Great idea for a list, nicely varied too! Some of these are among the best albums I've heard from the genre, especially Wuthering Heights, Dol Ammad, Manilla Road and Heavenly.

I'd recommend these two first of all:
Morgana Lefay - Grand Materia: the darkest and most aggressive power metal album I've heard and of my top favourites. Very heavy and thrashy with raspy and unique sort of vocals.
Angel Dust - Bleed: This one is thrashy as well with a nice keyboard driven atmosphere, again one of my favs.

Judging from this list I'd say Symphonic Power is something you like, so I'd suggest these ones:

Aquaria - Shambala: it's Brazilian and sounds a bit like earlier Angra releases if they were to give a lot more emphasis to the folk elements. Very symphonic.
Suspyre - The Silvery Image: lately they play a more progressive symphonic but their earlier albums had a lot more power metal in them, this one in particular. Catchy choruses.

Some which are more "proggy" (that is they'd be more appropriately tagged as Progressive metal)
DGM - Frame: Streamlined sort of prog with a fair bit of power metal in it and it's very addictive I think!
Cloudscape - Global Drama: similar sort of modern prog/power style
Last Tribe - The Uncrowned: similar sort of modern sound but much more power metal inclined. Superbly catchy!

Some "different" ones:
Kiuas - The Spirit of Ukko: not exactly overlooked but I don't think it gets the attention it deserves. Very original sound.
Nocturnal Rites - Shadowland: edgy with strong vocals this one is my fav from them.
Viper - Theatre of Fate: Features Andre Matos on vocals (before his Angra days). Really cool neoclassical heavy/power.
Eldritch - El Nino: really strange thrashy kind of power. I found it challenging to get into but it is rewarding if you give it time I think. Their more recent ones are easier to get into but also more generic.
Triosphere - The Road Less Travelled: very catchy power with a unique feminine voice.
Viathyn - The Peregrine Way: nice and solid folky/prog power, and it's only their debut!

These one's are fairly straightforward kind of power:
Primal Fear - Devil's Ground: well known band I guess but this album is overlooked, very high quality heavy/power I think.
Crystal Eyes - Chained: this one is completely generic but I don't know.. its just so fucking catchy! Again it's a heavy sort of power.
At Vance - The Evil In You: same story here although it's got a lot of AOR in it, my favourite from the band.
Axxis - Time Machine: not only is this one generic but its sooo damn cheesy Impossibly addictive I found though.

That's "just a few" I can think of for now, sorry for the whole page

@^
I think DGM's Different Shapes is a bit stronger than Frame.
I'm usually selective... so I don't have much to recommend other than DGM other than the following:
Anubis Gate - The Detached: Progressive Power. Beautiful concept album. I reviewed it.
Beautiful Sin - The Unexpected: excellent vocals and very memorable riffs. reviewed by Jeff
Eyefear - The Unseen: If Evergrey is your thing, check this out. reviewed by Jeff
Karelia - Restless: very left field, but that's what makes it interesting. Industrial power metal =P reviewed by Jeff, but I liked it more than him lol
Keldian - Journey Of Souls: nice atmosphere, uncommon in power metal
Outworld - Outworld: you can read Jeff's enthusiastic review
Seven Kingdoms - Seven Kingdoms: the new hope of power metal?
Shadowkeep - The Hourglass Effect: another progressive power metal album, reviewed by Jeff
Tarot - Crows Fly Black: maybe they're a bit too well known here haha, but it's a great album!
Voyager - I Am The ReVolution: another one that goes the non-traditional route. I reviewed it

Damn, heard very few of the albums in the list/recommendations, guess I have some more listenin' material. Thumbups for the list, and I also second the Angel Dust and Outworld recs.

Thank you for your comments I really appreciate them.


I know some of these bands like Angel Dust and DGM but I didn't really have digging much deeper into them yet, but I will now.
And of course I'm going to check all of your other recommendations in the next few days as well.

I've made this kind of list simply because I didn't found anything especially like that on this site.
They're plenty of genre-specific lists here, but none of them really made a closer take on a genre (at least not in Power Metal).
This list is about genre-specific favorites too, but I never wanted to create just my personal list about my top ten Metal bands or something in that vein, this list is more something like some sort of smorgasbord about everything great this music has to offer, but not everyone is aware about.
You can say I see this as some kind of community project to create a great collection of genre-specific gems.
For me that is exactly that what this lists should all about. Reference points and a great help for everybody who wants to take a deeper look in a particular kind of music, which includes myself too, because I really want to witness Power Metal at it's fullest. ^^


I'm not quite sure about it, but i will probably make another lists like that for other undervalued genres, like Folk and Gothic Metal, in the future.

