Maybe his backyard factory making "various dead animal parts"
Yes, it's actually one of his interests, besides belly dancing, confederate flags and wearing "too much eyeliner"

Longings Past's debut is much, much better than An Angel's Tale. The songwriting isn't so much worse in the second album, but that production....gah.

And I think Danny White is leaps and bounds above David Louden, whom I don't really like all that much.

Never could get into Longings Past's debut. It doesn't really sound much different from the other tracks on An Angel's Tale; but I don't think they're as interesting.

Both vocalists are awesome. I prefer the sound of Dave; but if there's one thing Danny has over him it's enunciation. Dave is pretty much impossible to understand when he goes into his higher register. I mentioned that to Howie not too long ago and he just goes "okay". Guy probably thinks I'm retarded now.

What is WCUSPM and BCUSPM? I never heard those terms before.

White collar and blue collar US power metal. White collar bands tend to be more intellectual and refined and often have progressive tendencies; blue collar bands tend to be more aggressive and "YEAH HEAVY METAAAAAAL" and may lean towards thrash metal.

Ok makes sense now. Thank You

Checked out an obscure little comp from 89 called, At the Foot of Brutality, and on this is the band called Firing Squad that released nothing outside of the two songs present on this release. A shame they never made an ep, or an album because these two tracks are fine slabs of USPM/speed. Deserving of play list inclusion at the very least.

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKs62IpjS0U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QllBzZM300

Arch/Matheos tonight, I'm really excited. It feels like the first time a good band has played in Hartford since John Arch was last in Fates Warning!

Hey, Alder-fronted Fates is good - that Parallels reunion tour show was great.

I don't see anything wrong with the production...could be BETTER but I own the album on CD and it mostly sounds fine to me. One of the better mid-2000s PM albums.

I never understood why there are 2 fervently opposing camps with Fates Warning (and Dark Moor and Nightwish). Both eras are great in their own way, just sit back and enjoy it.

When you include Nightwish, do you mean those that think they are shite and those that don't?

No, the morons bickering back and forth about Tarja vs. Anette, just as the other 2 groups' factions ultimately boil down to Arch vs. Adler and Elisa vs. Alfred.

Show was amazing, as posted in the other thread. Same setlist as at KIT, if anyone was curious.

I don't know about you, but I can hear the guitars clipping and it drives me insane. The drums sound like they applied an artificial reverb effect uniformly to all of the drums, turning the bass drums and cymbals into a muddy mess. After a few lessons I learned to tolerate it but it's certainly not nice.

"Through the Heaven's Eyes" has absolutely amazing guitar leads, though.

I'm with ya there. That CD is a tiring listen because it's so damn compressed, and the clipping is indeed frustrating. When they get going on the chorus of the title track, for instance, it's a bizarre struggle between the awesome song and the insane wall-of-noise effect that's just pulverizing your ears. Too bad they couldn't find a middle ground - their previous release, Raging Planet, suffered from the opposite problem with a punchless production that had very little bass combined with drums that dryly click-clacked away in the background.

Hard to tell what their latest EP really sounds like since I can only listen to the Myspace tracks, but it doesn't sound very promising - the damn drums are still way too far up front.

Lately I've been listening to two songs over and over and over. Seriously I can't get enough of these two songs. If you haven't listened to them before, do yourself a favour and do it. Two great vocalists as well.

Phantom - Well of Souls

Malice - Godz of Thunder

I just got that Phantom album in the Great Omega Order Heist of 2012, but I've only given it a few cursory listens in the ride. Definitely built for the road, from what I've heard so far.

Another one I got in that same haul is the Salem compilation. Any of you dudes up on this shit? I didn't really know what to expect. I haven't made it past the first disc yet, but I've definitely already got my moneys worth. The first handful of songs are just solid rocking uptempo NWOBHM, with a gritty tone but an ear for catchiness, and a few heavier riffs scattered about. The centerpiece of this bands entire existence is their "Keeper of the Keys" epic though. A 16:21 long suite by a relatively unknown NWOBHM band. Doesn't your mind just reel at the possibilities? Its either going to be complete garbage or its going for your throat... I'm pleased to report that I found it very very good. There are some atmospherics, as with any song of that length, but they just PILE on the hard-charging riffage. I don't think this stuff is going to change anyones life, but if you can find it at a decent price its very much worth the cost of admission.

Guys, I'm looking for some really spectacular speed metal. I want crazy, high pitched vocals, amazing soloing and great songwriting. Might as well just recommend me your favourite speed metal band.

My wet speed metal dream would be a mix of Watchtower, Enforcer, early nineties Blind Guardian, Crystal Viper, Gamma Ray, Walls of Jericho-era Helloween.

Plus points for a healthy dose of craziness. Thanks in advance!

