US Power Metal

AKA: USPM United States Power Metal • 1,755 releases

American style influenced by NWOBHM that features heavily distorted guitars paired with more aggressive riffs, mid-tempo Heavy Metal rhythms, and over-the-top theatrical vocals with fantasy or conceptual themes.
Read more US power metal (also known as "United States power metal" in full, often abbreviated to "USPM") is a subgenre of Heavy Metal. The name of the genre refers to its stylistic origins in the US; there are US power metal acts outside of the US (Adramelch for example is from Italy), but most of them are American. Despite existing for about the same amount of time, US power metal is largely overshadowed by its European cousin, a related but distinct genre that takes more influence from Speed Metal. As a result, US power metal has kept the US prefix to differentiate it from its European Power Metal counterpart.

US power metal originated in the early 1980s as a response to the NWOBHM scene that was happening overseas, and took influences from epic heavy metal bands such as Manilla Road and Cirith Ungol. They stripped the genre of its Blues Rock roots and in return made the riffs more aggressive, the vocals more theatrical, increased the speed, and overall just made it more intense. In short, the idea was to add some "power" to the heavy metal template, without encroaching on the intensity and speed of Thrash Metal or Speed Metal. This scene was also largely differentiated from the similarly developing European power metal scene, as US power metal was rooted primarily in heavy metal, while European power metal had its roots largely in German speed metal (with many of its pioneers such as Helloween and Blind Guardian even starting as such). While the genres have always been distinct, they both continue to use the power metal name because they are both often highly theatrical and lighthearted, and both feature lyrics inspired by fantasy literature. US power metal also features themes of masculinity in its lyric and aesthetic, as exemplified by bands like Manowar.

There are roughly two styles within the US power metal movement. One is more aggressive, faster and riff-focused with bands such as Jag Panzer, Helstar, Metal Church, and Riot (V) being notable pioneers. The other is more melodic and progressive, making frequent use of ballads. Notable bands in this style are Crimson Glory, early Savatage, early Queensrÿche, and early Fates Warning. These styles were sometimes referred to as "blue collar" and "white collar" US power metal, but these terms are rarer nowadays, with the former style labeled aggressive USPM and the latter style called progressive USPM.

After the 1980s, US power metal retreated to the underground. Some artists such as Iced Earth, Virgin Steele and (The Lord Weird) Slough Feg have kept the genre alive in the 1990s and early 2000s. From the late 2010s, the genre has seen a revival with new bands like Eternal Champion, Demon Bitch and Satan’s Hallow, though it is a fringe genre in the wider metal umbrella.

Top-ranked albums

See full chart

#1

Mystification
Manilla Road
#2

ThunderSteel
Riot
#3

Hall of the Mountain King
Savatage
#4

Transcendence
Crimson Glory
#5

Metal Church
Metal Church
#6

Traveller
The Lord Weird Slough Feg
#7

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part Two
Virgin Steele
#8

Battle Cry
Omen
#9

Ample Destruction
Jag Panzer
#10

Crest of the Martyrs
Twisted Tower Dire

Years active

US Power Metal

Discography

1,755 Releases

1 2 ... 117 Next

Release Date

Avg Ratings Reviews

Red Skies
Metal Church

1981 EP

62 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.15 Average

3.15 62 62 2 2
Demo '82
Aloha

1982 Additional releases

15 Ratings 3.46 Average

3.46 15 15
Demo
Witchslayer

1983 Bootleg

18 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.38 Average

3.38 18 18 1 1
Jag Panzer
Jag Panzer

1983 EP

297 Ratings 5 Reviews 3.56 Average

3.56 297 297 5 5
Lady Killer
Lady Killer

1983 Album

66 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.26 Average

3.26 66 66 1 1
Made in Hawaii
Vixen

1983 EP

116 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.56 Average

3.56 116 116 3 3
Death Row
Jag Panzer

1983 Single

15 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.18 Average

3.18 15 15 2 2
Live Demo
Helstar

1983 EP

Ratings Average
Demo 1983
Steel Assassin

1983 EP

2 Ratings 2.75 Average

2.75 2 2
Prepare to Die
Slayer

1983 EP

78 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.47 Average

3.47 78 78 2 2
Guilty as Charged
Culprit

1983 Album

182 Ratings 8 Reviews 3.49 Average

3.49 182 182 8 8
One Nation Underground
Hawaii

1983 Album

132 Ratings 4 Reviews 3.02 Average

3.02 132 132 4 4
Queen of the Reich / The Lady Wore Black
Queensrÿche

1983 Single

93 Ratings 4 Reviews 3.71 Average

3.71 93 93 4 4
"1983" Demo-Tape
Helstar

1983 EP

10 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.52 Average

3.52 10 10 2 2
Queen of the Reich
Queensrÿche

1983 Music video

19 Ratings 3.91 Average

3.91 19 19