Power metal
| Power metal | |
|---|---|
Power metal band Blind Guardian at Wacken Open Air in 2016 | |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Europe and United States in the 1980s |
| Fusion genres | |
| Symphonic power metal | |
| Regional scenes | |
| Other topics | |
| List of power metal bands | |
Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contrast with the heaviness and dissonance prevalent in, for example, extreme metal. Power metal bands usually have anthemic songs with fantasy-based subject matter and strong choruses, thus creating a theatrical, dramatic and emotionally "powerful" sound.
The term was first used in the mid-1980s and refers to two different but related styles:
- the first largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal;
- a later, more widespread and popular style based in Europe with a lighter, more melodic sound and frequent use of keyboards.