I'm just gonna throw a few things out there, and if they stick, cool. Speed metal definitely isn't my forte.

Fatal Violence sounds like something that might be right up your alley. Speedy (bordering on thrashy at points) with some glorious over-the-top vocals. I haven't heard them nearly as much as some of the others around here so I can't really speak to their songwriting prowess. The compilation of their demo stuff isn't hard to find, hopefully you don't mind it a bit on the rawer side.

A band that I have heard a lot of who I think you might dig are Volture, and their EP Shocking Its Prey. You want ridiculously awesome vocals? Well here you fucking go. You can tell this guy has spent years worshipping at the leather-and-chains throne of Halford, but he puts his own spin on the sound, and uses his air-raid siren style very selectively and purposefully. His more mid-range vocals are just as good, in fact I prefer them. Every song isn't balls out speed but for a fairly short EP there is a good amount of flooring it. Check out their tune Heavy Metal Machine and see how that grabs you. Its one of their sillier songs lyrically but I think its gets the point across musically. These guys really get my blood pumping, there aren't many newer bands I feel this strongly about.

Last but definitely, definitely not least, what about the classic Thundersteel from Riot? I hope you're already familiar with it but if not this one is must-have. Again, not every song is balls out speed but every song does have incredible riffage and very passionate vocals. A lot of people like to compare this album to Painkiller, but between me and you (and everyone else who knows) its way fucking better.

Revenge (The Colombian one) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2R9KYbjYkM

Legacy (Like a mix of Fatal Violence, and early Exumer.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzdM_E3ZvVg&feature=related

EDIT: Can't forget the Norwegian band Witchhammer and their album 1487. it is an obscure release that really should be better known. Even has a Kai Hansen alike vocalist http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTbpJCQ0Pbo

Older Stuff: Agent Steel's first two albums, Savage Grace, Abattoir, Holy Terror, Metal Church, Defender, Flotsam and Jetsam. Metal Church and Defender might be more power metal'ish than the others, but still pretty speedy.

Newer Stuff: Stormwarrior, Spellcaster

In your list, one of those bands is not like the others, namely Gamma Ray. That's more straight power metal. Check out Scanner, Lost Horizon, and Iced Earth's second and third albums.

Never heard of these guys. Great stuff from what I am hearing.

That Malice song is off the hook. I need to listen to that album again.

Jonpo: Thought you were talking about the US Salem, heh (who aren't too bad, not the best demo-only band though).

Hahah there's so many god damned Salems! That's the primary reason I linked directly to the comp I was talking about in the post, but I probably could have been more overt about it. I listened to it again on the way into work today...I'm still impressed. I love that they didn't try to go all proggy with their "epic". Its pretty much just three awesome NWOBHM songs smushed together into one. Coming For You is really good too, for a much shorter number.

That US Salem looks like they might be legit, but I'm sure it would be stupid hard to find.

On second thought they're okay... not anything I'd drop gold for. Syrant on the other hand is pretty awesome, and Rolen's 89' demo (isn't Oblarg big on them?), definitely fucking awesome stuff! /listening to some very random stuff at the moment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLBjgiJtuRE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMs4ZuMR9EA - killer ballad done right!

Holy shit, Tad Morose's last album is insane.

The only reason I know of them is they are from the city that I live in. Better songwriting than your average neo-speed-metal band, IMO.

HIBRIA HIBRIA HIBRIA!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1cei6I-QRw

Primal Fear's Nuclear Fire is also really good if you want really violent, shrieky speed metal. Their other albums aren't so great though.

Also try:
Attacker - The Second Coming
Cauldron Born - Born from the Cauldron
Liege Lord - Master Control
Nostradameus - Words of Nostradameus (not much for high-pitched vocals, but it's so fast it makes Walls of Jericho look like a Black Sabbath album)
Persuader - Evolution Purgatory (may be a bit too "modern" for what you're looking for)
Rage - Reign of Fear (their other albums up through Reflections of a Shadow are also very good but not as fast)
Riot - Thundersteel
Toxik - World Circus (leaning more towards thrash, certainly meets the crazy quota and then some though, it's utterly manic)

Jonpo and YmirsGap have covered most of the bands I would have recommended, so I'll just try to complement their lists a bit. Cyriis-era Agent Steel would definitely seem to fit your criteria, as mentioned; if you like them, it may be worth checking out some of Cyriis' other speed metal projects, such as Black Reign and Pontius Prophet, for some extra doses of craziness. Pontius Prophet (ex.) is some more orthodox, dark speed metal, with some harsher vocals and furious riffing; they don't feature high-pitched vocals as such (although the vocals can probably be qualified as 'crazy'), but nonetheless if you like Agent Steel they should be worth trying out. Black Reign have some more progressive features to their music, as well as vocals which are crazy, high-pitched and crazy high-pitched. This is enhanced by a couple of rips out there, which seem to be speeded up due to some issues, but is probably more impressive on the normal-speed album, where Cyriis doesn't sound like a Chipmunk (as much.)

