They're from Portland, and their style leans more towards USPM, imo. Still good band, just not Europower.

Looks like I had a brainfart and forgot that this thread is focused on Europower. So that negates half of the bands I mentioned. In Vain, Sunburst, and Night Mistress are all from Europe though.

Might as well make this my first forum post Epidemia's probably my favourite all-time metal band (I'm not a big metal fan, so that's probably not a huge statement )

TitaniumNK included two of my favourite Epidemia songs there, Cherniy Mag and V Diuime Ot Padenie. I love the last Samosvat album so much, it's even better than Zhizn' V Sumerkakh which I ADORE. (Apologies for not using Cyrillic much but I'm using my netbook which doesn't have Russian keyboard markers and I expect my transliteration is terrible too, sorry!)

I don't know too much about the later stuff either but I can fill you in on the latest Metal Opera: Сокровыще Энии, Treasure of Eniia. As TitaniumNK said, they'd had two already which were based on DragonLance (one of the Dungeons&Dragons settings; would have been actually based IN DragonLance but apparently they couldn't get the rights) in the world of Enia and its twin Ksentaron and starred Samosvat and the vocalist of another awesome power metal band, Andy Lobashev of Arida Vortex*, with recurring guest appearance of vocalists from enduring heavy and thrash metal bands. The last one stars the gold dragon from the second opera, Epidemia's new lead singer Evgenii Egorev, and the dwarf king (Troll from Trol' Gnet Iel), plus a very special guest appearance from the famous Belorussian Petr Efimov (did their Eurovision Song Contest entry in 2009). I really like this opera because the songs are good and the narration means it makes sense (if you can understand Russian ), but the storyline is weaker than the first two. I really like the story of the first and the songs of the last, and I'd place Story for All Time in the middle. I saw the last Opera live in St. Petersburg with my non-Russian-speaking partner and he enjoyed it, although it's a little heavy for his tastes (evil things and dwarves are growlers). Wathing dragons prance around on stage made up for it though

Incidentally, have a go with Arida Vortex, they're supposed to be a lot like Helloween but I prefer their singing! They sing predominantly in English and it's not garbled nonsense like some other bands' English offerings...

Not completely sure if they are obscure per se, but both Mindmaze's albums are awesome. Great vocals too!

Edit: They aren't from Europe but their style is imo.

Portugal is possibly the most ignored country in Europe, despite producing this kickass band Tarantula. Any love for them in here? I find them a great take on epic-historical themes minus the cheese of Manowar. Also I wonder if the German band Freedom Call named themselves after Tarantula's album of the same(ish) name...

I've heard the name bandied about, but Fireleaf are a pretty cool band. German styled, which means chunky, trad-metal-like riffs and gruffer vocals. But it's not really like any one other band. The initial way I heard them described had me hoping they'd be like Dark at Dawn, but this is pretty different - while not progressive or experimental, they aren't just riding one band's coattails. Midtempo, crunchy songs with soaring, aggressive vocal work and sort of rockish, to-the-point songwriting. I like it so far.

edit: "Faceless" was very Angel Dust-styled actually. Which is awesome.

edit again: Yeah, the more I listen, the better this album gets. This is fucking great actually. Easily up there with the best PM this year. Heavy and forceful but also melodic and cool enough to stand out.

This album also recently got reissued by Divebomb Records! I'm still holding out for a decently priced copy, but I love the single they put out.



I recall liking the album, but nowhere near top 10. As you later stated, this band doesn't really fit what I was aiming for with this thread (not because they're from the US, but more because they have that USPM sound rather than the Euro power sound)



These guys should be the hype band of 2016. It's like Nevermore, except good. Gus Drax is a monster of a guitar player. I love this album so much.



This is one that is super underrated as well. I wouldn't call it the greatest album ever, but I too love it. They've got a really unique style, despite not doing anything all that unique.



Agreed. I've only heard the debut, but it's really catchy power metal with some prog moments.

