The US Power Metal Thread
Virgin Steele - "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part Two" (1995)
I really struggled with the first couple of albums from New York's Virgin Steele & it wasn't until I came across the second installment of their "The Marriage Of Heaven & Hell" concept that I began to understand their appeal. Certainly not to the same level as most fans of melodic metal mind you but I can't deny the appeal of some of these anthems, despite the over-the-top & inherently cheesy synthesizers which perpetuate the record. By this stage Virgin Steele were rocking a sound that sat largely in the US power metal camp but borders on the European variety at times due to the strong symphonic component. But it's front man David DeFeis' vocal hooks that really grab me & help me to accept the fact that Virgin Steele are still well & truly stuck in the 1980's. Sure, the tracklisting is fairly inconsistent & is book-ended by arguably the two weakest tracks however the more lengthy & significant inclusions tend to be the most substantial from a quality point of view & are just enough to give me a generally positive feeling at the the completion of the arduous 66 minute run time. For fans of Manowar, Savatage & Jag Panzer.
3.5/5
P.S. Terrible album cover but it strangely represents the music that lies within pretty accurately.
Metal Church - "The Dark" (1986)
I hadn't revisited Metal Church's sophomore album in many years & have found that my passion for it has "Wayne"ed a little bit since back in the day (see what I did there?). Much like their self-titled debut, you can expect a mix of classic heavy metal, speed metal & thrash metal tracks with a chunkier & more aggressive tone than the NWOBHM was generally known for which pretty much makes "The Dark" the very definition of what the US power metal scene was all about. The best comparison I can come up with is a combination of the heavy metal of early Savatage & the more classic metal inspired thrash bands like Flotsam & Jetsam & Overkill. Also like the debut, "The Dark" is a little inconsistent in it's execution with a couple of obvious fillers included in simple heavy number "Start The Fire" & unintelligent speed metal tune "Psycho". Admittedly, I don't think these dips are as bad as what we saw in the middle of the tracklisting on "Metal Church" but "The Dark" is lacking the clear highlights that it's older sibling built its reputation on which sees me positioning it slightly behind "Metal Church" overall but not by much. Both are a bit overrated in all honesty & I don't regard either as being essential. David Wayne's vocals are a big improvement on his previous effort here though. I really enjoy his blend of soaring Rob Halford classic metal & Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth snarl. The guitar solos of Kurdt Vanderhoof & Craig Wells are the highlight of the record for me though as they absolutely slay. Overall, I'd suggest that "The Dark" is worth a listen if you enjoy the chunkier end of heavy metal but don't expect it to rock your world as much as some would have you believe.
3.5/5
I consider Metal Church's first 3 to be among the best USPM albums I've heard so far. I also classify the first 3 as speed metal, but they fell out of the speed sound after that.
Helstar - "A Distant Thunder" (1988)
Despite holding some mixed opinions on a few of their later releases, I wasn’t terribly impressed with my only significant experience with Houston-based US power metal outfit Helstar’s much talked about 1980’s releases to tell you the truth. It came during my research for the Metal Academy podcast many years ago with Helstar’s 1984 “Burning Star” debut album leaving me cold thanks in no small part to the inadequacies of the vocal & lead guitar performances. You could easily identify the early links to power metal in Helstar’s chunky American heavy metal sound though & I was well aware of just how widely celebrated the band’s late 80’s work was so I always intended on investigating it at some point. Perhaps not as late as has ended up being the case though.
Helstar’s highly regarded third album “A Distant Thunder” sees them returning with a very different lineup to the one I’d heard on “Burning Star”. Front man James Rivera (Destiny’s End/Malice/Vicious Rumors/Seven Witches) is still there although he’s strangely changed his name from Bill Lionel since the debut which would seem to be a good move as his skills have significantly improved since then with none of the pitchiness that plagued that record being evident here. Guitarist Larry Barragan is also back, only this time with a new partner in crime in the little-known Andre Corbin who has replaced original axeman Tom Rogers. The duo seem much more capable too with the theoretical gaps that saw Barragan & Corbin blindly wandering out of key no longer causing an issue here. And finally, the entire rhythm section of Paul Medina & Hector Pavon have been replaced with bassist Jerry Abarca & Frank Ferreira so it really is a very different Helstar from the one that disappointed me many years ago & it certainly sounds it too.
