I won't promise that I'll stick strictly to power metal, buuuut...

2010:
Tarot - Gravity of Light
Kamelot - Poetry for the Poisoned
Iron Fire - Metalmorphosized
The Shadow Theory - Behind the Black Veil
Angra - Aqua
Diabulus in Musica - Secrets
Imagika - Portrait of a Hanged Man
Steelwing - Lord of the Wasteland
Black Majesty - In Your Honor
TANK - War Machine
Skullview - Metalkill the World
The Lord Weird Slough Feg - The Animal Spirits
Seventh Wonder - The Great Escape
Angelida - La Ciudad de los Pajaros
Aperion - Act of Hybris
AnsoticcA - Rise
Hanker - Conspiracy of Mass Extinction
Triosphere - The Road Less Travelled

2011 (fucking phenomenal year):
Arida Vortex - Invisible Tension
Eden's Curse - Trinity
Hibria - Blind Ride
Theocracy - As the World Bleeds
Mystic Prophecy - Ravenlord
Iron Savior - The Landing
Iron Mask - Black as Death
Nightwish - Imaginaerum
Satan's Host - By the Hands of the Devil & Celebration for the Love of Satan
Dragonland - Under the Grey Banner
Riot - Immortal Soul
Iced Earth - Dystopia
Battle Beast - Steel
Bloodbound - Unholy Cross
Speedwolf - Ride with Death
Hell - Human Remains
Jag Panzer - The Scourge of the Light
Visions of Atlantis - Maria Magdalena & Delta
Edguy - Age of the Joker
ReinXeed - 1912
Dreamtale - Epsilon
Manilla Road - Playground of the Damned
Serenity - Death & Legacy
Powerwolf - Blood of the Saints
Symphony X - Iconoclast
Wolf - Legions of Bastards

2012:
Paradise Lost - Tragic Idol
Damnation Angels - Bringer of Light
Lonewolf - Army of the Damned
Diabulus in Musica - The Wanderer
Steelwing - Zone of Alienation
Iron Fire - Voyage of the Damned
Amberian Dawn - Circus Black

People hate Operation Mindcrime?

Crazy bastards.

Damn! Yes! True words! All these songs plus "Speak" and even the short opener "Anarchy-X" (gooseskin.. every time...) are amazing and to me very timeless, personal classics! However any other Queensryche album doesn't really work for me. Some okay-ish songs here and there but Operation Mindcrime is a total stand out in their discography!

The second album definitely has the stronger Fates Warning vibes, and Rob is INSANELY precise on that one and perfect (he is completely amazing on "The Hourglass"), it's crazy. But yeah, sometimes the rougher and more slightly darker tone of the debut hits the spot more, and vice versa. Probably not as different as Spectre vs ATG, but yeah they're different. Both albums are still probably the best discoveries of the year for me.

I still think "White Ship" is my favorite song though, damn...

Thanks!

Yeah, a good chunk of that, I wouldn't classify as power metal at all, but I appreciate the recommendations nonetheless.



Anyone have any more to share?

Lists are lame, Zelkiro. And it's not The Lord Weird Slough Feg anymore !!!

In my heart, they always will be. That's how they were called back in the good old days!

On an unrelated note, Wildpath has disappointed me. Their debut was awesome, Non Omnis Moriar had a bunch of filler and interludes with some great tunes here and there, but Underneath...holy fuck, what a shameful pile this is.

Aye aye. Mindcrime is my favorite 'Ryche album, and one of my favorite albums of all time. Every song is a winner to me, amazing vocal lines, great guitar solos, wonderful songcraft. I don't really listen to it from a metal perspective because only some parts of it are truly metal. The whole thing is just jam-packed with brilliant choruses, sexy guitar effects and delightfully subtle rhythm section tricks, it's a masterpiece of rock/metal music for me.

Never did care much for Mindcrime. The thing sounds too tame. There's a few catchy choruses, but that's about it. I doesn't suck; but it's not an exciting album. And the story is stupid.

But it's what I asked for...a list of good recent power metal albums. Why is that lame? As the recipient of the fulfilled request, I am inclined to disagree wholeheartedly.

Medieval Steel released another compilation. It's just The Dungeon Tapes plus one new song, but anyone into killer USPM should look into this, awesome band.

I appreciate the furious, more metallic fervor in the earlier 'Ryche albums, and yes, Operation Midcrime is very commercial, and arguably overly complex in it's production, but i find many of the songs catchy and memorable. I love the atmosphere, and passionate vocals of Geoff help in evoking the imagery of the (admittedly somewhat contrived) story. Not my favourite QR (honour goes to the debut EP), but i do like it a lot.

