Thoughts on Mystic-Force? I've been spinning Man vs Machine lately and it's cool riff-y prog, but at the same time it's bloated as hell. I could have done with like twenty minutes less or so, especially considering some of the fillers that plague the record. Still, pretty decent stuff, not to mention it featured Oracle/Prodigy's William Wren on vocals. (who apparently died this year RIP!)

Looking for bands that are really flowery, fast, and symphonic- Fairyland and Twilight Force, for example. With tons of keyboards. Basically stuff that sounds like Of wars and Heroes of mighty magic.

Hello there. I'm making a Top 50 list for 2020 and my list is lacking a power metal album. I generally don't like power metal so I was hoping someone could help me. Last year my "power" metal album was Vulture - Ghastly Waves & Battered Graves. The music was speed metal but the vocals were qualified enough to call power metal. So what I'm looking for is something infused because as a stand-only I do not like power metal. Stuff like Speed/Power, Heavy/Power, or Thrash/Power would be nice. I don't like "epic" stuff in my music either so if you can avoid that that be great. I'm also not a fan of the modernized progressive guitar sound.

You may want to check out if you haven't already:

Cloven Hoof "Age Of Steel"
Sacred Outcry "Damned For All Time"
Wolf "Feeding The Machine"
Raven "Metal City"
Cirith Ungol "Forever Black"

Cirith Ungol, Cloven Hoof and Sacred Outcry are all contenders for my top 10 this year.

Maybe try Solicitor-Spectral Devastation. It’s more a heavy/speed album than power.

I dont think it has been a spectacular year for power metal but the new Glacier, Eternal Champion and Hittman albums might be worth checking out. If you are willing for stuff thats a bit different than strictly power metal maybe check out Bütcher, Wytch Hazel and Spirit Adrifts new albums.

The new Glacier album wins it by a mile, for me. That one's a keeper; one of the best USPM albums of the decade.

I've tried out the Glacier album a couple of times now and I just can't get into it.

Thank you for the suggestions but none of the albums mentioned above hit the spot. Though I do enjoy the new Butcher album. Good slab of Black/Speed with Heavy Metal Influences. I guess I'll wait until the end of year list and check out those albums.

Here's a few you might try

Ice War - Defender, Destroyer
Megaton Sword - Blood Hails Steel - Steel Hails Fire
Wanderer - Awakening Force
Black Sword Thunder Attack - March of the Damned (it's an EP though)

It's not out yet, but keep an eye out for Molten Chains - Torment Enshrined. Based on the single that's out it has extreme metal influence but in an old school heavy/power shell.

Wanderer had decent music but the vocals I could not stand. Besides the bad band name, Black Sword Thunder Attack are actually pretty good. Nice recommendation even if there's no power metal in it. Though they are on the borderline of the keyboards being a little irritating. Molten Chains is actually on my list of albums to check out. I really liked the single I checked out by them.

What are some classic-era (from Tales to Nightfall) Blind Guardian worship bands? Lots of layering, powerful riffs. I know Persuader, heard of Savage Circus, what else is there?

Don't Drop the Sword sounds sort of like Blind Guardian but unfortunately without all the charm and ingenuity that makes BG enjoyable. Aside from Persuader and Savage Circus...I haven't really heard any BG worship bands, sadly. Though Final Prophecy's Beyond Reality demo always struck me as proto-Somewhere Far Beyond-ish, it predates the album, so can't actually be called "worship." If anyone else knows any others, I'd be keen to hear them, too!

Listened to the Megaton Sword album, i expected euro power but its actually more like Eternal Champions with the hardcore elements replaced with extreme metal ones. Liked it quite a bit.

Don't Drop the Sword has its moments where they do truly sound like a band inspired by the best parts of Blind Guardian, but other than that...

Yeah...there really isn't a whole lot of Blind Guardian worship out there. Which is kind of ruining my day, now that I think about it.

Actually, I listened to Shadow Host's Bringer of Revenge yesterday at work after thinking about possible bands similar to BG and realizing that it was on my iPod. Rec'd by someone awhile back as being somewhat similar to BG but I had never really given it a proper listen. I'd say it is akin to a thrashier Imaginations sound, and probably the closest I've heard to BG worship aside from Savage Circus. Worth a go for those interested in the style.

Some people say Judicator (John Yelland's band) is something of a BG clone. I can't really recommend them because the only thing I've heard from them is that song with Kürsch guesting, and I didn't like it one bit... but I'm weird, so you might still want to check them out.


It's always a bit surreal seeing people from civilised countries recommend local Russian bands to each other )

Why no mention of Orden Ogan?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-rm69eto1k

Mad Ripper is quite Blind Guardiany, that happens when you have a Hansi soundalike on vocals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a8hJ649HqA

It's funny--Blind Guardian are such a massive band in the genre and many people cite them as influences but very few bands actually sound like them. You would have an easier time finding bands who worship their first two albums. They have such a distinct sense of melody, song structure, harmony and rhythm and very few bands have even attempted to replicate it. That folky, minstrel vibe mixed with the Metallica-isms, the Brian May guitar orchestra arrangements and the drum patterns are like lightning in a bottle. And that's saying nothing about Hansi writing some of the coolest vocal arrangements on the planet.

The Australian band Lord got a bit of a vibe on some of their songs from "Ascendant" (or whatever that album was called) although the vocal style of pretty different. But otherwise, Savage Circus is the best you're gonna get.

Judicator sounds vaguely similar to BG at times, but far from a clone or worship band, to my ears.

Also, I'm from the US, which at this point is a bit of a stretch to call "civilized," I think.



Mad Ripper's vocalist does sound quite a bit like Hansi, but the riffs sound nothing like Blind Guardian.

