Power metal is a style of heavy metal music pioneered and largely practiced in Germany and Scandinavia.
The first power metal song is arguably the 1976 song "Stargazer" by the band Rainbow.
Power metal was developed in the mid-1980s primarily by the German band Helloween, who were influenced by bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. However, Sweden's Europe was the earliest band to release a wholly power metal album through their first two albums Europe and Wings Of Tomorrow . Their influence on Scandinavian power metal is immense. However, the band moved on to Pop Metal after that. Power metal borrows from 1970s metal styles, but adds important elements of speed and melody. Whereas most genres of rock focus largely on personal experience, historical incidents, social commentary, or other aspects of "real life", power metal often treats cosmological or metaphysical themes. As such, lyrics draw heavily from science-fiction, mythology, and fantasy; Tolkien-esque imagery is especially common in the latter. The Finnish group Sonata Arctica is a good example of modern 21st-century power-metal. The band places heavy emphasis on keyboards and fast 'shredding' guitar solos.
Power metal vocals are generally clean (as opposed to the growling vocals that characterize Death Metal) and delivered by a trained vocalist; singing power metal involves more than a few high notes. Often power metal vocals have multi-layer vocals similar to Queen. Typical power metal bands consist of a vocalist, two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer. Many bands also play with a keyboardist and a few, such as the Italian band Rhapsody, have been known to record with more symphonic elements. And a london based band, Dragonforce has created a new deviation of power metal called, Extreme Power Metal, which adds more intense speed and blast beats.
This style is most popular in Europe, Japan, some countries of South America and has a growing popularity in certain parts of North America.
Examples of power metal bands