The inconsistencies that marred the song-writing on “Burning Star” have been replaced with a very consistent & blemish-free tracklisting on “A Distant Thunder” & I can honestly say that I enjoyed the whole album to some extent. Helstar’s sound had well & truly embraced the US power metal sound by this stage with the guitar tone possessing a chunkiness that you’ll rarely find in your more traditional heavy metal. The soaring & theatrical vocal delivery is also more in line with power metal while the riffs often verge on speed/thrash metal. In fact, I’d describe the closing Scorpions cover version “He’s A Woman, She’s A Man” as a genuine thrash number that wouldn’t seem out of place on one of our The Pit playlists.
While I generally enjoy all of this material & regard the album as a decent example of its type, I wouldn’t say that it sits all that comfortably with me from a stylistic point of view. The clear highlight tracks manage to get past that obstacle with proggy US power metal anthem “Scorcher” being my pick up the bunch along with the out-&-out progressive metal instrumental piece “(The) Whore of Babylon”. In fact, there’s a fair whack of progressive stuff on the album to tell you the truth with (much like the debut) the riffage possessing significantly more complexity than your average heavy/power metal band was attempting back in the late 1980’s. It’s perhaps not quite enough to warrant a dual tagging but it’s certainly worth noting nonetheless.
If you’re into the US brand of power metal in a big way then I’d suggest you give “A Distant Thunder” the once over as I’m sure you’ll rate it more highly than I do. Fellow US power metal outfits like Liege Lord, Agent Steel & Sanctuary are a good point of reference.
3.5/5
I actually prefer this to their more popular album, Nosferatu. It's well-produced and unpredictable, but also manages to give a power metal fan everything they could possibly want from a stylistic perspective as they go through various forms of metal that are not only related to power metal, but a couple like thrash that are only occasionally combined with it.
Huh, I'm glad I looked into this because I'm with Rex in MUCH preferring this over Nosferatu. I didn't get the hype behind that release and even though it wasn't bad, it kind of put me off from diving any deeper into Helstar's discography. A Distant Thunder was overall way more interesting and kept my attention with some extremely solid US Power Metal riffing that borrows a bit from Thrash here and there. The vocal performance isn't my favorite but it fits right in the pocket of what I prefer out of the more shrieky Power Metal vocalists. Strong first impression from this one and it makes me want to check out more Helstar in the future.
4/5
I consider Metal Church's first 3 to be among the best USPM albums I've heard so far. I also classify the first 3 as speed metal, but they fell out of the speed sound after that.
It's been a long time since I listened to "Blessing in Disguise" but I'd tag the first two Metal Church albums as below:
METAL CHURCH
01. Beyond the Black Heavy Metal
02. Metal Church Thrash Metal
03. Merciless Onslaught Thrash Metal
04. Gods of Wrath Heavy Metal
05. Hitman Heavy Metal
06. In the Blood Heavy Metal
07. (My Favorite) Nightmare Thrash Metal
08. Battalions Speed/Power Metal
09. Highway Star Heavy Metal
THE DARK
01. Ton of Bricks Thrash Metal
02. Start the Fire Heavy Metal
03. Method to Your Madness Heavy/Speed Metal
04. Watch the Children Pray Heavy Metal
05. Over My Dead Body Heavy Metal
06. The Dark Power/Heavy Metal
07. Psycho Speed Metal
08. Line of Death Thrash Metal
09. Burial at Sea Heavy Metal
10. Western Alliance Speed Metal
The current Heavy Metal tag works well enough for the Metal Academy database in my opinion as Ben & I have never agreed with the US Power Metal tag as a legitimate genre. It's more of a catch-all for records that blur the boundaries of heavy, power, speed & thrash metal & these two are good examples of that. Feel free to nominate these releases for the Hall of Judgement if you think they'd be better served by a Speed Metal tag though.
