“Supremely awesome or outrageously cheesy?” Yes

MANOWAR, no other band can make you feel like your a Knight of the Roundtable just because you listen to METAL.

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow could also be a precursor to power metal. Blackmore's incredibly technical guitar playing, Dio's powerful voice and fantasy-themed lyrics, use of keyboard effects and orchestration, etc.

US Power Metal: Manowar Euro Power Metal: Helloween Ridiculous Power Metal Pants: Bruce Dickinson

Rainbow: A light in the black and Kill the king.

It all started with Rainbow's Rising, especially Stargazer

One rarely mentioned band is Riot. While they could only be considered to be a power metal band after their reunion in the late 80's, their first album gave us Warrior, which might very well be one of the first power metal songs (along with Rainbow's Kill the King). They were the U.S. counterpart to the NWOBHM.

I really got into Power Metal back in the early 90's because I could not get into the Grunge music scene at all. I was a young teenager at the time , and I was looking for Heavy Metal bands that I never listened to before old and new . Throughout all the 90's I got into bands like Helloween, Gamma Ray, Iron Savior, Hammerfall, Primal Fear, Iced Earth, Stratovarius, Blind Guardian, and many others. I had to special order from Heavy Metal magazines for most of these bands albums because they were not available here in the states at the time. I had to dig deeper than ever before for Heavy Metal bands back then, and I had a blast doing it. I still love listening to Power Metal to this day. In my opinion Helloween are the Godfather's of Power Metal, and Kai Hansen is the Godfather. He made both Helloween and Gamma Ray very special bands.

Power metal is easily my favorite subgenre! Bands like Falconer, Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray, Gloryhammer, and Hammerfall... incredible.

A direct line can be drawn between Deep Purple and so many bands of today. ▪︎ Bruce Dickinson specifically calls Ian Gillan a massive influence. ▪︎ Ritchie Blackmore got Dio off the ground with Rainbow. ▪︎ Gillan sang with Sabbath for a time. ▪︎ David Coverdale went on to form Whitesnake. ▪︎ etc...

Helloween. From speed metal to power metal, term invented when speed turned more melodic.

Manilla road’s crystal logic and manowar’s battle hymns come to mind for me when I think early power metal

Thanks for mentioning Warlord and Fates Warning. They don't get enough appreciation.

Definitely Helloween was the first band in mixing speed metal with all of this previous influence of Dio, Rainbow and Iron maiden, and they founded the stereotype of what we all now know as power metal.

Why is it that every time power metal is mentioned in the US, they have to talk about how much it's disliked here or how weird it can be. Not all the bands are like that!

I have been a metalhead for a pretty long time now but never really got into power metal until this month.. thanks Loudwire

Uriah Heep definitely was an influence. Listen to something like Bird of Prey and you can hear it.

1976 - Rainbow Rising

Thank you for giving so much screen time to Hansi and John. The more people that learn to know and love Demons & Wizards (and by extension Blind Guardian and Iced Earth), the better off we'll all be. 🤘

No mention of savatage HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING one of the best power metal albums out there

I think of Stratovarius, blind guardian and Gamma Ray when I hear power metal.

as far as I know Helloween is the pioneer of Power Metal in the mid 80's and at the name still not "power metal" but Speed Metal genre, I don't know when the term "power metal" introduced but I am a big fan of Helloween since early 90's

Crimson Glory is a US power metal band a lot of people haven’t heard of. Check out their debut, it’s one of the best metal albums of the 80s

Though I like some other subgenres of metal, Power Metal is my most favorite sub-genre of metal (alongside Traditional/Heavy Metal). I like their themes, musicianship, power, energy, majesty and the things that transport me to a different. Yeah, I'm a geek and I like anime too. I like Europe and Japan; fantasy, sci-fi, history, mythology, just various themes that interest me.

The codpiece to end all codpieces: Blackie Lawless, WASP, the codpiece with a circular saw blade mounted on to fit the contour. None better.

Dio's era Rainbow started it all. End of discussion.

Don't let Steve Harris hear you say that Iron Maiden had an element of punk.

Don’t let Steve Harris hear you use the word “punk” in the same sentence as Iron Maiden. Hehe.

