The Guardians

King Diamond is certainly a one-of-a-kind and equally certainly isn't to everyone's taste. Me, I've never had much trouble with him beyond an initial exposure to Mercyful Fate that caught me off-guard. Once I'd come to terms with his unique vocal style I became quite the fan. Now, by far the biggest reason for this is that King writes awesome heavy metal songs and so consequently I have been able to accomodate his vocal idiosyncrasies, to the point where I now find them quite endearing. He is also one never to shy away from a horror story concept album, a bit like a combination of Alice Cooper and Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Now I like a good concept album as much as the next person, but only as long as the songs are first and foremost and aren't sacrificed to the concept. This is something King Diamond generally tends to avoid, but on The Eye I felt a couple of the tracks (such as The Trial (Chambre Ardente) and Two Little Girls) were compromised in order to put across the narrative of the story. This is only a minor gripe however as generally the riffs rule the roost and, compromised though it is, The Trial (Chambre Ardente) has some of the album highlights, particularly the thrashy riff that breaks out a couple of times - I would just like to have heard more of it rather than the forced perspective of the storytelling element being crowbarred in. The real major draw of The Eye for me is the absolutely sterling lead work of guitarists Andy La Rocque and Pete Blakk who are on devastating form with some brilliant soaring and searing solos that are up there with Priest and Maiden as dual lead masters.

Let's face it, King Diamond often walks the line between metal glory and cheesiness and bless him for it. His horror tales are more in keeping with Roger Corman than Rob Zombie and Hammer Studios rather than Itallian Giallo with tongue often in cheek and more than a nod to the inherent theatricality of his music. What The Eye serves up is some damn fine heavy metal songs with riffs, solos and theatrical imagery aplenty and you know what, that's kind of what a lot of metalheads grew up on, we weren't always super-intense and serious like we seem to be nowadays. Sometimes we even had fun listening to heavy metal and that is what King Diamond provides - and that's fine by me. It's not as good as Abigail or "Them", but it has plenty to recommend it all the same.

3.5/5

This playlist is now up on Spotify.

I just posted a bout how two Metallica albums should also have the heavy metal tag and nobody bugs me about it.  I might've committed the worst sin possible here, so don't worry about looking like a fool 

However, the fact that it has 9 votes and is still active says I'm not alone.

I'm afraid this one simply falls into the "none of my business" category. I'm gonna abstain from pulling it to pieces as it was never gonna finish any other way given my general aversion to folky symphonic power metal. I'm more interested to see what people like Rex & Xephyr think of it as their opinions are far more relevant than my own with a release like this one.

2/5

Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Persuader – “Twisted Eyes” (from “When Eden Burns”, 2006)

5/5. Honestly, I don't get how pop stars with computer-made music such as Lady Gaga are nearly a million times more popular than this killer band. But I guess that's how the world is... I enjoy the instrumentation and vocals, though the latter is criticized is for sounding too similar to Hansi Kürsch from Blind Guardian.

Blind Guardian – “Violent Shadows” (from “Violent Shadows”, 2022)

4.5/5. ...And speaking of that band! To paraphrase a line from this song, you need a rebel heart, you need a pure soul. My rebel heart is in a different rebellion, though this is quite an amazing song as part of the Bards' metal comeback.

Freedom Call – “Metal Is For Everyone” (from “Master of Light", 2016)

5/5. My brother stumbled upon this song when I was still listening to this band a lot more, and he was pleased with the ability to cross over into a few other metal genres while staying in their usual power metal. This is a metal song for everyone!

The Sword – "Arrows in the Dark” (from “Warp Riders”, 2010)

4.5/5. I'm not really into the stoner-ish heavy metal, but this is a great track to rock hard and high. Kick-A!

Avantasia – “The Moonflower Society" (from “The Moonflower Society", 2022)

4/5. Another great song, this one with a beautiful video clip. I'm slightly disappointed by how poppy it sounds at times, but it's still d*mn inspiring and promising for what the new album might bring, especially after the worst of the pandemic. It's quite a Toto-infused power metal dream...

Running Wild – “Black Hand Inn” (from “Black Hand Inn", 1994)

4.5/5. This was one of my favorite Running Wild songs, with some quintessential guitar. Right from the start, you get very good speedy pirate power metal, though I've proven that a pirate power metal life is not for me.

Kamelot – “The Spell” (from “Karma”, 2001)

5/5. I was actually gonna submit a song from that album for next month's playlist, but never mind, I'm glad to see one of the songs here. Enjoyable with spooky keyboards.

Well, I'll keep trying to raise awareness of the site.  I told a coworker about this place, and he was a little curious.  Thankfully he's a metalcore fan.  In the meantime, let's simply discuss current list progress.

Gave this one last listen today and I gotta agree, was expecting a bit more out of Solider of Fortune. The album starts out with the killer "Soldier of Fortune", the passable "You Shook Me" which I honestly can't take too seriously since my brain's wires get insanely crossed with the AC/DC song, and the song that inspired this Feature choice "Danger of Love". The album then quickly derails with the run between "Twenty-Five Days" and "Long After Midnight"; "Demon Disease" is a pretty great closer as it goes back to what made the opener "Soldier of Fortune" great, but the rest of the album is a weirdly middling affair of Hard Rock influences and chorus structures that doesn't offer any standout tracks compared to the beginning of the album. It's not like "Faces in the Fire" or "Long After Midnight" are below average songs, but they also don't do anything spectacular either. I'm not a big fan of "Red Light Shooter" and the two ballads don't really hold up for repeated listens, so Soldier of Fortune is basically a singles album for me. I wasn't aware of the vocalist change before posting this, so maybe the earlier vocalist and style would be more interesting to me, like Morpheus said? Guess I'll have to check that out someday but for now, this is very passable Heavy Metal with a few notable tunes. 

3/5

I like the idea of adding new singles from upcoming albums, and that's kind of what I've been submitting to some of the playlists for my clans lately. After all, that's an essential part of playlists, isn't it? Anyway, once again I'm going to comment on a few tracks here that I still like, for memories' sake. Here are my thoughts:

Blind Guardian – “Deliver Us From Evil” (from “Blood Of The Elves”, 2022)

4.5/5. The opening track and single from the band's upcoming album The God Machine has great lyrics based on the play The Crucible.

Slough Feg – “Street Jammer" (from "Hardworlder”, 2007)

4/5. I like this one. I have not yet heard the original song by Manilla Road, but honestly, I'm still not in the mood for a big amount of Guardians discoveries.

Avantasia – “The Wicked Rule the Night” (from “The Moonflower Society”, 2022)

4.5/5. New single from the upcoming Avantasia album A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society, and it sounds great, especially the vocals by Ralf Scheepers from Primal Fear and formerly Gamma Ray.

Dark Moor – “Somewhere in Dreams” (from “Project X”, 2015)

5/5. I actually meant the original version of this song from The Hall of the Olden Dreams, but never mind, this one's perfect too. Alfred Romero's vocals sound amazing, though Elisa C. Martin had a slightly greater edge in the original. A power metal classic nonetheless!

Virgin Steele – “Through the Ring of Fire” (from “Hymns to Victory”, 2018)

4.5/5. The power metal sound courses through your veins and turns your heart steel. This song is part of an incredibly long double-and-a-half album, The House of Atreus. Some songs from this band, like this one, are still fantastic for me. The sound is so dynamic, especially back in the late 90s, when genres like power metal were building up their untouchable glory. This band would've connected to me better if I was listening to them at age 15 when I was enjoying bands like Blind Guardian much more back then.