I got a few I'm waiting on already. I'll do that when we've got a few less.
Titan Force - "Titan Force" (1989)
Colorado Springs five-piece Titan Force are another highly regarded US power metal exponent that I was relatively unaware of until recently. I’ve been developing a bit of a taste for the more muscular, aggressive & generally epic brand of heavy metal that was coming out of America during the mid-to-late 1980’s so my ears pricked up when I heard mention of this little band &, more specifically, their 1989 self-titled debut album which is apparently regarded as something of a minor classic by aficionados of the movement. Titan Force are very much a family arrangement with the three founding members being a trio of siblings in Mario, John & Stefan Flores who had been floating around the traps since 1983. Things really didn’t start to happen for the band until 1987 with the recruitment of talented Jag Panzer & Satan’s Host front man Harry Conklin who they’d been in contact with since their early days supporting Jag Panzer. This 1989 debut full-length would be Titan Force’s first proper release & it’s a bit of a belter as well just quietly.
The self-titled album would be released on little-known German label US Metal Records who released a short string of US & Swedish heavy metal albums between 1986-90 before disappearing off the face of the earth. “Titan Force” would be the label’s only major success but I’d imagine that they would have had to wait many years to see any sort of compensation as this record seems to have been more of a slow burner than anything else & has probably only come to most people’s attention since the internet came to prominence. The album was recorded at Titan Force’s local Colorado Sound Studios in Denver & I can’t find any information on a producer so there may not have been one allocated with the house engineer simply handling the logistics of recording the band. If that was the case then the results are more than acceptable with the record offering a clear & uncluttered sound that’s no doubt assisted by Titan Force’s natural tendency to leave plenty of space.
To elaborate on that a little more, Titan Force play things pretty safe for the most part & never seem terribly rushed. Instead, they stay within themselves for the majority of the record & focus a lot more of their attention on creating simple yet tight heavy/power metal riffs that enable Conklin’s vocals the room to ensure they secure the maximum effect. This translates into a fairly low-tempo album by US power metal standards but the quality of the riffs & the theatrical eccentricities of Harry’s operatic vocals combine beautifully with some high-quality guitar solos to make for a fascinating heavy metal record that very much fits the bill for US power metal qualification.
The tracklisting is fairly consistent with just the one blemish in the dull “Blaze of Glory” which sits far too close to the European brand of power metal for my liking. The lumbering heavy metal pacing of “Master of Disguise”, the Queensryche-inspired “Lord Desire” & the wonderful album highlight “Toll of Pain” are my pick of the bunch with progressive influences seeping into a couple of tracks like “New Age Rebels”. There’s even a neoclassical guitar shred instrumental that reminds me very much of Vinnie Moore included which was a nice touch.
I’ve really enjoyed “Titan Force”, particularly the highlight tracks which have somewhat carried the album. Much like Dutch heavy metallers Picture, Titan Force seem to really know the value of the riff as not only a focal point but also as a song-writing accompaniment which was a very wise decision when you’ve got such a well-credentialled front man of Conklin (who sounds quite a bit like Queensryche singer Geoff Tate at times just quietly). If you can tolerate the classic theatrical, higher-register power metal style of vocal delivery then I’d suggest that you should definitely check “Titan Force” out, particularly if you’re a fan of US power metal bands like Heir Apparent, Hittman & Slauter Xstroyes who play in similar spaces.
4/5
Here's my updated Top Ten US Power Metal Releases of All Time list with Queensryche's debut E.P. dropping out to make way for "Titan Force":
01. Crimson Glory - "Crimson Glory" (1986)
02. Iced Earth - "Alive in Athens" (1999)
03. Manowar - "Into Glory Ride" (1983)
04. Medieval Steel - "Medieval Steel" E.P. (1984)
05. Crimson Glory - "Transcendence" (1988)
06. Queenryche - "The Warning" (1984)
07. Riot - "ThunderSteel" (1988)
08. Fates Warning - "The Spectre Within" (1985)
09. Griffin - "Flight of the Griffin" (1984)
10. Titan Force - "Titan Force" (1989)
Helstar - "Nosferatu" (1989)
I think it’s fair to say that my experiences with Houston-based US power metal outfit Helstar’s 1980’s releases have been a bit of a mixed bag up until now. My initial impressions of them weren’t particularly positive after reviewing their 1984 debut album “Burning Star” for the Metal Academy podcast many years ago but I can certainly see a lot more potential in them after checking out 1988’s highly regarded “A Distant Thunder” third album last month which has left me wondering whether their supposedly classic 1989 fourth album “Nosferatu” might be the one to hit a home run for me. Let’s find out.
A level of stability can only a good thing for a band that’s building towards something significant & Helstar have certainly benefited from a bit of that with “Nosferatu” not only seeing them returning with the same lineup that was so successful for them on “A Distant Thunder” but also with the same producer in Metal Blade’s prolific house engineer Bill Metoyer. Bill had built up quite the resume by that point in his career with his list of production achievements now including the likes of Trouble’s “Psalm 9” & “The Skull”, Flotsam & Jetsam’s “No Place For Disgrace” & Sacred Reich’s “Surf Nicaragua” so he’d become a significant asset for label head Brian Slagel at the time. Bill’s done a splendid job at harnessing the nuances of Helstar’s sound here too with the band possessing a potent metallic edge but also the clarity to make out every bell & whistle they throw at the listener & there are more than a few of those.
To be more specific, Helstar had always pushed a slightly more complex sound than the majority of their competition but “Nosferatu” is not only the most aggressive release they’d released to the time but it’s also by far & away the most technical & progressive. In fact, it baffles me as to why this album isn’t tagged as progressive metal because it’s clearly ambitious enough for it. Its core sound is the very essence of what the US power metal movement was all about though in that it combines a high-tempo brand of power metal & thrash metal instrumentation with a soaring, operatic & theatrical vocal performance from front man James Rivera (Destiny’s End/Malice/Vicious Rumors/Seven Witches). There’s really very little traditional heavy metal on offer so our current tag is clearly inappropriate, as is the speed metal one because the faster material is better served by the power metal tag given the vocal style & over-the-top performances.
The album is chock-filled with technical flourishes that dazzle the listener as they’re executed with both energy & precision. To be honest, they can sound a bit fiddly at times & I definitely find myself more attracted to the thrashier & slightly more simple material. Perhaps that’s got a lot to do with my aversion to the European brand of power metal because “Nosferatu” has a fair bit of crossover in that department. In fact, Rivera’s vocal performance is definitely too theatrical for my taste & represents somewhat of an obstacle for me. It’s hard to be too critical though as the album is just so unapologetically metal & the contributions of the instrumentalists are outstanding with the dual guitar attack of Andre Corbin & Larry Barragan now possessing some mean chops that enable them to pull off some searing, face-melting solos.
Much like “A Distant Thunder”, I found myself enjoying the entire tracklisting here but can’t quite seem to convince myself to reach for my higher scores. This definitely comes down to taste as much as anything as there’s very little doubt that “Nosferatu” is a quality example of its type. Most fans seem to get hot & heated over the start of the record but I find that the tracklisting doesn’t really start to hum until a particularly solid run from tracks six to nine. I think that has something to do with the A side being more power metal-heavy while the proggier & thrashier material tends to come a little later on & is more in line with my taste profile.
