Best ten Classic Heavy/ Power Metal records of each era (besides the "big 6")

karljant

Ancient Mariner
Well, after Thrash Metal it's only fair we do the same for Hard n' Heavy/ Power Metal. The Big 6 that won't be allowed are in this case: Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Metallica. Let's start in 1976 when the NWOBHM started to emerge. Prog Metal bands are also accepted.

1976 to 1980:
AC/DC - High Voltage
AC/DC - Back In Black
Diamond Head - Lightning For The Nations
Motorhead - Overkill
Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Oz
Rainbow - Rising
Rainbow - Long Live Rock N' Roll
Ram Jam - Ram Jam
Rush - Hemispheres

1981 to 1985:
Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory
Dio - The Last In Line
Exciter - Heavy Metal Maniac
Helloween - Walls Of Jericho
Helloween - Helloween
Helloween - Judas
Mercyful Fate - Melissa
Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath
Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman
King Diamond - Fatal Portrait

1986 to 1990:
Blind Guardian - Follow The Blind
Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
Crimson Glory - Transcendence
Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys (Part I)
King Diamond - Conspiracy
King Diamond - The Eye
Ozzy Osbourne - The Ultimate Sin
Sanctuary - Refuge Denied
WASP - The Headless Children
V12 - V12

1991-1995:
Bruce Dickinson - Balls To Picasso
Fight - War Of Words
Gamma Ray - Sigh No More
Helloween - Pink Bubbles Go Ape
King Diamond - A Dangerous Meeting
Manowar - The Triumph Of Steel
Queensryche - Promised Land
Running Wild - The First Years Of Piracy
WASP - The Crimson Idol
Voivod - The Outer Limits

1996 to 2000:
Blind Guardian - Nightfall In The Middle Earth
Bruce Dickinson - The Chemical Wedding
Bruce Dickinson - Accident Of Birth
Candlemass - Dactylis Glomerata
Control Denied - The Fragile Art Of Existence
Devin Townsend - Physicist
Halford - Resurrection
Helloween - Better Than Raw
WASP - KFD
Virgin Steele - The House Of Atreus: Act I

2001 to 2005:
Bruce Dickinson - A Tyranny Of Souls
Dream Theater - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
Dream Theater - Train Of Thought
Halford - Crucible
James La Brie - Elements Of Persuasion
Massacration - Gates Of Metal Fried Chicken Of Death
Motorhead - Inferno
Nevermore - Enemies Of Reality
Probot - Probot
Voivod - Voivod

2006 to 2010:
Blaze - The Man Who Would Not Die
Candlemass - Death Magic Doom
Candlemass - Lucifer Rising
Warrel Dane - Praises To The War Machine
Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
Helloween - Gambling With The Devil
Heaven And Hell - The Devil You Know
Massacration - Good Blood Headbangers
Voivod - Katorz
Voivod - Infini

2011 to today:
Armored Saint - Punching The Sky
Attick Demons - Let's Raise Hell
Candlemass - The Door To Doom
Detonator - Metal Folclore
Manowar - Kings Of Metal MMXIV
Mastodon - The Hunter
Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun
Newsted - Heavy Metal Music
Sanctuary - The Year The Sun Died
Sanctuary - Inception

Well what is your list?
 
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Who are the 6th band?

I will try to write some albums
Can we include Live albums?
It was a typo but I fixed it. Let's say it's Metallica (since much of their post ...And Justice For All stuff fits the Heavy Metal category). And yeah... I think it's more interesting to bring studio albums to the table but if you feel like you like live albums or compilations the best feel free (I myself included 2 re-recordings)
 
1976 to 1980:
Rush - Farewell to Kings
Rush - Hemispheres
Samson - Head On
Midnight Oil - Midnight Oil
White Spirit - White Spirit
Hawkwind - Quark, Strangeness and Charm
Hawklord (Hawkwind) - 25 Years On
Hawkwind - PXR5
Hawkwind - Levitation
Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses

1981 to 1985:
Queensrÿche - Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche - The Warning
Dio - The Last In Line
Helloween - Helloween/Walls Of Jericho/Judas
Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon
Rush - Moving Pictures
Rush - Signals
Rush - Grace Under Pressure
Rush - Power Metal Windows
Magnum - The Eleventh Hour
Kiss - (Music from) The Elder
Virgin Steele - Noble Savage

1986 to 1990:
Blind Guardian - Follow The Blind
Blind Guardian - Tales from the Twilight World
Queensrÿche - Rage for Order
Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys (Part I)
Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys (Part 2)
Running Wild - Port Royal
Running Wild - Death or Glory
ASaP - Silver and Gold
Candlemass - Nightfall
Candlemass - Ancient Dreams
 
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As expected the 80's are crazy stacked when it comes to Hard n' Heavy/ Power metal. I even felt more difficulties regarding the 1986 to 1990 period. Just check the great records left out:

