Demon Bitch - Hellfriends (2016) 🇺🇸 | Skol Records

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‘Hellfriends’ is spastic and raw plummet through the obsidian archways of early heavy metal, albeit completely jagged with a very limited reverence for conventional structure, sounding something between early Slough Feg in need of a Ritalin shot and a sloppier Mercyful Fate in full chain mail. There's a resounding energy flowing through every song, as if it were floor recorded and off the cuff. It's a stark and welcomed contrast to the overly produced and mechanically prepared acoustics typical within newer heavy metal…

Despite Fenriz shouting these guys out every chance he gets, the 530 Monthly Spotify listeners is no indication of the galactic supremacy they very well deserve… hopefully after this post it will go up to 532 monthly Spotify listeners?

“There are no words, just rock n' roll.
Keeping me stranger, and keeping me loud!”

Demon Bitch - Hellfriends (bandcamp)

Crystal Viper - Crimen Excepta (2012)

Fucking right man, I've been so up my own ass posting filthy bestial blackened death metal that I've been missing out on some metal on the other end of the spectrum. The cheesy, dragon punching, gryphon riding end of power/heavy metal!

It's hard to take seriously, ergo those afraid of being lumped in along with the neck-beards abandon ship and adamantly defend their music collection from power metal, while continually hoarding basement black metal or death metal demo tapes to remain what? True? Real? I don't even fucking know, but I gladly forfeit the moniker of 'metalhead' any day. Metalhead, a connotation that would stereotypically imply long greasy hair, ill-fitting clothes, ugly girlfriends, black t-shirts and bullet belts with a disposition similar to a neanderthal? No thank you.

Crimen Excepta hearkens back to the golden days of power metal, when bands like Angra, Cellador, Helloween, Days of Yore, old White Skull, Warlock, Hammerfall, and especially early Elissa C. Martin Dark Moor days! I really haven't been stumbling on to much power/heavy metal these days that do anything for me, I must not be looking in the right places, because I'm sure they're out there. Pharaoh's Bury The Light rules pretty hard, anything else?

Crimen Excepta (320)

Random CD grab: Fairlyand - Of Wars In Osyrhia (2003)

Another random grab from my CD stash, brace yourselves travelers of Severed Heads Open Minds, this here is some seriously cheesy albeit awesome power metal. Often compared to Rhapsody when female vocalist Elisa Martin was in the line-up, which was only for Of Wars In Osyrhia. Essentially, what we have here is a dragon riding musical vessel for dudes sitting in their rooms on a 10 hour WoW or DnD binge. They eat this shit up, it's great.

I grew up watching The Neverending Story, so I was pretty much doomed from birth.

Grab if you like: Rhapsody, Dark Moor, Heavenly


Fairy lands

Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys pt. 2 (1988)

The best Helloween has to offer, fuck it, one of the best power metal has to offer, Keeper of the Seven Keys, pt. II! The original line-up with Michael Kiske on vocals and Kai Hansen on guitar, but it's Michael Weikath's song writing and prowess of melody that shines through and makes this album as a whole Helloween's best album. The positivity and creativity of the bad had reached its pinnacle, and soon after, Michael Kiske had departed and drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg had commit suicide by jumping in front of a subway train. Fuck.

The song Keeper of the Seven Keys ranks as one of my favorite songs and encompasses everything that is and should be POWER METAL.

Grab if you Like: Gamma Ray, Edguy, Lost Horizon

Happy Helloween

Falconer - Armod (2011)

 

Armod (Link requested to be removed by DMCA)

Kiuas - The Spirit of Ukko

An elk, dressed in robes, sitting on a throne holding a gnarly pike next to two flame lit braziers while the sky rains down thunder...

This could only mean one thing. Power metal, drenched with influences of thrash, death, and speed metal.

The Spirit of Ukko

Falconer - Among Beggars and Thieves (2008)

Fucking Falconer man. I have a thousand reasons as to why this is a power metal masterpiece. I will only list off a couple hundred of those reasons however. (for time and space purposes)

1) Stefan Weinerhall and Karsten Larsson of legendary Mithotyn are the masterminds behind it all.

2) Heavy on folk influences

3) Singer, Mattias Blad joined Falconer after never singing in a metal band before. In fact, he was enjoying a successful career as a stage singer.

4) Production is spot on. The drums sound beefy, guitars shred like a dinosaur, and the singing is not drowned out, nor dominant.

5) Best amalgamation of folk and power metal.

6) Lyrics are eloquently crafted and delivered.

7) Pale Light of Silver Moon is among my most played songs, along with Circle The Wagons by Darkthrone.

8) Download

Cellador - Enter Deception (2006)

Power metal brimming with more cheesiness than a god-damned fondue pot. Put on your robe and wizard hat and rock the fuck out because this is as good as it gets. Listening to the full album is the musical equivalent to punching a dragon in the throat. (+1 lol)

Enter Deception

Arthemis - The Damned Ship (2001)

Drums that share the same sound frequency and consistency of a herd of galloping bison. Riffs catchier than a Donkey Kong Country song. Oh yeah, and vocals done by Alessio Garavello of Power Quest. His voice sounds like an ancient unicorns...if the unicorn was a man. Power metal in all of its glory, dawning shiny armor and dragon punching!

The Damned Ship

Nocturnal Rites - Shadowland (2002)

Initially this band from Sweden started off playing Death Metal, Nocturnal Rites soon morphed into a competent Power Metal band after its share of line-up changes. Being a big fan of Power Metal myself this album ranks up there for me.  They sort of fall into the generic side of things, but they pull it off and your testicles along with it.

Shadowland

SpellBlast - Horns of Silence (2007)

I have always said, the cheesier the Power Metal, the better. Though, SpellBlast isn't the cheesiest of Power Metal bands, they still incorporate a good amount of cheese. With songs about goblins, unicorns, forests, Odin and of course magic, how can you fail. Well, you can't.

In short, Power Metal is a lot like Grill Cheese, the cheesier it is, the better! And apparently 68 people on youtube agree with me.

They throw in a lot of folkyness for good measure. Every time I listen to this album I want to punch a dragon in the face.

Glory