Guys, where do i start with Steel Prophet? I've heard songs here and there i think, over the last few years, but can't really remember them. I am playing with them next year, and want to familiarise myself with their work. Is that recent compilation a good start? What about the early demos? The recent albums? Older ones?

Yeah, there's definitely black metal influence in there. I heard these tracks back when Alex posted it on Facebook, it's good stuff. I like Tecchio's vocals and like them in Cryptic Ones too, so maybe there's a correlation there.

Looking for recommendations for bands similar to Shatter Messiah? I already know of Nevermore.

Imagika should do the trick for you. They always reminded me a bit of 80s Metallica + Iced Earth, and so did Shatter Messiah. :V

Dark Hallucinations!



Skip everything after DH but their early stuff is pretty good.

You could try Archetype, the band the singer from Shatter Messiah was in before. They're less thrashy and aggressive and more proggy USPM, but the manic style is still there.

I just chime in to say my happiness knows no bounds. After long periods of searching I finally have my three holy grails of USPM on CD! Namely:

Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction (Metalcore Records edition)
Liege Lord - Freedom's Rise (1996 Black Dragon Records CD)
Griffin - Flight Of The Griffin (Steamhammer mid-price serie CD)

Really happy about that last one - it was tough to track down but worth EVERY penny paid for it.

Why did I never listen to Leatherwolf before? Pretty darn cool. "Black Knight"!

Also, here you guys go:

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos- ... 5472_n.jpg

What do you comrades know about Heavens Gate? I just found them, but would like to have a couple of recommendations as a starting point. Really don't know where to head with their music.

I've heard their first few releases and Heaven's Gate is middling to decent German power metal with some prog touches for the most part. Nothing to write home about, but not really awful either. Just start at the beginning and work forward, I guess. However, stay the FUCK away from their "In the Mood" EP, which is 'unplugged' and basically like boring jazz/modern rock versions of their songs (plus some originals, I think). I remember one of the songs being decent but it's 75% shit.

Ah, thanks FSM. Will do as such. Also, jazz/modern rock versions of German power metal songs?

I remember Livin' In Hystera being a pretty cool album. Nothing amazing, but some really fun tracks on there. That's all I ever bothered to check out though. They have that album called Menergy. All I can think of when I see it is that Powerthirst video. Obviously I'd never be able to give the album a serious listen now.

Heavens Gate debut has a few killer cuts too but I think on Living in Hysteria they have more personality + the title track is just crazy (in a good way) and still the only one I've bought.

Man, I'm listening to Riot's Sons of Society and Mike Dimeo really blows. He's such a cheesy Joe Lynn Turner/David Coverversion crooner! He's got no edge to his voice, and that's exactly what a Riot singer needs. Seriously, he ruins spoils any good material present on this release (even on the good tracks he has to give it some "Mmmmm, baby!").

Conclusion: sucks.

I'm on a power/speed/thrash binge again, currently getting my ass torn apart by Skeptics Apocalypse. Any bands in this style I might have missed? I already know Holy Terror, Flotsam and Jetsam, Iron Angel, Witchhammer, Toxik, etc. Anything is game as long as the vocals are somewhat clean. Harsh vocals just don't do much for me in this style.

EDIT: Holy hell, where has this been all my life? Highly recommended.

Yeah, HAVE MERCY is a great pick for this style. That EP is really underrated.

Make sure you check out both albums from my band TEMPLE OF BLOOD, if you haven't already.

I would recommend DEADLY BLESSING ("Ascend", "Psycodrama", and "Eye to the Past") as well as ALTERED STATE. Also BRAINICIDE's demo w/ Tim Owens on vocals.

What about IMMACULATE's latest album or SPACE EATER?

I'm sure I'll think of some more later.

Well Joph, you could could check out Hades' Resisting Success, as it's your typical American power/thrash with a technical edge. In other words; it's bloody wonderful.

I've revisited Crimson Glory's first 2 albums and they've finally seem to click. So far I can't really tell which is my fav. Both got real killer songs. ''In Dark Places'' is prob my favourite song of them at the moment: some riffing remind me of And Justice for Allera Metallica - yes, that's a good thing!

I've always liked the debut most, but seem to be in the minority here. Either way both are legendary.

Nah, I also prefer the debut over Transcendence, if only by a hair.

It's strange. I've been listening to metal for about 5 years now, and I haven't ever listened to Crimson Glory, I think at least. Maybe it's time to see if that's something for me. I do after all like many other bands in the same genre.

By the way, I just have to say that I have really gotten into Satan's Host lately, thanks to you guys saying such good words about them. I just discovered that 25th anniversary album, and I FUCKING LOVE IT! Are there any other bands doing this same sorta thing? I already know of Desultor and Hell (even though I wouldn't say Hell are doing the exact same thing, but you get the point).

I put off listening to them for a few years as well, dumbest mistake ever. The band is absolutely one of my favourites and will likely continue to be.



There's nothing really like em out there at the moment. I've heard people say Charred Walls of the Damned are kind of like 'em but I've never listened to them so I dunno. Have you picked up By the Hands of the Devil, because that CD is the bomb. Also check out the current Swedish scene with bands like Portrait and In Solitude.

