So I recently got into Queensryche and Fates Warning as I tried to listen to non-extreme metal. More specifically, right now I really enjoy Queensryche's first EP "Queensryche" and Fates Warning's "The Spectre Within." Now I'm looking for more releases like these two, where you have an awesome mix of early power metal, heavy metal and progressive music. I'm not really sure how else to explain the music, but I'm sure if you've heard these two releases you know what I'm talking about.

Some things to consider: I don't like Dream Theater; I already know Crimson Glory and personally only their debut is good; I don't like most power metal because I think it's too "pop-like," if you know what I mean. On an unrelated note, any old school power/prog with epic shredding is welcome to be mentioned.

I've been searching on my own for a few weeks and kind of reached a dead end, which is why I'm asking for recs here. So hopefully I'll have some good recs from you guys! Thanks a lot!

Lethal "Programmed"
Screamer "Target Earth"
Cauldron Born's stuff
Enchanter "Defenders of the Realm"
Titan Force's debut

Start with those. Maybe try out Toxik's two albums as well, a bit on the thrash side but still awesome tech stuff with soaring vocalists.

Both the Queensryche EP and Fates Warning's "The Spectre Within" are arguably USPM, as is everything I listed. It sounds like you're just familiar with Helloween or modern Euro junk. Check out Omen, Liege Lord, Jag Panzer's debut, Tyrant, etc for a real taste of POWER METAL! No sing alongs here, and nothing boring like Dream Theater.

Or Crescent Shield for something modern and amazing.

LETHAL - Programmed
SCREAMER - Target: Earth
DEADLY BLESSING - Ascend from the Cauldron
ONE OF SIXX - demo
TALISPHERE - demo
LORD BANE - Age of Elegance
EN FORCE - demo
SACRED WARRIOR - Master's Command
ALTERED STATE - demo
RECON - Behind Enemy Lines
MYSTIC FORCE - Eternal Quest
SCARLET RAYNE - Theater Humanitarian
FAITH FACTOR - Against a Darkened Sky, 777 EP
HEIR APPARENT - Graceful Inheritance

I think you'd really enjoy Vauxdvihl. They only have the one album though, and a few EP's but they're not really anything like the album.

Definitely Adramelch, checkity check this shit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHTKMJjZ-X8

Lethal's "Programmed" and Screamer's "Target: Earth" are both great!
Cauldron Born is perfect!
Enchanter is also perfect!
@Xeogred
Titan Force sounds a LOT like Jag Panzer, but I like that!
I already know Toxik, and I love "World Circus."
I'm familiar with Liege Lord (Master Control) and Jag Panzer (Ample Destruction), but I've only heard of Omen and Tyrant.
As for Crescent Shield, they've got an interesting sound, but it's not quite what I enjoy.
Thanks for the recs Xeogred!

@Temple Of Blood
Deadly Blessing is good.
Lord Bane is amazing!
Recon is pretty good, they remind me of Crimson Glory.
The rest were either alright or I did not like them.
Thanks a lot for the help man!

@DrLucienSanchez
Vauxdvihl is pretty good, thanks a lot!

@Funsize999
I have Adramelch's "Irae Melanox" and I absolutely love it. Thanks though!

A lot of good recs here. I'd also add Steel Prophet's "Inner Ascendance", that is one kickass demo in the old school prog/power style.

Most have already been covered, but two big Spectre Within-esque ones that haven't are Slauter Xstroyes and Taramis.

EDIT: Oh, and more on the traditional and Queensryche side, there's Moon of Steel.

I'm pretty sure Zions Abyss will do the job too; not quite as melodic or progressive but some incredibly catchy and quality song writing.

Yeah, this one always slips my mind but it's definitely top tier stuff. I guess it's kind of forgettable since Steel Prophet is in general, but this demo is amazing.

Taramis is new to me, nice stuff.

Great tastes LeetMetalhead, I think I can recommend a few more.
Oracle - (1993) As Darkness Reigns
Psychotic Waltz - (1990) A Social Grace (might be a stretch and I'm still no expert on them, but some early Fates Warning fans seem to love this stuff)

And my mind just went blank... are you familiar with Vicious Rumors though? "Welcome to the Ball" might be what you're looking for. All their stuff up to that album is awesome though.

Yep, the TWO mandatory releases have already been mentioned. Lethal - Programmed and Heir Apparrent - Graceful Inheritance. oOne other mention is Sacred Warrior - Master's Command has a cool Queensryche vibe and you might want to check out Warrior- Fighting for the Earth as well.

Sacred Warrior

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXB3DxnCywY

Warrior

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oZ0Z3g90BE

Unless I've overlooked something, no one has recommended Drive in here. You might want to check them out, OP.

I give you....Dark Quarterer...

Antiquus - (2006) Eleutheria

For something newer check that one out, I bet you'd dig it.

