Any Metal Bands To Recommend?

I'm pretty new to metal (Iron Maiden being the first metal band I've really gotten into). My question is this; well known or less known, what are some metal bands that you would recommend? (side note: I'm not a fan of black or death metal)
 
You'll probably get loads of recommendations, so I'll just say one: Iced Earth.  They're a Maiden-influenced American power metal band which a lot of regulars here enjoy.  A few samples:

Dante's Inferno (16-minute Maiden-style epic): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsVdau231RQ

High Water Mark (part three of a trilogy telling the story of the Battle of Gettysburg): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh6M4jBd1O8

Dracula: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj5JSYiNrcc

Ten Thousand Strong: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyU3rhBfdoo

Pure Evil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l26XO7o2Sc

A Question of Heaven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPiW82Lxcvo

Or just try the live album Alive in Athens, one of the best live albums I know.
 
Invader said:
Or just try the live album Alive in Athens, one of the best live albums I know.

This.

Also, I would highly recommend refining a direction for your taste. Dabble in some death metal, some power metal, some classic metal, see which you like more.

Personally? I recommend anything with Dio: Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio, and Heaven and Hell.
 
Iced Earth - Everything has been said.
Dio (+ Dio-era Black Sabbath) - Ronnie James Dio (RIP) is one of the greatest figures in heavy metal history.
Helloween - There is a very broad Maiden/Helloween fan overlap. Personally, I have little use for them, but I am certainly and definitely in the minority. If you like them, check out the related bands, Gamma Ray and Iron Savior.
Blind Guardian - In case you are into fantasy, Blind Guardian is the thing for you. I am not into fantasy, but I still enjoy them very much. With their latter albums, they got rather "technical", as opposed to their very speed oriented early years and their very bombast ways in the mid-nineties.
Metallica - Almost a no-brainer, but their early to mid-eighties albums are quite close to Maiden when it comes to compositions and musical vision.
Megadeth - Similar to Metallica, but their early nineties and post-2001 work will certainly appeal to any Maiden fan, I guarantee it.
Running Wild - More on the "power" side of things (whatever that may mean), and very much bombast-oriented, but their late eighties and early nineties work is as close to Maiden as anything of that time will ever be.
Judas Priest - Again, a no-brainer, but look beyond their clichéd image of the "quintessential" heavy metal band and explore their depths.
Saxon - I personally think they got very boring and repetitive with their post-Crusader albums (the only essential song on that album being the title track), but their first few albums will tell you a lot about where Maiden came from.
Angel Witch - Their eponymous debut is an essential heavy metal album. This was what Maiden had to put up with in their early days.
Grave Digger - I have figured that this band is all about the choruses and has little substance otherwise. The choruses are great, with an exceptional sense of melody, but for everything else, the singer's German accent may put you off.
Accept - A matter of taste. They are something of a cross breed between the Scorpions and AC/DC.
Sabaton - A fairly young band that takes a lot of inspiration from the East End gang, but be warned - they are rather cheesy.
Annihilator - Dubbed a "technical" thrash metal band, you can tell they are very heavily influenced by Maiden.
W.A.S.P. - If you have a thing for eighties cheese, this might be the band for you. Even if not, they have a very unique sound that is however very "heavy metal" in the eighties sense, and instantly recognisable.
Queensryche - The originators of progressive metal, though I just can't see why. I always felt "progressive metal" is overlong and boring musical wankery, while the 'Ryche are exciting and catchy. Definitely a must, especially for their masterpiece, "Operation: Mindcrime".
Manowar - Don't let people who say they are stupid and ridiculous put you off. Musically, this band was brilliant during the eighties, even if you have to put your mind off their lyrics here and there. If you like Maiden at their more epic, you may enjoy them too. I certainly do.

This should keep you occupied for some time. ;)
 
Agree re Alive in Athens.  Love it.  Get the 3-disc version, not the 2-disc version, as both are available. 

LooseCannon said:
Personally? I recommend anything with Dio: Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio, and Heaven and Hell.
As do I.  Specifically, first check out Holy Diver by Dio; Heaven & Hell and Mob Rules by Black Sabbath; and Catch the Rainbow-Anthology by Rainbow ( specifically, disc 1 of 2). 

If you like that, I recommend Blind Guardian.  They go a little overboard on the fantasy themes originally pioneered by Dio, but their melodies and musicianship are matched only by Maiden and Dio-era Sabbath.  For a first listen, I suggest their Live album, or the studio albums Nightfall In Middle Earth or Imaginations From the Other Side.   

Also try Sabbath's Paranoid album, with Ozzy on vocals -- the most influential metal album ever; Rush's Moving Pictures; Screaming for Vengeance by Judas Priest; and Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets by Metallica. 

EDIT:  Perun's list beat mine to the punch, and it is more in-depth, though he adds a few I wouldn't necessarily recommend.  Think of my list as more of a "starter kit" for you to explore, and Perun's list as a more advanced curriculum if you decide you are a full-fledged metalhead.  One noteworthy omission from his list and mine is Opeth.  I note you don't like death metal or black metal.  Neither do I.  But I still like Opeth, which regrettably does have too many growling vocals, though its frontman also has a very nice singing voice, and their music ranges from virtuoso to gorgeous, so you may want to check them out, notwithstanding your stated preference.  I'd recommend them over WASP or Manowar, for example. 

