Post Reply - Power Metal Appreciation

The Keeper of the Seven Keys albums by Helloween and definitely sound advice. Gambling With the Devil by Helloween as well.
No Helloween mention should go without one for Gamma Ray as well, who have also made several masterpieces including Land of the Free, Somewhere Out in Space and No World Order.

Sticking to related bands, Iron Savior also features Kai Hansen for a time. Kai is regarded as the godfather of power metal. That said, I like the band's most recent, The Landing, the most.

Blind Guardian as well, especially the albums Tales From The Twilight World, Somewhere Far Beyond, and Imaginations From the Other Side. 

Wuthering Heights if you like your power metal progressive and mixed with folk. Far From the Madding Crowd is I think their best album, not to mention one of my favourite albums of all time.

Rebellion mixed heavy and power metal and have a more aggressive sound than most power metal bands. Start with anything but the debut, although I recommend Miklagard the most.

The above spawned from Grave Digger, a band with a similar style. Not as well versed in these guys yet though so no particular album recommendations. Maybe Tunes of War...

Iced Earth combine US Power, trad, and thrash metal. Recommend Night of the Stormrider, Horror Show and Dystopia.

Nightmare from France, also combine trad and power. Start with Genetic Disorder for a more pure power metal experience or The Dominion Gate for their more progressive take on the genre.

Seven Kingdoms (I posted them earlier in this thread) are a bit of an ever-changing beast. You could tag their first album as a cambo of power, thrash and death metal, their second as power and thrash and their most recent as just power. Start with the most recent. All are killer albums but this one is the most focused.

Pharaoh are a USPM act. Start with The Longest Night.

Kamelot are another one of the big guns of power metal. Arguably they lost their way from the genre a couple of albums ago, but their new one puts them back on track. Recommended: The Fourth Legacy, Epica, The Black Halo

Avantasia are a metal opera project. Start with the first album, The Metal Opera.

It shames me to say I'm nowhere near as familiar with them as I should be, but Falconer. Chapters From a Vale Forlorn is a masterpiece.

Ancient Bards are symphonic power metal, and one of the best ones IMO. Think Rhapsody of Fire but with female vocals and 1000x better. Start with Soulless Child for musical quality, although their two albums follow on as a concept so maybe start with the debut instead.

Kiuas I think have one of the most unique power metal sounds going for them. I like Reformation the most.

Decent start I think. 