You're not the first person to suggest Orden Ogan as being similar to BG, but I've never heard the similarity, personally.

The Last Emperor is hands down one of the best power metal albums of the last decade. The rest of the Judicator catalog is very hit or miss, and the band recently lost most of its members so it's hard to imagine they'll do anything special again, but it's really worth sitting down with that album. It's very much BG worship but with plenty of its own charm.

Anyone heard of Old Mother Hell in here?

https://oldmotherhell.bandcamp.com/album/lord-of-demise

This is some pretty fucking cool trad/power/doom style stuff. Just all around tight and solid, with punchy, gritty riffs and a great vocal performance. I like that there's no real gimmick to it, just this direct, heavy sound. It's a very organic sound.

This is really good stuff. Totally my cuppa tea. I can see it appealing to fans of The Gates of Slumber, Reverend Bizarre, Orodruin etc. I'm gonna have to get this. Cool rec man.

I always needed to try those Rev Biz side projects...

I like Old Mother Hell because they have that slight doomy style but also just rock out, rather than always going for the more sluggish route.

Lord Vicar are awesome, I can't recommend them enough. As for Opium Warlords, I'm only just digging into them myself but they only have 2 albums that cover Rev Biz sorta material "Taste My Sword..." and the new album "Nembutal", sounds good tho.

Oh I thought Orodruin was one of them, my bad. Yeah, some of them looked cool and interesting. RB were a challenging band. I barely have the time to listen to them much now. Maybe in individual tracks more than albums.

Argus and Sinister Realm may be kinda in the same vein, more or less.

The other one I forgot to mention is Spiritus Mortis, their last 2 albums are wicked with Albert on vocals and not a chore at all to listen to.
Another unrelated band that is similar to Old Mother Hell is Castle (US). Their first few albums are well worth checking out.

Those types of bands have been hit or miss for me before - Argus didn't really do much for me, and I liked Castle and Sinister Realm but not enough to keep up with em for all these years I guess. There's just something else about Old Mother Hell that struck me. But I'll try and catch up on the latter two bands anyway.

Old Mother Hell is great. Got to play a gig with them last year in their hometown. It's impressive how they're able to have such a full live sound with only three dudes.

I liked Argus quite a bit but Old Mother Hell definitely hits the pocket a little harder. I think Argus is a little too dry for the style they're going for. Their recordings need a little more ambience. OMH has way more of that.

So this Glacier album is basically like they condensed everything you want out of old school USPM/trad into one 40 minute lightning rod. Incredible shit man. This year's got so much stuff to check out.



No kidding - it's just in the gravitas of the sound, the production plays a part too. It all sounds massive and hungry. You're right about the difference between them and Argus. That about sums up what I'd basically thought.

Yeah, that Glacier album might just be my favourite overall this year. It just GRABBED me.

It's really astounding considering it's only one dude from the old days and a bunch of young guys. But it sounds like the best recitation of how that style is supposed to sound that I've heard in a long ass time, better than even some of the actual old school acts.

Ok. I've given Glacier another go due to a couple of other posters I respect giving it the thumbs up.
This time I decided to put the headphones on and really give it a chance but I also listened to the last 2 songs first instead of the first 2 and I gotta admit they kicked ass.
So I'm now working my way backwards through the album and its really connecting this time. Third times the charm.
Cool riffs and solo's, great vocals and well written songs in general, with hooks galore.
It kinda reminds me of the Tony Taylor Twisted Tower Dire era, which is obviously a good thing.
One thing that I found even on those first couple of listens is that this band and album sounds authentic and natural unlike Eternal Champion, who, well... don't.
So I stand humbled as I reach the end of the album while I write this. It's a great one and I'm off to order it now.

Now if only Medieval Steel would hurry up and finish the new album they've been working on...

You can try Solar Fragment „In Our Hands“, very good album, also has Hansi on guest vocals.
Evertale maybe?
Also a pretty new band called Nemedian Chronicles.

Their first album was also very good, but somehow not really a BG-worship sort of thing.

Heyyyy people, wasn't there a question like "why are there so few BG clones" not that long ago on BG facebook, in their video Q&A?

Oh yeah, I love Lord Vicar. Fear No Pain reigns supreme, but they don't have a weak album.

I'm looking for classic heavy/speed metal bands or modern bands that evoke such style, such as Burning Witches, Accept, Chastain, Warlock, Hysterica, Highway, Racer X or Jenner. While I do prefer bands with female vocals, male-fronted bands suggestions are also welcome, as long as they're similar to those I've mentioned above.
Thanks!

^ Here's couple with female vocals.

Crystal Viper
https://www.youtube.com/crystalviperofficial

Huntress
https://www.youtube.com/user/HuntressKills

Hey guys, I'm working on a 'Comprehensive Guide to USPM,' as a way to help n00bs get into USPM, as well as more established fans get into some of the lesser-known stuff. My goal is to eventually put every USPM release that I consider good/worthwhile on there (admittedly I, like anyone else, am biased on what I consider good). I've finished writing up what I've called the "essentials," i.e. well-known classics that are pillars of the genre. However, while I begin work on the "highly recommended" stuff (you know, lesser-known and or second-tier, often demo, type stuff), and I was wondering if you guys who are obsessed with USPM like I am would mind sharing some of your favorite lesser-known/demo releases in the USPM genre? I've heard most of them at some point and have a lot in my music library but many I haven't listened to in quite some time and I'd like a bit of a refresher on some of the best "hidden gems" of the genre so I don't leave anything out. This will continue to be a WIP even after I publish it, though, and I can always add stuff that I've forgotten/not heard/new stuff coming out, but I'd like it to be as complete as possible before I let others see it! Thanks dudes! \m/