Hi guys! I've been absent from this thread for a long time now, but was wondering if you could help me out with finding a band.
I remember a Portuguese (or maybe Italian, in which case I'm certain it's not Dark Quarterer or Adramelch) being praised here. I think the band pic had a mixture of old and young guys, if that helps. Can anyone think of what this band could be?

Alright. I will check out Crimson Glory then!

Oh yeah, By The Hands of The Devil is fucking unbelievable! I have been listening to that one for weeks already, and it blows my mind every time! I just discovered the celebration album a few days ago though, and had to say a few words about it. Yeah, Charred Walls of The Damned has kinda got a similar thing going. And it also helps that Tim is as good of a singer as he is, so that's definitely not a bad comparison.

Could it be Raising Fear? I haven't been here for that long, so it might be wrong. But they're Italian at least, and pretty good as well.

I've always preferred Crimson Glory's debut to the follow-up - which I don't really like all that much anyway. But then, it's never been a secret my tastes tend to differ with most of the regulars around here. The debut is definitely quality stuff, anyway. Every song except "Mayday" is a winner in my book. More traditional metal than most of the WCUSPM stuff, though. Screamer are the only band that ever seemed all that similar to them to me.

@Temple of Blood: Yeah, I found Have Mercy based on your recommendation of them in the thrash thread awhile ago, actually. I've checked out a couple songs from the first album of your band, but the vocals didn't do much for me. Definitely some good stuff going on there, and I won't say the vocalist (that's not you, is it? >_>) isn't talented, just not really my thing. Deadly Blessing and Altered State are both good, although the production on the latter is so atrocious it's hard for me to listen to, I might get the remaster eventually.

As for Brainicide, Immaculate, and Space Eater, I have yet to give them a listen, definitely will do so though. I also found Tourniquet based on your recommendation, and their debut is pretty awesome stuff. Is any of their later stuff good? The song I heard from their newest album sounded like generic symphonic crap.

@Xlxlx: I've known Hades for awhile now, never really did much for me. Thanks for the rec though! I've been blasting Paradox quite a bit lately too, definitely up there with Agent Steel, Holy Terror, late 80s Helstar, etc. Death Angel's debut is pretty damn good too, more melodic than I thought it would be.

You might dig Deceptor... vocals are a bit gruff but not overly so.
http://shadowkingdomrecords.bandcamp.co ... f-delusion

http://deceptor.bandcamp.com/

This is a really long shot (and I mean, a really long shot) but there's a band called "Blood Revolt" which features members of the Canadian "war" metal bands Axis of Advance and Revenge plus the singer of Primordial. Basically, it's super-harsh black/death metal with the Primordial singer caterwauling over it. The vocals aren't nearly as refined as Conklin's, and the instruments are way more raw and true to the death/black metal sound. But it's still extreme metal with clean singing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GakQDxHQCG0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmbFSy7zJvs

I have been listening to a lot of Brocas Helm the past week and I love how medieval the music can sound without resorting to the clichéd use of folk instruments. What other bands of their ilk pull this off?

I've recently been trying to get into power metal more in depth. Can anyone suggest the essential power metal albums that every fan should hear/have in his collection? Also I really like the song I Want Out by Helloween, any songs with that same feel to it?

This Trail of Murder album is quite good but it's really overlong. It's just too much of the same that should have cut a little shorter.

I know Empyreal will disagree with me but what does the rest think?

It feels too short to me really. It seems to fly by whenever I listen to it. And a lot of the songs aren't really that long at all.

Again, this statement shows we never agree with eachother. Dunno man, but for this sort of heavy metal that's really not varied, 35-40 minutes of music would be enough for me.

Guys what is the general opinion on Pantera's "Power Metal" around these parts? A great, underrated as hell power/thrash album or just a slab of songs that cannot seem to find direction? I personally am in the first camp and firmly believe that is probably the best Pantera output ever. The title song alone and "Burnnn" or "Death Trap" are great speed metal killers.

Anyone ever listen to Chroming Rose? You know...that Helloween clone (well, one of the earliest ones)? Take a listen to their last album Insight and try to count how many top 40 songs they "borrowed" from. It's fucking bizarre.

Wow. I gotta say, this is pretty interesting. I have never heard anything like this. Really dig the vocals, and yeah, you basically said it, the music is intense as hell! In addition to this, I also think I should check out Primordial now. Thanks a lot for that rec!

I just picked it up recently, its a damn shame they didn't release more material like that, and unless they start again it will likely be the only Pantera album I own.

Yeah, I really dig Power Metal, and much like The Animator^, it will probably be the only record I will pick up from these guys. Ever ask a Pantera fan if they like Power Metal? Classic responses ensue. Half don't even realize the band made that album

@ The_Apex_of_Collapse: It makes sense. For one thing its not listed on their discography on there website. Plus they are mainstream so its likely that most of those fans only own albums they've herd on the radio or on MTV.

Medieval Steel definitely does a good job on some of their songs, particularly the self-titled. Adramelch is a pretty obvious one too, few bands create an atmosphere that sounds so legitimately medieval. Overlorde (AKA Overlorde SR) is pretty similar to Medieval Steel, Omen, etc., definitely worth checking out. Longings Past fits the bill pretty well too.