Be Epic: The Glory of Power Metal

By Christian Lipski

Let us drink to the power, drink to the sound
Thunder and metal are shaking the ground
Drink to your brothers who are never to fall
We are brothers of metal here in the hall
Manowar, “Brothers of Metal Pt. 1”

Power Metal logo by Tonito292

First, a question for the universe: How in the world did I live for nearly four decades and not know about power metal? All those Dungeons and Dragons games, all those readings of Tolkien, and not once did I hear of this music. And don’t give me any lame excuse about it not really being a widespread movement in American music until, well, ever.
Helloween put out Walls of Jericho in 1985, so there’s no excuse. (As geddysciple says in his tongue-in-cheek 101 Rules of Power Metal, “Number 72. Never leave Europe.”)

Power metal has its roots in the classic heavy metal of the early 80s. In modern metal these same roots exist, but are barely recognizable behind the growls and screams. Power metal, on the other hand, retains nearly all of the characteristics of its musical parent, sounding at times like the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) bands it grew from, but with added focus on certain musical and thematic elements.

The most easily recognizable element of power metal is the speed of the guitars and drums. Although most songs begin slowly, they will inexorably move towards a full-tilt chorus and solo. (“Geddysiciple’s Number 69. There is no speed limit in power metal. It’s even mightier to start off slow and then kick it to overdrive!”) DragonForce are a prime example of extreme speed, as heard in “Through Fire and Flame”, a song included in the video game Guitar Hero as the ultimate goal. Double bass drums pounding out a tattoo behind a shredding guitar solo is very power metal, but also applies to many other genres. What makes power metal unique?

Thematically, NWOBHM songs sometimes tended towards the realm of fantasy. Even Led Zeppelin referenced Tolkien in their songs. Power metal places much more emphasis on this material, making fantasy elements central in nearly all its songs. The listener will hear of dark woods inhabited by warriors with gleaming swords who fight for glory against creatures of the darkness, not to exclude dragons. (“Geddysciple’s Number 6. You are bound to sing about dragons, freedom, and/or power metal.”) There are exceptions, of course: the band Iced Earth released The Glorious Burden in 2004, highlighting the military history of America, and The Lord Weird Slough Feg’s 2003 album Traveller is based on the 1977 science fiction role-playing game of the same name. These experiments in theme, however, are far outweighed by the Tolkienesque worlds of swords and sorcery, which can be seen in the album art and stage shows in addition to the musical themes. (“Number 71. Whenever you short of ideas, pick up your Dungeons and Dragons books. You might as well be the first band to sing about owlbears.”)

Women have a larger presence in Power Metal than in other metal genres. Many power metal bands feature female lead vocalists, such as Nightwish, Dark Moor, and Sinergy. (From The Epic Sequel to the 101 Rules of Power Metal: “Number 84. Women sing. They are not allowed to have any other roles in the band. This is rather unfortunate, as they are the only people in the band who would actually look GOOD with long hair.”) This may be inspired by both the fantasy element and the tendency for higher vocals, but also by the less-violent vocal style of power metal. The vocals themselves are used to tell tales and sing praises rather than to express the rage of the singer.

One aspect of power metal that appeals to me personally (ok, besides the fantasy themes and shredding speed) is the positive leaning of the lyrics. Power metal has a tendency to be uplifting in spirit, acting as a battle cry to spur on the warriors in their quest for glory and freedom. Even when the warrior is doomed to fail, there is still glory to be found in sacrificing oneself in battle, if the fight is a good one. It’s a welcome change from the doom-and-gloom topics of typical metal, and who knew that you could use major keys in metal? Inspiring lyrics about the struggle for good against the forces of evil, it can’t be beat.

Although the limitations imposed by the tight thematic focus can sometimes result in perceived repetition (“Number 27. Never change. A sequel should be sonically identical to its predecessor.”), there is enough difference between bands to provide a spectrum of sounds and ideas for those who make the effort. Above all, power metal is fun and satisfying. The musicianship is top-notch, the lyrics are understandable, the mood is positive, and the glory is never-ending.

Additional Resources:

Helloween, Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I, 1987
Manowar, Kings of Metal, 1988
Blind Guardian, Nightfall in Middle-Earth, 1998
Sonata Arctica, Silence, 2001
Slough Feg, Traveller, 2003
DragonForce, Inhuman Rampage, 2006

Many thanks to geddysciple for the unsolicited use of his epic and mighty lists.