Written by R'Vannith on 26.10.2012 at 06:48

Judging from this list I'd say Symphonic Power is something you like

Yes, you're completely right.
I usually prefer my power metal either strongly classical influenced in their guitar work or with a/an symphonic/operatic backing (either with classical instruments or with keyboards).
And I also love when they've got some influences from folk music in there music too (like Wuthering Heights or Almora f.e).

Written by R'Vannith on 26.10.2012 at 06:48

...

I always feel Crimson Skies is stronger than Global Drama. In general, I think Cloudscape is considerably less "power" than say, DGM.
I LOVE Triosphere since first hearing their second album a couple of years ago, but I'd think it's more melodic heavy than power. No harm in checking it out though as they deserve more fans!

@sashike
forgotten to mention
Serenity - Fallen Sanctuary
and Fairyland

Written by sashike on 26.10.2012 at 20:48

I've made this kind of list simply because I didn't found anything especially like that on this site.
They're plenty of genre-specific lists here, but none of them really made a closer take on a genre (at least not in Power Metal).
This list is about genre-specific favorites too, but I never wanted to create just my personal list about my top ten Metal bands or something in that vein, this list is more something like some sort of smorgasbord about everything great this music has to offer, but not everyone is aware about.
You can say I see this as some kind of community project to create a great collection of genre-specific gems.
For me that is exactly that what this lists should all about. Reference points and a great help for everybody who wants to take a deeper look in a particular kind of music, which includes myself too, because I really want to witness Power Metal at it's fullest. ^^

Sounds like a good (and ambitious!) plan to me A question though, will you be looking at putting mostly European styled power in the list or some US style as well? As for your symphonic/folk power preference, if I recall any more I've heard that fit that description in particular I'll let you know. Oh and is it strictly only those bands that are on MS?

Written by Ag Fox on 27.10.2012 at 05:56

I always feel Crimson Skies is stronger than Global Drama. In general, I think Cloudscape is considerably less "power" than say, DGM.
I LOVE Triosphere since first hearing their second album a couple of years ago, but I'd think it's more melodic heavy than power. No harm in checking it out though as they deserve more fans!

Global Drama is the first one I remembered from them off hand, I don't remember much about Crimson Skies, I'll have to revisit i I think. Yeah they are a difficult borderline example, there's still a bit of power in Cloudscape but they would be more accurately called prog. Although it is fairly straightforward kind of prog which makes it difficult to determine whether the power aspect has anything to do with that..
I like to think there isn't really a hard and fast dividing line between say the example of melodic heavy and power, Triosphere flirts around where that line ought to be though.

Well, I spent my day giving your recommended bands a first listen with their entire discography sometimes... phew ^^
And I have to say that my expectations were far exceeded with many positive surprises, which means that this list is going to expand by a whole lot in the next few days.
I'll give you my impressions tomorrow (sunday evening in my time zone/midmorning in the us), which I gathered, cause I'm still not quite sure about some bands and albums and they'll need at least a few more listens, so that I'll be able to make up a decision as clear as possible between them.
But i think i can already tell you for now which bands hooked me the most:
Morgana Lefay, Aquara, Nocturnal Rites, Eldritch, Viathyn, Keldian, Tarot, Voyager and Fairyland

Written by R'Vannith on 27.10.2012 at 15:26

A question though, will you be looking at putting mostly European styled power in the list or some US style as well? As for your symphonic/folk power preference, if I recall any more I've heard that fit that description in particular I'll let you know. Oh and is it strictly only those bands that are on MS?

No, I don't want to make it too complicated. Everything that is Power Metal or even has only some prominent Power Metal influencesis fine with me. I've already included some bands like that with Dol Ammad and Memento Mori and Manilla Road is also more Epic Heavy than Power.
It's regardless of whether they play more fancy european style Power Metal or more ballsy heavy metal routed US Power Metal.
They only thing they have to share: Kicking asses pretty hard and having something like an own identity as far as it goes isn't that bad either.
And the bands don't necessarily have to have a profile on MS. I will give you enough freedom don't worry.


