September 2025 "The Guardians" Playlist - Heavy/Power Metal Hellfire
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq
Tracklisting:
1. Blind Guardian - "Imaginations From the Other Side" from Imaginations From the Other Side (1995)
2. Galneryus - "Finally, It Comes!" from The Stars Will Light the Way (2024)
3. Trivium - "Until the World Goes Cold" from Silence in the Snow (2015)
4. Black Sabbath - "Hole in the Sky" from Sabotage (1975)
5. Battle Beast - "Here We Are" from Here We Are (2025)
6. Metal Church - "Metal Church" from Metal Church (1984)
7. Halford - "Resurrection" from Resurrection (2000)
8. Judas Priest - "The Serpent and the King" from Invincible Shield (2024)
9. Ozzy Osbourne - "Believer" from Diary of a Madmen (1981)
10. Crimson Glory - "Masque of the Red Death" from Transcendence (1988)
11. Accept - "Shadow Soldiers" from Stalingrad (2012) [Suggested by Sonny]
12. Mercyful Fate - "Melissa" from Melissa (1983)
13. Manowar - "Battle Hymn" from Battle Hymns (1982)
14. Sabaton - "The Duelist" from The Duelist (2025)
15. Beyond the Black - "Break the Silence" from Break the Silence (2025)
16. Xandria - "Fight Me" from India (2005)
17. Amberian Dawn - "River of Tuoni" from River of Tuoni (2008)
18. Within Temptation - "Iron" from The Unforgiving (2011)
19. Kiuas - "Warrior Soul" from The Spirit of Ukko (2005) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]
20. Golden Resurrection - "Identity in Christ" from Man with a Mission (2011)
21. Yngwie Malmsteen - "World on Fire" from World on Fire (2016)
22. Visions of Atlantis - "Seven Seas" from Trinity (2007)
23. Dark Moor - "Dies Irae (Amadeus)" from The Gates of Oblivion (2002)
24. Stratovarius - "Goodbye" from Fright Night (1989)
Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:
Blind Guardian - "Imaginations From the Other Side" from Imaginations From the Other Side (1995)
5/5. The opening title track of this absolute gem of a Blind Guardian album is one of the best album openers and power metal songs I've heard in my life. It picks up where things left off from the end of their previous album Somewhere Far Beyond, this time with more atmospheric structure. The vocal density would be further displayed in the next album Nightfall in Middle-Earth, as well as those harmonic guitar leads. EPIC!!!!
Galneryus - "Finally, It Comes!" from The Stars Will Light the Way (2024)
5/5. I think I just found my new favorite Japanese metal band in Galneryus. The music and lyrics are so strong and never disappoint. This song in particular takes many cues from their earlier songs has the same "stars and space" vibe as DragonForce. They've also taken on 7-string B-flat tuning similar to recent Trivium.
Trivium - "Until the World Goes Cold" from Silence in the Snow (2015)
3/5. Speaking of Trivium's new 7-string B-flat-tuned era, well... This one is kind of a plodding track, but still an acceptable hit in a Guardians playlist.
Black Sabbath - "Hole in the Sky" from Sabotage (1975)
3.5/5. Time for one of a couple tributes here to the late mighty Ozzy Osbourne, sadly already taken to Heaven. RIP
Battle Beast - "Here We Are" from Here We Are (2025)
4/5. Earlier this year, I wasn't thinking I would actually return to The Guardians, but HERE WE ARE!!! And I'll never regret it any time soon! All the band members have power and talent shining within them.
Metal Church - "Metal Church" from Metal Church (1984)
3.5/5. Should there be a metal mosque for Muslims like me? Anyway, this is a good mind-blowing classic, but I think it's more suited for people from my dad's generation.
Halford - "Resurrection" from Resurrection (2000)
4/5. Rob Halford is quite f***ing impressive in his vocal range, able to keep his highs going from the intro onwards.
Judas Priest - "The Serpent and the King" from Invincible Shield (2024)
4.5/5. And there's more of Halford's vocal power in his main band Judas Priest. He still sounds as mighty as he was in the 70s and 80s, and the other band members have strong fire within their respective instruments. So monstrous with nothing wasted!
Ozzy Osbourne - "Believer" from Diary of a Madmen (1981)
4/5. Another great tribute to the Prince of Darkness who brought metal to the light of day. RIP him and Randy Rhoads. Fantastic earth-shattering soloing from the latter at the 3-minute mark! These lyrics should help motivate you to believe in yourself.
Crimson Glory - "Masque of the Red Death" from Transcendence (1988)
4.5/5. Now this song continues to kick a**! RIP Midnight, another fallen legend of a vocalist. I should really listen to this band and album more, as I had a few years before this comment. His high vocals covering the last minute of the track shows that he and vocalists from other bands like Queensryche need more attention, not pop stars like Ed Sheeran whose vocal range is more limited yet still get all the fame. Classic music like this should never be forgotten!
