Mellow epic metal with clean vocals?

[zabu of nΩd]

I just got done listening to my favorite Bathory album - Twilight of the Gods - and I noticed that I have pretty much nothing which sounds like it. So I ask the benevolent wisemen of UMF to share their knowledge with me. Here are my criteria for the band I seek:

1) Mellow, without resorting to heavy use of acoustic elements (disqualifies bands like Haggard and Winds). Basically, it should be slow-tempo but still heavy.

2) Minimal harsh vocals, or preferably none at all (disqualifies Agalloch and Summoning).

3) Epic style, without sounding depressing like doom or goth metal.

So yeah, basically something that sounds like Twilight of the Gods. The closest thing I have that meets these criteria, to my knowledge, is Therion's album Vovin - however, the guitars do take a backseat for the acoustic stuff a little too often on that.

That said, many hails to anyone with a good recommendation!

 

[IOfTheStorm]

I'd tell you to listen to "Into Glory Ride" and "Hail To England" by Manowar, or Doomsword ("Let Battle Commence" has the heaviest Bathory influence, but the s/t album is probably my favourite and is richer on lyricism, it's more "mellow" too), but you probably have already checked these two. There is also a swedish band called Ereb Altor that is just the way you say with HUGE Bathory influences, but i don't find them that good to recommend them.

 

[Mort Divine]

Primordial - Spirit The Earth Aflame would probably work, the harsh vocals are few and far between, it tends to be rather slow (not what I'd call mellow, but not blisteringly fast), and is about as epic as it gets.

 

[zabu of nΩd]

I'd tell you to listen to "Into Glory Ride" and "Hail To England" by Manowar, or Doomsword ("Let Battle Commence" has the heaviest Bathory influence, but the s/t album is probably my favourite and is richer on lyricism, it's more "mellow" too), but you probably have already checked these two. There is also a swedish band called Ereb Altor that is just the way you say with HUGE Bathory influences, but i don't find them that good to recommend them.

Sadly, I haven't listened to Manowar yet (I'm still relatively new to metal), and I haven't heard of Doomsword or Ereb Altor before, so I'll put all those on my "to listen" list, along with that Primordial album Mort mentioned.

Thanks for the recs, guys. Keep 'em coming.

 

[aferrito]

Check out EPICA, RHAPSODY OF FIRE

 

[Life Sucks]

Primordial - Spirit The Earth Aflame would probably work, the harsh vocals are few and far between, it tends to be rather slow (not what I'd call mellow, but not blisteringly fast), and is about as epic as it gets.

Very epic, yes. Bathory influenced, yes. As for the vocals, it's true that there are few black metal shrieks. But Alan is chanting most of the time, and not singing a vocal melody, so the vocals are not traditional singing, though also not "harsh" in the strictest sense. If the vocals are acceptible to the OP, then The Gathering Wilderness would also work, as it is perhaps more accesible, since it's not as dark.

 

[NinjaGeek]

Check out EPICA, RHAPSODY OF FIRE

Although both of those bands are very epic and clean, mellow is the last word I would use to describe them.

 

[Life Sucks]

Mael fucking Mordha

mellow much of the time, as epic as fuck, and good clean vocals.

 

[Sigma]

Old Season
http://evillegendrecords.com/OLDSEASON_MortalsOfMettle.mp3
DoomSword

 

[Jean-Pierre]

Battleroar and Airged L'ahm's 1997 demo sound exactly like what you're describing.

 

[challenge_everything]

Yep Primordial is the one, although the vocals do cross into harsh territory at times.

 

[walkinbazooka]

Lumsk
Most of their songs have a female vocalist but some have a male.