Get it on Google Play

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Power Metal* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Power Metal* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)

Author: Eric Schwartz February 16, 2026 Duration: 1:23:30
Heavy Metal 101
MusicHistory

Wherein Eric and John unleash their inner chaotic neutral bard and lawful evil cleric and explore the D&D-laced fantasy world of power metal through bands including: Manowar, Helloween, Hammerfall, Stratovarius, Rhapsody, Nightwish, and more!


Click on the links below for all the music listening/video breaks in this episode:


Listening Break #1:

Manowar- "Hail and Kill" from Kings of Metal (1988)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6zOT3IZ90U


Listening break #2: A Helloween choose your own adventure!

A) "Twilight of the Gods" from Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 1 (1987)-⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk-FNnMzVAY

B) "I Want Out" from Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 2 (1988)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMhL9NZ0Kdw


Listening break #3: Blind Guardian "Mirror Mirror" from Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNGCvI9dpZY


Listening break #4: Rhapsody "Emerald Sword" from Symphony of Enchanted Lands (1998)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5kLxQGbRYg


Listening break #5: Nightwish "Sacrament of Wilderness" from Oceanborn (1998)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGEQ-MEOTQs


Please do consider joining us at our Patreon page! Not only will you gain access to exclusive content, but you'll also get that sense of pure joy that can only come from supporting the world's wackiest, most insightful heavy metal podcast. Link below:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://patreon.com/HeavyMetal101⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Visit us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/heavymetal101podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠(you can leave us a voicemail if you're so inclined!)


Contact us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠heavymetal101podcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Social media:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/HeavyMetal101Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/heavy_101⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@heavymetal101podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/heavymetal101podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


New episodes of Heavy Metal 101 are always released monthly on the 3rd Monday of each month!


Underscore credits:

Free Fantasy Epic Music (For Videos) - "Short But Strong!" by Savfk 🇮🇹 🇬🇧BreakingCopyright

Dragonforce - Through The Fire And Flames (8 Bit)pandoozles

[Free Music] Dark Fantasy "Prepare Thyself" Royalty Free Music Darren Curtis

Adventure | Alexander Nakarada - CreatorChords

Adventure BeyondAlexander Nakarada - CreatorChords

Shinsei Dawn 🎸 Anime Rock | No Copyright Twitch MusicPanda Beats -

Fast POWER METAL-Walls Around You -(Vlog Free Music)Юрій Голобородько

Europe - The Final Countdown - Virtual Marimba CoverMarimbaLab

Rock The Night - Europe - 8Bit8BitUzz

Pacman Melody | Neoclassical Metal | No Copyright Music By WildebasterXWildebasterX

Very emotional classical guitar song by Fernando Sor | Copyright free

Optimistic & Positive (Free Music) - "ABILITY TO REJOY" by Numall Fix 🇷🇺BreakingCopyright

Viking Music - Ivar the BonelessPawl D Beats

Royalty Free // Epic Fantasy Music "Leaving for Valhalla" by Alexander Nakarada

Germany National Anthem (Olympic Version 2012/2016) | Free Copyright for Youtube

Royalty Free Music || Fantasy Tavern Bard D&D Background Music || Drakenhart - Bard TroupeBlackbirdBard Music

Unyielding Flame – Royalty Free Power Metal | Epic, Melodic, Heroic Instrumental MusicRoyalty Free Audio Vault

Epic Neoclassical Metal Instrumental | Shredding Guitar Symphony

Copyright Free Background Music - Neoclassical Metal Instrumental 🎸Anti Vocal

[Free Music] Dark Fantasy "Prepare Thyself" Royalty Free MusicDarren Curtis Music

Symphonic metal royalty free musicAlec Koff Label

Cinematic Fairy Tale Fantasy by Infraction / Fairy TaleInfraction -

Potentiality - E Minor Power Metal Instrumental (NO COPYRIGHT MUSIC)Jared Elejorde

The Star-Spangled Banner (In a minor key)David Knighten

The Fire Within (Power Metal Instrumental) No Copyright : Free MusicWildebasterX

Adventurous Metal Pirates by Alexander Nakarada [Free Music – Metal No Copyright]FM Free Music -


Dive into the thunderous world of Heavy Metal 101, a monthly podcast hosted by Eric Schwartz. Each episode is a journey through the loud, complex, and often misunderstood history of heavy metal music. Eric, armed with deep expertise, is joined by his friend John, who brings a fresh, curious perspective as a relative newcomer to the genre. Together, they don't just recount facts; they explore the cultural shifts, argue about iconic bands and subgenres, and discuss the very essence of what makes metal resonate so powerfully. Their dynamic-one an expert, the other a novice-creates a uniquely engaging conversation that is as educational as it is entertaining. Whether you're a lifelong headbanger or someone who just wonders what all the noise is about, you'll find a place here. You'll hear breakdowns of seminal albums, explorations of metal's roots in blues and classical music, and lively debates about everything from New Wave of British Heavy Metal to death metal's technical evolution. This isn't a dry lecture; it's a passionate, sometimes heated, dialogue between friends. New installments of the podcast arrive on the third Monday of every month, offering a regular dose of riff-laden history and analysis. Tune in to Heavy Metal 101 for a crash course in power chords, mythology, and musical rebellion, all delivered with a genuine love for the subject. It's a deep dive into the stories behind the sound, making the vast landscape of heavy metal accessible and thrilling for anyone who listens.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Official website RSS
Heavy Metal 101
Podcast Episodes
We Need To Talk About Prog Metal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:50
Wherein Eric and John go to some truly dark places, exploring one of Eric's least favorite metal subgenres, progressive metal, but come out the other side stronger, wiser, and having talked about an assortment of amazing…
Women Who Rock Pt. 2: The Heavy Metal Ladies of the 1980s! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:34
Wherein Eric and John conclude their epic diptych exploring the music and stories of women who rock, taking a look at an assortment of amazing female heavy metal artists and their extraordinary music making in the 1980s.…
Women Who Rock Pt. 1: A Prehistory of Women in Metal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:38
Wherein Eric and John embark on an epic diptych exploring the music and stories of women who rock, first by delving into the prehistory of women in heavy metal via a look at of some of the monumental contributions of wom…
Metal Gets HUGE (Three Pop Metal Masterpieces from 1986/7) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:55
Wherein Eric and John take a scenic tour through the cassette collection of a young Eric, and explore three of the biggest pop metal hit albums of the mid-1980s: Bon Jovi- Slippery When Wet, Whitesnake- Whitesnake (aka 1…
The Thrash Metal Masterpieces of the "Big 4": 1986/7 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:40
Wherein Eric and John return for season three with a bang, exploring the seminal works of the "Big 4" of American thrash in 1986/7, Metallica's Master of Puppets, Megadeth's Peace Sells...But Who’s Buying?, Slayer's Reig…
Enter Metallica (1981-84) with special guest, author Ben Apatoff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:58
The season #2 finale, wherein Eric, John, and special guest Ben Apatoff (author of Metallica: The $24.95 Book) discuss the formative history of arguably metal's most culturally significant band, Metallica, from their pre…

«12345»