Sub-genre
US Power Metal
US Power Metal is a metal sub-genre, formative in the mid 1980s. TheMetalNet maps 8 bands and 38 albums under it.
Explore the US Power Metal galaxyWhat it is
US power metal is the American take on power metal — grittier, heavier, and more riff-focused than its melodic European cousin, with a strong thrash and NWOBHM influence. It sprang up after the NWOBHM in the early-to-mid 1980s, as bands like Manowar, Jag Panzer, and later Iced Earth sped up traditional metal, piled on solos, and pushed vocals to soaring, often operatic highs. Lyrics favor war, fantasy, mythology, and heroic struggle. It is triumphant, muscular, and epic.
Facts
- Level
- Sub-genre
- Parent genre
- Heavy Metal
- Formative era
- mid 1980s
- Bands
- 8
- Albums
- 38
- Formation span
- 1979 to 2021
Bands
Where it is played
Bands formed by decade
| Decade | Bands formed |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 1 |
| 1980s | 4 |
| 2000s | 1 |
| 2020s | 2 |