Power Metal – Legendary Music

I am not a big Metal fan as you’ll come to find out. My taste tends to go towards mellow and soothing melodies. However, over the years I’ve come to love a certain type of Metal genre that tends to keep itself separate and unique from bands like Alice in Chains and Nirvana. This specific style is known as Power Metal, a genre that has grown very popular in European countries but is slowly but surely being heard more often in the States.

The themes of Power Metal are what originally drew me to them. The songs of these bands ring of hope and friendship, emotional conflicts, and mythological creatures and legends. It depends solely on the bands you listen to, but it’s rare to find any anti-religious themes in Power Metal. The band that drew me to investigate Power Metal is called Sonata Arctica, who sings of personal struggle and mythology. Their songs “Full Moon” and “Ain’t Your Fairytale” both depict the stories of Werewolves, a rather unique subject to explore. Being a wolf lover, I just couldn’t resist! There are several more bands besides Sonata Arctica also, each unique in their own themes, so it’s worth exploring the different types.

The sound of Power Metal also leaves the genre much lighter-sounding than that of the ever-popular Death Metal, which is often considered to be its counterpart. It’s much faster, excelling at speedy guitar riffs and clean vocals, which is a big relief to me. Growling vocals have always been a pet peeve of mine. The lead singers are normally tenors, able to reach extremely high notes without fear of their voice breaking.

Those who play Guitar Hero 3 will find that one of the hardest songs within the game is “Through the Fire and Flames” by Dragonforce, a prime example of the Power Metal Genre. It’s through games like Guitar Hero that people in America are starting to hear more and more Power Metal Bands.

With that said, this article can end on a positive note. Here’s a video of just a few of the popular Power Metal bands that are currently out, with some music samples so you can search for them anytime you like!