nothing like Wintersun

>_>

whens the last time you listened to Ensiferum?

 

[Einherjar86]

Well, I'm listening to both right now. And I agree with you somewhat; maybe not every song. Wintersun is faster than Ensiferum and more bombastic. However, Into the Battle and Hero in a Dream sound as though they could be taken right off Wintersun. The same elements are there: Jari's same vocal style, melodic guitar riffs, choirs... it's just that Wintersun adds these elements to a more symphonic sound.

I wouldn't say it sounds "nothing" like Wintersun. Different, yeah; but not distantly removed.

 

[challenge_everything]

Wintersun are a hard one. A few of the early tracks like 'Beyond the Dark Sun' could be called power metal and there are patches of this through the album, but the galloping power metal rhythm is rarely sustained long. Sometimes there are power metal style riffs but with blast beats - what the hell do you call that?

I guess you'd call it a progressive power metal/death metal hybrid.

 

[IWP]

Shit! I was drunk as shit last night when I posted this, and misread the title of the thread! I thought it said top 10 favorite power metal bands. Oh well, I'll just edit my post. =P I don't have a lot of power metal albums yet, so this is just based off of what I have so far.

1.Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1 (tie)
1.Sonata Arctica - Winterheart's Guild (tie)
3.Sonata Arctica - Ecliptica
4.Rage - Perfect Man
5.Iced Earth - Night of the Stormrider
6.Gamma Ray - No World Order
7.Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2
8.Helloween - Better Than Raw
9.Iced Earth - Iced Earth
10.Sonata Arctica - Silence

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Wintersun are a hard one. A few of the early tracks like 'Beyond the Dark Sun' could be called power metal and there are patches of this through the album, but the galloping power metal rhythm is rarely sustained long. Sometimes there are power metal style riffs but with blast beats - what the hell do you call that?

I guess you'd call it a progressive power metal/death metal hybrid.

Power Metal/Melo-Death

 

[Psychonaut]

Sonata Arctica - Winterheart's Guild
Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle Earth
Lost Horizon - A Flame To The Ground Beneath
Lost Horizon - Awakening The World
Kamelot - The Black Halo
Symphony X - Paradise Lost
Nightwish - Century Child
Gravedigger - Excalibur
Running Wild - The Rivalry
Iced Earth - Night of the Stormrider
Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings

 

[Blind Guardian]

In no particular order
1.Helloween - Walls Of Jericho
2.Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys pt.2
3.Helloween - The Dark Ride
4.Morifade - Imaginarium
5.Lost Horizon - Awakening The World
6.Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side
7.Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond
8.Iced Earth - Horror Show
9.Gamma Ray - Power Plant
10.Falconer - Chapters From A Vale Forlorn

 

[Hypnos]

1. Running Wild - Death Or Glory
2. Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond
3. Manowar - Kings Of Metal
4. Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet
5. Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys, part 1
6. Falconer - Falconer
7. Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side
8. Running Wild - Pile Of Skulls
9. Nightwish - Oceanborn
10. Dalriada - Kikelet


honorable mentions:

Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World
Running Wild - Port Royal
Manowar - Sign Of The Hammer
Wuthering Heights - Far From The Madding Crowd
Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, pt 1 & 2
Virgin Steele - The House Of Atreus, pt 1 & 2
Gamma Ray - Land Of The Free
Stratovarius - The 4th Dimension
Iced Earth - Night Of The Stormrider
Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings