5 Power Metal Albums You Should Own (Version 2)

Welcome to the end of Power Metal Pandemonium’s return fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

I confess I kind of wanted this festival to continue throughout the rest of 2020. It’s a safe bet to say that this year.....has been a little shitty. Everything has been thrown into chaos thanks to the plague and incompetent politics, and the rest of 2020 is something I’m not looking forward to. That being said, I have to keep my chin up somehow, and this will definitely help a little. Like I did last year, I showed off 5 power metal records you should have in your collection, and this year is going to be no different. I tried to mix older albums with newer ones, and the end result is....intriguing to say the least. So, here are 5 more Power Metal Albums you should own. Enjoy!

1) Sinergy - Beware The Heavens (Song)Obscurity is often the biggest fault with some bands. Power Metal or otherwise, if you’re obscure you’re going to possibly stay there unless you do something big. Despite having quite the musical pedigree in terms of it’s musicians, it seems that Sinergy unfortunately would remain firmly in obscure/cult status. It’s a shame, as Beware The Heavens had a hell of a lot of promise behind. Like I said last month, the prototype of Battle Beast was front & center, what with it’s mix of Power Metal & 80s nostalgia. Goss’s vocal work adds to this as well, and while softer than Noora Louhimo at times, she knows how & when to bring out the war queen when she wants to. Like any good fantasy adventure, it’s the things off the beaten path that can help your journey, and when it comes to obscure metal........sometimes the less popular can surprise you.

2) Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow (Song)

 

If it wasn’t for Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio, I don’t think Power Metal wouldn’t have formed into what it is today. This album may not necessarily be a progenitor in terms of instrumentation & feels, but it’s the vocal work & storytelling that has the pre-Power Metal feel. Sure, Ronnie seems like he’s singing gibberish, but at the same time he’s crafting a fantastical vision of a fantasy world that seems intriguing. It’s a story that’s just enchanting, and as you listen to the album you won’t be able to get away from, and if you like old-school rock, you may find this to be something worth your time.

3) Beast In Black - From Hell With Love (Song)

It’s a crying shame that Battle Beast has fallen off the wagon in recent years. Their first three albums were the perfect mix of modern day Power Metal & 80s nostalgia (along with some geekery as well), and were well received. Bringer of Pain was a step backwards due to Anton Kabanen no longer being in the band, but there was still some potential to be had. Their most recent album however....was a bit of a betrayal thanks to the heavily commercial nature, and just the overall watering down of what made Battle Beast so good in the first place. Luckily, there was another beast that Anton unleashed, and they were Beast In Black! Perhaps even more Power Metal & nostalgia inducing than his original group, they immediately made an impact with their first album, Berserker. However, it was their second album that I think really gave them a reputation. From Hell With Love is everything that Battle Beast should still be: cheesy, powerful, emotional, badass, etc. Not only that, but it shows off the fact that Anton Kabanen really was the brain behind Battle Beast, and it shows on this album. If for whatever reason BiB’s first album wasn’t your thing, then this one definitely is!

4) U.D.O. - Mean Machine (Song)

A bit of an oddball choice, but here me out.

If you ever watched the Metal Evolution episode on Power Metal, you might recall Sam Dunn (The host & maker of the show) make mention of the legendary band Accept as one of the groups that helped create the blueprint for the style to form. While I can certainly see why some might call these German knights as predecessors, but I’m surprised to see that not many people say that U.D.O. were predecessors also. If anything, I think they have more of a Power Metal feel than Accept ever did. The band’s second record has all the trademarks of Power Metal: cheesy but emotional ballads, simple but awesome headbangers, instrumentation that’s equal parts heavy and uplifting, vocal work that’s easy to listen to, and a warm & fuzzy feel all around. Turning 30 years old last year, it’s obvious to see why it still has so many fans to this day. Definitely a classic you shouldn’t skip.

5) Everfrost - Blue Eyed Emotion (Song) & Everfrost - Winterider (Song)

Hey, it’s me talking about Everfrost again! No, I’m not getting tired of this band!

I confess that I was originally thinking of just putting Winterider here, but then I realized that I can’t. Both albums are damn good, and they’re huge surprises as well. Using anime and manga as a basis for a Power Metal band seems like a daunting task at first, but it’s shocking at just how well the three mediums mix together so easily. You can easily put songs from either album onto a show’s soundtrack, and it would somehow fit perfectly. Even taking their sources of inspiration out of the picture, it’s obvious that the band knows what the hell they’re doing. The guitars are fantastic. The drumwork is fantastic. The keyboarding is fantastic, and Mikael Salo is a big upgrade when compared to their original singer (Even though Hew Wagner has a hell of a set of vocal pipes). As I said last year, Everfrost was quite the surprise when I sat down & listened to them, and it’s that feeling I had that’ll keep me coming back for more.

And these were 5 more Power Metal albums you should own. Again, it’s an unintentionally weird list, but perhaps it’s that accidental weirdness that might convince you to seek one of these albums out. Well, we got the last 3rd of 2020 to get through, and September is just a few days away. See you then!


***
If you’re curious about what was on my last list, then click on the link below:

5 Power Metal Albums You Should Own