USPM Part II: Unsung Champions of the 80s

Abattoir: Vicious Attack

As the name of their debut album might suggest, Abattoir are an incredibly aggressive USPM band. They play a power tinged speed metal style similar to Agent Steel or Savage Grace meets Exciter.

Amulance: Feel the Pain

Amulance are yet another power/speed band with similarities to the masters of metal, Agent Steel. Unlike Abattoir listed above, they don’t have quite as much of a dangerous bite . With a healthy amount of Iron Maiden influence and mid-tempo sections, Amulance give you moments for you to catch your breath.

Apocrypha: The Forgotten Scroll

Apocrypha are the first project of Tony Fredianelli, a guitarist known for his work in alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. Don’t worry though – you won’t find any alt-rock here. Apocrypha’s first album is a thrashy USPM affair ala Metal Church. There’s plenty of shred guitar here too, so if you’re a fan of early Yngwie Malmsteen and the likes, you’ll find yourself right at home here.

Apostle: Chariots of Iron

Apostle are one of many Christian power metal bands that found themselves wrapped up in the USPM movement. The empowering nature of power metal made it a draw for these type of lyrics. Regardless of what you might think about the lyrical content, the music speaks for itself. Straightforward and catchy power metal with a powerful vocalist who can hit his highs. Fans of Crimson Glory will enjoy this one!

Banshee: Race Against Time

Rockin’ power metal in the vein of Lizzy Borden, Shok Paris, and Fifth Angel, Banshee’s Race Against Time is a fun listen. This album has a lot of variety on it with some songs like “Drive like Hell” being more speed metal oriented and others such as “Desire” being more AOR/glam influenced in the vein of Lizzy Borden.

Blacklist: The Sign of 4

Heavy riffing with a healthy dose of rocking, these guys bear similarities to acts like Malice and Grudge. This EP is only 4 tracks long and is definitely top heavy as the first two tracks stick out clearly above the remaining two. Fun listen with interesting coarse vocals that aren’t standard for USPM.

Blacksmith: Fire From Within

Blacksmith play a brand of thrash/power similar to Vicious Rumors and Metal Church. Like their name suggests, Blacksmith strike while the iron is hot – Fire From Within is a banger all the way through with few moments of reprieve.

Black Virgin Most Likely to Exceed

With an album title like Most Likely to Exceed, Black Virgin were priming themselves for success. Unfortunately, that’s not quite the case here as the band didn’t make the splash they were hoping to. Black Virgin’s only full length effort is jam packed with aggressive riffs, blazing solos, and extremely gruff vocals.

Cerebus: Too Late to Pray

What’s this, another USPM album by the name Too Late to Pray? Although this doesn’t quite stack up to Tyrant’s monster of an album, Cerebus’s Too Late to Pray is fantastic in its own right. There’s plenty of speed metal influence here and enough grit to satisfy a fat US southerner.

Cities: Annihilation Absolute (EP not album)

This is a band with an interesting history behind them. Cities play a straightforward style of USPM that is deeply rooted in the early NWOBHM. They were a side project of A.J. Pero, the drummer of Twisted Sister. He played with Cities early on, left for Twisted Sister, and then returned to record the Annihilation Absolute full-length. HOWEVER, the EP I mention here with the same name does not feature Pero and is-in fact a slightly higher quality recording.

Commander: High and Mighty

Commander play a style similar to early Liege Lord with a dash of Queensryche – pure power riffs with a talented vocalist that possesses an admirable. There’s lots of catchy riffs and melodies here for you to sink your teeth into.

Cruella: Vengeance is Mine

Catchy and fast, Cruella play in the style of bands like Riot. There’s a laid back, fun approach to the songwriting that reminds you of the classic late 70s/early 80s era of heavy metal. There’s lots of sing-along choruses here similar to the Riot’sThundersteel which further help build those similarities.

Crypt: Stick to Your Guts

One of Canada’s forgotten sons, Crypt only managed to release a lone album in 1987. Stick to Your Guts is a rough around the edges, bass heavy, and thrashy approach to power metal similar to acts like Metal Church and at times Savage Grace. Although the production does Crypt no favors, it can’t hide the masterful riffs.

Damien: Every Dog Has Its Day

Rooted in mid-era Judas Priest, Damien bring us a brand of power metal that sounds like it’s a cross between Hall of the Mountain King and Hell Bent for Leather that is just as badass as it sounds.