Scanner - "Terrion" (from "Hypertrace", 1988)

5/5. OK, now this is amazing! It sounds like a much better continuation of Helloween's original speed metal sound that they dumped that year for their Keeper of the Seven Keys. Grand 80s speed/heavy metal that might make up to exploring more of this band and speed metal! Talk about ending this playlist in a mighty speedy bang.

I came to London's Pagan Altar relatively late in their career while putting together the Metal Academy podcast several years ago & immediately found them to be an interesting prospect. They were generally labelled as one the early exponents of the doom metal sound & I found their 1982 self-titled release to offer a fair bit of enjoyment even if there were a few flaws in their sound that I struggled with. They definitely weren't a pure doom outfit either as there was also a lot of traditional heavy metal in their sound as well as a touch of psychedelia. I later experimented with Pagan Altar's re-release of their early demos (entitled "The Time Lord" which was released in 2004) & found it's combination of doom metal & 70's hard/psychedelic rock to be just as entertaining. In fact, at that point I started to label Pagan Altar as the first true exponent of the traditional doom metal sound given that those recordings dated way back to 1978/79. And this brings us to "Mythical & Magical" (Pagan Altar's third full-length album released in 2006) which is a record that seems to receive universal praise from somewhat of a cult following within the underground metal scene & I was very keen to find out why.

The first thing I noticed about "Mythical & Magical" is the raw production which doesn't sound anything like the clinical modern-day metal production jobs we're so used to hearing these days. This one is thinner, dirtier & sounds very much like it could have surfaced from the early 80's NWOBHM scene which I would guess was something the band were likely aiming for. Much like Pagan Altar's earlier material, "Mythical & Magical" offers an interesting mix of styles & influences although it's well worth noting that there's very little doom metal on offer here. This time the band have opted for a sound that seems to draw upon the hard rock-driven NWOBHM sound of early Iron Maiden & Judas Priest, the more epic US power metal of Cirith Ungol & Manilla Road & the more organic & bluesy American hard rock of the 1970's with dashes of progressive rock, folk & even country tossed in for good measure. The high-pitched vocals of Terry Jones are instantly recognizable & are still just as repetitive as they ever were so if you've struggled with him previously then you shouldn't expect much respite here while the emotive & creative lead guitar work of his son Alan is as impressive as I remember it being & is the obvious highlight of the album with most of the tracklisting's peaks appearing at the crescendos of his lengthy solos. Things do get a bit cheesy at times, particularly during the guitar harmonies & the more epic sounding sections. I actually find the more expansive & progressive tracks to be the most consistently interesting (see "The Sorcerer" & "The Erl King") with the simpler hard rock numbers sounding pretty tame & boring in comparison. When Pagan Altar focus purely on a heavy metal sound they're generally very successful, particularly on opener "Samhein" which utilizes a dark Sabbath/Dio/Maiden gallop (there are several across the tracklisting actually) & builds in intensity gradually over time. I could definitely do without the country rock number "The Crowman" as it sounds like it's been torn straight off US country radio while the short & fairly lightweight folk instrumental "Sharnie" doesn't add much to the album either in all honesty.

In the end I found "Mythical & Magical" to be a bit of a mixed bag with the tracklisting struggling for consistency. In fact, I'd suggest that I really only got enjoyment out of half the album. Thankfully the stronger material is classy enough to carry the dull moments which has resulted in the experience feeling fairly positive overall. I still can't say that I see what the big deal is with Pagan Altar though as this is once again a release that I've enjoyed while I listened to it but are unlikely to return to very often in the future. In terms of the band's discography, I'd suggest that this is probably the least appealing of the three Pagan Altar releases I've checked out to date & I suspect that's got a fair bit to do with the lack of doom metal on offer but there's not all that much between the three really. "Mythical & Magical" is a nostalgic ride through a period in rock/metal history that I was too young to fully take in & it serves that purpose quite well but I can't say that I see it as being in any way essential.

For fans of Cirith Ungol, Manilla Road & early Cauchemar.

3.5/5

It is good to occasionally add in tracks from different genres and/or eras that don't get much of the spotlight. That's kind of what I've done with the 90s/early 2000s metalcore eras in this month's Revolution playlist. Anyway, once again I'm going to comment on a few tracks here that I still like, for memories' sake. Here are my thoughts:

HammerFall – “Steel Meets Steel” (from “Glory to the Brave”, 1997)

4.5/5. I loved HammerFall a lot when I was still heavily into power metal, though not as much, despite great classic songs like this. The lyrics in the bridge explain the song's concept, "In July in '99, the Holy City was stormed and won, Jerusalem was freed, we thanked the lord for our glory."

Within Temptation – “Iron” (from “The Unforgiving”, 2011)

5/5. This epic expressive song still touches my heart to this day with the angelic voice of Sharon den Adel. This is awesome music for symphonic metal lovers like I was. Such godly spectacular power! Sharon is very much one of the symphonic metal queens out there. An awesome song to play at full blast when driving an abandoned highway, and it reminds me of DragonForce's "Cry Thunder".

Nightwish – “Nemo” (from “Once", 2004)

5/5. Another brilliant symphonic metal classic piece! I loved this album back in my high-school-age teens. The sound is so amazing and lovable, with Tarja's beautiful voice. Those were my earlier days of orchestral metal magic. I feel like g****mn crying from the lyrics about loss and longing. And this album Once was the band's last with Tarja...

Stratovarius – “Infinity" (from “Infinite”, 2010)

4.5/5. I've heard of Stratovarius for a very long time, though not at long as the previous bands I've commented on, and this is still an excellent melodic progressive epic from that band. Any metalhead would enjoy this even with better songs in those listeners' arsenal! This could've really helped well with spreading awareness of the possible end of the world when the virus was on the rise. This song is so popular, though a few points are off due to the song and others from this album being plagiarized into Dragon Ball game soundtracks. That's OK if you wanna unleash your SUPER SAIYAN!!!

Iced Earth - "The Hunter" (from "The Dark Saga", 1996)

4.5/5. This one continues the classic streak with killer riffing and a soaring chorus, almost perfect for this playlist and its original album. There's more of this awesome glory to come in other songs, but that's all for now, good Guardians!

Mercyful Fate, despite being held in high regard by many heavy metal fans are an inordinately divisive band. Or, to be more accurate, singer King Diamond with his falsetto histrionics is able to elicit singularly strong negative reactions in some. Personally I don't have a problem with him, sure sometimes I wish he would reign it in, but generally I don't have a problem with his vocal style, but I can definitely hear why others might. One thing we will never know is whether the band would have had as much success as they have without Diamond's unique vocal approach to set them apart. Personally I believe the songs and riffs are strong enough to have ensured a considerable following, but you just never know do you - the music business is a notoriously capricious beast.

Anyway, the good news for both the King Diamond pro and con camps is that on this first reunion release KD seems to have toned down his more outlandish vocal tendencies and utilises them more effectively by confining them to passages to which they seem to be more suited (of course, alternatively, this may just annoy both camps equally). Personally I think In the Shadows (ironically) allows the rest of the band to emerge from King's shadow and to shine on their own terms with the lead guitar work especially benefitting from this curtailing of vocal excess. As on their early releases there are plenty of memorable riffs present, the opening brace of Egypt and Bell Witch in particular having brilliant main riffs, as does the following track, The Old Oak, but this track does give in to some songwriting excess and becomes a bit cheesy in the middle section despite some excellent soloing. Room of Golden Air even features a riff that sounds a lot like Dave Mustaine on Hangar 18. For me the riffs and the solos are the real strength of this album and I found that it succeeded in spades where both these aspects are concerned, axemen Shermann and Denner deserving great praise for their work here. Lyrically it's a bit silly at times and KD will always present a problem for some listeners, but as I mentioned earlier he has reined it in a bit, although he does try to break free occasionally - Thirteen Invitations for example - and I found these to be the less enjoyable parts.