I have to admit that I’ve remained fairly oblivious to the vampire themes that apparently pervade the first side of “Nosferatu” which won’t surprise most of our long-term members as I rarely care much for lyrical concepts. Despite that though, the musical themes that the album is pushing are pretty impressive & I’ve found them to give me a touch more enjoyment than I’ve received from either of the earlier Helstar albums I’ve investigated to date. However, I still can’t say that I’m convinced by this particular arm of the US power metal scene as it’s simply too theatrical & over-the-top for me to fully commit to. Give this record a snarlier thrash singer & I’d likely be all-in though. That said, Agent Steel, Liege Lord & Sanctuary fans will be absolutely all over this record, particularly if they also enjoy the more progressive end of the US power metal spectrum.
3.5/5
Metal Church - "Blessing In Disguise" (1989)
San Francisco-based heavy metal legends Metal Church have been a part of my life since way back when I was in my very early teenage years with their 1989 third album “Blessing In Disguise” being my entry point to the band. My introduction came through the inclusion of opening track “Fake Healer” on a late-night underground metal radio program I used to listen to religiously while recording it for repeat listens during the coming week. That experience would lead to me exploring all three of Metal Church’s 1980’s albums during the next few months, all of which I got some level of enjoyment out of. With my life-long obsession with a more extreme brand of metal just kicking off at the time though, I’d opt not to follow Metal Church into the 1990’s & have heard very little of the eleven subsequent full-lengths they’ve released since 1989. I did enjoy the tracks I heard from their 1991 fourth record “The Human Factor” back in the day but never committed to giving the album a comprehensive review while the only other experience I’ve had with Metal Church has come through their 1981 “Red Skies” demo which I found to be decidedly average. Around seven or eight years ago though, the Metal Academy podcast saw me returning to Metal Church’s self-titled debut for an in-depth historical review & I found it to be a less consistent record than I remembered it to be although it’s highlights were nothing short of mind-blowing. I revisited 1986’s “The Dark” sophomore album only a few months ago &, once again, found it to lack the impact it had during my youth. Both are certainly entertaining records in their own right but I can’t say that I class either of them as being essential these days which leads me back to where I started with Metal Church i.e. their 1989 third full-length “Blessing In Disguise”.
Metal Church had undergone a couple of fairly major line-up changes in the three years since “The Dark” with front man David Wayne & founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof having been replaced by Heretic vocalist Mike Howe & Blind Illusion axeman John Marshall (who was famously also James Hetfield’s guitar technician). Drug addiction had gotten the better of Wayne & there are conflicting reports as to whether he quit in order to focus on his rehabilitation or was fired by the remaining band members but he’d go on to form Seattle thrash metal outfit Reverend the following year. Vanderhoof had decided to put all of his time into learning how to produce & engineer records but would remain a part of the Metal Church family in some capacity as he’d continue to contribute to the song-writing despite no longer being a full-time member of the band. Both would return as full-time members of Metal Church almost a decade later in 1998.
Metal Church’s label Elektra Records would engage producer Terry Date for the “Blessing In Disguise” sessions. Terry had produced Metal Church’s highly praised 1984 self-titled debut album & had also handled the engineering duties for “The Dark” so one would imagine that he was almost a part of the furniture by that point. He was also accumulating a pretty decent production resume that already included Fifth Angel’s self-titled & Liege Lord’s “Master Control”, both of which are considered to be minor US power metal classics these days. “Blessing In Disguise” doesn’t sound quite as good as you’d imagine it might though to be honest. Metal Church would certainly have benefited from a thicker, chunkier guitar tone & I’m not the biggest fan of the snare sound either. There’s also a fair bit of variation in sound between the various tracks which is a little bit dodgy. These production issues aren’t a deal breaker by any means but they’re worth mentioning nonetheless as I think “Blessing In Disguise” could have been a fair bit better if it was presented with a heavier aesthetic.