Armored Saint - Raising Fear
Blind Guardian - Battalions Of Fear
Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World
Dio - Dream Evil
Gamma Ray - Heading For Tomorrow
Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Key (Pt II)
Iberia - Heroes Of The Wastelands
King Diamond - Fatal Portrait
King Diamond - Abigail
King Diamond - Them
Joe Satriani - Surfing With The Alien
Motorhead - Orgasmatron
Manowar - Kings Of Metal
Queensryche - Rage For Order
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
Running Wild - Under Jolly Roger
Running Wild - Death Or Glory
Sanctuary - Into The Mirror Black
Warlock - Triumph And Agony
Warlock - Force Majeure
Voivod - Nothingface
 
1976-1980
AC/DC - Dirty deeds done dirt cheap (1976)
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak (1976)
Thin Lizzy - Johnny the Fox (1976)
Rainbow - Rising (1976)
UFO - Lights Out (1977)
Scorpions - Lovedrive (1979)
AC/DC - Highway to Hell (1979)
Motorhead - Overkill (1979)
Thin Lizzy - Black Rose (1980)
Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz (1980)

1981-1985
Michael Schenker- The Michael Schenker Group (1981)
Uriah Heep - Abominog (1982)
Scorpions - Blackout (1982)
Y&T - Black Tiger (1982)
Accept - Restless and Wild (1982)
Gary Moore - Corridors of Power (1982)
AC/DC - Flick of the Switch (1983)
Rainbow - Bent out of Shape (1983)
Def Leppard - Pyromania (1983)
DIO - Holy Diver (1983)

1986 - 1990
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys part 1 (1986)
Queensryche - Rage for Order (1986)
Gary Moore - Wild Frontier (1987)
Manowar - Fighting the World (1987)
Running Wild - Port Royal (1988)
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys part 2 (1988)
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime (1988)
Gary Moore - After the War (1989)
Running Wild - Death or Glory (1989)
Blind Guardian - Tales from the Twilight World (1990)

1991 - 1995
Running Wild - The First Years of Piracy (1991)
Golden Earring - Bloody Bucaneers (1991)
Blind Guardian - Somewhere far Beyond (1992)
WASP - The Crimson Idol (1992)
Running Wild - Pile of Skulls (1992)
Manowar - The Triumph of Steel (1992)
The Almighty - Powertrippin’ (1993)
Bruce Dickinson - Balls to Picasso (1994)
Running Wild - Black Hand Inn (1994)
Cathedral - The Carnival Bizarre (1995)

1996 - 2000
Bruce Dickinson - Skunkworks (1996)
Cathedral - Supernatural Birth Machine (1996)
Motorhead - Overnight Sensation (1996)
Skyclad - Irrational Anthems (1996)
Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth (1997)
Skyclad - The Answer Machine? (1997)
Bruce Dickinson - Chemical Wedding (1998)
Cathedral - Caravan Beyond Redemption (1998)
Skyclad - Vintage Whine (1999)
Motorhead - We are Motorhead (2000)

2001 -2010 *
The Cult - Beyond Good and Evil (2001)
Cathedral - The VII Coming (2002)
Rush - Vapor Trails (2002)
Motorhead - Inferno (2004)
Bruce Dickinson - Tyranny of Souls (2005)
Cathedral - The Garden of Unearthly Delights (2005)
The Cult - Born into this (2007)
Rush - Snakes and Arrows (2007)
Grand Magus - Iron Will (2008)
Motorhead - Motorizer (2008)

* (I choose 10 from this decade because appart from the big 5 and trash metal albums, I digged into another kind of music like progressive rock music from the 70's and 80's, blues and some Jazz)

2011 - today
Opeth - Heritage (2011)
Grand Magus - The Hunt (2012)
Rush - Clockwork Angels (2012)
The Cult - Choice of Weapon (2012)
Motorhead - Aftershock (2013)
Grand Magus - Triumph and Power (2014)
Opeth - Sorceress (2016)
The Cult - Hidden City (2016)
Opeth - In Cauda Venenum (2019)
Grand Magus - Wolf God (2019)

-------------------------------------

LEFTOVERS
Jethro Tull - Songs from the Wood (1977)
Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses (1978)
Jethro Tull - Stormwatch (1979)
AC/DC - Back in Black (1980)
Rush - Permanent Waves (1980)
Saxon - Wheels of Steel (1980)
Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)
Def Leppard - High ’n’ Dry (1981)
Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman (1982)
Saxon - Denim and Leather (1982)
Jethro Tull - The Broadsword and the Beast (1982)
Golden Earring - Cut (1982)
Whitesnake - Saints and Sinners (1982)
Accept - Balls to the Wall (1983)
Motorhead - Another Perfect Day (1983)
ZZ Top - Eliminator (1983)
Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force (1984)
DIO - Last in Line (1984)
Scorpions - Love at First Sting (1984)
Meryful Fate - Don’t Break the Oath (1984)
Accept - Metal Heart (1985)
Rush - Power Windows (1985)
Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King (1987)
Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien (1987)
King Diamond - Abigail (1987)
Def Leppard - Hysteria (1987)
Manowar - Kings of Metal (1988)
WASP - The Headless Children (1989)
The Cult - Sonic Temple (1989)
ASAP - Silver and Gold (1989)
Rush - Presto (1989)
Queensryche - Empire (1990)
Gamma Ray - Heading for Tomorrow (1990)
Steve Vai - Passion and Warfare (1990)
The Cult - Ceremony (1991)
Rush - Roll the Bones (1991)
Joe Satriani - The Extremist (1992)
Motorhead - Bastards (1993)
Skyclad - Prince of Poverty Line (1994)
The Cult - The Cult (1994)
Psycho Motel -State of Mind (1995)
Motorhead - Sacrifice (1995)
Steve Vai - Fire Garden (1996)
Psycho Motel - Welcome to the World (1997)
 