I'll throw out some more as well:

Icewind - I was just plugging these guys in the now playing thread. They're pretty standard power metal, except that they tend to use piano more than keyboards. It's a pretty interesting take on things, and they do actually manage to create a chilly atmosphere. Signs of Temptation

Silent Force - How did we get this far without mentioning this great band? They're probably known by most people, but would be a great starting point for people just getting beyond the more mainstream power metal bands. I love the first album the best, but I don't think anyone can deny the brilliance of No One Lives Forever.

White Skull - I'm honestly not that familiar with these guys, but I've seen the name pop up pretty often (except in this thread). Seems to be a little more on the speed metal side (think: Iron Savior, Stormwarrior, and the like). Here's a cool song: Tales From The North

Enceladus - This band is wild stuff. They're from the US, but sound like a cool combination of Dragonforce and Lost Horizon. The debut is basically non-stop shredding. I can't find the non-demo version of this song, but it's probably their best track: Ethereality.

Well, maybe they haven't been mentioned until now precisely because they are not so unknown . But yeah, that's a really nice band every power metal lover should know.

I was about to mention White Skull, they have some really nice songs indeed.

Here are some more underrated Italian bands:

Holy Knights
This band has already been mentioned in a previous post but with no link to a sample track…


Fogalord


Trick or Treat


Synthphonia Suprema
Something different of the more or less prolific Italian power metal bands with medieval oriented lyrics/themes. These guys play a kind of electro power metal that may not be everyone's cup of tea, but their last album - The future ice age - has some good moments.

How has Adramelch not been mentioned? 'Irae Melanox' is a nifty album.

Twilightning's "Delirium Veil" rules divine as well.

I didn't expect that from you - yeah, that is a fun album, I go back to it every now and again. Really good sense of melody and a shitload of energy.

This is true, and probably understates just how good that album is. Probably a top 10 power metal album. There's nothing out there like it, even though it isn't all that unique in its approach.

Update on that Eternal of Sweden album - I've been hooked on it. Seriously polished, catchy, punchy power metal that sounds like it was done by a band with ten more years of experience than they have. The vocals are gritty and charismatic and the music is epic and anthemic. Reminds me of Edguy, Nocturnal Rites, Human Fortress and more at times. Even Lost Horizon when the singer goes higher. The last song "Burning With Pride" is a real special one - great tune. I can see this band being huge if they keep going. Or at least they would've been huge about 12 years ago.

I love it that you guys recommend your favourite stuff to others. Persuader knocked my socks off.

Thunder Way from Albania are more obscure than all bands mentioned in this thread and they deserve to be well known outside of their country because their album is a masterpiece especially if you like Keepers-era Helloween.

How have I not heard of We Are Legend before? Heavy riffs, powerful vocals, and super catchy songs. Highly recommended. They've only got one full length out now, but I think that they are looking to release a new album later this year/early next year.

A band that I don't think has come up yet is the American group Armory. They've been around for quite a while, but only have two records out. I'm just relistening to the second one now. It seems to have a pretty strong cult following, but I feel the songwriting holds it back a little bit. When you're really zoned in on the songs, there are plenty of cool things going on, but when the record finishes, there is much that is too memorable. Still worth a listen if you've never heard them before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDOylB4YVTA

Derdian is another band I'm surprised to have not seen here yet. If anyone was a frequent Last.fm user back before they changed the design of the website, I'm sure you've seen this band pop up because they promoted themselves like crazy on it. I stumbled across one of their records at a used CD store and took a chance since it was only a few bucks. Nothing particularly special, but people who really dig Rhapsody will definitely want to hear this. It's not exactly the same, but close enough in style. My big issue is just the length of the album (for the one I have).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eixGuWyoDiQ

I'm surprised that I've held out this long without posting Full Strike. This is Stefan Elmgren's side project from when he was in HammerFall. Even though he didn't write a lot of their music, it is impressive just how much this album sounds like HammerFall with a different singer. It doesn't reach the same heights his main band did, but their record is just solid from start to finish. After he left HammerFall, he founded Fullforce. They're a lot softer, and probably don't qualify as power metal a lot of the time, but if you like Full Strike, I'd still give them a shot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqPRTxh91bQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu4E1-LKd4E

I don't think Derdian is THAT obscure, but they are good. Their 'new' album has a lot of big names as guests.