The tracklisting kicks off in massive style with the before-mentioned “Fake Healer” being an all-time classic of the US power metal movement in my opinion. Powerful new front man Howe makes an immediate impact & proves himself to not only be a match for Wayne but to possess a potency that Wayne would struggle to match. Howe sounds noticeably more epic & reminds me of some of the bigger voices in metal like WASP’s Blackie Lawless or Blind Guardian’s Hansi Kursch. In fact, I’d suggest that he’s one of my all-time favourite heavy metal singers so his acquisition can only be deemed to be positive as far as I’m concerned. Unfortunately though, the remaining eight tracks struggle to meet the same stratospheric levels as “Fake Healer” but that doesn’t stop the album from achieving a new-found consistency that was missing on either of the two previous records, both of which suffered from a couple of duds. The first two thirds of the tracklisting are particularly solid with the quality dropping a touch over the back end. Other than the prestigious opener, some of the highlights include “Badlands”, “Rest in Pieces (April 15, 1912)”, “Of Unsound Mind” & “The Spell Can’t Be Broken”.
Stylistically, “Blessing In Disguise” is the very definition of US power metal sound with the tracklisting being a combination of heavy metal, power metal, thrash metal & speed metal. Interestingly, I find the couple of faster, more thrashy tunes (“It’s A Secret” & “Cannot Tell A Lie”) to be some of the least impressive inclusions which is out of line with my taste profile. It’s worth noting though that, as with both of Metal Church’s previous albums, any attempts to tag this record as a genuine thrash or speed metal release are overly ambitious as there is far more of a classic heavy metal vibe going on here. The thrash/speed metal material represents more of a changeup than anything.
I dunno how much to put down to my preference for Howe’s vocals but I can’t help but find “Blessing In Disguise” to be my favourite Metal Church record these days. Perhaps nostalgia has played a role in that position given that it was my introduction to the band at such a young age? It’s certainly possible but I suspect not. I just think those first couple of albums suffered from some inconsistencies in quality while this one seems to have overcome that issue. If you’re into American bands like Flotsam & Jetsam, Savatage & Vicious Rumors then “Blessing In Disguise” should be essential listening.
4/5
Here's my updated Top Ten US Power Metal Releases of All Time list with Titan Force's self-titled debut album dropping out to make way for "Blessing In Disguise":
01. Crimson Glory - "Crimson Glory" (1986)
02. Iced Earth - "Alive in Athens" (1999)
03. Manowar - "Into Glory Ride" (1983)
04. Medieval Steel - "Medieval Steel" E.P. (1984)
05. Crimson Glory - "Transcendence" (1988)
06. Metal Church - "Blessing In Disguise" (1989)
07. Queenryche - "The Warning" (1984)
08. Riot - "ThunderSteel" (1988)
09. Fates Warning - "The Spectre Within" (1985)
10. Griffin - "Flight of the Griffin" (1984)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/127
Sanctuary - "Into The Mirror Black" (1990)
I’ve certainly heard bits & pieces of Seattle US power metal outfit Sanctuary over the years but strangely haven’t ever felt like committing to a full release up until now. Perhaps that’s an indication that nothing I’d heard from them previously had impressed me enough to warrant it? That could be the case but I tend to believe it’s just been a mixture of laziness & coincidence. Anyway, I thought I’d start with Sanctuary’s most widely celebrated record in their 1990 sophomore album “Into The Mirror Black” given that Ben gave it a rave review many years ago.
“Into The Mirror Black” is certainly a consistent record as Sanctuary don’t appear to be capable of delivering anything particularly subpar. Theirs is quite a simple version of heavy metal though with the riffs not being terribly complex & the song-writing relying heavily on theatrical front man Warrel Dane to bring it all home for them. His style has always left me in two minds though if I’m being honest. I do really dig those Rob Halford-esque shrieks but then I’m not entirely onboard at other times, particularly when he heads a little too close to King Diamond territory as only the King seems to get away with that stuff in my house.
Sanctuary are certainly well suited to the US power metal tag as they seem to fit the subgenre description to a tee given that their sound is essentially a chunkier, thrashier take on heavy metal with theatrical higher-register vocals, never actually touching on full-blown thrash metal though. I’m just not sure that “Into the Mirror Black” is the best example of the movement if I’m being honest. Despite there not being any weak tracks included, I struggle to identify any songs that nail their hooks well enough to see them reaching transcendent levels of jubilation. Instead, the better material seems to hover in that “very solid” space with the remainder of the album consistently achieving a frustrating “quite good” mark, despite the clear potential Sanctuary offer. I even gave the album a full four listens to give it the chance to dig its teeth in but it couldn’t quite manage to breach my defences. The thrashier & more exciting tracks in the back end of the tracklisting were where I was most successful with “Seasons of Destruction” & “Communion” being my clear picks of the bunch.