Nevermore
Savatage
Metal Church
King Diamond

Thanks for the great recs everyone!

I really like Steel Prophet's "Inner Ascendance", Slauter Xstroyes (crazy bass!), Taramis, and especially Moon of Steel! Zions Abyss definitely has some "darker" riffs, but I don't mind that at all; they're really good!

Xeogred, I couldn't find a band called Oracle with such a release. However, I did find the same title released in 1993 under a ban named Prodigy, who used to be Oracle (which I'm assuming is what you referred to). And Psychotic Waltz is definitely a good one that I've heard before. Not sure why, but I didn't find Vicious Rumors to be quite impressive; I guess in a sense they've got the "power" but not the "prog".

celt14, Sacred Warrior is pretty much what I'm looking for, thanks! Also, Warrior is a little different, but pretty good as well.

Arannya, Dark Quarterer is some pretty amazing Italian power metal, thanks a lot!

Xeogred, Antiquus isn't half bad! And coming from a guy who doesn't like most modern power metal, it really means something.

Misfit74, I'm not quite sure how any of those bands relate to my request. lol.

This is my favorite style of music, and I'm constantly on a search for more of it. It's frustrating, as most modern metal that's classified as either "power" or "progressive" sounds nothing like what I'm looking for. Neither Sonata Arctica nor Symphony X sound like Fates Warning.

I recommend the following:

Blind Guardian - not their new stuff or their really early stuff (although I like it too), but their third, forth and fifth albums. I generally dislike most of the European bands that are commonly put into the same category as Blind Guardian, but I don't think their early or mid period stuff is sonically similar to those bands at all.

Crescent Shield - "The Last of My Kind" This is basically the epitome of what modern U.S. Power Metal should sound like. Ballsy but sophisticated riffs, no keyboards, soaring vocals.

Pharaoh - "The Longest Night" The vocals might take some getting used to, but I feel that they're musically quite similar to early Fates Warning, perhaps with slightly higher cheese factor.

Solitude Aeturnus - "Beyond the Crimson Horizon" and "Into the Depths of Sorrow" These guys are categorized as "epic doom", but I don't think that they got really doomy until their third album. The Fates Warning influence is pretty blatant on their first two albums. They have some slow, plodding transitions that add a doom element, but I don't consider these to be doom metal albums.

While Heaven Wept - "Vast Oceans Lachrymose" Another epic doom metal band that released one Fates Warning'esque album.

Psychotic Waltz - "A Social Grace" This is a really weird album, very musically busy in the background but somehow not overly wanky. Fates Warning on LSD maybe?

Leatherwolf - "Leatherwolf II"

Agent Steel - "Order of the Illuminati" They started out as a straight speed metal band, but changed vocalists and released a power metal album. My favorite of theirs.

Defender - "Remaining Tales" One poster described them as a Dutch version of Metal Church, and if that's the case, it sounds more like Metal Church's S/T, which is more in the vein of what you're looking for than anything that came after.

I'd also have to agree with everybody else that Slauter Xstroyes' two albums are mandatory!

Also, Crimson Glory didn't click with me at first either, in part because "Lady of Winter", the first song on "Transcendence", is the weakest track on the whole album! It's very misleading. You shouldn't make a decision about that album if you haven't listened to "Masque of the Red Death":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHOsKlB8Ln8

This is awesome. I'm not the OP, but I've been looking for stuff like this... Thanks!

That Moon of Steel is awesome too. I had heard most of the recommendations in this thread, but there were a few new ones.

Some of the newer bands I'd recommend are

Malison Rogue http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Ayv0HVG8E

Manimal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ6nN_hL ... re=related

Shadow Keep http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fS96nDu ... re=related

Ion Vein http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6WgzfdE ... re=related

This style is metal is getting harder to find these days unfortunately.

I guess you know my tastes, heh. You guys can thank failsafe for getting me hooked on them. I am -super- picky about modern prog stuff, but yeah Antiquus get it right for me.

As for Oracle yeah I'm not sure why they're not on V2, but here's their old page: http://v1.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=1652

I think the Prodigy demo release of "As Darkness Reigns" is the same material, just with a cheaper production and all. So I definitely recommend the actual Oracle release if you can find it.

You're pretty much right about Vicious Rumors there. Did you try "Welcome to the Ball" though? That's one of their better more experimental albums and kind of on the softer/intricate side of things. But yeah, a bit different than everything else we're talking about here.

Crescent Shield I can second along with YmirsGap. It might not be exactly what you want, but it is definitely what I want modern USPM to sound like. Riffs everywhere and no cheese in sight. Both their albums are top notch to me and I can't wait for more.

@YmirsGap: I tend to say that about Defender, heh. I think LeetMetalHead might be looking for stuff more like "Blessing in Disguise" though. Either way I can definitely recommend checking out all of Metal Church up to "Hanging in the Balance" at least, I haven't listened to their other stuff too much.