I had not listened to In the Shadows before this month's feature, although I was familiar with a couple of tracks and whilst it isn't quite up there with the band's earlier material it is still a strong heavy metal release and certainly shouldn't disappointed anyone who is already a Mercyful Fate fan.

4/5

It definitely requires some experimentation because it obviously doesn't work the same for each of the Clan's playlists. 

I absolutely wouldn't use the same methodology if I was doing the playlists for The North or The Infinite; there's something about cheesy and bombastic Power/Symphonic Metal that feels more corny than usual if it's slotted in-between some Judas Priest or Iron Maiden.

I agree that it is very much dependent on the clan. I regularly listen to the North playlist which is compiled by Ben and the Pit compiled by Vinny and they both work very well indeed with a mix of tracks. I don't think I would enjoy the North playlist as much if it kicked off with a bunch of blackgaze and folk metal tracks, becoming more raw as it proceeds or the Pit if I suddenly hit a groove metal iceberg in the middle of the playlist, whereas one track is ok because you know something good is just around the corner.

Just out of interest, members of the Fallen (or anyone else who may listen to the Fallen playlists), do you think my current approach works for the Fallen or would it be better with the extreme stuff more evenly spaced out?

Ambush are not a band I have come across before and so I went in without too many expectations. It is true that the band do owe a massive debt to eighties' Judas Priest and while they do turn in a couple of decent Priest-ish tracks in opener Firestorm and Don't Shoot (Let 'em Burn) too many of the rest are quite ordinary and lack the hooks and memorable lines of classic Priest and even those two have horrible whoa-oh moments in them that were one of the worst things about 80's metal in my opinion. Then there's a track like Close My Eyes that sounds far too close to Don't Stop Believing or some such shit. Personally I enjoyed the soloing, but then again I like more restrained solos rather than extravagant and excessive shredding. I think it's fair to say that my favourite Guardians-related material resides quite far back in time and although this does hark back to the eighties even Judas Priest were left wanting in that decade (it was all downhill after Killing Machine) and this references The Scorpions as much as Priest. Overall, a couple of decent tracks and some unremarkable stuff that refers back to an era I was never that enamoured with in the first place. Sorry, but this is not really for me.

2.5/5

Guys, I just thought it would be helpful to Xephyr and Saxy for me to create their respective playlist threads. They wouldn't have to spend any extra time making those threads, while I can do the commenting as soon as possible. I have a life outside the internet as well. But if there's a rule that only the creator of a playlist can create a thread for that playlist, and I know about it earlier, then I would've let go of the matter. Now I understand that not everyone needs to be helped.

Another issue, regarding this specific clan playlist, is my evidential dwindling passion for The Guardians. I was kind of over-rushing on creating this thread and commenting on half the songs in this playlist, and wanted to get them all done because, like I said, I have a life outside the internet and might be away for some events this week. So some of those comments I've made may not be accurate to how I truly feel, especially since I've announced moving away from half of those bands within the past couple months or so, and the power metal bands I liked more at least 5 years ago than now. So with that, I think, as of now, I'm gonna take a hiatus from The Guardians and any Guardians-related activities, then later see if I'm up to continuing my time in the clan or switching to a different clan I'm more comfortable in. Sorry for any trouble I've caused, all....

This one definitely took a couple of listens for me to get into as I was initially taken off-guard by how European it sounds. I mean there's a lot of melodic/symphonic stuff going on here, much more than on "The Black Halo" which offers a more mature sound than this. It's interesting that you see "Epica" as the darker album Andi because I see it very much the other way around. Thankfully repeat listens saw the quality in some of the chorus hooks starting to dig their teeth in & I eventually found myself enjoying "Epica", just nowhere near as much as I'd hoped I would given that "The Black Halo" is my all-time favourite power metal release. "Epica" on the other hand is a bit of a mixed bag for me personally with some really strong material being brought back to earth by some cheesier stuff. I struggled with the most popular track on the album "Center of the Universe" as well as "A Feast for the Vain" & "Lost & Damned" while the many short interludes were pretty hit & miss too. The stronger material was really very solid though, particularly my album highlight "Wander" (one of two ballads included), the muscular "Farewell" & the well-composed "The Mourning After (Carry On)". There's an absolute crap-tonne of Dream Theater worship going on on this record & frontman Roy Khan very clearly wants to be James LaBrie. Little does he know that he's actually the more talented vocalist of the two though & his power & control are one of the keys to the success of this album. I would have toned down the symphonics a bit but the rest of the instrumentation is splendidly executed. It's just that I could really do without some of the more European sounding power metal moments like the guitar melodies that kick off "Center of the Universe". Overall, "Epica" is not a bad power metal record. It just doesn't come close to reaching the dizzying heights of the anthems found on its follow-up. Awful cover artwork apart from the hotty with the wings too.

3.5/5

Even though my suggestions did not make it to this playlist, I'm still gonna comment on a few of the tracks here:

Crimson Glory – “Dance On Fire” (from “Strange and Beautiful", 1991)

4/5. This song is from the album where Crimson Glory switched into a sound closer to hard rock while keeping the metal, but it's a groovy song to dance to. Midnight's vocals shine in his last album with the band. RIP

Battle Beast – “Eye of the Storm” (from “Circus of Doom”, 2022)

4.5/5. This one has an insane amount of Malmsteen-style guitar, the anthemic vocals of Judas Priest and Dio, and the background symphonics of Nightwish.

Opera Magna – “La Herida” (from “Del Amor Y Otros Demonios - Acto 1”, 2014)

3.5/5. A good work of power metal art, though a little too operatic for what I prefer nowadays and with Spanish lyrics. The operatic part comes in when a mysterious female singer enters with her beautiful vocals.

Eternity's End – “Call of the Valkyries” (from “Embers of War”, 2021)

4/5. This one attacks as a stomping anthem. Enough said!

Iced Earth – “Dante's Inferno” (from “Burnt Offerings”, 1995)

5/5. Ending this playlist is the finest part of Iced Earth's career, the band's longest track at over 16 minutes of relentless metal fury! The two-minute intro gets you ready for a f***ing skull-bashing great time. The moments range from quiet to heavy quite a few times. Seriously you gotta enjoy this if you wish to be worthy in this site! I'm happy that I can finally see the appeal of such an epic that would please me and others for generations.

Just to clarify, I would never attempt to apply pressure on someone to change their view or opinion on something as subjective as music. My intent was to clarify what we were aiming to achieve in my own mind, as I thought the point was to pick ten tracks that we personally liked, but that gave an overall sense of the clan in question to someone who was unfamiliar with it. Hence my own list included tracks by Manowar, Helloween and Nightwish that, though I do actually enjoy those tracks, would never get near a "My Top Ten Guardians Tracks" list, but do cover the whole Guardians spectrum at least to some extent.

In addition, if anyone does feel pressured by anything I post please feel free to tell me to fuck off.

I cannot get into this either. I must admit that my knowledge of metal acts incorporating classical instrumentation like this is quite limited. I know Folk and Neoclassical Metal, but this specifically is reserved basically for Haggard and Obesquiae. But even I can tell from a general knowledge of metal that this record does not sound very good. There is a severe lacking of bass presence on this record, making the heavier portions quite lackluster. It has so many of the same production issues that early 90s death metal, but with this being more doom metal, it comes across really flat since the kick drum is not double bass blistering.

