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4 people marked this as a favorite. |

Mine:
The Sword - Gods of the Earth
I love me all kinds of metal; black, death, thrash, traditional, melodic, groove. There's not a sub genre I don't like. However, when it comes to fantasy/Frank Frazetta envisioning thoughts, this album just does it for me. Great guitar riffs and fantasy lyrics about George R. R. Martin books and Norse mythology.
What's your favorite? There are plenty of greats to choose from--Dio, Blind Guardian, Cirith Ungol, 3 Inches of Blood, Amon Amarth, the list goes on and on, but what's the one that does it for you? I'm always on the lookout for new bands, especially those that remind me of a dungeon crawl or Hyboria.

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Pretty much anything by Blind Guardian, but for an entire album, its hard to top *Nightfall in Middle Earth*.
Falconer has some good fantasy style songs too...
Seconding Blind Guardian. They write songs about just about every popular fantasy series there is. Lord of the Rings, Song of Fire and Ice, Wheel of Time, Elric, etc., but they have actually directly referenced Dungeons and Dragons once in the song "The Soulforged" from the album "Night at the Opera" which is about Raistlin from Dragonlance.
Special mention of Battlelore. Every song on every album is a Middle Earth reference. Every. Song.
Kamelot doesn't skimp on the fantasy lyrics.
Dragonforce should be a no-brainer.
Hammerfall also likes Song of Fire and Ice, as well as making up their own fantasy stuff.
Bal-Sagoth reminds me of Lovecraft and Warhammer 40k.
Symphony X is more into mythology and religion, but there's plenty of fantasy themes to go around in those subjects.

Doodlebug Anklebiter |

I don't much care for metal, but that's not going to stop me from posting!
The Fairport Convention's Liege and Lief sounds to me like it should be a collection of Andoren folk songs.

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Blind Guardian, especially Somewhere far Beyond
Some of the early Savatage Stuff (Sirens, Dungeons are calling, City beneath the Surface, Hall of the Mountain King...)
Rhapsody (of Fire) is at least as cheesy as some D&D Stuff (and has this little epic featuring Saruman himself
Somehow the 'Keepers' Triology (Halloween, Keeper of the Seven Keys from Helloween, Abyss of the Void from Gamma Ray) always put me in a D&D/Pathfinder mood.
And Alestorm for Skull & Shackles is a given ;-)

SuperSlayer |

Blind Guardian-Imaginations from the other side
Blind Guardian-Nightfall in Middle Earth
Bal Sagoth-Battle Magic
Bal Sagoth-Starfire Burning
Bal Sagoth-The Power Cosmic
Bal Sagoth-The Chthonic Chronicles
Ensiferum-From Afar
Ensiferum-Iron
Korpiklanni-Ukon Wacka(Any Korpikanni album)
Emperor-Anthems to the welkin at dusk
Finntroll-Jaktens Tid
Amon Amarth-Twilight of the thunder god
Dragonlord-Black wings of Destiny
Turisas-Battle Metal
Turisas-The Varangian Way

drunken_nomad |

Turisas-Battle Metal
Turisas-The Varangian Way
YES! to all of that
Sabbath's Neon Knights
Rainbow's Kill the King
Rhapsody's Emerald Sword
Maiden's Flight of Icarus
Dropkick's Shippin up to Boston
Flogging's Whats Left of the Flag
Extremo's Herr Mannelig

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I think of classic stuff from Metallica:
Phantom Lord (especially)
Creeping Death
Basically anything off the first three albums.
Megadeth songs:
The Conjuring
Bad Omen
(Basically, if Dave won't play the song anymore because of his beliefs, it's one of the best Megadeth songs, and reminds me of fantasy gaming.)
Most Iron Maiden songs.
For The Sword, I go Age of Winters, especially Barael's Blade. (Slayer of the spider priest, indeed.)
Don't forget Diamond Head: Am I Evil and Borrowed Time especially.
I'm listening to Danzig 1 at the moment, and while I wouldn't necessarily forward that as a suggestion for this thread, I thought I would point out how awesome that record is.

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Age of Winters is an awesome album, and a serious contender for my #1. I like Gods of the Earth a little more due to the thrashier guitar sound, I guess.
Some other great battle-metal (since that's what the thread's turning into) is Wulfgar - Midgardian Metal, and Destroy Destroy Destroy - Battle Sluts.
I still want to know what everyone's perfect D&D type album is, though. The best blend of fantasy and metal you've ever heard. After all, this thread could help some newcomers to metal discover what's out there. And it will help us current metal-heads keep up with what we've missed that we shouldn't be missing.

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I second the Manowar! Very *EPIC* music.
I had a bard character that sang the song 'Courage' in game right before a big battle.
I always envision 'Brothers of Metal' being sung in a dwarven tavern.
Also, Metallica's got a bunch of good stuff, particularly the Master of Puppets album and a few songs off of Lightning and Justice.

