Originally Posted by: magicninjaElaborate on power metal for me. :confused:

Helloween, Hammerfall, Stratovarius, Adagio, Nevermore, Nighwish, Iced Earth, Manowar, Iron Savior, Savatage... just to name a few. Its mostly European metal branched off from classical metal like Iron Maiden, and Preist.

From Wikipedia:
"Power metal, as the term is used today, places primary importance on an epic sound, usually at high speeds and with catchy melodies. Whereas most rock lyrics focus largely on "the real world" - personal experience, historical incidents, social commentary, etc. - power metal often treats cosmological or metaphysical themes. Many power metal songs draw inspiration from science fiction, mythology, and fantasy, and they tend to be more optimistic than most metal lyrics. Power metal vocals are generally "clean", as opposed to the growling vocals that characterise death metal, and are delivered by a trained vocalist. Following in the tradition of Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford, power metal vocalists tend to sing in a high register like the Bee Gees, often in falsetto. Some singers, such as Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian, record multi-layered vocals reminiscent of Queen. Because of the primary importance of vocals in power metal, vocalists generally do not double as guitarists as in other styles of metal, which is probably why Hansi Kürsch stepped down as bassist for Blind Guardian after their album "The Forgotten Tales".

Power metal guitarists and bassists generally play rapid streams of notes, but change chords comparatively slowly, with a harmonic tempo of once per measure or slower. Fast and demanding guitar solos, however, are almost guaranteed.

Power metal drummers generally play with two bass drums for added speed, often playing a constant stream of sixteenth notes with snare drum accents on the beat. Some bands defy this formula, but it is surprisingly universal.

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. Rhapsody actually calls their style of music "Hollywood Metal," emphasizing its resemblance to modern film scores.

This style is most popular in Europe, Japan, and some countries of South America (including Brazil and Argentina), and has a growing popularity in certain parts of North America."

BTW Jolly? did you copy your list from the back of Ernie Ball string packages? ;)