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| Power metal | |
|---|---|
 Power metal bandBlind Guardian atWacken Open Air in 2016 | |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Europe and United States in the 1980s |
| Fusion genres | |
| Symphonic power metal | |
| Regional scenes | |
| Other topics | |
| List of power metal bands | |
Power metal is a subgenre ofheavy metal music combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal withspeed metal, often within asymphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contrast with the heaviness and dissonance prevalent in, for example,extreme metal. Power metal bands usually have anthemic songs with fantasy-based subject matter and strong choruses, thus creating a theatrical, dramatic and emotionally "powerful" sound.[1][2]
The term was first used in the mid-1980s[3] and refers to two different but related styles: the first largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal; and a later, more widespread and popular style based in Europe[4] with a lighter, more melodic sound and frequent use ofkeyboards.
AnthropologistSam Dunn traced the origins of power metal back to the late 1970s, when the groundwork for power metal lyrical style was laid down byRonnie James Dio. The fantasy-oriented lyrics he wrote forRainbow, concentrated around medieval, renaissance, folk, and science fiction themes, directly influenced modern power metal bands.[5] According to Dunn, the songs "Stargazer" and "A Light in the Black" from the 1976 albumRising, as well as "Kill the King" and "Lady of the Lake" from the 1978 albumLong Live Rock 'n' Roll, might be among the earliest examples of power metal. In his 2011 documentary seriesMetal Evolution,[6] Dunn further explained howRob Halford ofJudas Priest created a blueprint for power metal vocal delivery. His almost constant high-pitched singing became one of the main characteristics of power metal. The twin-guitar sound promoted by Judas Priest's duo ofK. K. Downing andGlenn Tipton also highly influenced this subgenre.
Another British band,Iron Maiden, brought epic and melodic sensibility to metal, creating anthemic, singalong music, an approach widely embraced by modern power metal musicians. Referred to as the "main prototype" of the power metal genre, Iron Maiden was heavily influenced byHeaven and Hell andMob Rules (the first two albums ofBlack Sabbath'sDio-era), which would also go on to influence modern power metal.[7]
The emergence of the early German power metal scene in particular was made possible byScorpions andAccept. Swedish guitaristYngwie Malmsteen made a significant impact on many future power metal guitarists, with his accurate and fastneo-classical style. His bandmateJens Johansson modernized the keyboard sound ofDeep Purple'sJon Lord, which was further incorporated into the genre.Manowar's mythologicalsword and sorcery lyrics influenced a number of power metal bands.
Throughout the early 1980s (especially during 1982 and 1983), the US power metal style first emerged from traditional heavy metal, thenew wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM), andthrash/speed metal backgrounds. Although the genre's precise stylistic origins are often contested, acts such asCirith Ungol,Jag Panzer,Manilla Road,Omen,Riot,Savatage,Metal Church andWarlord are generally believed to have influenced the earliest development of the style.[8][9]
More concretely, in 1987 German bandHelloween released their second album,Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I, cited byAllMusic as "a landmark recording that remains arguably the single most influential power metal album to date. Its volatile combination of power and melody would inspire an entire generation of metal bands".[10] This release influenced a European power metal style to evolve, which proliferated throughout the globe and since the start of the 1990s is still the most commonly heard style of power metal.[citation needed]
Power metal is today associated with fast guitar riffs and drumming, twin melodies, operatic singing, and thus "bears all the hallmarks of traditional metal." The sound is tempered by characteristics ofspeed metal, power metal's musical forerunner.[11]
Power metal is highly focused on the vocalist, with "clean" vocals being much more prevalent than the growling vocals often associated withextreme metal. Inspired byRonnie James Dio,Bruce Dickinson,Rob Halford,Geoff Tate, and otherheavy metal vocalists, power metal vocals are often in a high register, and the singer's vocal range is usually wide.[12] The majority of the genre's vocalists sing in thetenor range and are capable of hitting very high notes, for exampleTimo Kotipelto ofStratovarius,Tony Kakko ofSonata Arctica,Michael Kiske ofHelloween andAndre Matos (ex-Angra). There are many exceptions who sing in eitherbaritone orbass range, likeJoakim Brodén ofSabaton. Some vocalists sing in a harsh,thrash metal style, includingChris Boltendahl ofGrave Digger,Kai Hansen ofGamma Ray,Peavy Wagner ofRage, andWintersun'sJari Mäenpää.[13] Many power metal vocalists record multi-layered vocals, creating a choral effect.[14]
Themes that frequently feature throughout other metal subgenres, such as religion and politics, are comparatively rare in power metal - albeit not unheard of. Power metal's lyrical themes often focus onfantasy andmythology,[11] malecamaraderie and hope, personal struggles and emotions, war and death, or combinations of the aforementioned. For example, Finnish bandSonata Arctica have been known for focusing their lyrics of their songs on fantasy but also have many songs based on reality, love and relationships.
Many power metal bands based theirconcept albums on fantasy books andnational epics;Blind Guardian basedNightfall in Middle-Earth onTolkien'sThe Silmarillion, whileKamelot basedEpica andThe Black Halo onGoethe's Faust. Some bands have even written their own imaginary stories, likeRhapsody of Fire'sEmerald Sword Saga andThe Dark Secret Saga,Iced Earth'sSomething Wicked Saga, orAvantasia byEdguy'sTobias Sammet.
Historical themes have also seen usage in the works of bands, most famouslySabaton, whose lyrics extensively focus on historical wars, battles, and individuals that received notable recognition for their wartime accomplishments. Examples includeWorld War I,World War II,Vikings,Samurai, and much more from around the world including theAmerican,Swedish, andGerman militaries.Serenity, an Austrian (symphonic) power metal band, focuses mainly on historical figures and events, includingSir Francis Drake,Marco Polo,Galileo,Beethoven, andNapoleon.
