Blue Öyster Cult is an American rock band formed on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York, in 1967. The band has sold 25 million records worldwide, including 7 million in the United States. The band's fusion of hard rock with psychedelia, and penchant for occult, fantastical and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, had a major influence on heavy metal music. They developed a cult following and, while achieving mainstream hits like "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (1976) and "Burnin' for You" (1981), rarely experienced commercial success. Both songs, and others such as "Godzilla" (1977), remain classic rock radio staples. The band were early adopters of the music video format, and their videos received heavy rotation on MTV in its early period.
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a thick, monumental sound characterized by distorted guitars, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats and loudness.
Edguy is a heavy metal band formed in Fulda, Germany in 1992.
Symphonic metal is a cross-generic style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitars of metal with different elements of orchestral classical music, such as symphonic instruments, choirs and sometimes a full orchestra, or just keyboard orchestration.
Power of the Dragonflame is the fifth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody. It was released on 23 April 2002 by Limb Music. It is the last chapter in the Emerald Sword Saga. In 2017, Loudwire ranked it as the 9th best power metal album of all time.
Rage is a German heavy metal band formed in 1984 by Peter "Peavy" Wagner. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene which emerged in the early to mid-1980s, and have been referred to as one of the country's so-called "big four" of power metal, along with Grave Digger, Helloween and Running Wild.
Enuff Z'Nuff is an American rock band from Blue Island, Illinois, founded by singer Donnie Vie and bassist Chip Z'Nuff. The band charted two times on the US Hot 100; "Fly High Michelle" (#47) and "New Thing" (#67).
Dragonland is a power metal band from Sweden. The group is known for their self-produced The Dragonland Chronicles fantasy saga covering their first, second, and fifth albums, and for the original symphonic/electronic parts by Elias Holmlid.
Enthrone Darkness Triumphant is the third studio album by Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir, released on 30 May 1997 through Nuclear Blast. It was the band's first release through Nuclear Blast. This is the last release to feature keyboardist Stian Aarstad and the first with bassist Nagash.
Praying Mantis are an English heavy metal band. Although a part of the new wave of British heavy metal scene, they pursued a musical direction more melodic and AOR-sounding than their contemporaries Iron Maiden and Saxon (band).
Van Canto is a German a cappella metal band, founded in 2006 and composed of six singers and a drummer. Although the group is often classified as an a cappella ensemble, they use real drums in their music, instead of vocal percussion or beatboxing.
Serenity is an Austrian symphonic power metal band, originally formed back in 2001. They became a more stable group with a consistent line-up in 2004, when it also began using more progressive and power influences than earlier. They have defined their genre with more melodic and symphonic metal elements.
Silent Descent is a British metal band from Dartford, founded in 2004. They mix melodic death metal with melodic trance elements using turntables as well as predominant keyboards.
MyEarthDream is the sixth studio album by the Austrian Symphonic metal band Edenbridge. It is the first album by the band that was recorded with an orchestra, namely the Czech Film Orchestra. The music focuses on b-flat-tuned 7-string guitars and is darker and harder than the band's previous releases.
Secret Sphere is an Italian symphonic power metal band from Alessandria, formed by guitarist Aldo Lonobile in July 1997.
Majestica is a symphonic/power metal band from Boden, Sweden. They were formed in 2000 by vocalist Tommy Johansson. They are influenced by soundtrack focused films such as The Lord of the Rings and bands like Helloween with Michael Kiske, and Rhapsody of Fire.
Pathfinder is a Polish symphonic power metal band. As of 2012, the band has released two full-length albums and collaborated and toured with widely known power metal acts such as Power Quest and Labyrinth. The band’s musical style has been described as consisting of "sweeping keyboard orchestrations, chugging riffs, blinding guitar solos, frantic rhythms, and soaring vocals".
War of Ages is the fourth full-length studio album by Austrian symphonic metal band Serenity. The album was released on March 22, 2013 in Europe and sometime in March or April in North America and Asia, via Napalm Records.
The Bonding is the eighth studio album by the Austrian symphonic metal band Edenbridge. It was released in July 2013 on the SPV label after both singer Sabine Edelsbacher and the band's mastermind "Lanvall" Stockhammer had suffered personal losses. Bassist Wolfgang Rothbauer who formerly played for Disbelief and Zombie Inc. had joined Edenbridge for the recording.
Beyond the Space, Beyond the Time is the debut album by Polish power/heavy metal band Pathfinder. The album was co-produced by the sound engineer Mariusz Pietka and Pathfinder, and was originally released to Asian audiences through Radtone Records on April 14, 2010 and later, worldwide through Sonic Attack Records.