While I'm thinking about it, you should also consider AC/DC's Back in Black, Guns N Roses' Appetite for Destruction, and Motorhead's Ace of Spades.     
 
Dante's Inferno is one of the best songs ever.
My main two recommendations would be Judas Priest and Dio.  For JP I'd start off with their far superior 70's stuff (Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, Hell Bent for Leather) then the weak 80's period (exception of Screaming for Vengeance).  For Dio the three Sabbath albums are all essential, as are his first four solo efforts and Rising and Long Live Rock N' Roll from Rainbow. Heres a few songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_ZsERw4pWo Tyrant by JP.  Definetely one of their best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_mpt8xyZVI Dissident Aggressor also by JP.  Slayer covered it and couldn't really add much more heaviness wise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3ZfrCPKEqM Kill the King by Rainbow.  Power metal would be nowhere without this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcmiloYCF9k My pick for best Sabbath song.  Just listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DMQpg-GhDY Best thing Dio ever recorded IMHO.
 
You might also want to try Bruce's and Blaze's solo careers, I don't think anyone mentioned them yet.  Rather consistent, and at times even surpass the material Maiden put out at the same time.

Oh, and two that haven't been mentioned: Gamma Ray and Anthrax.  Try the albums Land of the Free and Among the Living.
 
cornfedhick said:
While I'm thinking about it, you should also consider AC/DC's Back in Black, Guns N Roses' Appetite for Destruction, and Motorhead's Ace of Spades.     

These albums, plus a host of Black Sabbath ones, are what got me into metal so I'll second the recommendation.
 
Also, some more epics from Iced Earth:

The Devil To Pay - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=404MncCPR2I

Slave To The Dark - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r00Rvf2H6jY

More 'Ryche??? OK!!!

I Don't Believe In Love - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY_zAR71AqA&ob=av2e

Suite Sister Mary (Their Ten Minute Epic) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG3qgH_3E_k

The Mission - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaIXEyGcQXE

My personal favorites from my best non-Maiden band:

Street Of Dreams (best non-Dio song) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh8Ic6MbtoU

Stargazer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHl_SLD2nlQ

Tarot Woman (keyboard shines on this one!) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkanocYiQ1Q
 
I haven't looked at all the bands yet, but the ones I have looked at are extremely good. The top ones so far are Blind Guardian, Astral Doors, and Dio.
 
I'd recommend the following of the better known groups :-

'The White Album' - Diamond Head : you must get hold of this. I personally think it's a more rounded and certainly better produced album than Maiden's first.
'Among The Living' - Anthrax : tuneful thrash and thankfully without any of the pitiful growling vocals that can be heard on most death/extreme metal tracks.
'Ride The Lightning' - Metallica : just get it. Pisses all over the recent output.
'Deep Purple In Rock' - Deep Purple : simply legendary proto metal.
'My Universe' - Gillan : Gillan rocks out. Classy metal.

And some less known albums/bands from the early 70s that I would suggest you take a look at :-

'Jerusalem' - Jerusalem : Ian Gillan produced this proto NWOBHM effort. Very raw.
'Bang' - Bang : more early proto-metal from American Sabbathalikes. Would have to download as CDs are quite rare.
'Kingdom Come' - Sir Lord Baltimore : wild and heavy fuzz metal from NYC.
'Exploration' - Possessed : an acquired taste but think it's worth a look.
'Tear Gas' - Tear Gas : this is the band Alex Harvey nabbed to then become the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Some very heavy tracks on this album and possibly better than anything SAHB ever released.
 
Here are some of my favorites:
Dream Theater
Blind Guardian
Queensryche-everything through Promised Land
Metallica-First 5 and DM
Slayer
AC/DC
Pantera
Helloween
Megadeth
Cellador
Dragonforce
HIM
Nirvana
Nine Inch Nails
Dimmu Borgir
Mushroomhead
Suicidal Tendencies
Ozzy/Dio/Sabbath
Avenged Sevenfold
Iced Earth
Uriah Heep
Devil Driver
Hawthorne Heights
Linkin Park
Testament
Endrone
Sonata Arctica
Stratovarious
As I Lay Dying
Anthrax
In Flames
Candlemass
Type O Negative
Evanescence
Lacuna Coil
Five Finger Death Punch
Gojira
Judas Priest
MC5
Ministry
Nightwish
Pearl Jam
Scorpions
System Of A Down/Serj Tankian
Skid Row/Sebastian Bach
Steve Vai
Guns N Roses
Styx
Symphony X
Tool
Alice Cooper
The Who
Wildestarr
Alice In Chains
Grand Funk Railroad
Foreigner
Def Leppard
Motley Crue
Van Halen
Deep Purple
Led Zeppelin
Godsmack
Rob/White Zombie
 
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