The vocals are....there. The harsh vocals sound phoned in and lazy. The clean vocals sound cool and provide much needed substance that is missing in the low end. As for the symphonic elements, they are the best part of the album. Haggard may have been better off just making an album of Renaissance music; without the guitar and drums, the instrumentals can be fully appreciated with an independent bass line. They still aren't very good though, as the keyboards constantly eclipse the winds and strings.

I feel like I should credit Haggard for bringing attention to a different style of symphonic metal that I never cared to search out before. The use of classical songwriting techniques over a style that is not power metal is a nice change of pace, but the way in which it is executed leaves a lot to be desired.

5/10

It's good that I didn't move away from submitting track suggestions to The Guardians, but I'm already moving away from a few of the bands in this playlist (more info here: https://metal.academy/forum/9/thread/1158). Don't worry, I might a few occasional throwback suggestions to those bands in later playlists. Anyway, here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell (from Heaven and Hell, 2008 Remaster)

4/5. A decently great track to begin this playlist, but my attempts to get into 70s/early 80s are still far from my range. However, long live the voice of another passed hero of metal, Ronnie James Dio! RIP

Running Wild - Riding the Storm (from Death Or Glory, 2017 Remaster)

4.5/5. Personally, I think this highlight should've opened the playlist. After the two-minute intro that sounds like it could've inspired the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack in the compositional sense, the vocals by Rolf Kasparek come in to shine, especially in the chorus filled with emotion. The riffs cross through like a violent thunderous typhoon into your head, as the charged-up verses and powerful choruses are brought together by the drums all in this unforgettable song. That's the pirate metal "Thundersteel"!

Sabaton - Seven Pillars of Wisdom (from The Great War, 2019)

4.5/5. An amazing catchy song from this band that I started listening to 8 years ago. Sabaton was once one of my favorite power metal bands, but after taking them out of my playlist 4 years ago, it is now time for a proper farewell to this band. I salute them and their "Winged Hussars" and other tracks! (do I get a medal?)

Savatage - Not What You See (from Dead Winter Dead, 1995)

5/5. One of the best songs from one of the best Savatage albums! At least I'm still keeping this band's music with me while saying farewell to the bands I'm moving away from. A flawless song for ice skating, with excellent lyrics and amazing music. Even though Savatage is in the inactive void, TSO is doing their best to keep the music alive. An epic uplifting classic so nicely done! A better metal future is all that I see...

Nightwish - The Siren (from Once, 2004)

5/5. One of my favorites from Tarja-era Nightwish! Though I enjoy their material with Floor Jansen as well. I hope Marko Hietala is doing OK...

LORD - Set In Stone (from Set In Stone, 2009)

4.5/5. A band in a more modern age that prefer to stick to their classic heavy/power metal guns. Set in Stone was a spectacular album, and this song I still think is d*mn amazing with great solos. Their legacy shall be set in stone!

Dream Evil - Children Of The Night (from Evilized, 2003)

5/5. Another awesome underrated band! The intro starts things off perfectly. Listen to that sweet music, like Scorpions but heavier! This is probably my favorite song from this band, it's very awesome! It's been nearly 5 years since I last listened to this band, and this still hits hard.

Elvenking - Warden of the Bane (from Reader of the Runes - Divination, 2019)

4.5/5. This track has some of the fanciest guitar work by the band. Enough said!

The Night Eternal - Elysion (Take Me Over) (from Moonlit Cross, 2021)

4/5. Once again, classic heavy metal continues to rise for future generations. However, the gothic twist makes this band sound too much like Danzig. With that said though, it's truly worth playing air guitar to this one. It is quite great with nicely improved singing. Occult-ish metal prevails!

Grand Magus - Valhalla Rising (from The Hunt, 2012)

4.5/5. Yet another underrated band! This probably would've worked better for my earlier epic metal taste, but it still kicks a**. The crushing guitar and heavenly soloing is far better than the pop sh*t outsiders like too much. Hail this cool band, despite moving away from them during my doom metal departure. It's amazing how they use the same tuning as modern Katatonia (C tuning) for a low yet epic guitar tone.

The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Walls of Shame (from Down Among the Deadmen, 2013)

4.5/5. A good song to listen to from this band one more time before farewell. Praise the Lord Weird Slough Feg!

ANGRA - The Voice Commanding You (from Aurora Consurgens, 2006)

5/5. Aurora Consurgens and Aqua are less superior than the rest of Edu Falaschi era of Angra, but they still rock hard. Rafael Bittencourt does unbelievable riffing, especially at over the 4-minute mark that leads us to a happy powerful ending to this glorious speedy song.

I've enjoyed all those bands/genres I've listened to, but there are some times when I've realized they might not be for me because of my interest for those bands fading and my moral compass pointing at which genres I might not feel comfortable with listening to more based on my mood. For death metal, doom/gothic metal, and black metal, I've left those genres because of my concerns about how those lyrical themes of violent gore, dark depression, and irreligious Satanism (respectively) would affect my outside-world rep, as I'm still this young dude in my early 20s living with my parents and expected to spread positive vibes to other outside-world people I know, and a couple bad experiences triggered that realization. Then there are some bands like those heavy/power metal bands mentioned above that I'm moving away from because after 6 months or more, I've noticed that my interest for those bands went from "some of the best bands ever!" to just "meh, not going anywhere". Part of that problem is, I was way more interested in heavy/power metal at least 5 years ago, then when I was losing steam in those genres, my YouTube pen pal introduced me to listening to Trivium, which got me into revamping my metal interest into heavier genres like metalcore and modern progressive metal, and formerly melodeath and gothic/doom metal. Then a couple years later, here in Metal Academy, when some of you like my earlier epic power metal taste enough to motivate me to revive it, I appreciate it, but the strength of power metal passion just isn't as much as it used to be. Another thing that triggers me is the copyright troubles I might face when, say, sharing on YouTube.

Also here are two more bands that I'm moving away from as well:

Lord

Mastodon (actually a progressive/sludge metal band, no heavy/power metal at all)

I definitely will try to improve my interest in heavy/power metal and progressive metal despite moving away from some bands (with occasional throwbacks to those bands in playlist track submissions), but will I fully return to those bands and the genres I'm straying from in the future? Though that would be great, only time will tell....

Let's extend both lists to 30 and look out for more albums.

Heavy metal:

#26 Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny (7903 / 3.89)

#27 Iron Maiden - Brave New World (7885 / 3.72)

#28 Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark (7581 / 3.21)

#29 Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz (7033 / 3.75)

#30 Metallica - Garage Inc. (7005 / 3.15)

WITHOUT heavy metal:

#26 Iced Earth - Something Wicked This Way Comes (2253 / 3.65)

#27 Blind Guardian - Battalions of Fear (2167 / 3.38)

#28 Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings (2110 / 3.72)

#29 Blind Guardian - Follow the Blind (2102 / 3.33)

#30 Nightwish - Angels Fall First (2037 / 3.06)

Wow. Sabbath are AOR!! Let's move this one to the "unpopular metal opinions" thread.

I didn't say Sabbath as a whole are or sound like AOR, just that one song. C'mon, you can't tell me you don't hear it, that song is super light compared to their usual fare.

I agree. This might've been a hint for the band's heaviness decreasing in their next 3 albums.

It seems to be increasingly obvious to me, as we get into the third year of clan featured releases, that my own metal tastes are possibly not as broad as a number of other Academy regulars. A case in point is power metal, or more specifically European power metal. By and large I can't stand it - it literally makes my ears hurt. I guess my preference is rawer when it comes to metal - funeral doom, conventional black metal, OSDM and thrash being favourites, so I tend to struggle with the more bombastic styles such as power and symphonic metal. Hammer King most definitely fall under the european power metal umbrella and while I could stomach a track or two, by the album's midpoint I had had enough and come the end I felt like puking from excess cheese consumption. Too much... too much of everything. I just could not stand another harmonised chorus or neoclassical lead break. I'm not even sure how many songs are on the album as they all just blurred into one coagulated fucking mess. Power metal must be one of the great misnomers in metal because to me it is the musical equivalent of WWE wrestling when all I really want to see is bare-knuckle pit fighting!