It was Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin that birthed it and Rainbow, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Malmsteen, and Manowar who further forged it.

I'd say Rainbow is the Progenitor of Power Metal, then I'd argue that Manowar was responsible for modernizing that sound.

Deep purple, Highway star. End of the conversation.

Pretty Maids Future World was a GREAT Power Metal song!

The earliest song I can think of that can be labeled as power metal is Queen's Ogre Battle from 1974.

this may sound weird but Hansi actually speaks as he sings... his voice seems the same

I still consider Warrior by Riot (1977) to be the first proper power metal song.

Rainbow - Rising

Helloween pioneered it, but Manowar definitely plays a huge role. Thanks for making this vid, power metal is my favorite! Rock on!

" Let each note I know play Act as a Black Arrow thru the hearts of those who play false metal."...

Metal in general is corny and cheesy...that's why I love it so much...from power metal to extreme death metal. It is just about having fun, blow up some ears and enjoy with friends.

So happy that Fates Warning got a mention, always the forgotten Masters of Prog

Would you make an episode about norwegian metal ?That would be interesting .

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Savatage didn't even get an honorable mention

Rainbow had the idea, but Helloween really formed the sound of power metal.

Uli Jon Roth contributed with his Electric Sun and more

Stargazer and A light in the black were the first two power metal songs. Case closed

Great video Loudwire, More stuff like this please.

I think the Scorpions and UFO should be included with the likes of Deep Purple and Uriah Heep.

RAINBOW!🌈

"They did all that, but all on speed basically"

The fact the first Hammerfall album came out at the height of the NuMetal scene has to give them a special place of honor for carrying the torch through the dark times LOL.

I’ll say classic rock albums like Queen II, Uriah Heep - Demons & Wizards, Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell, Deep Purple - In Rock & ofc. Rainbow’s Dio albums were defining the power metal genre before it was really a thing. Kudos, great video!

one of the first power metal bands I got into besides Manowar and Helloween, was Omen. It was like Iron Maiden meets speedmetal. The vocals takes some getting used to but the music make you want to pick up a sword and join the battle. lol

My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son. Husband to a murdered wife. And I invented power metal! 🗡😎🤘

I thought it was cool to hear Hansi talk about the element of cheesiness and that it’s all good as long as it’s done with sincerity. Sums up my feeling exactly

Stargazer, Gates of Babylon and Kill the King - First Power Metal Songs. Rainbow - Grandfather of Power Metal. Manowar - Battle Hymns finished what Rainbow started and after that Helloween put AOR melodies on that creating Melodic Power Metal during Keeper I & II era. Back in the day, Overkill was called Power/Speed before turn into Thrash and Groove in the 90s, Grave Digger was called Power/Speed before turn into Epic Heavy Metal in the 90s.

When I think about the origin of American Power metal, the first bands that come to mind are Armored Saint and Vicious Rumors. Probably more than (early) Manowar.

Funny to see Jon Schaffer in this video, I think it is going to be a very long time, until anyone will be interested in his opinion towards metal again!

I found Walls of Jericho on cassette in 1988 (right when I was really diving into thrash/speed metal from earlier AC/DC rock) and I can say it utterly blew my mind. Nothing else sounded like it before or after. And of course, a couple months later I found Keeper II and the more refined power metal sound (still mostly referred to as speed metal back then). To me, Keeper I & II are the defining moment of crystalizing all the earlier influences into what is commonly known as power metal now.

Rainbow, especially Rising!

don't forget Queensryche, Tate's singing influenced Kiske, 1980s Queensryche set the example for US power metal

Who's idea was it to include Tom Morello and Halestorm in a history of power metal video? 😅

Loved this episode!

I think Dio with rainbow invented power metal (song: kill the king straight up power metal)

Rainbow were the first power metal band. When Ritchie Blackmore and Ronnie James Dio got together, a genre was born.

If you like power metal, check out the Canadian Power Metal band UNLEASH THE ARCHERS. They're awesome!

Everyone knows deep purple did it in 1972 with highway star

I'd say Deep Purple/Rainbow and then Priest and Maiden.

