Thanks dude, great tracks and bands. Despite the fact that I prefer this genre of metal without vocals, these are fucking awesome.

haven't really heard of altered state, haven't listened to cauldron born in years and wasn't a huge fan before but maybe i'll re-discover something i like about them. not really big on pantera whatsoever outside of the power metal album so i'll see.

generally i'm looking for stuff like...: accept, cage, halford, iced earth, judas priest, manowar, overkill, U.D.O., jag panzer, helstar, running wild, winters bane, some riot (thundersteel and privilege of power), etc.

Then you might like Agent Steel, Holy Terror, Wolf, Skullview, Shatter Messiah, and Lonewolf--that is, if you're looking for fast, heavy, and aggressive.

I'd say Cirith Ungol would be fun for lifting BGM.

Omen is easily the best choice. half of my lifting playlist is Omen, the right mix of fatalism and badassery in the riffs, lyrics and vocals.

Hello headbangers. I've always been a thrash fan (hence my name), but lately I've just been all about the power/symphonic metal. Some bands I've really liked are Sonata Arctica, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody Of Fire, etc. So basically the popular ones.

However, being a thrash fan, I really do like slower stuff, but mostly like the upbeat fast-paced stuff, like Sonata Arctica's Wolf And Raven.

So in short, thrash guy new to power metal. Recommendations?

Helstar's Nosferatu should be exactly what you're looking for.

Can anybody recommend me some stuff along the lines of Running Wild's Death or Glory? Basically fast and heavy power/speed metal with strong choruses and melodies, and the old school Accept type heavy metal riffs in the mix are a plus. No flower metal though, I don't want any limp wristed fairy sounding singers or weak Europe riffs disguised as metal, I want it to be fucking METAL. Any suggestions?

European music is the best on the fucking Earth... Some awesome bands and tracks with no shitty vocals (all from Europe):
Hell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkFQyyQ069Y
Wolf http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ6bmgV3vc0
Grave Digger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlicNcNeQ8o
Gamma Ray http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0cQTX2wcks
Paradox http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ppneBCMmVg
Headhunter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNuqUXD_ ... ure=relmfu
Steel Attack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPC7qvY2e7o
Rage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pGvZYC7 ... re=related

Running Wild are hard to match. Here are some of my favorites that are vaguely similar:

Brimstone - Carving a Crimson Career
X-Wild (some ex-Running Wild members; but don't expect a RW clone, and don't get your expectations too high)
Lonewolf - Made in Hell
Reactor - Rather Dead Than Dishonoured
Marshall Law - self-titled
Scanner - Hypertrace

You probably already know these, but here are some more to make sure you check out (though many of them are farther afield):

Accept - Blood of the Nations
Intense - As Our Army Grows
Paradox - Collision Course
Bloodbound - e.g., Nosferatu or Book of the Dead
early Blind Guardian
Stormwarrior - anything

To see some other folks' take on a similar question I asked a while back, check out this thread:
viewtopic.php?&t=83900

Any of you guys know any NWOTHM type acts on the same level as Skull Fist, Metalian, Enforcer (SWE)? Bands that sound similar to those/are as good? Theyre the best of the bunch AFAIC.

Eliminator's got potential^.

Yeah haven't looked into them. A few okay ones like STeelwing, RAM. Black Hawk is okay. I used to listen to a lot of Metal Inquisitor like 7 years or so back. Are they even still a thing? That Menace - Quake Metal EP slays. Wish that band had more stuff, srsly.

RAM is fucking awesome, especially the track Flame of Tyrants. Reminding me Judas Priest's best years.

I really don't care for Skullfist at all, weak vocals, they are super manufactured to me. Seeing them live killed it for me. I'll always be a Striker fan, though they are heading down a slightly more commercialized road, but they still have kickin' tunes and their live shows are some of the best I've ever seen from any band at any level. Here's a cut from the new album I like, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEJgT4k4BCU

I'm digging Borrowed Time, but I hope they are writing more tunes like "Sailor on the Seas of Fate", I think that high-energy fantasy-themed stuff is good for them. I like Dark Forest (UK) quite a bit, though I heard their latest singer just bailed and that's a shame, he has a killer voice. Zuul is pretty sweet too, back-alley heavy metal.

The last Hrom EP has two really awesome songs on it, better than anything from their debut album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3L5jFdT7lc

Oh yeah, new Epic Metal in the vein of Omen, Ironsword, Doomsword and Wrathblade.
http://aforjalabelmailorder.bandcamp.co ... -iron-will

Yeah i get what people mean about Skull Fist, but whatevs. Yeah familiar with Striker, used to listen to that first EP quite a bit. Kinda forgot about them. Didn't enjoy Borrowed TIme much when i heard them. Should check their stuff again.

Eh, I thought Death was hit and miss. Some really great songs, some really dull songs.

I think you would definitely get a kick out of the band, Harbringer, DRD. Fits all the requirements: Old sound, new band, done right!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGoCSYji-wU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9iuotBtIO8

Been listening to a lot of Paragon lately. Any fans on board?
It is a shame of such grandness that they aren't talked about more...most people who do endlessly compare them to Grave Digger but they are far better as far as I'm concerned.

Hey listened to that first Harbringer track. Sounds not too bad, will have to look into them. Cheers.

They're a fun band...I haven't really listened to them intently in years though. I should revisit them sometime. "Armies of the Tyrant" still slays.

Hmm, I don't know if I understand you correctly. Like every band they have their better songs and the worse ones. But I mostly like RAM's tracks and the Flame of Tyrants is just perfect for me.

