Heavenly-Underrated

[Jim LotFP]

Originally posted by Creeps
And if you want to start a power metal band... what do you need? Phenomenal musicians that can sing like Halford, play double bass like Dave Lombardo and guitar like Yngwie Malmsteen. hehe.. so is it really a clone if that's the style of music they want to play?

*shrug* My whole problem is the inability to understand why somebody would start a band with the purpose of sounding like things they've already heard.

To me, and probably me alone, here is what the process SHOULD be if there's a specific sound in mind:

"Oh man, this Iron Maiden/Helloween/Savatage/(insert band here, from whatever genre you want) album sounds GREAT... but there's something missing. They ignored these possibilities! Let's go THERE!"

Too much today sounds like bands are afraid of offending fans or labels with something different so they intentionally eliminate anything that might sound like personal expression instead of scene expression. (It's amazing how reading certain magazines, put into simple words what I'd been trying to talk about for years, haha... and weren't even talking about power metal AT ALL at the time they wrote them)...

Just how my ears hear it.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

Jim, you make some very articulate and intelligent points here. I read and re-read your answers a couple times and found myself almost about to argue with MY beliefs!

I do still disagree somewhat, but that's cool. I think we're allowed to do that. You make it difficult at times but at least your argument has thought and rationality behind it.

I would *still* cut off a finger to see Freedom Call, however.

At any rate, well said, and we'll agree to disagree. See, I TOLD you I wasn't the editor of a fanzine or anything!

 

[DT Jesus]

For the record, I really agree with with LotFP here. Then again, maybe I'm just tired of seeing nothing but generic power metal talked about on this board.

-matt

 

[nightwish58]

There is only so much a musician could do when they are playing a certain style of music (be it power, prog, alternative, etc...). I am a power and prog metal fan, and therefore, I don't want bands incorporating alternative sounds for example into their music (just so they could say they sound different). I understand that it is nice to have something fresh, like POS, but how many different ways can you play power metal? The way I look at it is if the particular style of music is done well, and I am into that style, then I want to see that band play live. It is as simple as that. Helloween made 2 of the greatest albums ever in the Keepers albums, and if Heavenly or some other band can carry on that tradition today, I'm happy! Tobias Sammet is one of the greatest minds in music today. Edguy is not a clone; their compositions are intricate, well thought out, and exactly what a power metal fan would want. Great vocals, great guitars, keys when necessary, etc...
Don't get me wrong, I have about 2000 cd's, and they do get repetitive at times, but that would happen in any genre of music. Look at Pearl Jam and Creed; I couldn't even tell which band was singing if I heard it on the radio. But if people liked Pearl Jam, why wouldn't they like Creed if they felt the music was done well? The bottom line in my opinion is that if a certain style of music that you are into is performed really well, that that band deserves some credit!

 

[JayKeeley]

I have to agree with nightwish58's last post. It's very simple - I'm not denying that some bands today are derivative and clone themselves from a working formula of the mid-to-late 80's, but call it what you will ('nostalgia') - if the bands today can recapture the emotion and feeling that Maiden did with "Somewhere in Time", or Megadeth did with "Rust in Peace" then so be it.

And to echo MarkGuggs, if I want something different, I'll listen to Thyrfing, Bolt Thrower, or Nile (who, by the way, with "Darkened Shrines", could have my vote for album of the year after only one listen).

Originally posted by DT Jesus
For the record, I really agree with with LotFP here. Then again, maybe I'm just tired of seeing nothing but generic power metal talked about on this board.

-matt

...which is particularly ironic since this board is as silent as a field mouse. It has the least traffic compared to the other forums on UM, and the way I see it, there is not enough discussion on Power Metal bands (or Prog for that matter). As a group of PP fans, I'm surprised we're not all talking about the new Nocturnal Rites CD for example....

*starts a new thread, heh heh*

 

[Creeps]

I'd love to talk about that album.. as soon as I can find a copy. Heh heh

Everyone makes well points, and it's actually a pretty good discussion. I also have a few thousand albums.. I can only imagine how much smaller it would be if I didn't have bands that were totally original..

I've been dabbling in listening and buying a LOT of power metal lately... I like a lot of it, some I could do without.. one that I could do without that comes to mind right off the bat is a CD by a band called HEIMDALL I picked up... it did nothing for me. But, bands like Secret Sphere, Powergod, Tad Morose and Silent Force more than make up for it.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

Anyone wants to check out a SUPERB power/prog band, make your way to the record store and pick up:

Wuthering Heights - Within

Trust me. It's fantabulous.

 

[JayKeeley]

By the way, power metal bands I was really disappointed in - especially after Sentinel Steel (and others) had hyped them up so much:

Isengard, Morifade, Skylark, and Guardians of Mankind

Also, I think Silent Force (Infatuator) is hit or miss. Some of it is great, and some is pretty boring IMO. I thought the Gladiator trilogy could have been a bit more 'epic' considering the topic...

