Power Metal
Power Metal · 12/05/2023
82 days till W:O:A 2023. I've written about bands where it was really hard to put them into a category. No such difficulties with HammerFall. They are the quintessence of Power Metal. HammerFall started as a side project from several musicians from the Gothenburg metal scene in 1993. Guitarist Oscar Dronjak founded the band together with drummer Jesper Strömblad from In Flames. Niklas Sundin and Mikael Stanne from Dark Tranquility joined soon after together with Johan Larsson on bass. Johan...
Power Metal · 29/01/2023
185 days till W:O:A 2023. I really need to step it up a notch if I want to write about all the bands on the line-up this year. I am taking too much time with individual bands, trying very much to find something to latch on to, even if there isn't anything. Masterplan last week was a hard one and unfortunately, it is the same with Warkings. Warkings, a power metal supergroup consisting of well established and busy musicians who dabble in various other bands and projects. For Warkings they all...
Power Metal · 20/01/2023
194 days till W:O:A 2023. Masterplan is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their self-titled debut album Masterplan (2003) in Wacken this year. The band was formed in 2002 by former Helloween members Uli Kusch (drums) and Roland Grapow (guitar). Roland Grapow remains the only founding member in the band as of today. Keyboardist Axel Mackenrott has also been with the band since 2003 and has been involved in all releases except the debut album, where Janne Wirmann from Children of Bodom provided...
Power Metal · 14/01/2023
200 days till W:O:A 2023. Oh my! How I love this album! I played it on a drive to Hamburg today, alone in the car and it is the perfect road music. I am talking about Battle Beast's debut album Steel from 2011. Take a look at that wonderful sterotypical metal cover of the CD and listen to the opening song Enter The Metal World - you will know what's coming for you. I was hooked right away.
Power Metal · 12/01/2023
202 days till W:O:A 2023. Today I am writing about yet another metal classic: Jag Panzer's debut album Ample Destruction from 1984. Jag Panzer formed in 1981 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They started playing under the name of Tyrant at first, but had to change their name as this one was already taken. Vocalist Harry Conklin kept his nickname "The Tyrant" though. In 1984 the band recruited Joey Tafolla as their lead guitarist and shortly after recorded their debut album. Ample Destruction was...
Power Metal · 09/05/2022
Manowar - the self-proclaimed Kings of Metal. Yet another band that plays a significant role in the history of heavy metal. In 1980 Joey DeMaio worked as a bass technician for Black Sabbath and Ross Friedman aka Ross the Boss played guitar in Black Sabbath's support band on the Heaven & Hell tour. By suggestion of Ronnie James Dio they formed a band together with drummer Donnie Hamzik and vocalist Eric Adams who was a friend of DeMaio. They called themselves Manowar. Eric Adams and Joey...
Power Metal · 01/05/2022
It's funny how all those metal bands are somehow connected. Some names just keep popping up with several bands. Remember Kai Hansen from my last blog article? Vocalist of Helloween till 1988? Well, he is also present on Blind Guardian's second studio album Follow the Blind, joining vocalist Hansi Kürsch on THE iconic Blind Guardian song Valhalla. This song is literally drifing me crazy, it's been stuck in my head for days now. Sudden erruptions of "VALHAAAALLA" from various family members...
Power Metal · 28/04/2022
Power metal - I've been waiting to start with this special subgenre of heavy metal! And what better band to start with than German band Helloween who have been called "fathers of power metal" and are part of the big four of power metal together with Blind Guardian, Sabaton and DragonForce. So. What is power metal? The most distinguishing features of power metal are: fast tempo, uplifting lyrics often based on mythology or fantasy, clean and high-pitched vocals, strong choruses, anthemic...