Does anybody know where I can get a copy of that sweet album Bringer of Revenge by Shadow Host? I listened to a couple of songs on YouTube and it's amazing stuff. I can't seem to find anything anywhere

Edit: Found the band's previous label Bandcamp and it has their latest album but not Bringer of Revenge
Edit 2: Found them on iTunes, mission accomplished.

I don't know if we're still strictly discussing europower but if that's not the case Deus X Machina is a fairly new band with lots of potential.

Now for europower there's Ekzistencia, Ukranian power metal in the vein of Rhapsody's early works. They've been quiet for some time now but their album The Storm Master is quite good.

Highly recommend this

I've always loved the intro to "Frozen Sky", but those vocals just ruin it for me. Their new vocalist is pretty solid though, and I remember thinking their most recent release was pretty decent.

Rather than start a new thread, I thought I'd revive this one again to discuss Domine. They're an Italian power metal band that has put out 5 albums. I'm honestly not too sure how to describe them; they're sort of like Rhapsody with less over the top symphonics, and a more animated/cartoon singer who belts out insane high notes. I finally had a chance to listen to one of their albums in full (Dragonlord) yesterday, and I love it. I've heard some other cool tracks of theirs too, like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH440aMzpEQ

These guys don't seem to get any discussion anywhere, but I feel like people would really dig them. Any other fans?

For some reasons I cannot specify I couldn't get into Domine's music although I gave them more than one try. However they got a place on the very top of the Italian power metal scene and they deserve it. True Believer is definitely a killer track! Good call on this band.

Domine's Emperor of the Black Runes is a fucking stellar work. I remember that one being super good - heavy riffs, dynamic songwriting, epic melodies. Nothing like Rhapsody at all.

White Skull, primitive power

Huge shout out to the guy above who mentioned Silent Force! Worlds Apart is an absolute masterpiece, start to finish. DC Cooper is one of the most under rated singers, IMO.

Anyone mention Insania yet? They were awesome.

Been a few years since this thread, so I'll try to get a few more out there:

Dionysus - Their only mention in this thread is in reference to Olaf Hayer, but they are definitely one of the best power metal bands. Their first album is probably a bit more traditional power metal in the way it uses keyboards and has a little bit more speed, but most of their work is just good mid-paced power metal. I'll throw a few tracks out there because of how ridiculously good this band is: Holy War, Spirit, Queen of Madness

Saint Deamon - Supposedly the main songwriting force behind Dionysus was their drummer. He and their bassist eventually formed Saint Deamon. They have two early albums, and then put out a comeback record last year. I haven't heard the debut, but their second album is incredible. Way Home is probably the single catchiest song in existence. The band also features Jan Thore Grefstad on vocals, who people may know from Highland Glory, but I think he's much better here.

Celesty - These guys put out four records. I never got into the first one, and actually haven't heard the second and third, but Vendetta is excellent. The best song is the epic Legacy of Hate Pt. 3, but here's something a bit shorter that rules.


I'm pretty sure I didn't own Walk The Earth at the time I posted, but that is 100% my favourite Silent Force album now. Hugely catchy songs all throughout.

Walk the Earth is awesome, especially the title track.

Stilverlight is pretty overlooked imo, they're from Russia and have a knack for epic melody. The vocals are a bit atypical for power metal, but they work well with the music.

Italian band Cydonia was mentioned once, buried on the first page, but worth mentioning again. Very thick-sounding, meaty guitars, contrasted with ethereal keyboard textures.



One of my favorite bands is Amaran from Sweden. Clear, powerful female vocals over hard-hitting, melodic songwriting, with lots of harmonized guitars reminiscent of the Gothenburg scene.



Divine Fire from Sweden is a super-heavy, epic, melodic-death and symphonic-influenced band formed by the man of many projects, Jani Stefanovic. They're like a more orchestral and savage version of Nocturnal Rites, another rather underrated band that I know a number of people here appreciate.



