Tribute to the Past - Shadowdoom9's rediscovery of his power metal roots

For context of the following story: https://metal.academy/forum/23/thread/271

10 years ago in the Metal Realm, Shadowdoom9 was a young teenage warrior residing in the Kingdom of the Guardians after wandering in the Gateway to the Metal World that he has entered from the Rock World. He has spent a few years in Kingdom of the Guardians, training to be the power/symphonic metal knight he...was. Fast forward to the present when he's in his mid-20s, residing in the Island of Revolution and having a job at the Rebel House and the Sphere Factory to compile music for monthly audio-magazines, and often visiting The Infinite South and the Gateway to the Metal World, and less commonly, any of the other clan lands. Today, he feels up to revisiting the Kingdom of the Guardians. He still remembers DragonForce and Kamelot, but now he's gonna bring back more memories of other bands from the kingdom. He enters the kingdom, ready for a Tribute to the Past...

So yeah, I'm rediscovering my power metal roots! There were 3 other bands besides DragonForce and Kamelot that I've discovered at the same time as those two bands, but the reason I've moved away from those bands was because they weren't the never-forgotten historical milestones DragonForce and Kamelot have been for me. So now I'm revisiting those 3 other bands via their first-discovered releases. Those bands are:

Dragonland

Power Quest

Avantasia

And two symphonic metal bands to continue my rediscovery:

Within Temptation

Nightwish

I'll give one or two releases from each band some listening and a review, to not only get back in touch with those releases but also to fully detail how I discovered those bands. And if all goes well, I might continue rediscovering more of those past power/symphonic metal bands in the future. Onward!

Dragonland was one of my first power metal discoveries AFTER DragonForce. This band introduced me to two things in metal I was already familiar with elsewhere; the orchestral symphonics of Two Steps From Hell and medieval fantasy concepts similar to RuneScape, the Elder Scrolls, and Lord of the Rings. And it all started with an accidental encounter with a song from the album after this one. Here are my thoughts:

Nowadays, while I do enjoy these fantasy concepts, I begin to realize their lack of original inspiration. The Dragonland Chronicles saga has the same ol' "leaving your loved ones to go to a war you end up falling in" idea, which my fantasy-loving teen self thought was epic, but now it's a little too cheesy for me as a heavier more serious adult. As much as I enjoy the catchy melody and vocals, the lyrics factor in the cheesiness, and they only work well during the more serious moments in which they allow you to really imagine the stories comfortably, such as the marching of the enemies, an epic battle, and subsequent tragic falls. The cheesiness isn't the only problem with a few of the other tracks, they seem to be oddly placed, like adding in a love ballad as the album's second song and a speedy cover of a classical piece in the middle of the tragic climax. But despite all that, The Battle of the Ivory Plains is a 50-minute adventure any power metal fan should check out. And you should read the story within the lyrics for the full Dragonland Chronicles experience. I just don't feel the same amount of epic brilliance from this band and album as I had 10 years ago....

4/5

I probably wouldn't have gotten into the more symphonic side of power metal without accidentally discovering this album's glorious title track in a video that was wrongly credited to DragonForce as the band. Here are my thoughts:

Fixing some mistakes from their debut, Dragonland's second album Holy War has energetic progression, as orchestral keys and guitar fury slam through clay-cracking bass and pounding drums, alongside the sweet vocals of Jonas Heidgert, as if the entire band is a dragon. A Rhapsody (of Fire)-influenced dragon! Heidgert stands out as another amazing vocalist in the power metal league. His unique delivery is out of this world. Almost every track has majestic glory and blazing power metal speed, but what causes this album to not be as perfect as I used to think it was is a power ballad that starts too soft and insincere, though it gets much better when it speeds up. Also the Japanese edition and deluxe reissue comes with an upbeat cover of a Limahl hit, plus two useless acoustic interludes that are better left alone. This is a more enjoyable improvement from their debut, performing their sound with fantasy pride and not too much cheesiness. I miss out on my youthful days of loving this band to the max, but I need to stay true to my mature evolution. Nonetheless, Dragonland have done well in pleasing fans of power metal!

