Pouer metal

Pouer metal is a kynd o metal muisic that tends tae focus on creatin an "epic" feel in baith muisical an leerical terms. It is quite popular amang metal fans, but ootwi thaim isna weel kent at aw.

History

Tho pouer metal taks a wheen o influence frae mair tradeetional metal soorces (Iron Maiden in parteecular), it hes evolved ower the twa decades o its exeestence intae a disteenctive genre in its ain richt. It is for ordinar acceptit amang pouer metal fans that the genre's history proper stairts wi the twa Helloween albums Keeper of the Seven Keys in pairts I an II in 1987 an 1988. Some threap that Manowar war the first pouer metal baund, but syne thair muisic is for ordinar mair tradeetional heavy metal wi epic, fantasy based leerics an syne thay thaimsels dinna cry thaimsels pouer metal, Helloween's claim tae be the first is for ordinar acceptit. Efter the first wave o pouer metal baunds haed ceased tae be excitin an new, HammerFall's debut album Glory to the Brave in 1997 stairtit something o a pouer metal revival that includit sic baunds as Rhapsody of Fire (tho at that time thay war cried Rhapsody) an Edguy - tho Edguy haed been aboot syne 1992, it wisna until thair Vain Glory Opera album o 1998 that thay haed thair brekthrou.

Muisical Chairacteristics

Maist pouer metal baunds hae a seemilar lineup o vocals, guitars (twa, for ordinar), bass, keybuirds an drums - tho obviously this is flexible tae some degree. Maist pouer metal is fast an melodic, tho gallop rhythms an mid tempo sangs arna byordinar for maist baunds.

Vocals

For ordinar pouer metal singin is hie pitched (ZP Theart o DragonForce an Tony Kakko o Sonata Arctica is guid exemplars o the teepical tenor pouer metal sangster) an is awmaist aye clear (thus defined as clean vocals as agin the harsk vocals in deid metal an black metal. It isna byordinar tae hae queirs in the owerwirds (as Rhapsody of Fire aften daes), but it is mair common tae hae muckle, ruisin owerwirds athoot queirs. Gey few pouer metal singers doubles as instrumentalists, but the setup isna unkent.

Guitar

Pouer metal guitarists for ordinar plays fast streams o notes, but chynges chords comparatively slaw, ance per meisur or slawer. Lead guitar lines is aften gey melodic an technically demaundin, an is aften hairmonised, aither wi keybuirds or a seicont guitar pairt. Solos is awmaist aye gey fast an demaundin, wi tappin bein common (Herman Li o DragonForce an Jani Liimatainen o Sonata Arctica is guid exemplars o pouer metal guitarists in terms o technique). Pouer metal tends tae uise guitar as a melodic, raither nor a rhythmic instrument.

Bass Guitar

Maist bass in pouer metal is fast, ruit-note playin, tho some bassists is mair melodic nor that. Gin Manowar is bein coontit as pouer metal raither nor heavy metal than thair bassist Joey DeMaio is likely the maist weel kent bassist in the genre.

Keybuirds

Mony pouer metal baunds haes taen keybuirds intae thair arrangements - the usin o thaim varies frae suttle accentin an ootlinin o chords (Kamelot uises keybuirds lik that) tae mair orchestral, melodic lines (sic as Luca Turilli an Rhapsody of Fire). Some baunds that cry thaimsels Symphonic Pouer Metal sic as Nightwish haes been kent tae uise fou orchestras whan recordin mair symphonic elements, tho thay will tend tae replicate thir elements on keybuirds whan playin live.

Drums

A wheen o pouer metal drummers uises twa bass drums for mair speed, meanin thay can play a constant stream o saxteenth notes (semiquavers) wi snare drum accents on the beats. This style is quite common in pouer metal as in ither heavy metal genres, tho it isna uised bi aw drummers bi ony means. Blast beat drummin is gey common an aw.

Leerical Themes

Mony teepical metal themes sic as anti-Christianity an poleetical issues isna common in pouer metal, but thay arna unkent (eg. Stratovarius aften scrieve anent a warld view based on Marxism). The stereotype o pouer metal leerics is that thay are aw anent fantasy an meethology, an tho that is a raither braid generalisation, it is true tae some extent. Mony baunds sic as Rhapsody of Fire sings exclusively anent fantasy relatit topics, while some sic as Manowar daes sae as weel as singin anent metal cultur. Raither mair rare is baunds sic as Sonata Arctica that aften sings anent mair general topics sic as luve. Some baunds taks a focus o a parteecular kynd o history, aften in concept albums - e.g. Iced Earth's The Glorious Burden is anent American history.

Variations

American/Classic Pouer Metal

American pour metal emerged in the 1980s as an affshuit o heavy metal an speed metal. For ordinar it is fast, strauchtforrit an somewhit heavy an aggressive, but wi a distinct epic "fecthin" feel. Keybuirds dinna tak a lead role in this kynd o metal at aw, wi the focus bein mainly on vocals an riffs. The muisic is gey seemilar tae its influences, but cleckit the term pouer metal an wis important in inspirin the later melodic pouer metal muivement. Europe haes its ain baunds plyin a gey seemilar style sic as Grave Digger. The maist weel kent baund o this genre is wioot a dout Manowar.

European/Melodic Pouer Metal

This style emergit in the 1980s wi Germany's Helloween an Finland's Stratovarius wi a strang focus on melody an positive, upliftin themes. This kynd o pouer metal haes mair in the wey o keybuirds an neo-classical guitar solos. The leerics o this brainch o pouer metal is for ordinar anent hie fantasy. HammerFall an Blind Guardian is amang the leadin baunds in this genre.

Extreme Pouer Metal

This is a mixtur-maxter o the (for orndinar hie pitched) harsk vocals (or mixed clean an harsk vocals)) an aggressive feel o melodic deid metal wi the melodies an keybuirds o pouer metal. This genre is heivily based in Finland. It is distinct frae melodic deid metal bi its heivy uiss o keybuirds an neo-clessical influenced guitar. Children of Bodom's earlier wark coud be cried Extreme Pouer Metal, as coud the wark o Norther an DragonForce.

Fowk Pouer Metal

As the name suggeests, this is a mixtur-maxter o fowk music an pouer metal, owerlappin wi the braider fowk metal genre. The fowk elements is teepically uised for tae mak a Medieval feel, as in fowk metal. Falconer an Elvenking is aften pitten intae this genre.

Prog Pouer Metal

Pouer metal that's influenced bi clessic progressive rock an metal baunds sic as Rush an Dream Theater. It featurs a mair complex an varied approach tae sang-writin nor tradeetional pouer metal.

Seemphonic Pouer Metal

This refers tae pouer metal baunds that maks uiss o intruments for ordinar foond in clessical muisic or that imiates thir instuments wi synthesisers. Thir elements is mair aften uised as key pairts o the muisic nor is common in ither kynds o pouer metal. Nightwish an Rhapsody of Fire is guid exemplars o that genre.

Thrash Pouer Metal

This is clearly pouer metal wi influence frae thrash metal. The hie, clean vocals an melodies o pouer metal tends tae be retained, but aften wi the aggressive riffs, some shootit vocals an leerical themes taen frae thrash metal. Iced Earth is aiblins the best exemplar o Thrash Pouer Metal.