I'm feeling generous so I'll give it 2/5.

I am afraid we went too power metal here again for my tastes.  I am not even happy with my own choices this month on reflection, although I note my Helstar choice got swapped out for something else?

Sorry Andi, but that Dragonforce track is awful.  I mean the original is contrived enough but they somehow manage to heap more cheese on it.

Absolute winner putting that Judas Priest track in though, and Pagan Altar are always a great choice.

Running Wild - "Port Royal" (1988)

Another Running Wild album, another fairly flat & dull heavy metal record with poor vocals in my opinion. The production job is very 80's with a thin guitar sound but the bass is unusually loud in the mix & subsequently plays a more significant part than it might otherwise have. The guitar solos are entertaining & there are some cool heavy metal riffs included but (as usual) axe-slinging front man Rock 'n' Rolf is simply not capable of filling the shoes of a tier two heavy metal act. In fact, he spends a fair amount of the run time drifting in & out of key if you wanna get technical about it & the excessive reverb he's been drenched in doesn't help much either.

The tracklisting starts off with four of the weaker tracks on the album & doesn't really get going until the middle of the record with catchy heavy metal songs "Uaschitschun" & "Blown To Kingdom Come" offering me a lot more appeal than the earlier material while speed metal anthem "Warchild" has some really good energy about it. But it's (perhaps unsurprisingly) the instrumental piece "Final Gates" that represents the highlight of the album for me personally, despite really being more of a showcase for Jens Becker's bass guitar skills. You'll notice that I'm still yet to mention power metal anywhere here & there's a reason for that because (as with some of Running Wild's other material) I once again find myself struggling to pick up where people are finding the link. Of the ten proper songs included here seven of them sit firmly in the traditional heavy metal camp while "Into The Arena", "Warchild" & lengthy closer "Calico Jack" veer over towards a faster, more energetic speed metal sound but there are only ever hints at genuine power metal & not enough for a primary tag in my opinion. As usual the pirate references are purely to do with the lyrics, cover art & intro track & you can easily overlook them if you choose to (which I clearly do).

The long & short of it is that I just don't think Running Wild will ever be for me & I really struggle to see the appeal that people find in them. They just sound a bit flat to my ears rather than being genuinely bad so I always find myself reaching for a disappointing 3/5 rating with "Port Royal" being no exception. If I look at Running Wild's back catalogue, I'd suggest that I prefer it to the band's 1985 sophomore album "Branded & Exiled" & noticeably weaker "Wild Animal" E.P. from 1990 but I'd probably take 1994's "Black Hand Inn", 1989's "Death Or Glory" & their 1984 debut album "Gates To Purgatory" over this one even though I have pretty similar feelings about all of them. Perhaps I'm destined never to find a Running Wild record that I enjoy & I'm at peace with that as I've certainly given them a good Aussie crack.

3/5

Nah... Epica won out by sending me a 1349 COVID mask & a set of limited edition Devourment condoms. I dunno why my wife freaks out so much when I wear them simultaneously though. It's a mystery.

Now you've ruined it for next year telling everybody what the going price is!

(Just so any bands know, if you need a hand in earning a prestigious award like Metal Academy Clan Release of the Year, my star ratings are available at very reasonable rates)

Progressive-influenced technical neo-classical power metal for a wild epic blast! Cheers for the rec, Daniel! 4.5/5

Strongest list yet for me Xephs!  Strong trad / heavy metal vein running through this month's list I thought. The first ten songs (barring Pharaoh) all got added to my "liked" tracks.  Angel Witch, Smoulder, Saxon, Cirith Ungol and Enforcer are all great inclusions also.  I did skip most of the power/symphonic power metal tracks as they got going and had very little time for any of Angra who to me just sound whiny but I didn't mind that Rhapsody of Fire track in all honesty.  Hell, I even got on with that Christian Muenzner track.

I got a real Angel Witch vibe from The Night Eternal and this was what caught my attention to nominate them for inclusion this month.  Tower are a band seeing lots of praise at present on various blogs and sites and I am somewhat enamored with their strong female vocal delivery giving me lots of Chastain and Warlock vibes, especially with that retro sound they have got going on.

Thanks for putting together Xeph.

Rhapsody (of Fire) is a band that has suffered a lot in recent years due to oversaturation. And unfortunately it has affected some of the older music as well. Having never been a very big fan of theirs before in comparison to other prominent power/symphonic metal acts, at least I can say that I mostly enjoyed Dawn of Victory. It's pretty basic, but "Holy Thunderforce", "Triumph for My Magic Steel" and "Dragor, Shadowlord of the Black Mountain" are fun, high energy power metal songs. "The Village of Dwarves" has a pretty awful synth lead, the guitar and keys solos are unmemorable as they mostly resort to noodling instead of building on the original melodic motifs. The symphonic elements are bombastic and enjoyable, but sometimes they can get in the way of the purely metal foundation such as "The Last Winged Unicorn" and it just becomes overwhelming. Still, a decent power metal album that goes over the top with the symphonic stylings, making it memorable, but even the hooks that we do get are nowhere near as poignant as similar timeframe Blind Guardian or Kamelot.

7/10

In 1997, 5 bands began to bring symphonic metal into prominent ground, and many of those bands have done so by adding symphonic elements to an existing metal subgenre including the debut albums of Nightwish, Rhapsody of Fire (symphonic power metal), and Within Temptation (symphonic gothic metal), the second album of Emperor (symphonic black metal), and the third album of Septicflesh (symphonic death metal). 

I've been testing my memory over the Septicflesh album you mentioned overnight Andi. It's certainly been a long time since I've heard these releases but I don't remember "The Obsidian Wheel" being the record where they completely converted to a totally symphonic approach. Wasn't it 1998's "A Fallen Temple" album where they did that?

When I was listening to Septicflesh, I remember their earlier albums, including The Ophidian Wheel and A Fallen Temple, having this odd frustrating thing where the songs are straight-up gothic-ish death metal and then they have a few symphonic stage play tracks, and each of those two categories are separated from each other with barely any combination. That's why A Fallen Temple was a bit of a struggle for me at the time, especially the "Underworld" series of symphonic tracks. With that said, those two albums have a few songs that combined the two stylistic categories smoothly, such as the song I've selected for my 1997 symphonic metal Spotify playlist, "On the Topmost Step of the Earth", and "The Eldest Cosmonaut" from the latter album that I submitted to one of The Guardians monthly playlists because of the Therion-like symphonic metal sound. Then after a case of industrial-goth identity crisis in Revolution DNA, the band took their usual death metal and symphonic sounds even further in Sumerian Daemons, with both sounds combined into one, the way it was meant to be. Their comeback album Communion really sealed the deal for that sound that they've maintained ever since.

This month I went for The Guardians for a playlist outside of my three clans and I'm not going to lie, this one was a real struggle for me. My distaste for power metal didn't serve me at all well here and the first 45 minutes were painful. In fact the only tracks I really enjoyed were Rime of the Ancient Mariner (obviously) and the Shadowland track. There was another two or three that were OK - Accept, Metal Church and Kryptos.

I think I may reconsider going for The Guardians for my fourth clan as I don't think I'll fit in at all well.

