[Helm]

I'm tempted to turn this into a "I ARES KNOW MOER ABOUT METHUL THAN YOU Do!!1!1!!" and break out the discographies, total number of records and years of metal listening and whatnot, but then we'd just as well measure dicks or something. So I'll stick to the case in question, even though this:

You have shown us all how much you know, shut your yapper and quit before you embarrass yourself any further...

is mighty difficult to ignore...

Do they sing about dragons and wizards and try to sound like a more pompous version of Helloween's "Keeper of the Seven Keys"? Nooo...

Excuse me, was that you 'exaggerating' or was it what you think Power Metal is? Is Helloween and Stratovarious the only power metal you've heard, or not? When exactly were you planning to not 'exaggerate' and make a solid point? More importantly, to whom do you think you're talking to? Did I ever give you the impression you need to dumb down so I can follow? Contrary to the US, some countries in Europe - like Greece, where I was born and raised and currently recide - never stopped listening to metal, and their metalheads have a very keen understanding of the various genres so stop 'exaggerating'. It is not needed. I know enough to see a bullshit argument without your blatant patronising anyway.

You're an idiot.

No, really? My god! The ferocity of your mocking has left me utterly devastated! I will now go before you taunt me a second time! :squiggly

So you can throw around a few band names and a few musical terms and that means you're right? Fuck no.

No, I threw around some certain band names that are relevant to my point, which was that power metal might be diverse, but still is understood to be just that, power metal, by anone that isn't a stuck-up purist, without having to resort to sword and sorcery or other cliches. What the matter? Don't want our favourite EXTREME TO THE MAX bands to be associated with faggy power metal? And the technical term I used was indeed very relevant, in that chomatic scales are a trademark of thrash metal, and it's bi-product, death metal (and were introduced into thrash by Slayer - just a free first lesson tip. You can start paying with launch money next time), and thus, this is the only thing whose usage sets AE apart from power metal in one or two songs. Don't tell me you're such a well informed metal-know-it-all and you can't tell what a chromatic riff is! I'd hate to realise that when describing a riff in your web site you have to resort to "uhhh, evil sounding! definately not like those power metal faggy riffs!" or that hilarious cop-out that is "80's metal riff". Do you know how many different styles of riffing where developed and used extensively in the 80's? What's the resemblance between Mekong Delta and Slayer, pray tell? God, even Still of the Night Whitesnake are nothing like Fool for your loving Whitesnake.

Bottom line is, customary animosity and sarcasm aside, if you want to discuss metal, in an informed and conscious fashion, you better know a few things about musical terminology. I'm not saying, go out there and buy a guitar and learn to play just so you can argue with jerks on the net, but shit man, you have a website about the stuff, it's pretty sad to be so ignorant.

Oh, and yeah, the validity of those examples means I'm right.

But Arch Enemy is NOT a power metal band, and to even minimally compare them to Stratovarius is quite possibly the most blindly ignorant statement I have ever heard in my life.

What you fail to do, contrary to me, is provide reason why AE are 'NOT a power metal band' as you so decisively proclaim. You can throw a fit if you want, stomp the floor hard and hold your breath, but if you do not provide a reasonable argument about how AE's usage of double-bass drumming with the predictable 8ths on the snare, mute E pentatonic riffs with flashy leads over it, and customary structures - complete with solo after the second verse (all employed in exactly the same way by Stratovarious, mind you) - is NOT distinctively Power Metal, then you have no case, you're just being a jerk, for god knows what reason. Probably trying to score points on the boards or had a really bad day at the office and venting, or something equally retarded.

Now, I'll just wait until you go search google for 'pentatonic leads' and 'chromatic scales' so you can formulate your SWEEPING COMEBACK and dazzle everyone with your metal mastery.

Or you could just shut up and eat a slice of humble pie, and next time think before you speak.