If the preceding nine episodes of filmmaker Sam Dunn’s excellent, eye-popping Metal Evolution: The Series has touched on sub-genres most metal fans have at least a passing acquaintance with, tonight’s segment on the peculiarly European cult of power metal might seem like a blind date by comparison.
Why this strain of the music - with its Tolkien-style themes and imagery and highly ornate sonic landscapes – has survived and thrived without really crossing the pond is among many strands of storytelling you can expect when you tune into MuchMore tonight at 10 pm. Also: why so many guys would be bothered following a form of music that attracts virtually no women.
A trailer of the episode follows the official blurb below.
“On the beer-drenched, muddy fields of Bad Arolsen, Germany, Sam Dunn is surrounded by legions of filth covered, barbarian head-bangers, all boiling with the rage of Thor, and drawn, without a hint of irony, to The Magic Circle, a mammoth three-day power metal festival, hosted by Manowar, on the banks of the mighty Rhine.
“In the tenth episode of Metal Evolution, Sam investigates heavy metal’s most enduring sub-genre, power metal, and asks the questions: ‘Why is power metal so huge in Europe?,’ ‘What are its roots?’ and ‘Why does it still prosper today?’ Klaus Meine of Scorpions helps Sam zero in on power metal’s remarkable connection to the youth of 1960s and ‘70s Germany, kids overwhelmed by an invasion of other cultures due to post-war reconstruction; kids who yearned for a type of music that was distinctly their own.
“Referring back to one of [documentary film] Headbanger’s Journey’s most memorable interviews, Sam revisits his talk with his old elfin friend Ronnie James Dio (RIP), who guides him further into the fantastical lyrical world of power metal, where masculine tales of heroism and epic battles, of dragon-slaying and sorcery, burn deep into the imaginations of young men, giving the sub-genre a distinctly male following. Sam will also dissect the musical foundations of power metal, from the unmistakable influence of German classical composers like Wagner and Liszt to the patented twin-lead guitar attack of power metal architects Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing from Judas Priest.
“Moving forward through the ‘80s and ‘90s, Sam will pursue the proliferation of power metal, both sonically and geographically; from the speed and aggression typified by England’s Iron Maiden to the inventive symphonic arrangements of Sweden’s Hammerfall, Italy’s Rhapsody, and Finland’s Nightwish.
“And finally, Sam will examine the renaissance of power metal in the 21st century, thanks due to British upstarts Dragonforce and their alliance with the video game sensation, Rock Band; a union that is inspiring a new generation of kids to pick up the guitar and master the fret board gymnastics of power metal, in hopes of becoming the next Yngwie Malmsteen.”
Liszt was not a German composer. Liszt was clearly Hungarian. Even his name could not get more Hungarian - Ferenc Liszt. Liszt means "flour" as in the kind you bake with in hungarian.
Liszt was not a German composer. Liszt was clearly Hungarian. Even his name could not get more Hungarian - Ferenc Liszt. Liszt means "flour" as in the kind you bake with in hungarian.
Posted by: Gabriella | 01/20/2012 at 05:20 PM
Helloween, Blind Guardian, Scorpions and Accept das Good!!! You Betcha Power Metal Forever!!!
Posted by: Eric Scott Fairchild | 02/01/2012 at 02:53 PM