4.5/5

Around the same time as I discovered Dragonland, I also discovered this band that started off as a spinoff to DragonForce. Power Quest was formed by keyboardist Steve Williams who had just left DragonForce when they still had the name DragonHeart. A couple other DragonForce members were also in Power Quest; guitarist Sam Totman in the debut, and ex-vocalist ZP Theart in the demo. This association encouraged me to make my power metal interest a reality. Here are my thoughts:

Power Quest's debut Wings of Forever has some similarity to DragonForce's Valley of the Damned released next year, though here's what different from DragonForce's debut. Wings of Forever is a bit humble of a start for Power Quest. I mean, there is the technical speed that is what many power metal bands were doing 20 years before today, but this band does it all without having to expand their resources. The band had trouble find an actual drummer, so they instead used a drum machine with the nickname "Scott Michaels". It sounds quite realistic, but it gives the album less organic strength. A real drummer would've made this a perfect offering. While DragonForce is known for their fast headbanging songs with the length extended by their solos, Power Quest seems to have more focus on epic-sounding atmosphere to cover that length which can make things slightly uneven, though they would have less of that issue in later albums. The atmosphere is created by Steve Williams who also bring the keys up to the front stage alongside the melodic guitar wizardry by Sam Totman to get you hooked. Other guitarist Adam Bickers is Sam Totman's soloing buddy for this album, just like Herman Li but without any 8-bit tricks. Many of the songs have pure electric guitar melody right in the face! The versatile vocals of Alessio Garavello have great harmony. I guess ZP Theart would've probably made some songs sound more like DragonForce, but Alessio is the real star here. Williams' keyboards range from smooth ambience to serene beauty to swift soloing, and he's able to show the lengthy side of his earlier writing in the longer epics. His writing evolution started out from his time with DragonForce, and when he worked with Sam Totman and ZP Theart (demo only) among other members in Power Quest's debut, and their DragonForce influences show, though not proven until next year with the release of Valley of the Damned. By then, Totman and Bickers had already left the band, and the last thing Totman could do for Power Quest was add in some soloing contributions to their second album Neverworld. As the band's tenure went on, so many different instrumentalists and vocalists took the place of those who were leaving, which further turned the band towards a different path. While it ended up giving the band a more mature identity of their own, the time when they were known as a DragonForce spin-off should be remembered. Whether being original or identical, the quality is what's worth this album being added to your power metal collection!

4.5/5

Avantasia is what introduced me to the ambitious idea of multi-musician/vocalist metal opera concept albums, and it was because of ex-Kamelot vocalist Roy Khan in the first track that I ended up stumbling upon this band and entering the metal opera world. Here are my thoughts:

Tobias Sammet's Avantasia started off with two Metal Opera albums in the early 2000s. The albums have many guest musicians and artists from bands like Helloween, Gamma Ray, Virgin Steele, Stratovarius, and Within Temptation. They were, just WERE, an essential part of my power metal discoveries. After reforming with a 2007 two-EP series Lost in Space, the album promoted by those two EPs had arrived... 2008's The Scarecrow was hitting the charts in not just Germany but other European countries also, such as Czech Republic, Greece, Sweden, Hungary, Austria, and Switzerland. The different sound and atmosphere replaced earlier fans with new ones. It's more of a blend of hard rock and power metal, with guests coming from bands of both genres. A great album with monumental vocalists! Sammet made a new lineup for the album which consists of himself performing bass and vocals, ex-Heaven's Gate members Sascha Paeth and Miro on guitars and keyboards, respectively, and Kiss drummer Eric Singer. Some guitar solos were provided by Gamma Ray guitarists Henjo Richter and Kai Hansen (though I wish Hansen could've also done some vocals) and Scorpions guitarist Rudolf Schenker. As for the guest vocalists, it was because of ex-Kamelot vocalist Roy Khan in the first track that I ended up stumbling upon this band and entering the metal opera world. Other vocalists from big bands include Jorn Lande (ex-Masterplan), Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween), Bob Catley (Magnum), Amanda Somerville (Aina), Alice Cooper, and Oliver Hartmann (ex-At Vance). This bombastic hard rock/power metal album also has a bit of classic heavy metal, soft rock, pop rock, and a couple ballads. Hard rock and power metal songs are the main course of this meal, and most of that part of the meal is what I really like. However, the softer appetizers disrupt the flow, often not fitting well with the heavier vibe, with the exception of the closing track that ends things smoothly as another highlight. All in all, The Scarecrow is a strong comeback for the band, the first part of the Wicked Trilogy continuing in their 2010 albums The Wicked Symphony and Angel Of Babylon. The album is a bit uneven with a couple weak tracks and Sammet getting more vocals than one of the guests and vice versa. Nonetheless, a very solid metal opera album....

