Trollheart

Without question the silliest, goofiest, and yet funnest sub-genre of metal, the kid brother death, thrash and speed look down on and at which doom and its grumpier cousin funeral doom shake their heads and say what the hell is that? There's no getting away from the fact that power metal is THE most predictable sub-genre metal has: fantasy album covers, crazy names which often sound like something out of LOTR or GOT, songs about quests and kings and dragons and journeys, albums that not always but often begin with an instrumental intro, often acoustic, and/or a dark voice intoning dire warnings for the future or recounting dread deeds of the past, quests and heroes, song titles like "Eye of the Dragon" (maybe), "Lure of the Princess" (possibly) or "Fire of the Wizard" (almost definitely).

Hammering drums, squealing keys, guitar shredding and singers who often sound like they were kicked out of the van by a hair metal band and had to find their own way home, wandering into this other band who took them in. Much of "Volume" or "Book" or "Chapter" in album and/or song titles, usage of mandolin, violin, cello, full orchestra, female vocals (usually operatic and dramatic) and other guest singers. Stories that run over several albums, usage of classical, neoclassical or semi-classical pieces.

Essentially, to me anyway, prog rock but with a metal kick, which although there is already a prog metal sub-genre seems somehow more in tune with bands like Yes and Camel and King Crimson.

Almost never anything new. Don't look to power metal to provide you innovation, experimentation or, hell, progression. Power metal bands know what works, and they stick to it. Bands like Stratovarius and Blind Guardian and Rhapsody of Fire have been dining out on the same fare for decades, and their fans never seem to get tired of it.

And nor do I.

Despite all the formulaic music, the iffy lyrics and the taking-themselves-way-too-seriously that's prevalent, almost required in power metal, I love it. I can't get enough of it. Of course, there are bad power metal bands as well as good, and when they're bad, man are they bad! But in my opinion the good make up for the bad, and if you're happy with a kind of interchangeable format among bands in a sub-genre, if you're not too bothered about change and progression, and above all if you like FUN in your music, power metal is the place to go.

So post your favourite, or least favourite, power metal videos, songs, bands, albums, or expound in scathing detail why you think they're the spawn of Satan (which may very well be the name of a power metal band, would not be surprised).

Was that a long keyboard arpeggio I heard? And a dark ominous voice, about to impart words that could save or doom the planet?

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018