What are your favourite US power metal albums?
I prefer the US power metal movement rather than NWOBHM. The American power metal movement is slightly newer and fits well with both the American blood within me and trying to get my classic heavy metal close but not super close to the power metal I used to really enjoy. I believe the American movement started in 1984, right after the end of NWOBHM, then after nearly a decade of glory for the home of the brave, the movement started dying down with very few bands remaining and 1993 being the last year of its golden peak (though other metal genres that I like would be on the rise: https://metal.academy/forum/23/thread/861), with one band losing their most talented member, though most of that band's subsequent albums are fantastic as well, proving that their music is still alive. Anyway, below is my top 5 (I'm still new to this style), all in the middle of the era. Can't wait to see yours!
5. Virgin Steele - Age of Consent (1988)
4. Sanctuary - Refuge Denied (1987)
3. Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King (1987)
2. Crimson Glory - Transcendence (1988)
1. Riot - Thundersteel (1988)
Here the link to my top ten US power metal releases of all time:
https://metal.academy/lists/single/127
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. Queensryche - "The Warning" (1984)
07. Riot - "ThunderSteel" (1988)
08. Fates Warning - "The Spectre Within" (1985)
09. Griffin - "Flight Of The Griffin" (1984)
10. Queensryche - "Queensryche" E.P. (1983)
I am not the biggest fan of power metal, but I have only recently cottoned on to the fact that there are two distinct styles of power metal and it is the european style that I dislike and, unknowingly, I have listened to and enjoyed a bit of US power metal - Iced Earth in particular but also some Queensryche, Metal Church, Savatage and Slough Feg. I haven't enough releases under my belt to have a top ten, but it is a genre I am looking forward to exploring further.
To be honest I've always regarded the US power metal movement as more of a scene than a sound. I mean the term was originally penned to draw together bands that had removed the hard rock edge from the NWOBHM brand of heavy metal & taken a more chunky & aggressive approach to heavy metal (more often than not incorporating the influence of the new & exciting speed metal & thrash metal genres) but in reality it ended up encompassing a whole range of sounds with many of them amounting to nothing more than heavy/progressive metal instrumentation with an operatic/theatrical style of vocal delivery. A large percentage of these bands would have sat very comfortably under the already established heavy metal, progressive metal or speed metal tags if they weren't American, particularly those that resided on the white collar side of the US power metal equation (i.e. the more melodic & progressive side as opposed to the more thrashy & testosterone fueled blue collar variety). There were loads of bands that were simply ripping off Iron Maiden & Judas Priest but still seemed to get lumped in with the US power metal crowd when no one ever considered their idols for inclusion under the power metal banner, despite having the same sound & even the same vocal style. I'd be much more comfortable with releases simply being labelled as heavy metal, speed metal, power metal, thrash metal or progressive metal or a combination of the five as those terms genuinely mean something whereas the US power metal tag doesn't have much meat on its bones in my opinion, at least it didn't until more modern times. And what of releases that have the US power metal sound but don't come from the US? Why shouldn't they receive the same tag if they have the same sound? It's never made sense to me. In fact, I don't regard a good half of my top ten as US power metal but have chosen them simply because they're generally regarded as being a part of it.