Riff Of The Week: Power Metal Edition
[*clamps testicles in ill-fitting chain mail*]
“Mis-no-merrrr Meeeeeeeeehtal”
Last week we had a dang ol’ tie between Gorguts and Oranssi Pazuzu for our Non-English Title Edition. As we despise ties here on RotW, I typically award victory to the 3rd placed entry. Of course, it was a fucken draw too. As I’m not a fan of Anaal Nathrakthakaghtkthgathkh I’m giving it to Gorguts anyway. Fite me.
This week we asked for Power Metal riffs.
Here’s what you sent in…
tigeraid
Judicator – ‘Antioch’ (Riff @ 1:00)
I could’ve brought up a classic Iced Earth or Blind Guardian riff but they tend to get beaten to death for this genre, so how about some solid modern American Power Metal? The baseline riff is furious but I like the stuff accompanying the vocals starting at 1:00, which repeats several times throughout.
GoatForest
Falconer – “Field of Sorrow” (Riff @ 0:30)
I don’t usually listen to power metal, but when I do it had better be damn good.
Positronic Brain
Metallica – “Hit the Lights” (Riff @ 1:05)
Listen, I don’t make the rules, and Ron McGovney himself said this was “Power Metal,” so my hands are tied.
McNulty
Unleash the Archers – ‘Apex’ (Riff @ 0:48)
It’s power metal. Get out your steel. Slay posers. Tell people to “Leave the Hall”. This band is great. Riffs like these sound straight outta “Painkiller” and Brittney’s voice is maybe the greatest.
Swamp
Crimson Glory – ‘Where Dragons Rule’ (Riff @ 4:08)
Everybody knows the only good Power Metal is American. Some people might cling to the delusion that Helloween, Blind Guardian, and Gamma Ray are O.K. but we all know those pretenders would a die commoners death at the dragon-shaped bejeweled ren-fair blades of Omen, Crimson Glory, Helstar, ect. Anyway here’s an impossibly majestic outro riff by 5 Tampa dudes wearing chrome phantom of the opera masks.
Howard Deanzig
Liege Lord – “Broken Wasteland” (Riff @ 0:14)
I’ve always dug old school USPM, as it incorporates a good deal of absolutely lights out speed metal riffing. USPM is 1000x superior to its overly sugary European counterpart. Case study: Liege Lord. This band fucks. Insane twin guitar attack tearing off headbangers and a Bruce Dickinson doppelganger on vox. Those of you who say you despise power metal are probably listening to the wrong variety. Get in here and sample this shit.
Iron Goddess of Mercy
Jacobs Dream – “Black Watch” (Riff @ 0:36)
The only power metal I ever owned. I was 13 when this came out and was experimenting. Needless to say, what I found here was not what I was a-lookin’ fer. Going back through it for this week’s contest, though, was not unpleasant. (I didn’t actually make it *all* the way through the album before landing on this little doodle.)
Next week our theme is Video Game Name
What does that mean?
Send in riffs from songs/bands with a video game name or reference in their title
Anyone can enter
Submission details below
