Hi. Thing is, my cousin is visiting the family and is staying at my house for a couple months. He got into guitar playing because of Guitar Hero and has started listening to mainstream -core stuff and Dragonforce, but also bands like Iron Maiden.

He's been asking me for more traditional/heavy/power metal bands to listen to. Any recommendations for trad/heavy/power(not-very-flowery) metal bands with killer guitar playing to help get the little guy into metal?

Manilla Road is the answer.

Crimson Glory
Satan
Manilla Road
Gamma Ray

Check out Herman Frank's new album Loyal to None.

Also, Helstar's first three albums.

Love Manilla Road, but the vocals may put him off. They're kind of an acquired taste. Satan's also good (seems to be a favorite around here), I've heard Court in the Act and liked it a lot, the production is horrible, though. Any Satan albums that sound better?

As for Helstar, it's a must. I'll check out Crimson Glory and Herman Frank's.

Axel Rudi Pell are also mandatory; get pretty much anything except the newest album.

If you're looking for stuff more in the USPM vein you need to put him onto Omen, Liege Lord, Sacred Oath, Attacker, Jag Panzer, etc.

If you're looking for some more trad heavy metal oriented stuff I don't think you can go wrong with some Brocas Helm, Heavy Load, and they've already been mentioned I know but god damnit Manilla Road is the greatest. You're right about the vocals being an obstacle, so you might want to hit him with some of the more "high octane" Road albums like Out of the Abyss or Mystification if those riffs and solos don't distract from the vocals I don't know what will. Oh, and if he doesn't seem to resistant to vocals on the higher register/more abrasive side point him in the direction of Cirith Ungol. Make sure he sees how bad-fucking-ass the album covers are so that he can understand what he's in for.

I guess this is as good a time as any to point out that my new Cirith Ungol shirt kicks all kinds of ass.

Sacred Oath does have some really nifty guitarwork. I guess he may not like those high, slightly effeminate vocals, though. For some reason I just adore them.

I was about to recommend this.

Just go ahead and check out Satan's second album. Different vocalist and the sound is almost completely different, true thrash meets true NWOBHM. From there, just go ahead and check out Blind Fury, then Pariah's stuff, since they're basically the same band so you can expect awesome guitarwork all over. Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins were an ungodly duo.

Which reminds me ... Tippins is the new guitarist for the recently reformed Tysondog, really hope they put out an album sometime soon.