My personal power metal Big 4

So for those of you having been active around the same time, I'm sure you know that I used to be really into power metal before maturing into metalcore and other modern heavy genres in metal. And while it was great that you've encouraged me to revive my epic melodic past, and I found a good amount of great discoveries I hadn't found before, I would've liked them much more back in those days. I was just expanding something I've matured out of, based on recommendations, and it didn't feel right for me. I knew some sh*t would eventually go down, and when it finally did in that incident due to my unaware presumptuousness, I had enough. I switched out of The Guardians and into The Sphere without looking back.

Anyway, I was already planning out that departure several months prior by moving away from bands of heavy/power/symphonic metal and the more melodic side of progressive metal that I've never really listened to so much anymore. That was also to make space for more bands I might discover in the future. Now let's say I completely sever my ties with The Guardians genres (NOT now, but possibly sometime in the future). Would it all be gone from me, or would I keep a few bands that have been significantly important to me from the start? Definitely the latter! There are 4 power metal bands that were the first ones ever to get me into the genre, and I probably wouldn't enjoy that genre or any other metal genre without them. Or perhaps I would, but start someplace different. Anyway, here they are:

DragonForce - The FIRST EVER band I've enjoyed in metal, all thanks to my brother and my father showing me that song "Through the Fire and Flames".

Power Quest - The "spin-off" band of DragonForce, formed by former DF keyboardist Steve Williams, with DF guitarist Sam Totman and vocalist ZP Theart appearing in early releases. My first self-recommendation!

Dragonland - Found this band when someone credited the song "Holy War" to DragonForce in a YouTube video. With this mix of power metal and TSFH-like orchestration, my like for symphonic metal started to rise.

Kamelot - This one really sealed my symphonic power metal direction along with progressive hints.

Yep, those power metal bands I never want to forget because they were so highly important in my life. I look forward to seeing what new material would come from those bands this year and the next.

Long live my power metal heroes!

UPDATE: I took out Power Quest and Dragonland because, while they were part of the very first 4 bands of power metal (and metal in general) that I started listening to, they don't have as much as historical/interest value for me as the other two bands, and therefore I'm moving away from them. Only DragonForce and Kamelot shall remain. The end of my power metal past is coming, with these bands I'm moving away from listed below:

From my symphonic/power metal past:

Freedom Call, Dark Moor, Battlelore, Angra, Machinae Supremacy, Dream Evil, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Timo Tolkki's Avalon

From my heavy/power metal present (plus a few of the more melodic progressive metal bands):

Sanctuary, Persuader, Accept, Iced Earth, Wuthering Heights, Savatage, Devin Townsend (I'll still keep the Strapping Young Lad material), Disillusion, Leprous

I'll still keep and never leave bands that are in my usual clans that have symphonic elements (e.g. Lorna Shore), or have one or a few classic heavy metal albums while still in my usual clans (e.g. Trivium, Avenged Sevenfold), or melodic progressive metal bands mixed with heavier genres like technical thrash (e.g. Watchtower).

I don't know very many people who put Dragonforce in their big four, but I do admit that Inhuman Rampage is an underrated album.  Most power metal fanatics tend to see it as a change of pace from the more melodic sound just so they can say they're the fastest metal band on Earth.  Personally, I think there's still plenty of melody in that album.

I don't know very many people who put Dragonforce in their big four, but I do admit that Inhuman Rampage is an underrated album.  Most power metal fanatics tend to see it as a change of pace from the more melodic sound just so they can say they're the fastest metal band on Earth.  Personally, I think there's still plenty of melody in that album.

Absolutely agreed! Inhuman Rampage is my favorite DragonForce album and the one that has the song that got me into metal, "Through the Fire and Flames".

Remember one of my favorite songs by metalcore band Architects:

Although it was originally a swan-song for the band's late guitarist Tom Searle who passed away a few months after the release of its album All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us (RIP Tom), one of the sampled quotes from Alan Watts actually form a metaphor for my taste changing, and no matter how much some of you wanted me to revisit the symphonic/power metal of my past, I'm already floating in the stream of my current clans (Gateway, Infinite, Revolution, Sphere), and I can't keep fighting and resisting it to go back to a past I'm drifting farther away. I feel it's more natural for my taste to let the modern heaviness of my clans take form, especially metalcore and industrial metal, which I'm making playlists for, to continue letting myself and other curious fans of those genres explore and discover.

"Change, and everything is change, nothing can be held onto. To the degree that you go with a stream, you see, you are still. You are floating with it. But to the degree that you resist the stream. Then you notice that the current is rushing past you and fighting you. So swim with it. Go with it. And you're there. You're at rest." - Alan Watts (1915-1973)

Farewell soon, symphonic/power metal...

Despite your feelings to the contrary Andi, I can assure you that Ben & I have never had any sort of urge to want you to explore any particular styles or subgenres of music & haven't seen any examples of anyone else pushing you in any sort of direction either. The perceived encouragement to move into The Guardians was simply a suggestion on a clan that we thought would fit your tastes well after your decision to relocate & was based on the clear evidence that was at hand at the time i.e. your consistently high ratings & rave reviews of Guardians releases. Even after your move into The Guardians you were still rating every Guardians-related band I suggested extremely highly & often frothing about them big-time in the forums which only provided us with further encouragement to recommend more music of that style. I'm honestly not concerned with what you or anyone else listen to as everyone's journey is their own so you shouldn't feel that you have to justify your musical decisions to anyone else. There's no expectations attached to being part of clans. They're simply a representation of where people's musical knowledge & preferences lie. I'm very glad that you're feeling comfortable in your current clans & are embracing the opportunity to fully explore the full scope of the music they contain.

My latest YouTube video has an important description that explains my departure from symphonic/power metal, and then some. Please check it out:

My grand move out of symphonic/power metal commences later today. Farewell to those genres...