Dammaj: Mutiny

A bass-heavy USPM album that shares many similarities with the early Germany scene. Don’t let this album’s silly cover fool you, complete with buzzing guitars and a powerful bass Dammaj are the real deal. Interesting fact about this band is that the two guitarists and bassist are brothers – better to keep it in the family I suppose!

Divine Rite: Divine Rite

Divine Rite is a mid-paced, straight-forward, tried and true power metal album. It lies somewhere between early Savatage and Armored Saint. It’s a simple, but effective approach that always makes for a good listen.

Drive: Characters in Time

Drive firmly place themselves in the progressive camp of USPM, fitting in comfortably with peers such as Queensryche, Crimson Glory, and Heir Apparent. The vocals are very Geoff-Tate like and fans of The Warning will find themselves quite happy with this one.

ESP: The Future is Now

ESP stand firmly on the progressive side of US power metal but with quite a bit of bite. To me, The Future is Now combines various aspects of USPM and it ends up sounding like the more aggressive side of Crimson Glory* and Savatage. On paper this sounds like a recipe for success – in reality it’s just as good as it sounds.

Exxplorer: Symphonies of Steel

Aggressive and straightforward, Symphonies of Steel very much lives up to its name. With its dual guitar leads, epic vocals, and banging riffs fans of Omen and Jag Panzer will find themselves at home here.

Final Axe: Beyond Hell’s Gate

Final Axe are known for their involvement with Stryper drummer Robert Sweet, but their best material came without any of his involvement at all! Final Axe were one of the many Christian power metal bands that arose in the US during the mid 80s and stylistically Final Axe fit right in the middle of the spectrum. They’re not particularly rough, but they aren’t quite on the softer or progressive side of things – if you’re looking for a mid-paced, thumper this will hit the spot.

Gargoyle: Gargoyle

Thrashy with a soaring vocalist – there are some comparisons to be drawn to the mighty Vicious Rumors. This album suffers the issue of being spotty, but its highs (like the linked song here) are certainly worth exploring. The guitars are the highlight here and there’s still plenty of worthy riffs.

Grudge: Barbarians of the New Earth

This is definitely on the weirder end of the spectrum! There is very little NWOBHM influence here and a plethora of tempo changes will keep you on your feet. It’s an incredibly unique album and I wouldn’t expect anything less from the suspected main band of Lords of the Crimson Alliance.

Hades: Resisting Success

Despite the name of the album and the band’s unfortunate status, they certainly were not trying to resist success with what they managed to put out here. Hades’ debut album is incredibly thrashy and shows a high level of musicianship. Their power/ technical thrash nature is incredibly reminiscent of legends such as Metal Church and Flotsam and Jetsam.

Halloween: Don’t Metal With Evil

Yes Halloween is the right band, don’t get them confused with HELLOween! Halloween’s debut is a horror-themed affair filled with catchy vocal lines, choruses, and rockin’ riffs. The closest comparison is of course Lizzy Borden!

Hawaii: One Nation Underground

One of the earliest USPM bands around, Hawaii (and their various incarnations as Vixen and Aloha) are known for being guitar virtuoso’s Marty Friedman’s first band. With Marty Friedman you can guess how this is going to be – blistering fast speed metal of course! Think Agent Steel and Vicious Rumors. Perfect driving music.

Havoc: The Grip

Not Havok, but Havoc. Just one album released for this power-thrash outfit from California. The Grip features the straight-forward thrash attack you would expect from a band in this style complete with the occasional melody and power metal vocals.

Heretic: Breaking Point

I know I compare a lot to Metal Church here…really I know. I can’t help doing it even more – Heretic’s Breaking Point is the effective stepping stone between Metal Church’s The dark and Blessings in Disguise as Heretic’s vocalist, Mike Howe, went on to join Metal Church. Super solid power/thrash!

Hittman: Hittman

Heavy with the slightest touch of progressive – think The Warning and EP era Queensryche with just a dash of Crimson Glory. The song structures are relatively simple and you know what you’re going to get from each song, but they hit the spot well. Hittman’s self titled debut is a must listen for fans of this style!

Icon: Icon

On the outside, Icon look like just another hard n heavy band with little more to them other than big hair. However, just one listen makes you realize why this isn’t necessarily the case. From my quick description you can glean the style of metal you’re getting here – Lizzy Borden, Fifth Angel, and especially Dokken.

Inner Sanctum: 12 A.M.

Inner Sanctum’s lone claim to fame is the fact that they were one of the earliest projects by drummer Mike Portnoy of former Dream Theatre glory. This album has little bits of all types of US power – you’ll find some speed, thrash, progressive, and hard n heavy here.

Iron Cross: Iron Cross

Dark, evil, and occult. The imagery and atmosphere is the opposite from what you would expect from power metal, yet here it is. With strong riffs all around – Iron Cross’s self- titled is an essential listen.

Ironhawk To the Point

Ironhawk’s lone EP, clocking in at just 17 minutes, is early USPM at its finest. Having come out in 1983, To the Point, is well… to the point! It exhibits everything that you would expect such an early power metal release to have – riffs and melodies deeply rooted with the NWOBHM sound becoming ever so popular. Don’t let it’s short length turn you off – this EP packs plenty of punch!

Ivory Tiger: Metal Mountain

Look at that motherfucking giant ass white tiger at the top of the fucking metal mountain. The music is just as triumphant as that glorious cover. It’s very, very straightforward heavy metal with the strong and exaggerated vocals that we’ve come to love from USPM. It’s a true shame that all we got is 13 minutes of pure heavy metal from these guys, they deserved to be able to do so much more.

Lazarus Sin: Intracranial Mass

Lazarus Sin are yet another mainstay of the Christian power metal scene that sprung up within the USPM movement. Progressive and downright weird at times, this release reminds me of Queensryche meets Slauter Xstroyes.

Leatherwolf: Leatherwolf

No one loves Leatherwolf like Leatherwolf do. How much does Leatherwolf love Leatherwolf? Well let’s just say they have 3 major releases all titled Leatherwolf, two of which with similar covers. They’re all good, but it can make for a confusing time trying to hunt them. Leatherwolf plays a hard n heavy style of metal with a bit of an edge to them – think Liege Lord meets Lizzy Borden.

M.A.R.S.: Project:Driver

With strong riffs and catchy choruses one could say M.A.R.S. is well… out of this world! There’s an old school hard-n-heavy slant here that’s reminiscent of Fifth Angeland Shok Paris, but to just confine them to that style would be silly. There’s a lot going on in the entirety of Project:Driver with plenty of aggressive moments and faster tracks such as “Nations on Fire”.

Majestic Ryte: Majestic Ryte

Powerful and epic, Majestic Ryte trucks along at a strong mid-pace. There’s a lot of grit in Greg Tsaknakis’s vocals and he helps add character to the bass-heavy riffs found on this EP. The general pacing and approach to the songs reminds me of early Manowar and Omen at times.

Madd Hatter: Madd Hatter

Madd Hatter is deeply rooted in the NWOBHM style and is the perfect example of what that early power metal sound is really like. There’s a core sound coming from the British legends, but with an extra bit of oomph and bigger vocals. There’s no frills to be found on this album and you get exactly what you expect, but there’s something nice about that.

Matakopas: Coming Out Ahead

Matakopas were a short lived band that managed only a single album in the late 80s – Coming Out Ahead. With deep roots in the NWOBHM, Matakopas took a more melodic approach on their debut effort. The riffs, song structures, and vocal deliveries put them in a similar category to Fifth Angel and Shok Paris – not a bad place to be!

Max Lynx: Take One

Despite receiving virtually no attention and dissolving right after their 1983 debut, Max Lynx are one of the earlier examples of we now consider USPM. Take One is an easy going affair with more than its fair share of memorable vocal lines and jammin’ riffs.

Meliah Rage: Kill to Survive

Meliah Rage are very much on the thrashier side of things, but their debut effort provides a glimpse into a more power metal side of the band. Their approach on Kill to Survive is akin to that of Metal Church, Flotsam and Jetsam, Jag Panzer, Vicious Rumors, etc. It’s the band’s finest moment and a must-listen if you enjoy the more aggressive side of power metal!

Messiah: Final Warning

As you can probably glean from the name, Messiah were a mainstay in the Christian sub-set of USPM. Unlike some of the other bands that fit this description, they weren’t as in your face and didn’t throw bible verses at you. Final Warning is a unique take on power metal as it moves along at a mid-pace with big vocals, memorable melodies, and ample use of keys. It reminds me quite a bit of Sweden’s legendary Heavy Load.

Militia: The Sybling

Aggressive as all hell, Militia’s The Sybling is a prime example of the kind of bite that USPM can have. Mixing elements of speed, thrash, and US power – The Sybling has lots to offer with its insane riffs, solos, and banshee vocals. The production is pretty crappy here, but it’s well worth a listen.