I have been listening to Ossian a lot lately. Only ever heard a couple of theirs - need to rectify this and check out the rest of the discog. What albums are your guys favourites? I love Titkos Ünnep and Acélszív, but really haven't got round to checking out the rest of their stuff. I got these a while back and kinda forgot about the band. revisiting a lot of stuff at the moment.

Angel Dust - Let Me Live

My introduction to this band as of now. What an awesome song. If the album is of this level across the board, then this will be amazing.

Edit: AD - The One You Are

Yeah, it's shaping up to be just that.

agreed 1000 %.

Promised land is way underated, and is definitely above O:M (which comes across as their first venture into commercial hard rock).

any news on the steve benito front, who i still consider a world class proto-PM vocalist ?

@failsafeman :

Well, I bet you guys remember seeing those clips of Portrait with that new laughable singer they had.

Good news, looks like Per Karlsson has rejoined.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP7xXAqD ... e=youtu.be

Wow, what's next, the sky falling?

Hallelujah!


Holy shit!!! Is that Ronny Hemlin on vocals? Sounds way better than anything he ever did in Steel Attack...

It's an awesome way to get into the band, indeed. So aggressive, powerful, and grinding..... Plus, Dirk gives one of his most vicious performances there, and in particular I have to remark the insane shriek he does at the end of it. Just wish he did 'em more often.

Yeah, Let Me Live is probably my second-favorite song by the band (behind Border of Reality). Killer riffs, gritty vocals, tasteful keyboards - what more could you want?

In my dreaming
I still hear them marching on
In the darkness I start to pray

Let me live, let me love again!

Goddamn that's glorious, and moving

Totally agree, but what about that part where Dirk looses it and goes all "RIPPING, SHOOTING, BURNING! THAT'S THE WAY THAT I GOT DRILLED!" on us? It's chilling. Also, speaking of awesome vocals moments in Enlighten the Darkness, there's a pretty weird one in The One You Are where Dirk plays the part of the soldier's wife, and he strangely manages to sound very feminine there. Know what I'm talking about?

What would you people say last year's best power metal album was?

My #1 pick for last year was Imaginaerum, but I know some people around here are stick-in-the-muds and will disagree with me.

You're one sick and twisted bastard, Zelkiro!

Garth, I'd have to go with either Manilla Road's Playground of the Damned or Arch/Matheos' debut.

Off the top of my head, it's between this or Riot's Immortal Soul. And that Nightwish was awful.

Yeah I'm pretty sure Playground of the Damned is the only thing even remotely power metal I've heard from last year. Default winner I guess. To be candid I don't listen to it very often.

That was Dirk's vocal coach, not Dirk himself, haha.

I enjoyed the work from Lorenguard and Ancient Bards.

Oh, really? Man, it does sound like him..... Although with a much lower testosterone level.

Recently found Warhead (USA)'s 1984 demo. This is some seriously crazy USPM/Speed. This is absolutely ahead of its time for 1984. Check it out!

Edguy - Age of the Joker
Dragonland - Under the Grey Banner
Vulvagun - Cold Moon Over Babylon

One of these.

Totes.

Also: this album is basically playing non-stop on my ipod at the moment:
http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Prodigy/As_Darkness_Reigns/210362

Dirty speed metal bands like Midnight and Speedwolf please?

always enjoyed Border of Reality, never huge on Bleed, hearing Enlighten the Darkness for the first time, pretty darn good.

edit: how have I never heard Racer X? Street Lethal is kicking my ass.

You might like Ketzer, Trench Hell, Chapel (Can) or Sodomizer? Also the punk/metal band Zeke is great. They've been around for ages. When i first heard Speedwolf, i instantly thought of Zeke.

@DeathRiderDoom: Were you the one who linked one of the songs from that Oracle album in the mini-review thread at some point
It's good stuff.

Nah i don't think i was, but i think we've discussed Oracle in here before, numerous times in the last few years. Being generally badass etc.

Yeah, that Oracle album is just straight up one of the fucking best.


Makes me think of Fatal Violence.

Wow, "Let Me Live" really is pretty killer. I love how "full" the song sounds, in a good way. Heavy stuff.

Anyone like Lordian Guard? I've only heard the debut, but it's pretty awesome. The weirdo female Geedy Lee sounding vocals might turn some people off, but I think it fits the cool religious sort of atmosphere. Awesome guitar and keyboard work throughout the whole album. No shredding or anything, but the melodies are just soaring.

You think she sounds like Geddy Lee? I thought she had a pretty husky voice for a female vocalist. I fucking love it though, it pretty much makes the record for me. I got it about a month ago on CD and haven't opened it, but I play a digital copy all the time at work. Certainly not very "heavy" or riffy, but there's definitely an atmosphere that will grab you if you're in the right frame of mind.

Not Geddy's super high stuff, more his mid range. Might just be me, but I definitely thought of him a few times.