[Murdoch]

I've been devouring Blind Guardian, Iced Earth and Demons & Wizards releases lately, and would love to explore some more power metal with clean vocals, but I'm pretty turned off by the cheese thats out there. I sampled some Rhapsody at the record store and was totally turned off.

Can you all recommend me some good power metal that goes easy on the cheese?

 

[asmox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murdoch Can you all recommend me some good power metal that goes easy on the cheese?

IMO, there is no such thing. Power metal is built from cheese.

That being said.. I really enjoy Kamelot, Adagio, and Elegy.

 

[Murdoch]

I'm thinking Symphony X might do. I of course expect SOME cheese, just not so much that it overwhelms the pleasure of listening...

 

[asmox]

I wouldn't call Symphony X power metal.. they would do for sure, though. V is my favorite from them - their most organic and dynamic album, I think.

If you haven't already, be sure to grab Kamelot's The Black Halo and Adagio's Underworld. The former especially.. I don't think it's possible to not like that album, and it's possibly the greatest power metal album I've ever head.

 

[Murdoch]

I think I'll start with Kamelot and move on to Symphony x then. Thanks!

 

[catscratch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by asmox I wouldn't call Symphony X power metal.. they would do for sure, though. V is my favorite from them - their most organic and dynamic album, I think.

+1. I don't really like SyX, since they're very cheesy in my book, for the most part. But, V was a masterpiece, and on it, everything just worked. The symphonic interludes were, well, symphonic interludes, and not cheese. It was well written, coherent, and it just flowed flawlessly from one good piece of music to the next.

I'd recommend Falconer's self-titled debut album. Falconer is power metal with a baritone/tenor vocal and minus the synths. The debut disk is the best, it was all downhill from there. There are a lot of very good riffs and melodies on the first disk, and while I wouldn't consider it a masterpiece, it's a good listen.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

I second Adagio, I seriously can't get enough of what they do

Power metal really is such a vague term, as is cheesy, and what one finds cheesy or not. So I will just list some albums I consider power metal, you may or may not find them power metal enough, or non-cheesy enough, but so be it. And let's not turn this thread into an argument of what is or isn't power metal, or what is or isn't cheesy, I've been there FAR too often in the past.

Rage - XIII
Running Wild - Pile of Skulls
Sanctuary - Refuge Denied
Angel Dust - Bleed
Tierra Santa - Indomible
Primal Fear - Nuclear Fire
Luca Turulli - Prophet of the Last Eclipse
Jag Panzer - Mechanized Warfare
Iron Savior - Unification
Gamma Ray - Somewhere Out in Space
Edguy - Theater of Salvation
Dark Moor - The Gates of Oblivion
Angra - Temple of Shadows

 

[Enverxis]

I can kind of see what your getting at

Amaran
Delight (Polish lyrics)
Kamelot

are bands I really like

 

[Dusty Chalk]

How about the Gathering? You really ought check them out. <0.2% cheese.

 

[xtr3me]

Well, first off, I'd like to point out Symphony X is progressive metal, not power metal (it's GOOD metal anyway

).

I think you guys usualy consider cheesy a lot of things that I don't, so I'll write my fav power metal bands, and you just choose away

Kamelot
Stratovarius (their later albums - after they break-up/get together again - suck big time)
Sonata Arctica
Edguy
Avantasia (some don't really classify this as power metal)
Gamma Ray
Running Wild
Angra

Those will give you enough for some time

 

[Error]

I'll agree with everyone that suggested Kamelot. Some other bands that you should check out (neither of these are purely power metal, but they lack the dreaded cheese, so it works out for the best imo

. They are also somewhat obscure, but well worth the effort to track down.):

The Lord Wierd Slough Feg - any album: Quite possibly one of the most consistent bands I have ever heard. There is not a weak album to be found amongst their discography. Heck there’s barely a weak song to be found, let alone a whole album. They have a killer dual guitar attack, and though the vocal are a bit different I think they are excellent (not cheesey at all). I guess only one word can describe their sound: bad***.

Helstar - Nosferatu: This is definitely one of my favorite metal albums of all time. The guitar work on this album is brilliant, with excellent solos and riffs that are likely to give you whiplash. You would be hard pressed to find guitar work of this quality even amongst the heavies of the thrash world.

 

[Enverxis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty Chalk How about the Gathering? You really ought check them out. <0.2% cheese.

Not Power Metal, but yes, you really ought to check them out

 

[K2Grey]

I don't have a big power metal collection like others, but I liked Sonata Arctica very much.

 

[JahJahBinks]

american or swiss?

 

[Ayreonaut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xtr3me Angra

Yes, Angra's latest, Temple of Shadows is a serious accomplishment.