At the end of the day, I don’t think “Into The Mirror Black” will disappoint too many people. It’s an admirable US power metal record with high quality production & performances after all. It just doesn’t really compete with Dane & bassist Jim Sheppard’s later band Nevermore in my opinion so I can’t say that I find it to be as essential as many claim it to be. If you go absolutely nuts for bands like Helstar or Metal Church then you’ll no doubt disagree with me but I’m sure you’re all aware by now that I call ‘em like I see ‘em.
3.5/5
Iced Earth - "Iced Earth" (1990)
I picked up the self-titled debut album from Florida US power metallers Iced Earth through tape trading back in the early 1990's & quite enjoyed it but this revisit has seen me bumping my score up a touch. I simply adore the rhythm guitar work of Jon Schaffer who may be the best exponent of his craft to ever pick up a plectrum. It's a total thrash riffathon which easily makes up for the fact that Gene Adam's vocals are a little bit dodgy in compariosn to later singers, sounding much more similar to Teutonic thrash front men like Schmier (Destruction) or Thorsten Bergmann (Living Death). This release is just as much of a thrash metal release as it is a US power metal one with the influences having been drawn equally from "Master of Puppets"-era Metallica & from classic Iron Maiden which works beautifully. "Iced Earth" is an underrated release that should really be essential listening for fans of both genres.
4/5
Here's my updated Top Ten US Power Metal Releases of All Time with Griffin's "Flight of the Griffin" now dropping out of the list:
01. Crimson Glory - "Crimson Glory" (1986)
02. Iced Earth - "Alive in Athens" (1999)
03. Manowar - "Into Glory Ride" (1983)
04. Medieval Steel - "Medieval Steel" E.P. (1984)
05. Crimson Glory - "Transcendence" (1988)
06. Iced Earth - "Iced Earth" (1990)
07. Metal Church - "Blessing In Disguise" (1989)
08. Queenryche - "The Warning" (1984)
09. Riot - "ThunderSteel" (1988)
10. Fates Warning - "The Spectre Within" (1985)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/127
Tyrant - "Too Late To Pray" (1987)
The sophomore album from this Californian outfit seems to have built up a pretty reasonable following these days & I've found that I have some time for it too. "Too Late To Pray" offers a chunky US power metal sound that's strong on traditional heavy metal with Mercyful Fate being the primary influence. The vocals are pretty poor if I'm being perfectly honest though which is almost enough to cancel out Tyrant's appeal but thankfully the raw production connects with me quite a bit & the record finishes in healthy fashion with a couple of the better tracks, particularly "Beginning Of The End" which is my clear highlight.
3.5/5
Oliver Magnum - "Oliver Magnum" (1989)
The sole full-length from this Oklahoma US power metal outfit is a highly professional package from a very talented group of individuals who apparently recorded the record back in 1987 but couldn't get anyone to release it for a couple of years. The production & performances are excellent for the time & my only issues are some occasional vocal blemishes. I'd describe their sound as sitting somewhere between the US power metal of Lizzy Borden & Savage Grace & the more polished & proggy sound of Queensryche. It's not a bad album either but I can't say that I consider it to be essential listening.