Going through MS again I've found a list quite similar to mine after all: http://www.metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=140
I've checked some of these bands and can already tell that this collection is pretty good.
Fortunately he hasn't been going as far as me, so I'm not that much of a copycat. Hehe. ^^

So here are my impressions:

Morgana Lefay - Instant love. What for an amazingly great band. I think I could easily put nearly everything they've released on this list, cause their early stuff is just as great as their later ones. But I have to agree that Grand Materia might be their most impressive and exciting album to date and the darkest too, so i will put this on the list.

Angel Dust - I think I like Bleed very much. The Vocals are great, the riffs even greater and I felt that the songwriting was perfectly balanced.
Lovely intros and the don't let the songs drag even by a bit.

Aquaria - First i have to admit that I didn't expect very much here (probably because of the shitty band pic ), but damn was i blown away by this band. I like both of their releases almost equally, but I have to go here with R'Vannith again, so i will put Shambala on this List.
I felt that they're were a little more going on there and i love that tribal feel on songs like Into The Forest. Great frontman too, with a very variable voice.

Suspyre - I have decided that I will neither go with their debut here (hasn't impressed me too much) nor their later work (too proggy), but I was quite fine with A Great Divide and I think that this album works for me.
It has enough Power Metal appeal and interesting elements to put it up here. I especially liked the softer ambient-like and neoclassical parts here.

DGM - This was a tough decision for me. First of all, almost all their songs are catchy as hell and a lotta fun to listen to and they're technically almost perfect. I like the unrelentless riff-o-rama of Frame and the fabolous songwriting of Different Shapes, but the album which hooked me the most was surprisingly their 2003 release Hidden Place. It's more straightforward than their later releases, but i think that's what I liked about it so much. It has a strong focus, but never feels boring or uninspired, and, maybe that sounds a bit silly here, but I found it quite beautiful and touching at times. But we can all agree with one thing: They know how to write amazing riffs.

Cloudscape - Have to disagree with both of you again. Although Crimson Skies and Global Drama are both good works in their own respect, their self-titled debut is the album which takes the cake for me here. For a simple reason: I found it to be alot more catchy, powerful and fun to listen too, but without appearing stale. ^^

Last Tribe - The Uncrowned: Don't need many words here. Very good album with fantastic guitar work and a nice proggy edge.

Kiuas - Although The Spirit Of Ukko has some nice parts which I liked quite a bit (especially the folky ones), I don't think that their style appealed me totally and I found the growls very off putting here. Talented musicians, not quite my cup of tea, needs a few more spins probably, so i'll save them for later. Across the Snows is an amazing song though.

Nocturnal Rites - Shadowland: So here we go again, dungeon and dragons, fabulous fantasy metal, cheesy battle hymns (although i like this stuff quite often ). But this time someone hit the nail on the head. What for an powerful and pleasing album. Love*3

Viper - Reminded me somehow of the Keeper-era Helloween (which I like). Nethertheless Theatre of Fate sounds for me like an fantastic oldschool heavy-power metal album and is of course an overlooked gem by any means. Yes and great neoclassical approach to their music.

Eldritch - El Niño: One of my absolute favorites here. I was totally amazed by nearly everything from this album. Great, powerful vocals, fantastic thrashy riffs and an overall captivating atmosphere. This is going to land very high on this list.

Triosphere - Another hard one. I like both their releases very much. But i think I go with your recommendation (The Road Less Travelled) here again, what I found overall more interesting with a nice mixture between the nice mellow parts and the powerful technical riffs. And damn what for great vocals.

Viathyn - They really catched me off guard. Amazing songwriting, and again a nice transition between softer and often quite folkish sounding and the very good metallic parts. I've got the feeling that this band will grow even more on me in the future.

Crystal Eyes - Catchy indeed, but none of their works impressed me much enough to put them on this list for now. Chained, easily their best, needs another chance maybe. Mhh, I think I'll decide that later. ^^

Axxis - I have to say that I found Doom of Destiny much more pleasing than their other works. But then again none of their albums really blowed me away. But I think it's good enough to get added here.

At Vance - Leaved me very unimpressed. I don't think that they 'll make it. Will give them another chance in the future, but for now I found them too bland.

Anubis Gate - Very proggy and very good. The Detached is a fantastic album no doubt and very rewarding, but then again I found A Perfect Forever a lot more powerful and the vocals on this are easily better in my opinion. There is just so much great going on, on all of their albums, so it's quite hard to decide an obvious favorite after only a few couple of spins. They'll make it high here, but before I've to revisit them a few times.