4/5

And because how divisive the album's style is, here's a quick genre analysis:

1. Twisted Mind - Hard rock/heavy metal/power metal

2. The Scarecrow - Hard rock/Celtic rock/symphonic metal/power metal

3. Shelter From the Rain - Power metal/speed metal/hard rock

4. Carry Me Over - Hard rock/pop rock

5. What Kind of Love - Pop rock/soft rock

6. Another Angel Down - Power metal/heavy metal

7. The Toy Master - Hard rock/power metal

8. Devil in the Belfry - Power metal/hard rock

9. Cry Just a Little - Acoustic rock/soft rock

10. I Don't Believe in Your Love - Hard rock/heavy metal

11. Lost in Space - Pop rock/hard rock

Primary genres: Hard rock, power metal

Secondary genres: Heavy metal, pop rock, soft rock

Although my symphonic power metal roots can be traced back as early as Kamelot, Within Temptation was the first band to make me up to losing my strictness in staying in power metal and allow me to start exploring full-on symphonic metal, with one song even directing me to Nightwish! The symphonic metal chain was just beginning for me. Here are my thoughts:

Unlike those other bands that I discovered via their earlier releases, I was hooked to Within Temptation via this album Hydra, only weeks after its release. The music is pretty good here. Vocalist Sharon den Adel sings nice melodies, though she doesn't have her earlier power that other female singers have. As the metal instrumentation stand their ground, the symphonic keys and orchestra lift it up in cinematic atmosphere. Beautiful, right? You just gotta admire how well the band can diversify their sound. Here we have a symphonic metal/rock sound that often dives into their earlier gothic metal and their later pop/alt-rock, all while making sure their fans know that it's the same Within Temptation as before. The album almost has the same "metal opera" vibe as Avantasia, with only 4 songs having Sharon's beautiful voice as the sole singing style. 4 of the other have different guest singers, and two of them work well while the other two don't. And the remaining two songs have some background growling by guitarist Robert Westerholt, in clear prominence for the first time since the band's gothic doom debut Enter. The atmosphere doesn't greatly catch your attention as it should have. Despite all that, Hydra is an album for new fans and die-hard collectors. With Temptation could still stand strong and not lose steam, at least until their subsequent albums that would show a highly different era for the band....

3.5/5

And because how divisive the album's style is, here's a quick genre analysis:

1. Let Us Burn - Symphonic metal/symphonic rock

2. Dangerous - Symphonic metal/heavy metal

3. And We Run - Symphonic metal/symphonic rock/rap metal

4. Paradise (What About Us?) - Symphonic metal/gothic metal

5. Edge of the World - Symphonic rock/symphonic metal

6. Silver Moonlight - Gothic metal/symphonic metal

7. Covered by Roses - Symphonic metal/alternative metal

8. Dog Days - Symphonic rock/pop rock/alternative metal

9. Tell Me Why - Symphonic metal/gothic metal/power metal/melodic metalcore

10. Whole World is Watching - Alternative rock/pop rock/symphonic rock

Primary genres: Symphonic metal, symphonic rock

Secondary genres: Gothic metal, alternative metal, pop rock

Nightwish is one of the most popular symphonic/power metal bands today, and was an essential band for me long ago. I could listen to this band while playing RuneScape, which fits well with the fact that one of the first song I've discovered from this band in this album was used in a video for that game. Here are my thoughts:

Once I had a dream of what metal would sound like with lots of TSFH-like orchestration, and this was it when I discovered this nearly a decade ago. Today I feel like I had been too optimistic. As varied as this album is, I'm starting to think the orchestra overpowers the metal. But what else is there from a full orchestra? Despite the orchestral overdose, many songs stay heavy, and founding keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen is able to display his own synth work. But let's get over the whole "selling out" nonsense... There are plenty of heavy anthems, and while I enjoy the orchestration in many of the tracks, it's when they rely too much on the orchestration without balancing it out with the metal, and ends up sounding too draggy. But when the metal and the orchestration have the correct balance, that's what creates the magic. All in all, I would consider this album the weakest in my revisit trip, but I would never consider Once or Nightwish super-bad. However, there are some things I might object to. The production and style is a bit over-the-top, but still mostly enjoyable. I would recommend this album for any fan of gothic-infused symphonic power metal. It is different from their earlier material, yet worth trying this bombastic rollercoaster. Though this is Tarja's last ride...

3.5/5

And that's it for the bands I have in mind for this thread. If I have any more in my mind, I'll continue this thread, but that's all for now, metal folks!