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Heavy Metal Thunder US Power Metal

Genres Heavy Metal Power Metal US Power Metal

US Power Metal

The American strain — heavier, darker and more muscular than its European cousin, and far less interested in fantasy.

Active years
1985 – present
Origin
USA
Family
Power Metal
Bands here
13

Start here

Four records in order of how easy they are to get into — which is not the same as best first.

  1. Something Wicked This Way Comes Iced Earth, 1998 The landmark

    Heavier and darker than anything European power metal was doing, with Matt Barlow singing at the bottom of his range rather than the top. Half concept album, half straight metal record.

    Listen to Something Wicked This Way Comes

  2. Transcendence Crimson Glory, 1988

    Midnight had one of the great metal voices and the band wore silver masks, which tells you most of what you need. Closer to progressive metal than to Europe.

    Listen to Transcendence

  3. The Fourth Judgement Jag Panzer, 1997

    The comeback record, and the purest American power metal on the list. No keyboards, dry production, and Harry Conklin singing like a man announcing a war.

    Listen to The Fourth Judgement

  4. Nosferatu Helstar, 1989

    A concept album about Dracula, played far more technically than it needed to be. James Rivera is the best singer in Texan metal and this is his showcase.

    Listen to Nosferatu

What it sounds like

Heavier, darker and much less cheerful than its European cousin. The American strand keeps the high clean vocal and the galloping drums but takes its guitar tone from thrash: riffs are chunkier, more palm-muted and lower, with none of the keyboard sheen. Subject matter turns to war, history and personal struggle rather than fantasy. Song structures are tighter and more progressive. It sits between power metal and thrash in a way that makes it the hardest of the three power strands for a newcomer to place, and it is consistently the most muscular of them. Compared with European power metal there are almost no keyboards, and the production is dry rather than glossy, so the riff carries the song instead of the arrangement.

  • Heaviness 4 out of 5
  • Speed 4 out of 5
  • Aggression 3 out of 5
  • Technicality 4 out of 5
  • Darkness 3 out of 5
  • Melody 4 out of 5

Where the name came from

A geographic qualifier distinguishing the heavier, more aggressive American take on power metal from its European counterpart. American power metal — from the mid-Atlantic and Pacific Northwest — tended toward a darker, more progressive edge and drew on the intensity of the East Coast metal underground. Jag Panzer, Crimson Glory, and Iced Earth typify the sound.

The bands

Hear these first

  • Iced Earth USA
  • Crimson Glory USA
  • Jag Panzer USA
  • Helstar USA
  • Manilla Road USA

And 8 more

  • Virgin Steele USA
  • Twisted Tower Dire USA
  • Omen USA
  • Leatherwolf USA
  • Liege Lord USA
  • Warlord USA
  • Cirith Ungol USA
  • Attacker USA

If you liked this

Closest in sound outside this family, leaning towards the similar or the gentler rather than straight into the deep end.