Italian band Raintime has a really solid mixture of normal power metal with melodic death metal, creating songs that are as pummelling as they are catchy. I especially like a lot of the synthesizer work, which adds a lot of flavor and atmosphere without becoming too stereotypically symphonic and bombastic.



There's a hyper-obscure Swedish power metal band Paradigm Shift formed as a collaboration between Scar Symmetry guitarist Per Nilsson and The Storyteller vocalist L.G. Persson. As far as I know they only did one demo, and all the links online for it seem to be down now. I don't know if there are any sources to hear it, or one day I may have to try and upload them somewhere. It's fast and heavy, soaring, neoclassical-flavored, with all the guitar wizardry you'd expect out of Per, with some Jens Johansson-esque keyboards.

Oh my god I didn't know I needed this thread in my life. I have the hardest time finding non-mainstream power metal and this is an absolute goldmine

I absolutely love the first Storyteller record. It was one of the first bands to really turn me onto power metal back in 2000. I found it by accident on a VERY early file sharing program.

I also thought Manticora never really got their due. The "Darkness With Tales To Tell" record is fantastic. Another early favourite for me.

One last mention: The first two Steel Attack records are pure great early 2000's PM to me.

Yep, Manticora is awesome as well.

Man, Manticora is still my favorite band of all time, I own everything there is to own from them.

Recently I've been blown away by Eternity's End.


Insania Stockholm is another somewhat obscure one I've enjoyed though they haven't made anything in over a decade at this point. Recommend either Sunrise in Riverland or Fantasy A New Dimension from them.

I had to buy Fantasy off Discogs. Talk about a band whose stuff isn't fucking available anywhere.

Good stuff though. Sort of an embodiment of what that whole style was all about. Ola Halen is a tremendous singer.

Manticora is sick. Can't believe I didn't mention them. Even their new stuff rocks. The last album is awesome, and their new one is being recorded now. I think for a 2021 release.

I was just listening to this album from Scariot again today and recalling how awesome it is. It's a bit on the Nevermore-esque prog/thrash side, and arguably more USPM in approach, but they're Norwegian.



They're somewhat reminiscent additionally of Communic, also from Norway. They're even a little more proggy and atmospheric on some songs, but also quite excellent, in a similar vein. Oddleif Stensland is the vocalist on both projects for a number of their albums, and he has an uncanny resemblance to 90s Warrel Dane at times.

Italian band Prophexy is mostly a prog band, but their first demo (The Distance Behind) is a solid offering of progressive power. Give it a try. I can't find anything on Youtube, but it's a free download off their official web page. Enforce Evolve also has some pretty cool tracks, as well as the demo version (Mazzacorati Tapes), but it's much more progressive than power.
http://www.prophexy.com/discography/

If you like cheesy fantasy stuff in the vein of Freedom Call, then Galderia (mentioned earlier in the thread) is a good choice. If you like cheesy fantasy stuff loaded with keyboards, then the unsigned band Waterland is worth checking out. Virtual Time, as well as their self-titled are pretty good albums (I can't speak for the rest, haven't heard them). The vocalist is on the soft side (especially in the first album) and they sound really pop-ish at times, but they're full of catchy hooks.





Eternus (Chile) is also quite good and unique, thanks to the vocals, which they self-describe as a classical baritone voice.


Their full album "Labyrinth of Reason" is free for streaming on their Youtube channel. It used to be available for download off their Facebook page, I'm not sure if it's still there or merely buried under all the posts. It's kind of a mixed bag with some more ambient stuff thrown in, but overall it's worth a listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xts77V-pZeM

Not sure if anyone mentioned the Danish progressive/power act Beyond Twilight. Great songs, awesome singer.

Beyond Twilight is excellent. I'm discovering that people here have a bit of a broader definition of power metal than I've historically operated under, so bands like them that other places tend to label primarily as progressive/symphonic metal don't often come right to mind. They actually had a different vocalist on each album, Jorn Lande, then Kelly Sundown Carpenter, then Bjorn Jansson.