Cool, thanks people.

I'd suggest Mechanized Warfare over Ample Destruction to be honest.

Anyway, my list of power metal you need to listen to would be something like

Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys part 1
Firewind - Burning Earth
Mystic Prophecy - Satanic Curses
Dark Moor - In the Halls of the Olden Dreams
Satan (UK) - Court in the Act (although it's more on the trad/speed side...)
Jag Panzer - Mechanized Warfare
Hibria - Defying the Rules

etc

They're kind of in random order but I thought it'd be best to include all sides of power metal.

No, Mechanized Warfare sucks. Most of the other later JP stuff is pretty bland too, but Mechanized Warfare is definitely their worst with Conklin. Very dry, boring, insipid drollery.

I haven't found much anything from Jag Panzer outside of AD too captivating.

I fell in love with Mechanized Warfare when I first got it

I think I like Mechanized Warfare the best, it's undeniably catchy (Take to the Sky...) and has some dull moments but its quite enjoyable. I remember buying it blindly and being somewhat happy.

Modern Jag Panzer is pleasant, but I never feel the compulsion to ever play them (despite owning the CDs).

I hate that song so much, Take to the Sky. It's also the only memorable one on there, sadly.

I thought Frozen in Fear, The Silent and Cold is the Blade (And the Heart That Wields It) were some of the best of MW.

"Unworthy" I found fairly memorable (probably the best song from that album). I probably should dust my JP CDs off, I haven't listened to them in years.

I always thought Thane to the Throne was good. I AM MIGHTY!

Yes so do I. In fact I like most of Jag Panzer's albums, even many of the newest ones.

So I got an email from one of the Tysondog members! (from their current drummer). Apparently they're working on a new album themselves, will be interesting.


And holy fuck, apparently Russ Tippons is with them now. With Alan Hunter still on vocals and long time members Kevin Wynn and Rob Walker with them, I'd say this could be really promising.

Just think if they got Ramsey on guitars too ...

That's pretty awesome, Xeo. I remember you bringing up Tysondog before in a Pariah discussion, I'll give em' a listen.

Edit: Also, reiterating NWOBHM band Savage's awesomeness

Tysondog is a cool band - nothing mindblowing but solid NWOBHM. Good if they produce a new album full of classic-styled material - never can have too many of those.

Running Wild- Port Royal worth getting. I've got Pile of Skulls, Under Jolly Roger, Death or Glory, Black Hand Inn, Gates to Purgatory. Is this the best one outside of these? Considering I like Death or Glory and Pile of Skulls the best.

What Helstar is best after Nosferatu?

All of the first three Helstar albums are preferable by me to Nosferatu, which is still quite a great album in its own right. I just liked Helstar better as a quirky underground USPM band ala Manilla Road, rather than a polished Thrash outfit. But it's all good.

I thought it to be more Speed/heavy metal ala King Diamond. I didn't hear much thrash really. But I'll check them out. Manilla Road never clicked with me, I need to listen to them more. I'm sure there is something there.

Yeah, I'd just call Nosferatu an album in the vein of "Rust in Peace" for example. Not balls-out, ripping Thrash, but ballsy and melodic Thrash all the same. I haven't listened to it in a while though. I think I'll do that now.

edit: Yeah, I'd definitely call this Thrash. Or Power/Thrash if you will. I do see why this is so revered now, very nice stuff. Great riffage, very precise and accurate, yet it also comes off as metal as fuck.

I don't dig it as much as others do, for instance those who reviewed it. But each time I listen to it, I like it more and more. I've always loved the Dracula story and it's quite local to me, I've visited Whitby and its Abbey many times and always its enthralled me.

I picked up Mercyful Fate's In the Shadows the other day and really liked it. It doesn't stick out as much as the 80's albums, but it's still damn good and that riff-cramming formula doesn't really get old.

I hear good things about Time and Into the Unknown.

What is the consensus on 90's Fate?

Well post Into the Shadows, I don't love them. Time is alright, worth having if you love MF. Avoid 9, that album achieves nothing. Dead Again doesn't do much noteworthy either. Don't go expecting 4 other Don't Break the Oath's in the 1990s! That's probably why I'm frustrated.