Power metal guitarists and bassists generally play rapid streams of notes,[11] but changechords comparatively slowly, with aharmonic tempo of once per measure or slower. Fast and technically demanding guitar solos, however, are almost guaranteed.[15] The slow changing of chords is significant in defining power metal just as the fast rapid chord changes often define traditionalthrash metal. Power metal often makes use of Major chord progressions as well as circle progressions. Some of the most influential and acclaimed power metal guitarists areKai Hansen ofGamma Ray,Michael Weikath ofHelloween, andTimo Tolkki formerly of Stratovarius. It is a common trait in power metal for the bass guitar to take a back seat, so to speak; often simply providing the chord root notes and being drowned out by the more prevalent rhythm guitars. However, some power metal bands incorporate bass that is more audible with colorful patterns distinct from the rhythm guitars, such as Helloween,Hibria, andSymphony X.
Many power metal drummers play double bass patterns with either twobass drums, or utilize adouble bass pedal; using them to play a constant stream ofsixteenth notes (semiquavers) with snare drum accents on the beat, a style not restricted to, but most often associated with, power metal. The style was used by drummerIngo Schwichtenberg ofHelloween, setting a blueprint for many other drummers to follow. Others, such as the drummers ofBlind Guardian andIced Earth, use a more thrash metal style of drumming with rapid bursts of double bass that involve three to six beats with the double kick.
Power metal bands often incorporate keyboards into their musical arrangements,[16] something popularized byJens Johansson of Stratovarius (though their prominence varies). Some power metal bands also record with symphonic elements, and as such, they utilize a full orchestra to fill the role usually played by the keyboardist.[17]
The American branch of power metal emerged in the early 1980s in the United States, drawing influence primarily from traditional metal and theNWOBHM. Though very close to its roots, US power metal (often abbreviated USPM) is often faster and more energetic than traditional heavy metal, with a more riff-driven approach and a relative lack of keyboard usage compared to its later European counterpart. However, it is often more melodic thanthrash metal, with a greater emphasis on guitar leads. USPM is also notable for its widespread (but not universal) use of high-register operatic vocals, a trend which would continue with the rise of European power metal in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[15] This style is not exclusive to North America, as European bands such asSacred Steel,Majesty, and Australian bandPegazus later adopted a style inspired by USPM bands in the 1990s.
The early releases of progressive metal bandsQueensrÿche andFates Warning, such asThe Warning (1984) andThe Spectre Within (1985), heavily influenced a number of bands that were to develop a common sound towards the late 1980s. Among the better known representatives of the style, such asManowar,Vicious Rumors,Virgin Steele,Riot, orJag Panzer, a small number of bands enriched their sound with progressive and epic elements (the most obvious examples beingCrimson Glory,Savatage,Sanctuary and theepic doom metal bandCirith Ungol); or even withthrash metal elements, e.g.,Metal Church andIced Earth.[18] US power metal saw a sharp decline in popularity at the beginning of the 1990s, though the style has rebounded somewhat in the past decade, with bands such asLiege Lord orHeir Apparent reforming for live performances[19] and many, such asHelstar andOmen, still releasing new material.
European power metal originated fromspeed metal and theNWOBHM, emerging in late 1980s, particularly in Germany, withHelloween,Running Wild,Rage,Grave Digger, andBlind Guardian. The second and third Helloween albums;Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I (1987) andPart II (1988) are usually considered the first proper European power metal albums.[20] Alongside the early German bands came Finland'sStratovarius in late 1980s. These bands pioneered the genre, but took it in somewhat different directions. Helloween, followed by earlyGamma Ray, mixed fastpalm mutedspeed metal riffs with high-pitched clean vocals, and with a strong focus on melody and uplifting, positive themes. Stratovarius further developed this melodic direction by making heavy use ofkeyboards, with lyrics dealing with emotions and personal issues. Blind Guardian utilized the technique of vocal and guitaroverdubbing to create an epic atmosphere, with lyrical content strongly based on fantasy novels, myths and legends. The symphonic and neo-classical elements also found their way through power metal with bands likeRhapsody of Fire (Italy),Serenity (Austria) andNightwish (Finland).[21] At the same time, bands such asHammerFall simplified their power metal to bring it closer to traditional heavy metal.
Over the late 90s and early 00s, power metal spread over Europe especially as well as the rest of the world, often incorporating new influences. Italy'sElvenking, Sweden'sFalconer, Spain'sMägo de Oz, and Denmark'sWuthering Heights integrated elements offolk music with power metal.Angra,Kamelot, and especiallySymphony X are known for combiningprogressive and power metal. Some bands are known for combining power metal with more aggressive musical forms;Children of Bodom were one of the earliest who combined elements of power metal and an early form ofmelodic death metal.
European-style power metal became widespread in comparison with US style as of the mid 1990s, with numerous North American bands such asTheocracy,Borealis,Forgotten Tales,Avian,Pharaoh,Circle II Circle, andKamelot demonstrating the style. This European style of power metal is sometimes considered the "second wave" of power metal since its spread was in the late 1980s and especially the mid-late 1990s rather than proliferating throughout the 1980s, and the widespread influence and development of the genre that came in its tow while US "first wave" style markedly declined.
"Power metal may in general have Iron Maiden as its main prototype, but actually the first two releases from Black Sabbath's Dio-era Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules, were an influence on Iron Maiden, and remain important references for today's power metal bands.
