In some vague, not entirely accurate order, here is my list of favourite bands as it currently stands, plus a touch (in some cases more than a touch) of info about each!
Note: Apocalyptica & Kamelot are both my equal favourite band
UPDATE: Realized I forgot a very important one! Wintersun! They're now in spot #22.
And I've forgotten another one. Dark Moor, now at #39
- Apocalyptica
- A Finnish band consisting of the most awesome metalhead dudes rocking out on cellos. They put on a fantastic live show and are really incredibly down to earth, awesome guys (whom I've had the privilege of meeting twice).
- Favourite album: nahhh I can't choose one
- Kamelot
- Partly American, partly European, Kamelot's taken the best of both and created some of the best progressive, symphonic & power metal around. Though long-standing singer Roy Khan left the band in 2011, the band found the perfect replacement in Tommy Karevik and I can personally attest to their amazing live performance!
- Favourite album: Epica (2003) + The Black Halo (2005), a double concept album based on the story of Faust
- My blog is named after Track #8 of their Epica album!
- Alter Bridge
- American hard rock, driven by Myles Kennedy's soaring vocals and Tremonti's riffs, Alter Bridge have long been among my favourite bands.
- Favourite album: Blackbird (2007)
- Mercenary
- Melodic death metal from Denmark, Mercenary are probably even less well known than many of the other bands on my list. Their almost power metal style vocals, but heavier instrumentation leave them with quite a unique sound.
- Favourite songs include: Firesoul, Lost Reality, Times Without Change
- Slash
- Of course well known as the curly haired, top hatted guitar legend of Guns n' Roses, Slash's solo stuff -much of which features Myles Kennedy of none other than Alter Bridge- is pretty brilliant. And it's great seeing them live playing songs from Slash's entire back catalogue as well as the newer songs.
- Favourite songs include: 30 Years to Life, Beautiful Dangerous (ft. Fergie), Hard and Fast
- Amorphis
- Back to Finland for some melodic metal, Amorphis commonly use Finnish folklore & mythology to influence their lyrics, and honestly I'm going to stop writing so much about each band or this will take me a year to finish!
- Favourite album: Skyforger (2009)
- Orphaned Land
- Progressive/folk metal from Israel they have a unique Middle Eastern style including songs with lyrics in English, Hebrew and Arabic.
- Favourite album: All is One (2013)
- Orden Ogan
- German Power metal, a recent discovery of mine and I am loving it!
- Favourite album: Ravenhead (2015)
- Blind Guardian
- More German Power metal, but more of a classic. Can't go past a brilliant band with songs about Lord of the Rings (before it was cool/there were movies) and Game of Thrones!
- Favourite songs include: A Voice in the Dark, The Ninth Wave, Fly, Valhalla
- Northern Kings
- A Finnish symphonic power metal super-group says their Wiki page. And what more to be said really? Featuring Marco Hietala (Nightwish, Tarot) & Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica), if you've ever wanted to hear a power metal version of Take On Me, or I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight as a power ballad, this is the perfect band for you!
- Favourite songs include: Kiss From a Rose (originally by Seal), We Don't Need Another Hero (originally Tina Turner)
- Voyager
- A prog/power band from my very own country Australia! Come for the guitar, stay for the keytar? But really they're freaking great guys and put on a killer live show which I have seen 3 times and counting.
- Favourite songs include: The Devil In Me, Lost, The Meaning of I, that great collection of fun cover songs they chuck in the middle of each set they play live -which they do in fact change up every now & then.
- Volbeat
- Hard rock from Denmark. Think Metallica meets a good Western movie.
- Favourite songs include: 16 Dollars, Sad Man's Tongue, Lola Montez, Lonesome Rider
- Masterplan
- Yet another German power metal band. Has had numerous notable members from the German power metal scene including Uli Kusch (Helloween, Gamma Ray) and Jørn Lande
- Favourite songs include: Spirit Never Die, Headbanger's Ballroom, Kisses From You (a tribute song to Queen)
- Ayreon
- Arjen Lucassen's epic prog/power/rock opera project which has included multiple different guest vocalists and musicians from all over including everyone from Bruce Dickinson and Marco Hietala to Jordan Rudess and Michael Romeo... the full list if you're interested.
- Favourite album: The Theory of Everything (2013) which is a 2 disc epic based on the plot of a young prodigy who appears to have severe autism and his father's life's dream of discovering the theory of everything.
- Iron Maiden
- English Heavy metal.. basically the route of all power metal, I don't think much needs to be said here!
- Favourite songs include: Fear of the Dark, The Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills, Ghost of the Navigator... etc. etc.
- Conception
- Progressive metal from Norway, well ahead of their time in the '90s. Featuring Roy Khan (ex-Kamelot) on vocals and Tore Østby (Ark) on guitar
- Favourite album: Parallel Minds (1993)
- Gogol Bordello
- And now for something completely different, Gypsy Punk from America. What can I say? They have some of the most catchy songs I've ever heard!
- Favourite songs include: Start Wearing Purple, Pala Tute, Mishto
- Steel Panther
- Glam metal from the US, parody style. Steel Panther comes with a strong warning of not for the easily offended!
- Favourite songs include: Death to All But Metal, It Won't Suck itself (ft Chad Kroeger of Nickelback), 17 Girls in a Row
- Sonata Arctica
- Finnish power/melodic metal known for their use of keyboard and keytar and Tony Kakko's general epicness
- Favourite album: Days of Grays (2009)
- Disturbed
- Recently back from hiatus, this American hard rock/nu metal band can probably be blamed as one of the first bands that really got me into the heavier side of music.
- Favourite album: Ten Thousand Fists (2005)
- Avenged Sevenfold
- More American hard rock/metal that was one of the earlier bands I got into. Gotta love the deathbat.
- Favourite songs include: Bat Country, Unholy Confessions, Almost Easy
- Wintersun
- A Finnish masterpiece of a band (despite the fact that I've only listened to 1 of their 2 albums) they could be classified as anything from melodic death to progressive folk metal. This music is on another scale of epicness.
- Favourite album: Time I (Easily would make my list of best albums ever -and great to listen straight through for about 40 minutes of bliss)
- Beyond the Bridge
- German Progressive metal. With only one album out to date, this band really surprised me with their unique sound. With both male & female vocals, very melodic music and an almost stage musical quality to it, this concept album quickly became a favourite.
- They only have one album. Just listen to it.
- Arion
- And back to Finland yet again for some Symphonic power metal. Arion are another band with only a single album release, but a fantastic one at that.
- Favourite songs include: Out of the Ashes, Burn Your Ship, I am the Storm
- The Dreadnoughts
- Pirate folk-punk... metal? from Canada, these guys seriously rock. If you're an Alestorm fan or love anything pirate or just want some fun, give them listen! They've done traditional sea shanties as well as original tracks.
- Favourite songs include: Cider Road, A Rambler's Life, Randy Dandy-Oh, Polka Never Dies
- Rhapsody of Fire
- Italian symphonic power metal these guys have been around in various forms since the late 90's as Rhapsody and have split into two similar bands with lineup changes, one known as Rhapsody of Fire the other as Luca Turilli's Rhapsody. They had Christopher Lee as a guest vocalist and narrator!
- Favourite songs include: From Chaos to Eternity, Holy Thunderforce, Magic of the Wizard's Dream
- Hammerfall
- Swedish power metal! Will be seeing these guys live in a few weeks at their first show in Australia and I'm very excited.
- Favourite album: Crimson Thunder (2002)
- Alestorm
- The original Scottish Pirate metallers. Pirates and metal, the perfect match.
- Favourite album: Black Sails at Midnight (2009)
- Toehider
- Australian rock/fun/general weirdness. Their music is very hard to sum up and I haven't even heard it all.
- Favourite songs include: Whoa!, Smash it Out, Oh My God He's an Idiot, I Must Say Yes.
- InLegend
- A German Piano metal band. Yes, metal/hard rock driven by piano instead of guitar. Honestly, took me a while to believe it too!
- Favourite songs include: Envoys of Peace, Empire of Concrete, King of Apathy.
- Crashdïet
- Swedish glam metal, generally a lot of fun.
- Favourite album: Generation Wild (2010)
- Epica
- Symphonic metal from the Netherlands. Elements of progressive, death, gothic and power can be found in their music at some point or another.
- Favourite songs include: Storm the Sorrow, Chasing the Dragon, Sancta Terra.
- Babymetal
- Japanese combination of J-pop & metal. I know they're not everyone's kind of thing, but I really like them! Hope they make their way to Aus at some point.
- Favourite songs include: Megitsune, Gimme Choko!, Headbanger.
- Metallica
- I'm fairly everyone already knows this American classic.. I mean do I really need any explanation here?
- Favourite songs include: Fight Fire with Fire, Master of Puppets, One, Seek and Destroy, All Nightmare Long, the Unforgiven (trilogy), and so many more...
- Dream Theater
- One of the most well known Prog metal bands, Americans Dream Theater honestly deserve it. Okay so some of their songs are a bit long for my taste, but damn I appreciate the ridiculous amount talent in this band
- Favourite songs include: The Count of Tuscany, Build Me Up Break Me Down, These Walls, As I Am
- Nightwish
- Finnish symphonic metal, famous for Tuomas' genius and issues with vocalists
- Favourite songs include: Phantom of the Opera, The Islander, Ghost Love Score, The Poet and the Pendulum
- Trivium
- American metalcore/thrash metal, whatever you want to call them, you can't deny they have some kickass songs.
- Favourite songs include: Kiruste Gomen, In Waves, Down From the Sky, Of Prometheus and the Crucifix, Dying in Your Arms.
- Queen
- Only the best rock band of all time. You all know who they are or were, no explanation for the love of Freddie Mercury is needed.
- Favourite songs include: all the classics... there's just too many. But especially Bohemian Rhapsody & Don't Stop Me Now.
- Dark Moor
- Spanish symphonic/power/progressive metal. They do a lot of covers of classical music (some with added original lyrics) which are really fun.
- Favourite songs include: Swan Lake, The Moon, And End So Cold.
- Powerwolf
- German Power metal that often have dark and fantasy lyrical themes including werewolves, vampires and demons.
- Favourite album: Blessed and Possessed (2015)
- Gamma Ray
- German Power metal who began as a bit of a split of from Helloween and grew into their own. This was one of the first power metal bands I started listening to
- Favourite album: No World Order! (2001)
- Sabaton
- German (wait for it) Power metal. Their key difference being lyrical content. Instead of drawing on inspiration from fantasy or Science Fiction, Sabaton have written songs about the World Wars.
- Favourite songs include: Primo Victoria, To Hell and Back, 40:1.
- Pretty Maids
- Hard rock/metal from Denmark beginning all the way back in the '80s.
- Favourite songs include: Snakes in Eden, Pandemonium, I.N.V.U., It Comes at Night
- Pain of Salvation
- Swedish Prog metal &/or rock. A loft softer than most of the bands I listen to, but they have some great tracks and lyrics.
- Favourite songs include: Undertow, Linoleum, Rope Ends, Sisters.
- Soilwork
- Some of the kings of Swedish melodic death metal.
- Favourite album: Stabbing the Drama (2005)
- Dragonforce
- Power/speed metal from England, well known from the Guitar Hero games, and often a gateway band into the amazing genre that is power metal.
- Favourite songs include: The Game, Through the Fire and the Flames, Fury of the Storm.
And finally, you (and I) have reached the end of this list! I hope you've found yourself some new favourite bands. And please, if you feel you know any bands not on this list that I should be listening to and loving, feel free to let me know! While this is not the entire list of bands that I do listen to, I'm always open to more recommendations :)