Beautiful Sin - The Unexpected: They really stay to their titles. You wont know what to expect, but then their beautiful music strikes on you pretty effective. I love the vocals too, both male and female ones. Also one of my favorites till now.

Eyefear - I have to mention the very good use of the keyboard here, which adds right enough depth to the music as needed. I would also go with The Unseen, which offers very good musicianship on all levels.

Karelia - Again a tough decision for me. Usual Tragedy isn't that special of an album, but his nice transition between Power and Symphonic/Gothic Metal is just my style. Restless on the other hand with his electronic/industrial influences is far more original and interesting, but it seems for me that they don't work perfectly here. But with that case that both albums deliver something noteworthy for me, but are very different to each other, i decided to put them both on the list. So Karelia is the first band with more than one album on here. ^^

Keldian - Journey of the Souls = Killer. Great riffs, diverse and nice vocals and an overwhelming, spacey atmosphere made this an incredibly pleasure to listen to.

Outworld - Out of this world? Not quite, but nearly as good as the last one, which says a lot. The music is just excellent, the riffs, both with an thrashy and proggy edge, are extremely original and consistent, the vocal delivery is very impressive too and this album overall is an absolute winner. No doubt: Some really great stuff here.

Seven Kingdoms - I've found the female vocals to be sometimes very unimpressive and sometimes quite nice, but the music is good, really good even, great riffs with a nice classical touch on them, what I really appreciate. I'm not totally sure yet if they've got what it takes or not, but I think I'll save them for later, too.

Shadowkeep - I agree with Jeff, these unknowns deserve the fame. And so I will put them with a quiet conscience on this list. Because? Because they deserve it. I don't see any faults with The Hourglass Effect. Great vocals, great technical riffs and a little bit on the atmospheric side too.

Tarot - First I have to admit, besides their famosity I've never heard of them till know. What is a shame, because they're good.
I would go with Crows Fly Back too, which I've found more captivating than there earlier work.
And yes they're sounding quite dark and I like it that way. ^^
And we all know that Marco is just a fantastic vocalist.

Voyager - I am the ReVolution: Sounds silly but they're not too far away from this statement for me. It sounds really fresh, but on top of that really good. Some of the songs hooked me pretty hard, because they're very catchy too. I'm sure I'll visiting this album quite often in the next weeks and months. You spoke about a hidden gem in your Review Ag Fox and I agree. ^^
As for now, this is clearly one of my favorites.

Serenity - Fallen Sanctuary: Quite good, although I didn't impressed me as much as I hoped it would be. I've even going this far to say that I've enjoyed the non-metallic parts a lot more than the metallic ones. On the other side of the coin, we have a very good vocalists as well.
Not sure about it yet, will be revisited another time, but I think it deserves to be here.

Fairyland - I loved their debut instantly. But this can't be said about their latest output Score To A New Beginning, because this goes even beyond that. Yes, i found it to be that great. Cheesy as hell, yes we all aware about that, when it comes to music like this, but it's just so beautiful and it really manages to evoke pictures of long lost grandeur in my mind. And when an album is capable of something like that, you know it can't be that wrong of a choice. I love it.


I will start now to put some of them down here.
If you guys have something to add, please let me know. I'm open for everything.
And when they're on the list, the last word hasn't to be spoken there of course, there isn't something like a determined ranking. I will be putter around this list quite often in the future, change some positions here and there.
Maybe I will add some commentaries on every album too.

Blimey you work fast! And glad you enjoyed Morgana Lefay so much, they're one of my favourites and I find it hard to dislike anything they've put out.

Another one I've remembered is Borealis, their album last year "Fall From Grace" was a nice straightforward melodic power.
I'm not sure about this one, probably more progressive metal than even DGM or Cloudscape but there is enough of a melodic power vibe about it for me to suggest them here: Red Circuit - "Homeland". It's a really driving kind of melodic prog with some symphonic elements and a great vocalist too, have a taste of the title track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ikW8DTZoAg.
Lion's Share are also pretty good, nice melodic heavy/power style. I'd recommend either of their last two albums, "Emotional Coma" or "Dark Hours" which feature Nils Johansson on vocals (he's the guy who is also with Wuthering Heights!)
Cage are unique I think, give their "Hell Destroyer" album a go, sort of dark heavy/power. It has an interesting religious theme dealing with heaven vs hell, the name of this track says it all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRA9LGw-I84
And lastly for now Tad Morose. Sort of US styled and heavy/power, I'd suggest either "Undead" or "Matters Of The Dark"
Try this track (it has a guest appearance from the vocalist for Morgana Lefay!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3frBQVmwKPs

And I've started listening to that Crom album and I have to say the vocals are phenomenal! Seriously unique and charismatic voice. I'd never heard of them until I saw them here.

