November 2025 "The Guardians" Playlist - Heavy/Power Metal Hellfire

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3w8wz5HBOoks78mYzldAMq

Tracklisting:

1. Warmen - "Japanese Hospitality" from Japanese Hospitality (2009) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Visions of Atlantis - "Clocks" from Pirates (2022) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Black Sabbath - "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" from Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

4. Ozzy Osbourne - "Dreamer" from Down to Earth (2001)

5. Budgie - "Guts" from Budgie (1971)

6. Battle Beast - "Angel of Midnight" from Angel of Midnight (2025)

7. Bang - "Lions, Christians" from Bang (1972)

8. Manowar - "Blood Brothers" from Gods of War (2007)

9. 3 Inches of Blood - "Silent Killer" from Here Waits Thy Doom (2009)

10. Scorpions - "In Trance" from In Trance (1975)

11. Lorna Shore - "Glenwood" from I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me (2025) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

12. Arch Enemy - "Vivre Libre" from Blood Dynasty (2025)

13. Stevie T - "Jojo" from Jojo (2020)

14. SEGA Sound Team, Tomoya Ohtani, Kellin Quinn - "Undefeatable" from Sonic Frontiers Original Soundtrack (2022)

15. Amorphis - "Dancing Shadow" from Borderland (2025)

16. Sabaton - "To Hell and Back" from Heroes (2014)

17. Galneryus - "Destinations" from Resurrection (2010) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

18. Stratovarius - "Fright Night" from Fright Night (1989)

19. Primal Fear - "Nation in Fear" from Jaws of Death (1999) [Suggested by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

20. Stream of Passion - "The Hunter" from Beautiful Warrior (2023)

21. Amberian Dawn - "Valkyries" from Rover of Tuoni (2008)

22. Savatage - "Sirens" from Sirens (1983)

23. Fates Warning - "The Apparition" from Spectre Within (1985)

24. Yngwie Malmsteen - "(Fight) the Good Fight" from Parabellum (2021)

25. DragonForce - "Wildest Dreams" from Warp Speed Warriors (2024)

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Warmen - "Japanese Hospitality" from Japanese Hospitality (2009)

5/5. Welcome to another Guardians playlist! Hope you appreciate the hospitality. The Japanese Hospitality! Janne Wirman is one of the best metal keyboardists out there. He was the keyboardist for Children of Bodom until that band's split-up and the passing of Alexi Laiho (RIP), after which Warmen became Wirman's main band and switched from neoclassical power metal to melodeath. Anyway, the intro for this song might've been inspired from the intro of Guns n Roses' Chinese Democracy. Also, guest appearing in a few songs (not this one) is Timo Kotipelto, vocalist of the speedy Stratovarius. Would've been great if Masterplan's Jorn Lande could guest appear too though.

Visions of Atlantis - "Clocks" from Pirates (2022)

4.5/5. Anyone expecting a Coldplay cover is proven dead wrong right away. I love the vocals by Clementine Delauney, especially in the verses.

Black Sabbath - "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" from Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

4/5. RIP Ozzy Osbourne. The tributes to him and his band continue. Metalheads shall praise Black Bloody Sabbath!

Ozzy Osbourne - "Dreamer" from Down to Earth (2001)

3.5/5. And here's one more tribute, this one being a soft dreamy ballad. Once again, RIP...

Budgie - "Guts" from Budgie (1971)

3/5. Budgie has been considered underappreciated in the old-school hard rock/metal community, especially when they had another fallen vocalist in Burke Shelley (RIP). The bass and guitar fuzz gives this track a stoner-ish that would put this band together with Black Sabbath as stoner rock/metal before Kyuss brought it further two decades later. It's cool, and but it doesn't give me the guts to explore more of their older sound.

Battle Beast - "Angel of Midnight" from Angel of Midnight (2025)

3.5/5. Imagine a Bonnie Tyler hit from the 80s turned metal. This is what that is right here! Noora Louhimo sings like a queen, a hair metal queen. I'm not sure if I'm up for a lot more of this retro-sounding style though.

Bang - "Lions, Christians" from Bang (1972)

4/5. Now here's another band from the Sabbath days of early heavy metal. However, Bang was quite short-lived and didn't make it big the way bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, and Budgie did. Sir Lord Baltimore also stopped after only one album or so. Still the leads here are f***ing heavy for the early 70s.

Manowar - "Blood Brothers" from Gods of War (2007)

4.5/5. This power ballad is worth dedicating to all your friends who have sacrificed a lot to protect the ones they love, and those who have lost their loved ones and wish to persevere after tragedy. Warriors shall fight for the brothers that are lost and left behind. Those lyrics greatly motivate you in that situation. It's like therapy without having to go to therapy! Apparently, there's also a similarly titled Iron Maiden song, but it's not the same one. Stay strong, my brothers!

3 Inches of Blood - "Silent Killer" from Here Waits Thy Doom (2009)

5/5. After that slow march, it's time to speed up and battle for heavy/power metal!