Accept - "Shadow Soldiers" from Stalingrad (2012)
4/5. Wolf Hoffmann is a master of the guitar in German classic metal. His work should be appreciated as much as other guitar heroes in the rest of Europe, UK, and America.
Mercyful Fate - "Melissa" from Melissa (1983)
4.5/5. Beautiful melancholy and strong lyrical poetry! As I'm already 26, my music mind has expanded more in different areas, mostly metal of course. I don't mind a small bit from this band that would plant the seed for satanism in metal that would form the lyrical basis of black metal. I love the guitar leads in the intro that the soloing 4 minutes later. Why take something like that for granted!? The drumming is also good, and while I enjoy King Diamond's vocals, I wish it would have the same power Rob Halford has.
Manowar - "Battle Hymn" from Battle Hymns (1982)
4/5. I probably would've love this band a lot more when I was 16 and enjoy the sh*t out of fantasy-filled heavy/power metal, but back then I wasn't into music from the 80s or earlier. Just like the previous track, the best guitar soloing happens in over the 4-minute mark. I also love the epic vocals here!
Sabaton - "The Duelist" from The Duelist (2025)
4.5/5. Songs like this should also be appreciated for the music and lyrical concept. Simply cool!
Beyond the Black - "Break the Silence" from Break the Silence (2025)
5/5. I'm really breaking my symphonic metal silence with the first of not one but 3 gems from bands of that genre that I wish I discovered 10 years prior! This would be a grand recommendation for symphonic metal fans!
Xandria - "Fight Me" from India (2005)
5/5. I only just started hearing about Xandria a couple years ago when temporarily filling in for Xephyr in assembling the Guardians playlists. This is the first song from this band that I actually consider perfect! Lisa Middelhauve has some of the best female singing around.
Amberian Dawn - "River of Tuoni" from River of Tuoni (2008)
5/5. I've actually encountered this track 10 years before this comment but for some reason, that band didn't hop aboard my symphonic/power metal train at the time. Now I realize how epic this song is, as the lyrics take on the death of Lemminkäinen from the Kalevala. The intro riffing sounds cool, though the real beauty comes the voice of an angel, Heidi Parviainen, singing smoothly and serenely, just like Tarja Turunen. I should keep up this search for underrated symphonic/power metal bands. H*ll, I really want to move to Finland and the rest of Scandinavia for some awesome metal there. This band should really be as popular as Nightwish, Epica, and Within Temptation.
Within Temptation - "Iron" from The Unforgiving (2011)
4.5/5. And speaking of Within Temptation, this track is so heavy and epic, right from the intro riffing onwards. The song itself reminds me of DragonForce's "Cry Thunder" and it's better at that than those poor rip-offs like Warkings' cover of that song and Sabaton's "Union".
Kiuas - "Warrior Soul" from The Spirit of Ukko (2005)
5/5. A f***ing hammering power metal anthem. Enough said!
Golden Resurrection - "Identity in Christ" from Man with a Mission (2011)
4.5/5. That's right, Christian neoclassical power metal exists! Christian Liljegren has amazing widely ranged vocals as he sings about the eternal truth and finding his identity in his god. These kinds of lyrics help the band stand out amongst the power metal scene of bands like Rhapsody of Fire, Blind Guardian, Sabaton, and Powerwolf.
Yngwie Malmsteen - "World on Fire" from World on Fire (2016)
4.5/5. In a time when metal is about adding more guitar strings than just 6 per guitar, Yngwie Malmsteen still has his 6-string magic. Lots of incredible different changes in the guitar tone here. He can really go fast and furious!
Visions of Atlantis - "Seven Seas" from Trinity (2007)
5/5. And now we slow down for one of the best songs by Visions of Atlantis! Well, as much as I love the vocals by Melissa Ferlaak, their first female vocalist Nicole Bogner really helped the band out in their earlier years. RIP...
Dark Moor - "Dies Irae (Amadeus)" from The Gates of Oblivion (2002)
5/5. Then at last, we reach the epic climax of this playlist, paying tribute to Mozart's works. The most incredible guitar technicality by Enrik Garcia is one of the many things that make this Dark Moor's most fascinating epic. As incredible as this is, I feel like there could've been slight trimming to tone down some of the repetition. Still I wouldn't change a thing, and it's all worth it in the end. One tiny miniscule flaw won't weigh anything down.
Stratovarius - "Goodbye" from Fright Night (1989)
4.5/5. Now how about a beautiful yet melancholic acoustic outro to end it all? Goodbye until next time in the Guardians playlist....
Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any heavy/power/symphonic/neoclassical metal fan and anyone who isn't into those genres but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks to anyone who have contributed with their own submissions, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!