3.5/5
Iced Earth - "Storm of the Nightrider" (1991)
I had a great deal of time for the 1990 self-titled debut album from Florida outfit Iced Earth after discovering them through a video compilation shortly after its release. The five-piece band more than made up for the vocal deficiencies of front man Gene Adam with a splendid blend of US power metal & thrash metal that ticked a great many of my metal boxes. Rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer's impeccable right-hand technique was of particular interest for the budding young axeslinger that I was at the time & I quickly committed to checking out Iced Earth's subsequent releases as well as their earlier "Enter the Realm" demo. 1991's "Night Of The Stormrider" sophomore album was a little bit different though with John Greely replacing Adam behind the microphone stand & Richey Secchiari filling Mike McGill's empty drum stool. The resulting recordings would see Iced Earth presenting just as strong a "Master of Puppets"-era thrash metal influence as "Iced Earth" did but the greater emphasis on creating an epic atmosphere through soaring melodic content saw the album sitting a little less comfortably next to your average thrash record & feeling much better suited to the power metal scene (both the US & the European ones). I have to admit that my struggles with power metal were very real at the time &, if anything, I'm actually a little more open the genre now so it's fair to say that I found "Night Of The Stormrider" to be pretty tough going which would see me distancing myself from Iced Earth until 1997's "Days of Purgatory" re-recording album would entice me into checking out what their early works might sound like with a more suitable production job & front man. Sadly, I wouldn't explore Iced Earth's more accomplished 1990's studio albums until 2014 when I was preparing to see them play live at Sydney's Manning Bar at which time I discovered that they had a lot more to offer than "Storm of the Nightrider" had delivered to me back in the day. Fast-forwarding to the modern day & it's been decades since my perceptions around the merits of Iced Earth's sophomore record were first developed. The unanimous praise that seems to be heaped on it have not gone unnoticed by me either so it's about time I gave the album a reassessment.
The first thing I noticed about "Night of the Stormrider" upon this revisit is the production job which isn't amazing to be fair. Jon Schaffer's rhythm guitar sound is a bit dry which I don't feel provides his skill sets with the best platform. The lack of bass guitar in the mix doesn't help either while the use of synthesizers is often a little over the top. Still... I found that I was able to get used to the sound over a few listens to the point where it definitely made less of an impact by my third spin. New front man Greely's vocals are like chalk & cheese with Gene Adams' delivery with Greely opting for a theatrical, operatic approach that reeks of power metal indulgence. I do really enjoy the moments where he pushes up into Rob Halford style falsetto territory though as he reminds me very much of Judas Priest's classic "Painkiller" album at times. Sanctuary/Nevermore front man Warrel Dane sometimes comes to mind too actually.
The stylistic approach of "Storm of the Nightrider" is very much what I remembered with the band keeping one foot in Iron Maiden/Judas Priest territory while galloping forwards with some of the most precise right-hand thrash riffage this side of James Hetfield with the other. Unlike the self-titled debut though, this record simply doesn't "feel" like thrash metal even though it's so clearly dominated by the consistent use of fast thrash guitar work. The added melodicism, consciously epic atmosphere & over the top vocal style are all at odds with the mentality of your average thrash band & I feel that the US power metal tag covers a wide enough area to encapsulate the sounds heard on this record. The fluency of the song-writing is still a work in progress though as there are many examples of disparate parts simply being pasted together & the art of the segway would be an area that Iced Earth would get much better at by the end of the decade.
I have to admit that I've been a bit hard on Iced Earth in regard to the quality of the material though as there aren't really any genuinely weak tracks included so I do find myself enjoying the album as a whole these days. It certainly helps that the tracklisting kicks off with one of the best inclusions in the excellent "Angels Holocaust" with its symphonic flourishes & face-tearing vocals. The excellent "Pure Evil" is the other clear highlight in my opinion & is probably my favourite track on the record to be honest. The rest of the songs are all pretty good without ever pushing me to consider awarding my higher scores. All of the material sits at a very consistent level of quality but I'm not sure that I ever feel that I'm listening to a tier one metal band because "Night of the Stormrider" is just a little too consciously extravagant for my taste &, as a result, I hold a preference for the darker records either side of it. I can definitely see why it appeals to some people so much these days though, particularly those with a penchant for thrashy US power metal like Metal Church & early Nevermore or Jon Schaffer's side project Demons & Wizards.
3.5/5