Scorpions - "In Trance" from In Trance (1975)

4.5/5. Thie title track for Scorpions' 3rd album first metal one is actually one of the best 70s hard rock ballads I've ever heard! Meine's vocals have so emotion, the chorus sounds powerful, and the song ends epically in the guitar leads. And don't forget a subtle reference to the Beatles.

Lorna Shore - "Glenwood" from I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me (2025)

5/5. Absolutely epic and emotional, and with the lack of breakdowns, this is really extreme power-ish symphonic metal, enough to make a genuine Guardians track for a Lorna Shore song!

Arch Enemy - "Vivre Libre" from Blood Dynasty (2025)

4.5/5. Then we have this cover of a French power ballad originally by Blaspheme. There's no melodeath, not even in the vocals. Gluz sounds very much like an angel have descended from Heaven to go to a rock/metal concert. Perhaps the most Guardians-esque track Arch Enemy has done!

Stevie T - "Jojo" from Jojo (2020)

4/5. Ah, the song that couldn't be fixed, now fixed by the one and only Stevie T! And he didn't just fix it, he turned it into a full-on DragonForce-esque power metal song. Now I hope for his Moonlight Eternal song to one day be added to Spotify. At least that one has lyrics I can take more seriously than this.

SEGA Sound Team, Tomoya Ohtani, Kellin Quinn - "Undefeatable" from Sonic Frontiers Original Soundtrack (2022)

4.5/5. And here's another DragonForce-esque power metal song, sung by someone you probably weren't expecting in power metal, Sleeping with Sirens' Kellin Quinn! I checked out some songs from his main band but they weren't metal enough for me, unlike this track. Let's hope this one ends up in the next Sonic the Hedgehog movie.

Amorphis - "Dancing Shadow" from Borderland (2025)

4/5. Amorphis seems to be taking a more classic heavy metal turn while maintaining the usual doom-ish progressive metal, but I'm all for it!

Sabaton - "To Hell and Back" from Heroes (2014)

4.5/5. Another highlight worth mentioning! It starts with a flute melody before another epic heavy experience. It's more midpaced while staying strong in the chorus, lyrics, and even synthesized brass. The best part is the short yet sweet guitar solo. There's just so much power in these 3 and a half minutes! I just wish the band would make long epics, not just radio-sized songs. The closest we have to a Sabaton epic is "Rise of Evil" from Attero Dominatus.

Galneryus - "Destinations" from Resurrection (2010)

5/5. An absolute beautiful progressive power metal song, especially in the soloing duel between guitars and keyboards through the last couple minutes. The soloing in the middle of the track is also wonderful! Anime fans who have watched Hunter x Hunter would know Galneryus and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas from their songs being used as the show's opening themes. Truly a fun song!

Stratovarius - "Fright Night" from Fright Night (1989)

4.5/5. Probably would've been better for last month's playlist, especially since it sounds similar to Black Sabbath and Helloween, especially the latter's song "Halloween". Nonetheless, I enjoy the kick-A singing and guitar shredding of Timo Tolkki.

Primal Fear - "Nation in Fear" from Jaws of Death (1999)

5/5. Another masterful piece of heavy/power metal! Primal Fear is the band Ralf Scheepers formed after his unsuccessful audition for Judas Priest. A f***ing awesome song relatable to the bleakness of the world we live in. I can also hear some Angra vibes here.

Stream of Passion - "The Hunter" from Beautiful Warrior (2023)

4.5/5. A truly stunning song to mark the return of Stream of Passion. Marcela Bovio's singing is just divine!

Amberian Dawn - "Valkyries" from Rover of Tuoni (2008)

5/5. Anyone into Nightwish would surely enjoy this band! And I really need to enjoy them too, considering those serene vocals by Heidi Parviainen.

Savatage - "Sirens" from Sirens (1983)

4.5/5. Man, what other hidden 80s gems are there!?! This is the strong melodic beginning of these American heavy/power metal legends! Fits well for the sirens from the Witcher games, and the dark crushing guitarwork rules too. Those people who prefer to listen to Metallica and Iron Maiden are really missing out.

Fates Warning - "The Apparition" from Spectre Within (1985)

5/5. This one still remains as my favorite track of the album on the US power metal side, with the best vocals from John Arch.

Yngwie Malmsteen - "(Fight) the Good Fight" from Parabellum (2021)

4.5/5. Impressive singing and guitar shredding from the king of neoclassical metal! It's sad that Ozzy Osbourne is gone, this seems like a song he would sing in one of Yngwie's performances if he had the chance. Yngwie continues to prove himself a master shredder from the intro to the soloing throughout.

DragonForce - "Wildest Dreams" from Warp Speed Warriors (2024)

4/5. Let's end it all with a neat metalized cover of the Taylor Swift hit. It still can't beat the previous album's Celine Dion cover though. What happened to Extreme Power Metal on Spotify anyway!? H*ll if I know...

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!