. Speed metal really was the beginning of power metal in America. These metal music bands were on the way to create a brand new subgenre of music. With more harmonies and less distortion, this opened the door for others to try.

Different Factors of Power Metal

Most vocals include clean and growling. Usually there are some growls or screams in power metal that you would also find in black metal or death metal. The vocals are what really identifies power metal. There are some vocalists that have made a bigger stand than others. Artists like Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Ronnie James Dio (Dio) and Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) create the sound of power metal. Other bands started to explore more options within their singing. Singers like Michele Luppi (Vision Divine), Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween) and Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius) expanded this style.

You will find numerous bands that sing about mythology and fantasy in power metal. But there will always be bands to sing about religion and politics. Even with the religion and politics in their music, they still would put a fictional twist to them. Artists like Symphony X, Hammer Fall, 3 Inches of Blood and DragonForce. Lost Horizon, Gamma Ray and Helloween sang a lot about positive situations. Artists like Iced Earth, Sabaton, Firewind and Manowar sang with a dark outlook on their lyrics.

Type of Instruments for Power Metal

Like most band power metal is no different, they will use guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. With slower chord progressions in their music, power metal still has high harmonic tempos. Just about all power metal songs you will find a fast guitar solo in the mix. With a bass electric guitar striking some notes that are usually lost in the guitars.

Drummers will use a dual bass drums or double bass pedal on their kits in Power Metal. Double bass is a very common trait for metal music. You'll hear the double bass running or quick beats in between other elements. This style is no different than other type of heavy metal.

There has been some incorporation of keyboards in metal music. Bands like Rhapsody of Fire and Nightwish used keyboards to insert symphonic elements in their music. Most keyboards are used for accents in metal music, but you will find more and more who have melodies overlaying the harmony of the music.

What Else Lines within Power Metal

In the early 1990s, American started to try out Power Metal. It was something they grew through the branches of heavy metal, thrash metal and speed metal. If you compare American power metal with European power metal, you will discover a similar taste but faster in America. American power metal had higher vocal singing and heavier distortion in their music. Manowar, Savatage and Iced Earth are some of the most popular American Power Metal Bands.

You will discover more melodic metal in European countries. Folk metal is a very well-liked in European countries and have been a huge part of influence in metal music. Clean vocals and less distortion in their music is a more European type of power metal. But even with the change of metal music, power metal remains one of the most popular metal genres for the European community. Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius and Helloween are some of the most popular European metal bands.