I'm sure you are all waiting for me to pour bile and vitriol all over Majestica's A Christmas Carol, but even if it is nearly christmas, I'm going to disappoint you. In fact I'm going to do something much worse and that is to damn it with faint praise. Firstly, it is no worse than any other European Power Metal album I've ever heard as it's cheesy, overblown and pompous-sounding, which is pretty much par for the course for EUPM in my experience. Secondly, this pomposity and excess seems actually very suited to a christmas-themed concept album as nothing says over-indulgence quite like christmas. In fact the two are so well-suited I can't believe no one has done it before (unless they have, in which case I apologise for my ignorance). Furthermore, at least the subject matter is based on classic literature and not some half-baked, sub-Tolkienesque fantasy bollocks so you get a decent story too. I'm also surprised Andrew Lloyd-Webber isn't knocking Majestica's door down to get a West End stage production on as it doesn't seem a million miles away from Phantom of the Opera or one of his other overpriced stage productions. 

Anyway, I've listened to it once and will never play it ever again, so in that respect at least, it is the perfect summation of the christmas spirit!

It's funny growing up around Classic Rock / popular 80's Hair Metal since it was the only thing on the radio around where I lived, but having these massive-at-the-time bands slip through the cracks after all these years. I want to say that I knew who W.A.S.P. was before listening to this, but that might have just been from glancing at a list of 80's Hair Metal bands. It's immediately apparent that they were shifting from that background as most of these tracks have that classic 80's riff and song structure, but dipping their toes in a more grounded Heavy Metal sound definitely elevated this album past a classic radio rerun. 

I can't say I'm blown away by The Headless Children but I agree with its consistency. Apart from the obligatory, sappy power ballad and the awkward "The Real Me" every song has something going for it, even if some are more forgettable than others. I can't say this is my favorite style of Heavy Metal though, despite me enjoying the cheesier sides of Power Metal very liberally. Still a very solid album though, and songs like "Thunderhead" are just fun listens through and through.

3.5/5

Good work on this playlist, Xephyr! Here are my thoughts on some tracks:

Unto Others – “Heroin” (from “Strength", 2021)

4/5. A great emotional start to this playlist, though not really the best because of the gothic metal-ish sound I've departed from. Still f***ing bad-a** killer though! The singer has quite a creepy laugh during one of the headbanging parts that makes you think of Tom G. Warrior. This is not even close to DragonForce at all, but a fast heavy tune nonetheless. The sweet harmonies and solo throughout the last minute can remind some of Slayer. Basically this is the faster Type O Negative gone classic heavy metal!

Crimson Glory – “Red Sharks” (from “Transcendence”, 1988)

4.5/5. This frantic track shows a more abrasive side while still mostly melodic.

Angra – "The Course of Nature" (from “Aurora Consurgens”, 2006)

5/5. This album continues Edu Falaschi-era Angra's grand album streak since the mighty Rebirth and the conceptual Temple of Shadows. This is my favorite song Aurora Consurgens, an album I loved so much that has celebrated its 15th anniversary a couple days before writing this comment. So good! Apparently, the intro is absent in some versions. The album has massive high-quality details in majority. Aurora is, in my opinion, superior to their next couple albums, Aqua and Secret Garden. Angra has made some of the best progressive-ish power metal fresh out of Brazil.

Battlelore – “Doombound” (from “Doombound”, 2011)

5/5. Now here's a song that's one of the doomiest-sounding symphonic metal tracks I've heard, as one more farewell to The Fallen without engaging in the clan I've already severed ties from, and it's the last full song of the last album before Battlelore's hiatus (except for a reunion show a few years later). The second half of this song is one of the most touching and saddest moments of metal for me 6 years ago shortly before starting my venture into gothic metal, with the amazing angelic voice of Kaisa Jouhki, especially in the 5 and a half minute mark. That part, along with the main riff, is epic! Holy sh*t, this is pure poetry that only the true fans of Battlelore would expect. Seriously, where is that band?!? Please come back!!

Edguy – “Nailed to the Wheel” (from “Mandrake”, 2001)

4.5/5. Another song to love with sublime soloing, one of the best from this band! Edguy was more relevant back then before they started joking around in albums after this one. The soft intro might've inspired some songs by Civil War. F***ing heavy power metal that shall sweep the nation!

Running Wild – “Little Big Horn” (from “Blazon Stone - Remastered”, 2017)

4.5/5. What is with these "Little Big" titles? They don't really make sense! Is it little or big?! JUST PICK ONE!!! Anyway, all jokes set aside, this great song lets out a glimpse of hope. The band's bassist during this pirate metal starter trilogy, Jens Becker can really master his fantastic 5-string bass blasts, which was uncommon in metal but starting to catch on. A f***ing neat classic! The refrain guitar makes you thirsty for rum, or if you're a non-alcoholic like me, mountain dew as a victory drink. At some points, Rolf Kasparek can remind some of Blaze Bayley.

Gamma Ray – “Land of the Free” (from “Land of the Free - Anniversary Edition”, 2017)

5/5. Another true highlight, a real power metal anthem with guest vocals by former Helloween member Michael Kiske.

Twilight Force – “Gates of Glory” (from “Tales of Ancient Prophecies”, 2014)

4.5/5. Summon the tanks to fight against dragons in the fantasy land of power metal! Twilight Force has brought in Sabaton's Joakim Brodén for some heavy power in the vocals. I can understand the lyrics quite well. Satan would very well be in a battle against Sauron for supreme evil elsewhere. Twilight Force's lead vocalist Christian Eriksson (Chrileon) does amazing falsettos, but sadly he's out of the band.

Trivium - "Silence In The Snow" (from "Silence In The Snow", 2015)

4/5. This song is from an album by a band that would normally be thrashy metalcore, but ended up in a one-time heavy metal style due to temporary growling loss. It was also a last-minute entry to replace a different song not internationally available on Spotify. This one casts a great surge of immediacy and riffing.

Atlantean Kodex - "A Secret Byzantium - Numbered as Sand and the Stars" (from "The Course Of Empire", 2019)

3.5/5. Again I would've liked the gothic/doom-influenced heavy metal style better if I didn't lose most interest in gothic/doom metal, but there's still good beauty in melodic force, and it's quite cool ending the playlist in nearly the same style as the beginning.

Well this one came and hit me straight out of left field. I am unable to put Night on Brocken into any kind of context within Fates Warning's discography as this is the first album of their's I have listened to, but I derived a huge amount of enjoyment out of it in it's own right and I think if I had heard it upon it's release back in '84 I would have been a massive fan. Sure, it's quite derivative, drawing heavily on Iron Maiden and particularly Judas Priest for influence, but it is an album so chock full of infectious riffs and sheer exuberance that it would be churlish to dismiss it. Sure the production isn't the most accomplished, but I kind of like the effect, particularly on the rhythm section. What with it's triumphant heavy metal and truly bonkers cover art, I have got to admit to being won over by it's charms and would count this as a great example of early eighties US metal.

4/5

My thoughts on some tracks:

Savatage – “Sarajevo” (from “Dead Winter Dead”, 1995)

4/5. Dead Winter Dead is a recent favorite classic heavy metal album of mine and I love it all, along with their surrounding 90s albums. However, an intro is not usually the best of the album, still this one is very good. I submitted this one as a sneak peek for a special submission I plan for the December playlist. You can guess what it is...

Queensryche – “Walk In The Shadows” (from “Rage For order”, 1986)

4.5/5. This classic heavy metal track stays purely metal while beginning the band's more artistic direction. What makes this song a highlight is Geoff Tate's vocals of stylistic howling. The main riff and chorus melody are infectious enough to stay in your brain like a hotel visit.

The Lord Weird Slough Feg – “Asteroid Belts” (from “Traveller”, 2003)

4.5/5. This song continues those strong solos and riffs, along with a fantastic intro. Short comment for a short song!