Mox Nix: Mox Nix

Mox Nix play the most barebones type of power metal possible. Their self titled debut is an exercise in excellence and variety – you’ll find everything from speed metal bangers to fist pumping anthems to rock-influenced melodic sections and everything in between. The closest comparisons would be something like Liege Lord’s Master Control. The guitars are impeccable here and propel the album forward with vocalist Johnny Duff working in perfect harmony with them. A must listen!

Nightcrawler: Soldier in Time

Soldiers in Time is a short, straightforward affair. Despite coming out in 1989, given its striking similarities to the Queensryche EP it sounds more like it came out in 1984. If you’re a fan of bands like Fifth Angel then you’re bound to find something interesting here.

Obsession: Marshall Law

First of all, as some who adores puns I have to commend Obsession on their album cover – a giant wall of Marshall speakers! Obsession’s small claim to fame is being the home of Mike Vescera, a vocalist who worked with Malmsteen and later worked with Loudness to help them break into the Western scene. This early example of US Power metal, similar to acts like Lizzy Borden and Armored Saint, is a must listen even if just for the absurdly good title track.

Phantom Lord: Evil Never Sleeps

Although named after a Metallica song, these guys sound nothing like them. Phantom Lord play a very straightforward mix of speed and power metal. Don’t let the low production value deter you, there’s more than enough killer songs here beneath the fuzz. This band features Jack Starr of Virgin Steele fame on guitars as well as John Leone (RIP) who performed vocals for Attacker’s second album.

Powerlord: The Awakening

Powerlord found themselves firmly on the most aggressive side of power metal possible with a healthy mix of speed and thrash thrown in. There’s not too much that sounds exactly like this, but imagine Agent Steel’s most aggressive moments or perhaps a more power metal slanted Exciter. I sometimes find people torn on this release, but love it or hate it there’s a lot of passion and aggression here. Personally, I find this one to be totally worth your time!

Powermad: Absolute Power

Light hearted mix of power metal and thrash metal that utilizes elements of both genres equally. These guys picked up a bit of traction back in the 80s because they were featured in a Nick Cage movie! Powermad share similarities with bands like Sanctuary and to a lesser extent Metal Church and Realm.

Purgatory: Tied to the Trax

Purgatory are a hard band to pin down. There’s some elements of thrash metal, speed metal, and the more aggressive side of power metal in the instrumentation but the vocals are very much thrash metal. They’re similar to the previously mentioned Powerlord in that sense.

Ruthless: Discipline of Steel

Ruthless indeed. Discipline of Steel and [Metal without Mercy] are aggressive, balls-to-the-wall USPM that mixes in a healthy dose of speed. This is closer to Jag Panzerthan anything else, with some similarities to Tyrant and Griffin. It’s a straightforward approach that reminds you why the genre is called power metal in the first place.

S.A. Slayer: Prepare to Die

Originally named Slayer, S.A. Slayer had a small controversy with the thrash metal legends of the same name. After a lawsuit and some legal troubles, the band eventually relented and changed their name. Prepare to Die is raw and dark compared to most us power metal especially when considering it came out in 1983. At just 17 minutes, this EP is jam packed and doesn’t disappoint.

Sacred Warrior: Master’s Command

Despite the band’s incredibly generic name, Sacred Warrior are anything but. Sacred Warrior belonged to the Christian submovement present in USPM and their lyrics reflect it as much. Musically, it sounds like the only album they’ve ever heard is Queensryche’s The Warning and that is perfectly fine! Master Command is a bit more progressive and ambitious in nature than the Queensryche debut although the execution isn’t quite up to the same standard. The production and mixing hurt the overall album here especially as this type of sound demands precision in this regard.

Satan’s Host: Metal From Hell

Dark and downright weird, there’s really nothing else that can compare to Metal from Hell. Satan’s Host are another one of Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin’s projects. If you dig his vocals in Jag Panzer then this is certainly worth your time. The production is poor and the song structures are unusual – be prepared for an odd journey through hellish power metal.

Scarlet Rayne: Theater Humanitarian

Scarlet Rayne are another one of the bands of the Christian metal scene in the US. Their lone album, Theater Humanitarian, came a bit late in 1989/early 1990 to really catch any proper hype. Stylistically, Scarlet Rayne fall right in line with the progressive side of USPM with similarities to acts like early Queensryche and Fates Warning. IF you’re looking for that progressive edge to your power metal, Theater Humanitariancertainly has it.

