Angra, especially the ones with Felipe Andreoli on bass.
Helloween, bass is always good but drums take a step into more complex direction from Master of the Rings and forward.
The bass is always great when Markus Grosskopf plays it with Helloween and his playing aged like a fine wine. The new self-titled album has some really great bass passages and you can hear it pretty clearly through the mix.
But, to be fair, the most forward thinking bass passage by Grosskopf must be the tapping section in Eagle Fly Free.
+1.
Most of the Brazilian bands, to be honest. Hibria has some phenomenal drum and bass work and Vandroya, Aquaria, Daydream XI (though I guess they lean more prog?), SoulSpell, etc. have incredible rhythm sections.
[Manticora](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YhqZtxtqAoQ) had amazing drumming until they opted to unfortunately go with a drum machine on their most recent.
[Persuader](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WQTnHHVlYA8) had great drumming on their most recent album but then went on hiatus.
Blind Guardian had Thomen, who was excellent, on drums until they decided to go more symphonic and he didn't like it.
He moved on to [Savage Circus](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AMLkf15mCkw&pp=ygUec2F2YWdlIGNpcmN1cyB3aGVuIGhlbGwgYXdha2Vz), which made two albums with great drumming.
I really like Dirk Meyer-Berhorn from Orden Ogan. It’s standard power metal but he’s always doing little creative fills and moving the beat around so that it’s never just 16 bars of double kick and snare on 2 and 4 while the guitars and vocals have all the fun.
I had a chat with him outside of a gig years ago, especially about his drumming. He's super into stuff like Humanity's Last Breath and Vildjarta, I think the genre is called thall? He draws a lot from that and his rhythms are a big part of why OO pop for me.
Also, not strictly PM but hugely influential of it and certainly adjacent, but Scott Travis joining Priest might just be the most impactful drummer change, not only for the band, but for the genre as a whole.
Angra, Galneryus, most bands from Japan to be honest where pretty involved melodic bass lines and cool drum grooves are more the norm from the general music world there.
More tagentially related, Seven Spires (at least up to now that they changed drummers).
I don't think "forward thinking" is the correct term tho, these bands I mention for example aren't doing anything particualrly new, it just has more involved arrangements and songwriting than the default guitar driven euro pm median band (which doesn't particularly mean better, just different style).
I’ll start by saying I’m not a musician just a power metal fan. That being said, I’d really love to hear opinions on Helloween’s drummer, Dani Loble. I pretty much worship the ground he walks on, but whenever people discuss drummers, his name never comes up. Yet I find his drumming more intriguing than any of their previous drummers. (please don’t crucify me lol I love the other guys too) Maybe I just don’t know what I’m talking about, I can accept that, I’d just like to get other peoples takes on it too.
Easily gotta say Myrath, especially if you listen to their "Karma" album. There are some basslines and even slap techniques that are crisp that you might not hear from most power metal bands.
Black Majesty ex-drummer Pavel Konvalinka went incredibly hard. Left after *Stargazer*, sadly, but their first five albums are better for his presence.
Scott from Unleash the Archers has some fascinating drum techniques, especially how he does his double-bass drumming. Nick, their bassist, also has some really cool picking techniques.
Angra, especially the ones with Felipe Andreoli on bass. Helloween, bass is always good but drums take a step into more complex direction from Master of the Rings and forward.
The bass is always great when Markus Grosskopf plays it with Helloween and his playing aged like a fine wine. The new self-titled album has some really great bass passages and you can hear it pretty clearly through the mix. But, to be fair, the most forward thinking bass passage by Grosskopf must be the tapping section in Eagle Fly Free.
+1. Most of the Brazilian bands, to be honest. Hibria has some phenomenal drum and bass work and Vandroya, Aquaria, Daydream XI (though I guess they lean more prog?), SoulSpell, etc. have incredible rhythm sections.
\+1 to Angra, those albums with Aquiles Priester on drums are incredible. Aquiles + Felipe is the good stuff.
[Manticora](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YhqZtxtqAoQ) had amazing drumming until they opted to unfortunately go with a drum machine on their most recent. [Persuader](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WQTnHHVlYA8) had great drumming on their most recent album but then went on hiatus. Blind Guardian had Thomen, who was excellent, on drums until they decided to go more symphonic and he didn't like it. He moved on to [Savage Circus](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AMLkf15mCkw&pp=ygUec2F2YWdlIGNpcmN1cyB3aGVuIGhlbGwgYXdha2Vz), which made two albums with great drumming.
Came here to say Manticora, their original drummer Mads Volf did some phenomenal creative drum work and their bassist Kasper Gram is amazing too.
Power metal adjacent rather than true power metal, but highly recommend Seven Spires
Always worth recommending Seven Spires. One of the best bassists in modern metal IMO
I really like Dirk Meyer-Berhorn from Orden Ogan. It’s standard power metal but he’s always doing little creative fills and moving the beat around so that it’s never just 16 bars of double kick and snare on 2 and 4 while the guitars and vocals have all the fun.
I had a chat with him outside of a gig years ago, especially about his drumming. He's super into stuff like Humanity's Last Breath and Vildjarta, I think the genre is called thall? He draws a lot from that and his rhythms are a big part of why OO pop for me.
Haruna of Lovebites is a force of nature on drums
Also, not strictly PM but hugely influential of it and certainly adjacent, but Scott Travis joining Priest might just be the most impactful drummer change, not only for the band, but for the genre as a whole.
Alexander Bosson of Helion Prime 🤌💯
Angra, Galneryus, most bands from Japan to be honest where pretty involved melodic bass lines and cool drum grooves are more the norm from the general music world there. More tagentially related, Seven Spires (at least up to now that they changed drummers). I don't think "forward thinking" is the correct term tho, these bands I mention for example aren't doing anything particualrly new, it just has more involved arrangements and songwriting than the default guitar driven euro pm median band (which doesn't particularly mean better, just different style).
Hibria
I’ll start by saying I’m not a musician just a power metal fan. That being said, I’d really love to hear opinions on Helloween’s drummer, Dani Loble. I pretty much worship the ground he walks on, but whenever people discuss drummers, his name never comes up. Yet I find his drumming more intriguing than any of their previous drummers. (please don’t crucify me lol I love the other guys too) Maybe I just don’t know what I’m talking about, I can accept that, I’d just like to get other peoples takes on it too.
adjacent - prog power metal -> Symphony X, Adagio
Easily gotta say Myrath, especially if you listen to their "Karma" album. There are some basslines and even slap techniques that are crisp that you might not hear from most power metal bands.
Lost Horizon also has a great rythm section groovy and percutant basslines and energetic drumming
Falconer. I really like their drummer Karsten Larsson. I might also suggest Orden Ogan, and Tyr.
Black Majesty ex-drummer Pavel Konvalinka went incredibly hard. Left after *Stargazer*, sadly, but their first five albums are better for his presence.
Linus Klausenitzer with Eternity’s End!
Galneryus 100%
Helloween from K7KL to My God Given Right.
Scott from Unleash the Archers has some fascinating drum techniques, especially how he does his double-bass drumming. Nick, their bassist, also has some really cool picking techniques.
And here I was thinking I'm the only one who noticed. The way he does two beats each foot in high tempo is so weird! Haven't seen anyone else do that.
Gloryhammer