Other than that, Ballistic (ex.) would definitely be worth a listen if you like stuff like Fatal Violence. They're fairly popular here, though, so somebody has probably mentioned them in some post which I overlooked by mistake. Still, they definitely play speed metal in a similar spirit to Fatal Violence and such; somewhat like the Omen-Jag Panzer region of USPM, except faster. On the other side of things, a band which fits into a similar niche of power-influenced speed metal as bands like Defender would be the demo band Anesthesia, especially on a song curiously named 'Prelude to Ruin.' A bit more focus on atmosphere, rather than relentless speed.

Since you mentioned Watchtower, I thought that a couple of more technical speed-metal-esque bands could be worth mentioning. For example, the technical speed metal band Arcane (ex.), who combine a speed metal style with riffing tricks imported from techno-thrash. Also possibly of interest are two female-fronted bands, Aeons End and Ice Age. Ice Age (ex.) are another band which play something in between techno-thrash and speed metal, albeit in this case perhaps more towards the techno-thrash side of the spectrum. It's probably worth trying out their 'Instant Justice' demo first, although the others aren't generally bad. Aeons End (ex.), on the other hand, incorporate quite a heavy techno-thrash influence, but meld this with a strong progressive tendency, meaning that their sound is fairly unique. They would probably fit around the speed metal ambit, given that their progressive tendencies often mean that they don't go to full-on thrash metal as often.

new Steel Assassin and Skelator albums.

You scared me, I thought the new one was out!

Whoa, that Steel Assassin album came out of nowhere. They've been working on it for months, it was supposed to come out last September, then...no news for months and months. Then I blink and suddenly it's out, haha. Definitely going to pick that up, War of the Eight Saints is a modern-day USPM classic.

The Rush cover seems a bit of an odd choice, though.

I can definitely recommend the Ballistic self titled for something speedy and fun. The lyrics are absolutely ridiculous in places, but it just adds to the charm. The performances are all top notch, the singer sounds like his head will explode at any moment. I heard stories he fainted a few times while recording his vocals?

Yeah let me know what you guys think of the new Steel Assassin. The last album basically sounded like what Jag Panzer should've become to me.

They're too underground for Pirate Bay, apparently.

I'll have to do more in-depth searching (read: put some actual effort in) when I'm finished listening to all this new junk I've collected.

Some reviewers have termed the band "Orden Ogan" the "successor to Blind Guardian", not so much in style but in spirit. They write infectious melodies, are good song writers who incorporate complexity without overdoing it, and employ keyboards without making them dominant. I've been enjoying the "Vale" and "Eastern Hope" albums, and can see their point.

Another candidate for this title would be the French power metal band "Alkemyst", although they're not releasing albums with great frequency. "Meeting in the Myst" was released in 2003 and "Through Painful Lanes" in 2008, but nothing since then. At any rate, I think this band is completely overlooked. There doesn't seem to be much discussion or recognition of them on any of the message boards. I'm extremely picky about Euro-power, and have only found a handful of bands that I really like. Basically, they have to be progressive while still maintaining a more-or-less traditional song structure, keep the keyboards understated, have a good singer and compelling melodies, and do something original. Alkemyst is one of the best of the more Euro-power bands I've heard that would qualify. What do people think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYIqdoMw3Ls

I'd put bands like Falconer, Wuthering Heights and Lost Horizon in the same category. That said, Falconer has been around for a long time, and Lost Horizon only released two albums before disappearing.

Orden Ogan's Vale is one of my favorite modern PM albums, but Easton Hope was a huge letdown, with most of the songs just not being very good. Hoping their upcoming 2012 one is better.

Listening to the new Antiquus. The first song has a bunch of rapping in it - yes, really - and despite some blazing riffs and leads, isn't really that great. Subsequent songs are all much better, but not as catchy as Eleutheria so far. Maybe this will be a grower. It's definitely good but then, can't ever judge this band on only one listen.

Is "Ramayana" (Antiquus' first album) any good?

In that same realm of Queensryche/Fates Warning-style power/prog done by newer bands, I've found Ion Vein, Shadowkeep and Constantine to be pretty impressive too.

Yeah, I heard the rapping in the sample on itunes...still haven't heard the whole album yet, though the other samples did sound a lot better. Eleutheria is one of my top post-80s power/prog albums though, and it doesn't seem like the new one will live up to that high standard. I'll hold out hope that it's a grower, though!


Yeah, just not as good as the second. It suffers from some wonky production, too, but it's definitely worth checking out.