Anyone fans of Dark Moor? They are really underrated

I loved to hear Uriah Heep mentioned! This is an awesome video.

Battle Hymns. Right up there with Ace of Spades and Permanent Waves. Love it!

Can you do the same video, but do it for DOOM metal?? Electric wizard, witch, Windhand???

I've seen Uriah Heep live, it was a great experience!

4:00 damn bro settle down...

Ronnie James DIO with Rainbow and Sabbath. Then Priest with Maiden. Then Manowar and Helloween.

I am happy that Warlord were mentioned from the American scene and the fact that an accent was put specifically on Helloween’s “Walls of Jericho”

How can you talk about "European Power Metal" and don't mention Scorpions and Accept. Fast as a Shark, Metal Heart, Virgin Killer and Sails of Charon are all classics. Running Wild broke out alongside Helloween also.

I'd say that first Rainbow album started it. Manowar perfected it.

Thanks for making

Love that shout-out to Brothers of Metal by a Manowar founder! I just wish Manowar's album Gods of War was on Spotify.

Can you make an episode dedicated to doom metal?

RAINBOW. Period

Yeah, it fully arrived with Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1. I bought that in 1988., It blew me away.

Holy shit! Sean Peck! Always cool to see him

I've never seen Manowar as a Power Metal band. Pure Heavy Metal for me. Helloween can be deemed to be the first Power Metal band.

Manowar and Helloween were my two fav bands going back to 8th grade in 1991, when fans had nothing other than Headbanger's Ball and a smattering of metal mags (Metal Edge, RIP) to look for anything about your band. And both of those bands were at that time nowhere to be found stateside. Not on TV. Not in magazines. Nothing. Helloween was mired in record label contract hell. And Manowar went into a 4-year hibernation prior to Triumph's release in late 1992. It was such a great time to be into metal, but it was a terrible time to be into those 2 bands. You wanted to see them on MTV and you wanted to see them in the mags, but nope, not in America. A friend of mine who had cable TV recorded Headbanger's Ball episodes for me and by chance on Halloween of 1992 Ricky Rachtman played Helloween's 1987 music video for Halloween. What a surprise! And as for Manowar, write a few letters to the "fan club" and you'd get some shoddy newsletter (a Xerox copy of a one-page memo basically) and eventually a cheap VHS copy of the Gloves of Metal music video. NOW....everything is on KZfaq. Nothing is a mystery. Previously unknown bands are splayed out like headliners. People are so spoiled. It's all at their fingertips. For all you can find on the internet, living in 1991 was like living in a bunker!

I'd never heard the term "power metal" before, but I love all these bands you're talking about, so I guess I love power metal.

dude i love your energy, puts a smile on my face and makes me laugh

It was Helloween with Walls of Jericho. That was their first , not keeper.

Maybe Thin Lizzy ? As an inspiration, maybe ?

Bands I miss in the video: Exciter and Rage. You can't talk about power metal origins without them

Short Answer : Rainbow. They are the foundation that all the other bands expanded on and built upon, but all the ingredients are there. Listen to the Kill The King, if that's not power metal ore, then nothing is.

Like it or not Helloween with Walls of Jericho are the first real Power Metal band. RIP Ingo...

Rainbow Rising is power metal

Mr. Ritchie Blackmore..

Dio and Rainbow definitely

And for those of you who say it's cheesy, I ask of you, why is one form of media acceptable for these themes (films and tv), but not another (music)? It seems strange to me people will gladly watch Game of Thrones, or the Conan movies, but won't listen to music with these themes? A true metalhead won't care about what's cool, and will get into whatever subject interests him or her without regards of the "norms" of society. I proudly state I listen to power metal and thrash metal and I dig fantasy and Star Trek (oh the horror), and I even got into D&D when I was younger. Fuck those who say it ain't cool. I don't care what society thinks. edit: typo

RITCHIE BLACKMORE was the man!

Nice that Manowar gets some credd! Extremly underrated band concidering their legacy. 1. Major part in the creation of Power Metal 2. Eric Adams, easily one of the best singers in metal. 3. First 6 Albums are a all very very strong, most metal bands rarely make more then 3 strong albums.

Amazing work, guys. Like q heavy metal mini doc.