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No love for the latest 2 RW albums of the 1980s? So many good melodies en hooks. Better solos as well. Rolf sings much better. Not having any of the Powerslave or SIT of Running Wild-era in the most favourite 30(!) albums in the 1986-1990..? Sinnah! Sinnaaaaaaaaaaaah!

I'll do post-1990 at some later point.
 
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Really cool picks @The_7th_one. You surely did extended the notion of "hard n' heavy/ power metal" but that's perfectlyok for me. And while doing so you brought up some bands I truly love but didn't include:
  • The Cult might as well be my favorite band so even albums I like the least (Beyond Good And Evil, Hidden City and Ceremony) would've make it to my charts easily. But other than Sonic Temple, Ceremony or Beyond Good And Evil - and with a bit of a stretch Electric (how could you forget this one?) the remainder fall much more into the Rock genres (some wandering through goth, others alternative, retro 70's, psychedelic or even straight up Rn'R). So that's why I didn't feat The Cult on my ranks (otherwise you bet they would be there massively) and kuddos to you for including them.
  • Skyclad's discography up till Folkemon is simply stellar. I was thinking including some of their records too but think they're too deep into the Folk Metal genre. Nevertheless great pick nd although I didn't went as far as you nothing against you stretching the sample.
  • Cathedral is a monster of a band and once again some albums would easily be on my lists. Nevertheless I didn't do so since I see them more like a Doom/ Stoner/ Psychedelic band. You may argue I featured Candlemass but IMO they have that Epic Doom/ Heavy Metal ambiance that's more fitting. But once again nothing against you including Lee Dorrian and the boys. What I'm against is you not including The Ethereal Mirror (how dare you?). :p :)
Great list overall and great contribution. Thanx.
 
It has been very difficult to choose great albums. Yes, you're right, there are bands that they don't fit anywhere but I think it's because they had a unique style, Motorhead they are rock and roll but they are heavier than many heavy bands, you know…
 
No ranking on this one either, just albums in chronological order, I'll just do the 70's which is underrepresented, plus only albums I have

1970 to 76
Very 'eavy Very 'umble
Aqualung
Thick as a Brick
Argus
Montrose
Secret Treaties
Phenomenon
Paper Money
Toys in the Attic
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
Ted Nugent
Alive
Fighting
In Trance

1976 to 1980
Jailbreak
Rocks
High Voltage
Rising
Agents of Fortune
Free for All
Johnny the Fox
Virgin Killer
Let there Be Rock
Cat Scratch Fever
Bad Reputation
Taken by Force
Van Halen
Long Live Rock n Roll
Powerage
Live and Dangerous
Tokyo Tapes
If You Want Blood You've Got It
Strangers in the Night
Overkill
Black Rose
Highway to Hell
Bomber
 
@karljant, are thrash bands off limits for this one since you had a thread specifically for that genre? I was a little confused, since you excluded Metallica but not Megadeth, who have also veered away from thrash to varying degrees. It’s also hard to draw the line between thrash and speed metal at times, since old Helloween was technically speed metal and on your list, and Megadeth called themselves “the state of the art speed metal band” circa SFSGSW, but their old stuff is usually considered thrash.
 
@karljant, are thrash bands off limits for this one since you had a thread specifically for that genre? I was a little confused, since you excluded Metallica but not Megadeth, who have also veered away from thrash to varying degrees. It’s also hard to draw the line between thrash and speed metal at times, since old Helloween was technically speed metal and on your list, and Megadeth called themselves “the state of the art speed metal band” circa SFSGSW, but their old stuff is usually considered thrash.
I think pure Thrash is a bit of a stretch and would overlap the other list (Thrash Metal without the big 4). And sure you can add up Megadeth. I personally think everything they made prior to Countdown is 100% Thrash metal (and would go as far as including The System has Failed, United Abominations and Endgame on that lot). IMO is one hell of stretch but if you think they fit go ahead. It's not like you're trying to push in something 100% awkward here like Reign In Blood or something. :D
 
No love for the latest 2 RW albums of the 1980s? So many good melodies en hooks. Better solos as well. Rolf sings much better. Not having any of the Powerslave or SIT of Running Wild-era in the most favourite 30(!) albums in the 1986-1990..? Sinnah! Sinnaaaaaaaaaaaah!

I'll do post-1990 at some later point.
This was meant for karljant, 7th: you have the correct RW albums from the eighties.
 
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