Urizen |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

Ah, this thread is speaking my language. I live, eat, sleep, drink, <redacted> metal. Blind Guardian and Manowar are the easiest gimmies on this list (and rightfully so). I'll second Calvert's prop for Bathory because very few individuals can lay claim to have launched two metal music genres (Blood Fire Death was the Viking Metal launch and while Venom may have came up with the name for Black Metal, the first Bathory album essentially came with the sound for the genre from which everyone else took from).
Let me touch on some that have yet been mentioned.
Einherjer - Out of Ginnungagap
Grand Magus - Hammer Of The North
Celtic Frost - Dawn of Meggido
TÝR - Hold The Heathen Hammer High
Cirith Ungol - King Of The Dead
Candlemass - The Prophecy / Dark Reflections
Iced Earth - Ten Thousand Strong
Jag Panzer - Condemned To Fight
Judas Priest - Beyond The Realms Of Death
... and to wrap things up as I could go all day ... here's a gimmie from Poland:

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I would say the whole album by Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion. The album
screams studded leather and battle axes againts lovecraftian horrors!
Circle of the Tyrants, (Beyond The) North Winds and Necromantical Screams (original Hellhammer Buried and Forgotten version is also great) are some of the high points, but the whole album (imo) is a great inspiring play for sword and sorcery gaming.Link to whole album
As for songs, a few off the top of my head -
Motorhead - Orgasmatron
Judas Priest - Tyrant

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I always like Flotsam and Jetsum.....Wading Through the Darkness and that whole album is really good.
Metal Church...early Metal Church. The Dark and Blessing in Disquise are both good albums.
I have enjoyed Dream Theatre (early again). Celtic Frost and Iced Earth as previously mentioned..
I also like some Prove You Wrong and all the songs on that album by Prong.
and a nod to Primal Fear....good hard 80s metal, today!

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Recently found early Metal Church after moving to NoCal and getting more up to speed on that era of Bay Area thrash. Good Stuff.
For recent material with an apocalyptic lyrics that sets the mood for gaming, the new band Deadlands kicks some serious tail and was just signed to a four record deal.
Disclaimer: I know the guys and help tote their gear when I can make their gigs.

Urizen |

Oh and just a little qualifier for Metal Church....
"Rip it up, kick it out.
Blood begins to flow.
Taking chances,
The only way I know.
Sacrificed everything.
I'm the grinding stone.
Ripping flesh, drawing blood.
I'de love to eat your bones."Dems be sum goud lyrics and stuff....;P
The Dark is a 10/10 album for me; there's no fillers on it.

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High on Fire - Thraft of Canaan
Ocean quest upon me, shoreline fades away
The mighty men drifting night and day
The sea has tossed them, beast beheld their eyes
Ready the ships, now it's do or die
Forged of blackened steel, wields the iron hand
Voices loud as thunder, pillaging the land
Drone seeks mortal vision, pulse the silver steed
Riding out to conquer all humanity
I'm high on fire, heads are searing
Give with pain all thy hearing
Promised land never veering
I'm stoned again, reset bearing

TwiceBorn |
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Restricting to fantasy-themed metal, as requested by the OP...
I have a hard time limiting myself to one album, but the following are all contenders:
. Amon Amarth - With Oden on Our Side
. Amon Amarth - Fate of Norns
. Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God
. Amon Amarth - Vs. the World
. Demons and Wizards - Demons and Wizards (how can that not scream D&D/Pathfinder?)
. Leaves' Eyes - Vinland Saga (probably my favourite of those listed here)

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Speaking of High On Fire, I was supposed to see 'em next month but Matt Pike went to rehab and thus cancelled all their appearances for the upcoming tour. Hope he can get it together.
Considering the number of people I know who responded to Jerusalem by saying how much they wanted to do bongs with the people who wrote it... being away from bands, fans and the whole circus of touring is probably a vital part of post-rehab clean-living as well. Shame, I saw them live with Mastodon in 2003 and they were very, very good.

DungeonmasterCal |

I thought this was about the ONE metal album that triggers mnemonic responses to D&D/Pathfinder gaming. If we're gonna shift into multiple albums and artists, I don't think there's enough bandwidth for my posts alone... lol... Then we add those of the other headbanging dice rollers here we'd crash a server somewhere!
Wow. I just discovered I posted something about this earlier in the thread. Must. Get. More. Sleep.

Urizen |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

I thought this was about the ONE metal album that triggers mnemonic responses to D&D/Pathfinder gaming. If we're gonna shift into multiple albums and artists, I don't think there's enough bandwidth for my posts alone... lol... Then we add those of the other headbanging dice rollers here we'd crash a server somewhere!
Wow. I just discovered I posted something about this earlier in the thread. Must. Get. More. Sleep.
One cannot simply restrict themselves to ONE METAL ALBUM! :)

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One cannot simply restrict themselves to ONE METAL ALBUM! :)
I realize it's a problem--some days I wanna hear Behemoth, sometimes Waylander, sometimes Maiden. Too much good metal.
But I really wanted to hear what everyone's "cream of the crop" fantasy metal album was. The best of the best. Plus, it takes me about an hour to get to work every day, so it's just enough time to hear one really good L.P.

DSXMachina |

What are people's impression of Dragonforce? They don't do it for me but seem popular none-the-less?
Moonspell or Mortiis - The Stargate/ Crypt of the Wizard