Axel Rudi Pell...can someone explain why this guy gets a pass despite being more one dimensional than 99% of other shredders? His/their discography is nothing, but bloated and repetitive songs that seem to follow the same structures despite length or mood.

Ram's Death still hasn't clicked for me sadly. I find myself growing bored when listening to the album as a whole. Don't get me wrong, Flame of the tyrants, and Under the Scythe are great tracks, but the album does not even come close to what I feel when listening to Lightbringer. from beginning to end it slays. It is hard to come by an album that can keep my interest from start to finish like Lightbringer can.




They are a decent band. They play sloppy but that adds to the charm. If you like that first track you can expect the album to follow in the vein.

Also check out the Powervice demo from 2005. Has a nwobhm thing going on you may enjoy. Heres my favorite track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbEK7mp4-9o

Just ordered the debut albums from Blaspheme, Griffin, Running Wild, and High Power. Really fucking pumped about all of these, been reading the reviews all day. Everything I've read about Griffin sounds like it's going to be a "love at first listen" situation. I'm ecstatic to finally dip my toes into the french scene. Wish the good stuff from this era was easier to track down.

Any of you dudes co-sign for Dawnbringer? I had no idea they featured the illustrious Professor Black from High Spirits. Just ordered Into the Lair of the Sun God and I'm not sure what to expect really. Somehow I gather that it won't be quite as pure heavy metal as Another Night, but the idea of Chris Black penning a conceptual epic about assassinating the Sun...I'm curious for sure.

Nucleus is a pretty solid album from Dawnbringer. Pretty dirty, earthy sounding metal with that Slough Feg-esque witticism about it, that kind of American wryness of tone. None of the songs blew me away but it's an entertaining 4-star album if I ever saw one. Sometimes that's the way to go.

I really liked that last Dawnbringer album, though it was my first exposure to their sound.

Yeah I dug Nucleus quite a bit, and Into the Lair of the Sun God is a good continuation of that sound. You are correct in assuming it's not pure heavy metal as there are definitely some other elements in there but as with anything Black is involved in, it's quality. Riffing on both albums owes a lot to Steve Harris if that gives you a hint of what to expect.

I've been really digging Skullview lately, Legends of Valor is still god-tier barbaric heavy metal for me, that guitar tone is so thick and heavy, and the riffs blow your face off. Not to mention it's probably the vocalist's best performance to date. I've gotten into Consequences of Failure as well, the production's not quite as good and it's not quite as consistent, but it's still damn good, with more of a power metal tinge. Kings of the Universe is okay, but too inconsistent, and it feels sort of europower-y at times. Who else around here likes 'em? I know Emp and Jonpo are fans. Anyone else have any thoughts on 'em?

Well that certainly doesn't discourage, does it? Thanks for the input fellas, I'm definitely hyped for this one. Seem like a really individualistic band, even from one album to the next.

Yeah, I'm definitely a fan of Skullview. I actually tend to listen to Kings of the Universe more than the debut. I wouldn't say it's better but it comes off as a lot hookier/catchier to me. In general they seem to play pretty kick ass muscular heavy metal, and I guess they were doing it before the whole "retro" thing really blew up? I wonder if it's helped sales any. I need to check out their more recent stuff, I've only got the first two.

Based on the black metal recommendations you gave me, I think you'll love Running Wild's debut. It's almost more like first wave black metal at times than heavy/power metal, reminding me a lot of Don't Break the Oath with rough and non-King Diamond like vocals on tracks like Preacher. Fucking awesome album either way.

Jonpo, definitely check out Skullview's third album, it's sort of a middle ground between the style of LoV and KotU. Not a fan of the newest album, though.

Existence's Reign in Violence is finally starting to click with me, definitely good stuff. Something you have to be in the mood for, I guess. I had Godforsaken Nights in my repertoire for some time and it never clicked except for "Sword in my Hand", but I'll give it another listen soon. Failsafeman, I know you said Venticular Fibulation (sp?) wasn't very good - are there any good songs on it though, or should it be skipped entirely?

I like it. It's obviously not a metal album, but it's cool modern prog... maybe if old Adramelch is comparable to 1980s Fates then this is comparable to Arch/Matheos but without the metal and the crappy groove 'riffs' that Matheos inflicts upon us nowadays.

I wanted ADRAMELCH to go more metal, not less. I guess that is my biggest disappointment. Great, underrated band though.

Looking for something full of Satan, but not necessarily overly heavy. Think Ghost or King Diamond. Any ideas?

Mercyful Fate (if you haven't already) and Satan's Host.

Yo, defo check out Satan's Host. And while you're at it check out:

Portrait (swe)
Hell (UK)
In Solitude (not really as "satanic" so to speak but still good).

Don't know if this is the best place to ask, but does anyone know what happened to Andy Michaud after he left Liege Lord? Or why he even left the band in the first place? According to his MA artist page the only stuff he ever recorded was with Liege Lord, which seems like a huge shame considering how stellar his performances on those first two albums was. I'd really like to hear more from him. I'm assuming he's not dead or anything, it seems like something that big would have been mentioned by the band themselves. But all the information on his career online seems to be a few gig photos, some live footage and mentions in the 'line up' section of the bands discography (Most of the stuff I've found doesn't even talk about his vocals much, except for autothrall's review of BtmT which calls those awesome highs 'headache inducing' ).

Wouldn't be that surprised if that's all he did, plenty of old USPM bands that had incredible vocalists who didn't do much. Brian Osborne, Chris Cronk, Bob Parduba, Patrick Brown, Bruce Roderick, etc... crazy.

John Arch would probably have been another example until recently, but yeah, all that talent and so few recorded examples is pretty depressing.

EDIT:

So right after typing that I find this: