Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Metal – Primer

GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Metal – Primer

During the period 2003-2023 metal had morphed into various guises.  Brian McGowan tries to keep up with it and surveys the period…

Heavy Metal is a musical phenomenon that continues to gain in strength and popularity, worldwide. It has the self confidence to look back as well as forward.

Here’s Heavy Metal originators, Black Sabbath releasing deluxe reissues of Heaven And Hell, and Mob Rules, originally out in 1980 and 81.  And there’s Iron Maiden reissuing The Number Of The Beast from 1982.

No question, these are albums of originality and invention, and the band names are brand names, no doubt, but that said they prove that the art form has the musical architecture to thrill fans, decade after decade.

UDO - GIANTS OF ROCK, Butlins, Minehead, 25-27 January 2019

And here’s another established brand name, Germany’s AFM Records releasing 7 metal albums in one month. A mix of the old and new, UDO (pictured), Dragonland, Borealis, Dead City Ruins, Dynazty and others.

Who said there’s no demand?

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL, Donington Park, Leicestershire, 10-12 June 2022

And talking about demand, Download (pictured), Hellfest and Bloodstock Festivals all arrived in the early 2000s, joining last century start-ups, Wacken Open Air (Germany), Sweden Rock & Metal Festival and Belgium’s Graspop Metal Festival. All of which are still going strong.

Who said there’s no demand?

And these are just in Europe.

Asia, Africa and South America have their own thriving outdoor Heavy Metal scene. (Brazil’s Rock In Rio still gets in excess of a million people attending).

Who said…?

Some might argue that there’s no such thing as “Heavy Metal” now. That the term is meaningless. They have a point, it has splintered and fragmented into so many sub-genres that it’s hard to keep count.

During the two decades since the inception of GRTR!, those “splinters” and  “fragments” took on a recognisable shape and formed a number of key sub-genres. More in a moment.

At the same time, as it entered the new millennium, the genre certainly became more politicised. That splintering was as much due to cultural changes as it was artistic change.

The genre has gone a long way to shake off its reputation for misogyny and homophobia, but the constant white supremacist and racist rhetoric in the songs of some Black Metal bands remains a huge concern.

The protracted armed conflict in Iraq motivated Six Feet Under‘s Chris Barnes to write ‘Amerika The Brutal’ in 2003, which created huge controversy and media coverage.

Brit-born Grindcore pioneers Napalm Death are vehemently anti-fascist and anti- capitalist. They are especially popular in the USA for voicing criticism of US government policy, mostly due to their album, Smear Campaign (2006). In doing so they have consistently remained in the Top Ten for “Heavy Metal” album sales in North America.

These are just a few examples, there are many more.

Rammstein - DOWNLOAD, 10-12 June 2016

Meantime, the “splintering”.

We’ve got these main categories, and we have included one of the category’s prime movers in each case :

Melodic Metal : Amaranthe
Death/Doom Metal : Napalm Death
Symphonic Metal : Nightwish
Alt Metal : Limp Bizkit
Industrial Metal : Rammstein (pictured)
Prog Metal : Tool
Metalcore : Spiritbox
Power Metal : Dragonforce
Thrash Metal : Annihilator
Speed Metal : Blind Guardian
Gothic Metal : Evanescence

Helloween - HARD ROCK HELL IX - Hafan Y Mor, Pwlhelli, Wales, 12-14 November 2015

We missed out Nu-Metal. Deliberately.

Going into the new century, it morphed quite dramatically into Metalcore. US band Avenged Sevenfold led from the front with two albums, ‘Sounding The Seventh Trumpet’, and ‘Waking The Fallen’, proving them to be the leading exponents of this new sub-genre. (On their third album ‘City Of Evil’, the band shapeshifted into a highly successful Hard Rock act. It’s a progression that should have its own documentary).

Album highlights:

We’ve selected albums from reviewer picks and indicated the “sub-genre”.  Over twenty years GRTR! metal content has been very much due to inspired reviewers. With particular thanks to original Metal Editor Yiannis Stefanis and Emily Dgebuadze who were responsible also for many significant interviews during the early period. These can still be accessed by following the links below.

In transitioning to our new format in 2012/13 we had less metal content, reflecting the interests of our review team and only showcasing what some might call the more “mainstream” aspects of the genre.  These inform the choices below from 2010.  More recently, under Brian McGowan’s watchful eye, we have included many of his “sub-genres” if not some of the more extreme variants.

Where possible below we have linked to the original review.

2004 FATES WARNING X (Heavy Metal)
2005 CANDLEMASS (Doom Metal)
2006 KALMAH The Black Waltz (Death Metal)
2007 ROTTING CHRIST Theogonia (Extreme Metal)
2008 METALLICA Death Magnetic (Heavy Metal)
2009 HERMAN FRANK Loyal To None (Heavy Metal)
2010 FREEDOM CALL Legend Of The Shadowking (Power Metal)
2011 EDEN’S CURSE Trinity (Melodic Metal)
2012 DRAGONFORCE The Power Within (Power Metal)
2013 CODE OF SILENCE Dark Skies Over Babylon (Progressive Metal)
2014 EVERGREY Hymns For The Broken (Progressive Metal)
2015 TRIVIUM Silence In The Snow (Heavy Metal)
2016 TARJA The Shadow Self (Symphonic Metal)
2017 THRESHOLD Legends Of The Shires (Progressive Metal)
2018 ZAL CLEMINSON’S SIN’DOGS (Heavy Metal)
2019 RAMMSTEIN Rammstein (Industrial Metal)
2020 DYNAZTY The Dark Delight (Melodic Metal)
2021 IRON MAIDEN Senjutsu (Heavy Metal)

And so to that sub-genre Power Metal.  We’re maybe cheating by stripping out the thrash elements (we know it has a huge following, sorry), in order to focus on the arguably more mainstream stuff.

It’s undocumented, but according to Metal Hammer magazine, the term ‘power metal’ was first used in the context of the ‘Power of Metal’ tour by Gamma Ray, Rage and Conception in 1993.

According to Dr. Jan-Peter Herbst, Reader in Music Production and peer reviewer in Metal and Rock Studies at Huddersfield University, this metal subgenre was “one of the first to be played in Germany, and bands such as Helloween (pictured), Running Wild, Gamma Ray and Blind Guardian produced a characteristic German sound that was to become famous worldwide”.

Dr Herbst’s findings focus on two things:

No (production) standards existed in the eighties and nineties.
Production resources were limited and individual.

He goes on to say:

“A restricted infrastructure was therefore a unique characteristic of a few recording studios along with a small circle of professional musicians and engineers. Consequently, the producers working in this environment, like Charlie Bauerfind, Lasse Lammert and Siggi Bemm, shaped the classic German power metal sound.”

As the Power Metal (sometimes known as Teutonic Metal) sound began to take a more solid, recognisable form toward the end of the nineties, a handful of bands emerged to carry the torch into the new millenium.

PRIMAL FEAR – Biebob, Vosselaar, 12 October 2018

The aforementioned Gamma Ray, Helloween and Blind Guardian were in the vanguard along with Edguy, Primal Fear (pictured), and Iron Savior. Their albums have been consistently ranked among the best Power Metal releases of the 21st Century, and indeed of all time, by the likes of Allmusic, Loudwire, Metal Hammer and others.

As we moved through the new millennium, bands throughout Europe and beyond entered the game, adding some subtle cultural changes including Brothers of Metal and Emblas Saga from Sweden.  The poetry of the Icelandic Sagas wrapped in power metal directness.

From Denmark,  Manticora (The Black Circus Part 1&2, 2006 & 7) based on the writings of HP Lovecraft. Harking back to the fantasy and mythology themes of UK and US Heavy Metal in the previous century.

And talking of the UK we had Dark Forest (Oak Ash and Thorn) – British Power Metal, forged with Celtic melodies and lots of attitude.

Magnus Karlsson’s band, Free Fall (Sweden), has continually gained momentum. Its blend of hard rock, AOR and power metal might not be to everybody’s taste.

What comes around…

All girl Japanese Power Metal band Lovebites appeared at Wacken and Bloodstock Open Air a couple of years back whilst Italian Power Metal bands really came to the fore in the 2000s, most notably Rhapsody Of Fire, who blazed a trail for Symphonic Power Metal.

Prof Herbst added a British perspective, as provided by Mark Mynett, producer of Rotting Christ, Godsized and Paradise Lost and a senior UK lecturer in music technology and production. As an active musician he toured with Helloween and Running Wild.

“It’s not about being the fastest and the heaviest. It is about sounding powerful with a lot of energy and powerful vocal performances. It’s the production that fits the music. It’s supposed to sound big and that’s what the production aesthetic is conveying.”

Simple really.

Album highlights (Power Metal)

2003: KAMELOT Epica
KAMELOT’s fifth album folds Symphonic and Prog Metal into the dark, churning soundscapes of Power Metal, cooking up a sound worthy of the new millennium.
2004: THUNDERSTONE The Burning
2005: HELLOWEEN Keeper Of The 7 Keys Pt1
Universally recognised as one of, if the not the best Power Metal albums of all time by such respected websites as Allmusic and Bravewords.
2006: EDGUY Rocket Ride
2007: THUNDERSTONE Evolution 4.0
This Finnish band continue to cut a swathe through an overcrowded market, and with E4.0 deliver an album that supersedes both their own benchmark and every other power metal album released this year.
2008: EVERGREY Torn
2009: HEAVEN & HELL The Devil You Know
2010: HELLOWEEN 7 Sinners
a clattering orchestral refinement of the band’s heavy metal, one that nods occasionally to the past, while chiselling away at its own fast reforming identity. With 7 Sinners they needed to step their way through the murky waters of revised expectations and calcifying tastes with care and purpose.
2011: DRAGONLAND The Grey Banner
2012: ORDEN OGAN To The End
2013: HELLOWEEN Straight Out Of Hell
2014: BLACK LABEL Catacombs Of The Black Vatican
The deliberate irony is that Wylde’s Christian belief system fuels the lyrics here, and for many metal fans that opens up a whole new world.
2015: TANK Valley Of Tears
2016: KMFDM Rocks  Milestones Reloaded
2017: UNISONIC Wacken Live
Armed with an incomparable arsenal of tried and tested metal weaponry, and vast experience of playing live in front of huge crowds, Unisonic went to Wacken in 2016 and burnt the house down.
2018: HEAVATAR Opus II
2019: TURILLI LIONE Rhapsody
2020: IRON MASK Master
A simplification of Classical Music’s highly sophisticated form, with melodies, bass lines and chord progressions tightly controlled by spine tingling orchestration.
2021: RHAPSODY OF FIRE Glory For Salvation
Melodic, operatic power metal with choir and orchestra this is one of my albums of the year. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s glorious and a salvation. (Joe Geesin GRTR!)
2022: SEVENTH WONDER The Testament


Pure Metal Home Page (and archive link)

More to explore:

The Primer

Still Rocking by David Randall

Singer Songwriter by Pete Whalley

Eclectic by Jason Ritchie

Progressive Rock by Alan Jones

Blues/Blues Rock by Pete Feenstra


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio


David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.


UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com


Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)



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