 

[DT Jesus]

Originally posted by JayKeeley
the way I see it, there is not enough discussion on Power Metal bands

*ahem*

Subjects of current thread:

Best EPIC metal song
Power Quest
KOTIPELTO - Waiting For The Dawn
Angra
Rage "Unity"
Avantasia II
Blind Guardian tour
Nocturnal Rites - Shadowland
Centurion - any good?
Demons & Wizards???
Heavenly-Underrated
Blind Guardian Wacken Setlist
Power Metal Band sites??
Labyrinth, Vision Divine

...gee what was I thinking? I keep waiting for this site to change its URL to AllPower.com. I'm holding out hope that Glenn's doing a cyclical thing and next year will have a lineup of bands (and thus concert-goers, and thus forum posters) who are more prog and less power. I guess I just wish a site named ProgPower actually contained discussion of at least SOME prog artists.

-matt

 

[junnie from the east]

i think then you should have started some prog threads.. ?

 

[Creeps]

maybe that means just more fans of power post on this forum. I myself am not totally into the prog scene, some I like, most annoys me..

I'm not discrediting the musicians (so hold off on that reply button) it's just not my thing is all.. I give every band and every type of music a fair shake, I just have my favorties like everyone else.

 

[JayKeeley]

Originally posted by DT Jesus


*ahem*

Subjects of current thread:

Best EPIC metal song
Power Quest
KOTIPELTO - Waiting For The Dawn
Angra
Rage "Unity"
Avantasia II
Blind Guardian tour
Nocturnal Rites - Shadowland
Centurion - any good?
Demons & Wizards???
Heavenly-Underrated
Blind Guardian Wacken Setlist
Power Metal Band sites??
Labyrinth, Vision Divine

...gee what was I thinking? I keep waiting for this site to change its URL to AllPower.com. I'm holding out hope that Glenn's doing a cyclical thing and next year will have a lineup of bands (and thus concert-goers, and thus forum posters) who are more prog and less power. I guess I just wish a site named ProgPower actually contained discussion of at least SOME prog artists.

-matt

So what's stopping you from posting a hundred new threads about Prog bands?

And why should the line up be cyclical? I'm assuming Glenn wants ProgPower to grow - not diminish.

Four of those threads you listed were posted by me. The others were posted by other obvious power fans - and your issue is...? Just because power fans want to discuss the music, how does that preclude progessive fans from wanting to do the same?

You know, there's this hyperlink button called "New Thread".

 

[JayKeeley]

Originally posted by junnie from the east
i think then you should have started some prog threads.. ?

Amen.

 

[junnie from the east]

Originally posted by JayKeeley


Amen.

eh?? what this "amen" means???

 

[JayKeeley]

Originally posted by junnie from the east


eh?? what this "amen" means???

Simply put, "Amen" means "Agreed".

 

[junnie from the east]

oh i thought i said something bad! good to know it's not that bad thanks JayK

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

Originally posted by DT Jesus
...gee what was I thinking? I keep waiting for this site to change its URL to AllPower.com. I'm holding out hope that Glenn's doing a cyclical thing and next year will have a lineup of bands (and thus concert-goers, and thus forum posters) who are more prog and less power. I guess I just wish a site named ProgPower actually contained discussion of at least SOME prog artists.

-matt

What an excellent idea. An All Power site with little to no mention of boring prog bands! Thanks for setting things in motion!

Ok, back to reality. This year's ProgPower is power-heavy, thus, more fans of the power half are making their voices heard. Pretty simple, eh? I also don't think it's much of a stretch to say that power metal is far more widely appreciated than prog (please don't bring up the "you're simple-minded, I'm a prog elitist" defense). It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Pain of Salvation, Devin Townsend & Threshold wouldn't have sold this show out. Lastly, there's nothing preventing you from starting some prog threads of your own.

 

[junnie from the east]

Agreed *amen?*

Actually i love Devin's work (i remember there was a big discussion about his music on thisboard) and PoS is one of the reasons of my visit there. see my thread Labyrinth..., only Mark kindly replied but isn't it ok? some might be interested in your info. so

don't just wish, you can start it anytime...

 

[DT Jesus]

Bah, this is just gonna get confrontational. It just appears to me that if I post a couple threads talking about new albums from bands like Enchant and Spock's Beard, I'm prolly not gonna get an outpouring of responses. I'm "assuming" here yes, but it's an educated assessment based on the environment I've witnessed.

I think ProgPower's a great thing and I'm really looking forward to the weekend, but you gotta forgive me for holding out hope that future PPUSA's will lean as much on the prog side as this one has on the power side. Especially when I could swear that previous PP's *were* more proggy.

-matt

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

It won't get confrontational at all. It's only discussion anyway. I'm sure you already know you can post whatever you'd like; if people respond, great! If not, well, sorry I guess. All I can say is that I'm fairly sure there are more people that can/want to discuss power metal than prog. But no one's stopping you from talking about it (hell, it might be the only way to get me to shut up ), I just don't have much to say about that topic.