I really don't think too much can top that 80's work, but songs like "Egypt" come pretty close.

Very few albums come close to those 3 80s releases. But 9 and Dead Again were dismal to me. Download them if you must, I wouldn't recommend buying them.

Good to know. I'll still probably run through 'em for the hell of it and I'm definitely gonna give those other 90's albums a listen.

I feel silly for only recently getting into MF. Guess I never really "got" them before

You'd better go with Blazon Stone and Masquerade, then Port Royal, then Branded & Exiled, then the rest (Ready For Boarding, The First Years Of Piracy, and post-1995 stuff).

not too much much discussion of Lost Horizon on this thread, definitely one of the best.

Way too cheesy for my ears.

It is a good band but too melodic and not enough riffs on my case.

Yeah, definitely Port Royal (comparable to Death or Glory).

I heard the title track from Port Royal, it certainly sounds like the kind of RW I like. But I do need to get a copy of Gates to Purgatory, I feel like I didn't give it a proper listen.

It's good, I've always been a fan of it ... but I've never really ranked it up there with Helloween's debut, Blind Guardian's, Warrant even perhaps, etc. Those were a little more on the speedy side of things, while Gates is a little slower, very Venom-ish.

Still awesome though. I can't say the same for "Branded and Exiled" though, I've never been able to get into that one. But from there, I can get into any RW album up to "Masquerade" very easily.

Hah, yes, GtP and BaE are two little mean muthafuckers. But if GtP is quite easy to get into even from the first listening, then BaE sure takes its sweet time. MOOORDOOOR!!!

Upon re-listening to "Still Not Black Enough" and "Helldorado", I've come to think that W.A.S.P.'s worst album is the former, not the latter, despite the popular opinion being the opposite of mine. SNBE just sounds completely un-W.A.S.P.-ish and generally weak, as if Blackie wrote it out of contract duties alone. Helldorado, on the other hand, is more on the rock'n'roll and hard rock side of things, but at least it sounds inspired. Yeah, I know, sue me.

I'm not actually a big fan of the first two BG albums. I don't think they really got it together till Tales. And I can't think of Warrant without thinking Cherry Pie! I know, different bands... maybe there is a speed metal Bon Jovi somewhere? I'm a big Venom fan so I'll buy it sometime.

Catachthonian: Which WASP is the best after all these (if you know all their albums) - Headless Children, the Debut, Crimson Idol and Last Command. I actually like Headless and Crimson Idol more than the more commercial 80s stuff, I really got a strong Who-like feeling off the latter, even though it wasn't blatant. The drumming reminded me of a more solid Keith Moon... maybe it's just me.

Well, you absolutely must check out "Inside The Electric Circus", just because you're already familiar with the Debut, Last Command, Headless Children and Crimson Idol, even despite it being the weakest of their first five. (Hint: songs from ITEC sound much better on Live In The Raw)

On a more serious note, check out Dominator (near brilliance -very strong album, and some lyrics are among the best Blackie's ever written), both Neon Gods (a.k.a the twin brother of the Crimson Idol), and then K.F.D. (dirty industrial sound, still great). Oh, and Live In The Raw + Double Live Assassins are kick ass live albums.

Definitely go with Dominator - great album with some very energetic tracks. Catchy as hell too while some wonderful lyrics are there. Also it is probably the closest of the new albums to the classic five. I think the Neon Gods are hit/miss albums - albeit with more hits than misses.

Lyrics to "Take Me Up" = pure awesomeness:

"Won't you take me up inside you
Am I more than you can take
I'll be your father's heart of darkness
When you wake

...

Is it taste of bloody kisses
Is it more than you can fake
Feel me deep inside you
Is it your faith that I shake"

All hail Blackie Lawless!!! (sorry, couldn't resist )

Right, I'll give it a try. That and Electric Circus. They covered I Don't Need No Doctor didn't they? I'll be interested to hear that, I'm a big fan of the Humble Pie version... and anything Humble Pie related in general.

I am particularly fond of "The Burning Man" off the new one.

"Oh run, run Daddy got a shotgun
On your knees tonight
And never return
Oh run, run Daddy's riding shotgun
On your knees to die
The devil's begging to burn"

Lawless \m/