Dark Moor – “Halloween” (from “The Fall Of Melnibone” E.P., 2001)

5/5. Pretty clever, right? Submitting this "Halloween" song for the month of Halloween... This has been an amazing epic from my earlier days of when my power metal taste was more emphasized. And yeah I enjoy this Dark Moor cover more. Sorry, Helloween.

Grand Magus – “Holmgång” (from “Triumph & Power”, 2014)

4/5. A short but enjoyable song. Enough said!

HammerFall – “Any Means Necessary” (from “No Sacrifice, No Victory”, 2009)

4.5/5. This track is from an album that's in the middle between the band's old and new eras. That song has a pattern of a driving verse, pounding bridge, and hymn-like chorus to prepare you for battle.

Been thinking about this one a lot this week so I ended up writing a pretty interesting review on the strange journey I had with this album. I think it reaches an agreeable middle ground that I didn't really have when I put this one up as the feature. I try to choose "interesting" albums rather than obvious classics, but I think this one was a pretty big miss nonetheless. 

Xephyr's "Born of the Cauldron" Review

My thoughts on some tracks:

Venom Inc. – “Ave Satanas” (from “Avé”, 2017)

4/5. Interesting start to this playlist. Venom Inc., the new direct spin-off to the band that directly introduced Satanism to heavy metal and inspired the creation of black metal. Look, I'm still not into the antichristian lyrical theme, so this band isn't for me or anyone in the outside world worth sharing to. Still a killer song though!

Stratovarius – “Speed Of Light” (from “Episode”, 1996)

5/5. This is better and more acceptable for me! The neo-classical power metal sound I used to really enjoy can definitely fit well as a theme for shows like Power Rangers and ONE PUUUNCH MAN, and be a good song to play in Clone/Guitar Hero. Stratovarius are heroes of this style!

Wintersun – “Time” (from “Time I”, 2012)

5.5/5 (not exaggerating). One of the best songs from my earlier epic metal taste! Back then, I was still into power metal and the melodic progressive metal of Dream Theater, but Wintersun would be the entryway to the melodic death metal that I would abandon recently. No, scratch that, this is epic operatic melodeath! No wonder this band alone would start my journey into melodeath. This should've been the soundtrack to the last 12 minutes of Avengers Infinity War before the credits; the war and the destructive aftermath. Of course, Wintersun would have to create a more epic equivalent to the climax of Endgame if that's the case when making Time II. There's a f***ing beautiful solo alongside the pure perfection of everything else. Time is still waiting for Time II that should follow up the epicness of the first Time album. Then after this epic climatic ride is a Chinese-sounding atmospheric outro, as if to say "To be continued..."

After Forever – “Ephemeral” (from “Prison Of Desire”, 2000)

4.5/5. Check it out, we're still following the soft 10th track of an album being the 4th track of the playlist, as seen in the Fallen and Gateway playlists for this month. I love this beautiful song. And I know, it's more of an ambient gothic metal lament of grief, but it focuses on Hans Zimmer-like symphonics (and right in his classic period in the turn of the millennium), unlike when the album goes darker and heavier as gothic metal should be. And I wanna take a glimpse of gothic metal without directing the submission to The Fallen (remember my self-promise to stop my Fallen playlist requests), so there...

The Lord Weird Slough Feg – “Sky Chariots” (from “Down Among The Deadmen”, 2000)

5/5. I'm glad to finally get interested in this band named after that Slaine character. This US power metal band really needs more exposure to the world, especially with their mix of influences from the early 80s eras of Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden, probably also early Sanctuary. This album is indeed underrated along with the other albums released under the original name with the "Lord Weird" prefix. This is worth singing/screaming along to on your car radio. Ride your chariot!

Grand Magus – “Varangian” (from “Sword Songs”, 2016)

4.5/5. This one continues the new experiments Grand Magus has in their recent era with a waltzing riff similar to folk metal but without folk, rushing through the energy of the chorus with easy momentum.

Elvenking – “Reader Of The Runes – Book I” (from “Reader Of The Runes – Divination”, 2019)

5/5. Wait a sec... This was already in last December's playlist! Xephyr, you must've not seen this one in the "Past The Guardians playlist tracklistings" thread. That's OK, because you can't let an epic song like this down. I shall say my opinion again about their most ambitious song since the ending of the Wyrd album. This is a fantastic great monolithic end to the band's folk-power metal return album trilogy started in Pagan Manifesto, but it might hint at a different saga beginning with a possible "Reader of the Runes - Book II". This is a grand flashback to my earlier folk/power metal taste, along with new elements suited for my current heavier era including a killer black-ish soloing section in the middle. I'm grateful for this powerful masterpiece of f***ing impressive epic metal sorcery, greater than the epics made by Helloween. Love it!

Dragonland – “Storming Across Heaven” (from “The Battle of the Ivory Plains: The Dragonland Chronicles Part I”, 2001)

5.5/5 (not exaggerating). "Look at the sky as the dragon flies by, storming across heaven like fire pierce through ice..." That lyric is forever engraved in my mind in one of the absolute best songs in my earlier power metal taste. There were many classic songs from Dragonland that I loved 8 years ago including "Majesty of the Mithril Mountains", "The Battle of the Ivory Plains", "Holy War", etc. And just like Helloween, this band made two albums that following a story, then a third one years later. So d*mn excellent!

Epica – “Victims Of Contingency” (from “The Quantum Enigma”, 2014)

5/5. I've also enjoyed Epica at the time of this album's release, another early epic metal favorite of mine! I think of this song as Call of Duty's "115" with Gods of War-like lyrics and atmosphere, especially in the death growl verses. This and that Dragonland submission make the perfect ending for this playlist. Thanks for accepting them, Daniel!

Here's my updated list after revisiting Kamelot's "The Black Halo" album over the last couple of days:

01. Iron Maiden – “Somewhere In Time” (1986)

02. Iron Maiden – “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son” (1988)

03. Iron Maiden – “Powerslave” (1984)

04. Judas Priest – “Painkiller” (1990)

05. Ozzy Osbourne – “Speak Of The Devil” (1982)

06. Black Sabbath – “Paranoid” (1970)

07. W.A.S.P. – “The Crimson Idol” (1992)

08. Iron Maiden – “Live After Death” (1985)

09. Crimson Glory – “Crimson Glory” (1986)

10. Kamelot - "The Black Halo" (2005)

11. Black Sabbath – “Live Evil” (1982)

12. Iron Maiden - "Rock In Rio" (2002)

13. Black Sabbath - "Sabotage" (1975)

14. Iron Maiden - "The Number Of The Beast" (1982)

15. Queensryche - "Operation: Mindcrime" (1988)

16. Iced Earth - "Alive In Athens" (1999)

17. Manowar - "Into Glory Ride" (1983)

18. Iron Maiden - "Piece Of Mind" (1983)

19. Medieval Steel - "Medieval Steel" E.P. (1984)

20. Unleash The Archers - "Apex" (2017)

21. Motorhead - "No Sleep Till Hammersmith" (1981)

22. Dio - "Holy Diver" (1983)

23. Black Sabbath - "The End: 4 February 2017 Birmingham" (2017)

24. Queensryche - "Operation:LIVEcrime" (2001)

25. Judas Priest - "Defenders Of The Faith" (1984)

The main things about this album are the consistency of the energy levels and quality of the tracks on offer. Riffs race across the record as the rhythm section maintains a pace of bash and rumble that allows for a bit of flair from the strings; the lead work being of particular note here. Quinn and Scarratt are on fire here and Glockler sounds equally imperious on the drum kit. Biff's trademark nasal vocals are distinct and almost haughty on the symphonic majesty of Nosferatu (my album highlight) and yet still have that down-to-earth twang and inflection to certain words that sound like a northerner trying to sound more eloquent than their accent permits.

