Introduction to Power Metal, Part I: Origins and Influences

by Johan Pettersson on March 23, 2018

(Join DMU Legend Johan Pettersson for what may be the most expansive analysis of power metal ever presented in the first of a 3 part series.  Listen to the accompanying suggested listening here)

Of all the subgenres and styles that fall within the metal spectrum (hence excluding unmitigated relapses into rock such as death’n’roll, stoner, nu- and indie metal), power metal most definitely counts as the one that has received the highest amount of scorn and ridicule from critics, fans and outsiders alike. (more…)

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With New Song, Dimmu Borgir Officially Becomes Nightwish

by Brock Dorsey on February 28, 2018

In an unexpected turn of events, Mortal-Kombat-tier Norwegian opera-metallers Dimmu Borgir have gone full on symphonic power metal in their new song.  Embracing the trending female fronted power/quest metal sound that has replaced metalcore as the newest wave of a strange phenomenon known as “girlfriend metal” (the metal your girlfriend puts on while she’s cleaning the house), Dimmu have essentially robbed the sound of Nightwish, Epica, and Within Temptation while yet retaining the Hollywood-orc vocals of Shagrath.  While moments resembling early Blind Guardian are in fact an improvement over a preceding album that was almost completely devoid of guitars, this is by no means quality power metal nor is it the hybrid of older Dimmu styles that the band has been mouthing off about the past few months.

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Control Denied – The Fragile Art of Existence (1999)

by Johan Pettersson on February 12, 2018

Control Denied was formed in the mid-1990s by late Death-frontman Chuck Schuldiner to cater to his desire to explore more traditional metal stylings.  Schuldiner, however, was still bound to Death’s contract with Nuclear Blast and thus agreed to record one more album under the Death-moniker before concentrating fully on his new band and musical direction.  As a result, songs originally intended for Control Denied were shoe-horned into a death metal context on The Sound of Perseverance (1998) which partly explains the lackluster, two-faced nature of the last and arguably worst Death-album. With contractual entanglements finally sorted out, Control Denied’s debut The Fragile Art of Existence saw the light of day in 1999.
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Dark Horizons: Upcoming Metal for 02/09/2018

by Brock Dorsey on February 7, 2018

As we predicted at the close of last year, a storm of power metal is coming at last and replacing the soon to be dead genre of post-metal.  With beta-male hipsters turning toward retro rehashes of classic metal they are at last abandoning the pretentious nasalings of post metal.  Let us rejoice in the death of post-black metal!

With Fridays becoming the new Tuesdays for metal releases (for reasons unbeknownst), let’s turn our attention to the next meaty drop of 2018 extreme metal.
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Sabaton Shills For World of Tanks

by Daniel Maarat on June 14, 2017

Military history obsessed Swedish power metal and glam rock band Sabaton is now advertising for and having their music featured in the Belarussian massively multiplayer tank shoot-out game World of Tanks according to Blabbermouth. World of Tanks is a Russian free-to-play, usually pay-to-win game that plays like a slightly more realistic, team based version of Battlezone. Players can choose to drive hundreds of tanks from the 20th century with the ones recently added to the game that players usually have to shell out to use being slightly more powerful before being nerfed into mediocrity. The game is most popular in Eastern Europe and East Asia among teenage boys.

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Ereb Altor Premier “En Synd Svart Som” Music Video

by Daniel Maarat on June 14, 2017

Swedish viking themed heavy metal band Ereb Altor premiered a new music video, “En Synd Svart Som” from their upcoming album Ulfven, which comes out July 7th on Hammerheart Records. Ereb Altor of course worship Hammerheart era Bathory but of course more boring with the rhythm section giving hints of being rooted in metalcore. Hopefully the rest of the tracks on Ulfven will have less wailing, less breakdowns, and more riffs. Hopefully the composition will actually progress to something interesting.

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Cromlech & Into Oblivion June 16th Show

by Daniel Maarat on June 10, 2017

Cromlech are playing a show June 16th in Toronto, Canada to celebrate the release of their recent Iron Guard EP. Opening are Into Oblivion (with whom Cromlech share three members) and Traitor. Toronto heavy and power metal fans should check this out.

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