You're very quick! Anyway, I've told you pretty much all my favourites in power metal, so I have nothing else to add. Just glad that you've taken quite a big percentage of my suggestions on board and hopefully this list can help spread the word on some of these deserving pieces of work

A very nice list with quite a few albums and bands unknown to me. I'll checking some of them out.

I see that you have Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet listed. Eventhough I really like that album, I still se Far From The Madding Crowd as their absolute best with the cabinet and Salt battling for the second spot.

Written by R'Vannith on 29.10.2012 at 04:15

Lion's Share are also pretty good, nice melodic heavy/power style. I'd recommend either of their last two albums, "Emotional Coma" or "Dark Hours" which feature Nils Johansson on vocals (he's the guy who is also with Wuthering Heights!)

I'll second the Lion's Share recommendations. Only own the album "Dark Hours" but I really like it. Nils Patrick sounds quite Dio'sque at times.

Written by GT on 29.10.2012 at 15:43

Nils Patrick sounds quite Dio'sque at times.

I think so too, and this kind of heavy/power really brings it out of him.

I personally love Viper - Theater Of Fate, one of few power metal albums I love. I was glad to at least see it on the list, although I think it deserves a better position.

Thx for your comments and recommendations again. ^^
Like before I'll check them out in the weekend (I found some too), when I've got some time.

Quote:
And I've started listening to that Crom album and I have to say the vocals are phenomenal! Seriously unique and charismatic voice. I'd never heard of them until I saw them here.

I love them, too. Although there maybe some bands here which outdo Crom in most aspects I had to put him way up there, probably because his sound is very reminiscent to the epic-era of Bathory and they're my favorite Band (together with Summoning).

Quote:
I personally love Viper - Theater Of Fate, one of few power metal albums I love. I was glad to at least see it on the list, although I think it deserves a better position.

As I said before there isn't something like a determined ranking. When I put a band higher than another in doesn't necessarily mean that they're better too. It's just a momentum of a briefly decision nothing more and nothing less.
In a few months this list could have changed radically with a complete new order.

If I could do it right for everyone, I would do it, but this isn't possibly unfortunately, but I can assure you two things:
Everything on this list is fantastic and worth the time of every fan of power-metal. And I Like Theatre of Fate very much and this wasn't the last time I'll listen to them.

Borealis - Both of they're albums are pretty good. Great riffs and soli and overall enchanting atmospheres.
I think that I like World of Silence a tad bit more, so I'll add this one.

Red Circuit - I think Homeland is quite good. It's not a totally outstanding masterpiece, but it has an overall good quality and has something that makes it worth listening.

Lion's Share - These Vocals. I think we have very similar bands to this one already added here, which are also better than this band, but none of them came up with a powerful voice like this here, so I'll make an exception (for Dark Hours) this time.

Cage - Hell Destroyer, as clumsy, overused and shitty this title is, the album on the other side is totally ass-kicking annihilating powerful metal. Really pleased with this one.

Tad Morose - Yes, that was one of the bands I've found out of before. With their more than decent discography it will be tough to pic a favorite... I really can't decide which one I should pick. This is a great band, which deserves more time, so I'll save them up them for later. I liked their Paradigma EP and Undead the most though.

Brilliant list, lots of band I don't know, will look into them!

Dude check our Royal Jester,Dream Quest, and Icewind.

I keep seeing Dol Ammad - Ocean Dynamics in a lot of lists, need to check it out. But isn't it monotonous if only the choir sings in every song?

Good to see a more underground diversified list as opposed to my list. I still don't think any of these album are better than the Power Metal masterpieces but some of them are really close.

Nice list, I enjoy quite a few bands in there (I don't listen to much power metal these days, but power-prog like Vanden Plas or DGM grab my attention). Thumbs up just for Conception alone
Also Morgana Lefay is in the list, with a latter day album!