Seduce: Seduce

Seduce’s sound incorporates the approach of hard-n-heavy bands like Dokken and Scorpions with the bite of Jag Panzer. The result is an album that grooves along and is catchy as hell but retains the edge that you’ll find in most USPM.

Sentinel Beast: Depths of Death

Sentinel Beast play a deadly mix of power, speed, and thrash metal complete with rabid vocals, unrelenting riffs, and abass so punchy you’ll feel like you just took a hit to the gut. They were one of the few really aggressive metal bands with a female vocalist at the time that managed to make it work. If you love thrashy power metal like Metal Church and Nasty Savage, then Sentinel Beast will be right up your alley!

Sinister Angel: Sinister Angel

Sinister Angel gave us just four songs and sixteen minutes to sink our teeth into with this EP unfortunately, but that is more than enough for the band to show off their chops. Sinister Angel play a simple, mid-paced, and bass dominant brand of power metal that has a Sabbath-like undertone to it.

Siren: No Place Like Home

Although often labeled a progressive band, Siren aren’t quite like the other progressive USPM acts such as Queensryche or Fates Warning. The musical approach is more straightforward than the previously mentioned bands and with vocalist Doug Lee’s style, Siren are more akin to early Savatage with the incorporation of additional acoustics. The songs here are interesting and if you’re looking to scratch that Dungeons… or Sirens itch this will do the job quite well.

Solar Eagle: Solar Eagle

Solar Eagle were a very short lived band that only managed to release one EP and demo in 1988 before ultimately fizzling out. These Canadians still managed to create something very special. Their sound is rooted in speed metal but they incorporate quite a few progressive touches that sets them apart from the rest of the crowd. Imagine a blend between Agent Steel and Heir Apparent – weird right? It sounds a little odd on paper, but I assure you that Solar Eagle make it work. One thing to note is that the vocalist, simply referred to as “Smash”, loves his highs and you’ll hear him in a virtually permanent state of falsetto. This type of vocal delivery can be off-putting for some so keep that in mind as you approach this band.

Taist of Iron Resurrection

Taist of Iron’s Resurrection is about as dark and gloomy as it comes for power metal. The song structures are relatively straightforward and the riffs are simple, but everything is constructed well. Taist of Iron’s conventional approach gives way to vocalist Lorraine Gill to shape the sound with her powerful and occult vocals. There are some obvious comparisons to be made to Chastain, but Taist of Iron’s overall atmosphere if distinctly different.

Tension: Breaking Point

The second album titled Breaking Point on this list! Tension play a rough around the edges brand of speed metal infused USPM that sounds like Riot’s legendary Thundersteel meets early Exciter. While the production holds this album back from its full potential, the music is just as great as it sounds!

Thrust: Fist Held High

Mid-paced, chest-thumping, power metal with vocals similar to Cirith Ungol’s Tim Baker – what’s not to love here? Thrust’s sound is fun to say the least!

Trauma: Scratch and Scream

Trauma are most notable for being Cliff Burton’s band before he joined Metallica. While not quite as popular or killer as Metallica, Trauma’s debut is certainly worth a look. They’re are a fast paced, Judas priest inspired power/speed band with riffs on riffs.

Valor: Fight for your Life

Valor are yet another one of the heavily Christian bands that arose with USPM. Unlike some of the other Christian bands who favored a softer and more progressive approach, Valor lie on the more aggressive side of USPM with plenty of thrash and speed metal influence. If you’re a fan of Helstar and Metal Church there’s plenty here for you to dig.

Warrior: Fighting for the Earth

Warrior are Fighting for the Earth with mid-paced, hard-n-heavy influenced power metal. Their brand fist pumping USPM fits right along the likes of Armored Saint, Lizzy Borden, and Fifth Angel. The highlight of this record to me is Perry’s powerful and equally charismatic vocal performance – his gritty voice makes the album really pop.

Wild Dogs: Reign of Terror

Wild Dog’s third and strongest album, Reign of Terror, is a hard-hitting, high energy, power metal journey. This album has an almost speed and thrash metal edge to it that is something of a mix between Accept’s Restless and Wild and early Helstar. This is Wild Dog’s most focused effort and there’s riffs aplenty here to keep you entertained!

Xcel: Deliver this Dream

Do you like Heir Apparent, Queensryche, and the likes? If so, then Deliver this Dream is right up your alley! It’s firmly in the progressive camp of USPM and fills that niche well.