I will not pretend to love all of the album, They Played Rock And Roll does not work for me as a tribute. Not that I expect lyrical genius in all honesty but the lyrics here sound naive and clumsy with the Lemmy excerpt not really ringing as authentic and nostalgic as perhaps intended. But you cannot deny the rampant battering of Predator even though the vocal effects get a little OTT for my liking, but where the majority of the quibbles arise on this record there usually is something of a much better quality not too far away.

All agreed!

Actually Andi, I've just listened to the Dark Version & have quickly reverted to the original. It's pretty obvious that neither belong on a The Guardians playlist though.

It's true that a song from a death metal band like Septicflesh wouldn't fit in a Guardians playlist, but with that song's more Therion-like symphonic metal sound than death metal, I thought it was a good one to submit.

I'll attempt it, even though I have to agree that it seems weird that most of Running Wild's discography rivals that of much more established Heavy/proto-Power Metal bands in terms of scoring. 

I think it has to do with the fact that Running Wild are very much the middle of the road in terms of bridging the gap between classic, traditional Priest era Heavy Metal and a proto-Power Metal sound. So middle of the road, in fact, that they fall into the inoffensive category that allows them to, apparently, appeal to a hardcore but wide range of Power/Heavy Metal listeners. I can agree that Death or Glory and Black Hand Inn are great albums, but the fact that Under Jolly Roger, Port Royal, and to a lesser extent Pile of Skulls are almost just as celebrated is kind of a joke. 

As someone who likes a lot of Power Metal, especially European Power Metal, Running Wild give traditional Heavy Metal that little kick of energy that it needs for me to really enjoy it. I have nothing distinctly bad to say about what they do, even though after revisiting Death or Glory compared to Black Hand Inn I decided to bump down my score to a 4 rather than a 4.5 because I can a agree that a bit more than half the album is just slightly catchy, mid-tempo Heavy Metal songs that don't necessarily push the envelope but are still great songs nonetheless. I think that Black Hand Inn has a better album flow, more memorable riffs and sections with tracks like "Mr. Deadhead", "The Privateer", and "Freewind Rider" to name a few. Plus you get the 15 minute closer that lets Running Wild stretch their songwriting abilities a bit more. 

I think to answer about what you're missing, and I know you won't like this so much Daniel, but for me, Running Wild are the epitome of a solid, no bells and whistles Heavy Metal band that manages to be incredibly consistent enough to be "just good enough" to a lot of folks. The vocals aren't the greatest in Heavy Metal, but they're far from unserviceable. The songwriting may not be as good as peak Iron Maiden, but I still really enjoy the riffs and very slight Speed Metal influence on some songs. Plus the band as a whole just sounds bigger, grander, and a bit more epic in style compared to your other classic Heavy Metal bands, giving them their own niche. Plus, I listen to a lot of bad, bland Power Metal. I know what it's like to be utterly bored out of my mind when listening to a Power Metal album, and I never got that from any Running Wild album save for Under Jolly Roger. It might just be a perspective thing at the end of the day. 

OK so it's taken me some time to get around to it but I've finally given "Black Hand Inn" a few spins to see how it differs from Running Wild's 80's material which left me feeling so underwhelmed. The first thing I'll say is that I find "Black Hand Inn" to be the strongest Running Wild release I've heard to date. The vocals are more professionally executed, the production is cleaner & more vibrant & there's a strong Maiden/Priest/WASP influence that I really enjoy. Unfortunately though, a good half of the album is made up of that cheesy Helloween/Gamma Ray style German power metal sound that I struggle with so much. I find the guitar harmonies in particular to be a real turn-off at times actually & this undoes a lot of the good work that's been done in catchy heavy metal numbers like "Fight The Fire Of Hate" & "Freewind Rider" which I find genuine enjoyment in. When I look at the tracklisting holistically I just find it to be a real mixed bag of wins & losses with the power metal component only successfully winning me over on the epic "Genesis (The Making & Fall Of Man)". The kick drum sound also annoys me a bit but it's nothing major. I guess Running Wild simply isn't for me.

Running Wild - "Black Hand Inn" (1994)

For fans of Grave Digger, Blazon Stone & Rage.

3/5

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.

Ok, so if I said I loved this album you would all know I was lying and if I said I hated it I would know I was lying. It's got a few tracks I quite enjoyed in a cheesy, Helloween kind of way, but there were definitely some I disliked and in particular the Pet Shop Boys cover of a song I've always hated. There were some decent solos that were OTT, but managed to stop short of Dragonforce levels of ridiculousness. I felt the band were at their best the more they stuck to the Judas Priest / Iron Maiden template and worst when the old euro-power beast is allowed full head. 2.5/5 - half and half.

Really impressed with the Iron Savior track, I definitely need to branch out into more of their stuff.  I found a Grand Magus track that I like that isn't on Hammer of the North, although the song itself is really rescued by the solo.  

Found I could sit through the Helloween track which is unusual for me but have literally no time for Angra and I still cannot stand King Diamond.  Herzel intrigue me though.  Normally I don't work to well with vocals in a foreign language but there's so much other goodness going on at the same time that it is hard not to be enamoured really.  I still haven't checked them out beyond playlists though but need to get some time with the album at some point.

Judicator showed promise but I can't really get on with that vocal delivery, heard it too many times before for it to be done this blatantly without any variation or particularly outstanding elements elsewhere on the song to distract me/make things interesting.  Similarly with Orden Ogan; has enough bite to begin with but gets watered down far too easily to hold the interest.  

I realised today that I own that Children of Bodom album but have hardly ever played it.  Nothing wrong with it really just a bit pedestrian and synth heavy but the guitar does really shine still throughout although feels more melodic death than straight up traditional metal.  I do need more Bloodbound in my life though.

Daniel, if you are enamoured with IE's Alive in Athens I would strongly recommend the double disc set, Days of Purgatory (my particular favourite Iced Earth release). It features re-recorded versions of previous IE tracks with vocalist Matt Barlow who sings on Alive in Athens and it's songs  makes up most of the playlist of AiE.

I'm very well versed with Iced Earth's 90's material Sonny but have to admit that I've somehow managed to overlook "Days Of Purgatory" despite enjoying the majority of their other albums from the period. I'll add it to the list so as to complete the set.

I have posted my review. Grand Magus are absolutely one of my favourite bands, I have physical copies of all nine of their albums and I will probably buy their next before I've even heard it I'm that confident it'll be great. Their run of albums from 2008-12 - Iron Will, Hammer of the North and The Hunt - stack up against any three album run for my money. I'm stoked that everyone else seems to have enjoyed Hammer of the North and a metal website is finally acknowleding their brilliance - well done Metal Academy, once more proving to be ahead of the curve! If any of you haven't, I honestly think you would also enjoy the aforementioned Iron Will and The Hunt and should probably give them a spin too. Thanks for nominating this Vinny.

Had a very enjoyable morning blasting this playlist whilst working (which I normally avoid doing as I can't focus on the music enough as a result).  I am finding that my resistance to Power Metal and the more Symphonic bands is slowly being broken down overtime as I listen to more of these lists.  I am not saying that I am actively seeking out these bands discographies but I am not hitting skip as much on the likes of Epica etc.

That Týr peaked my interest too and like Andi, I have had a few failed attempts over recent years to get into them so maybe they will be one act I do explore more.  I will be seeking more Cauldron and Ram as I picked up on them during my research for this playlist but didn't get much chance to explore much of their discogs.