Mad With Power Fest is Madison, Wisconsin's premier annual power metal and melodic metal celebration, created by the band Lords of the Trident. Since its 2017 debut, the festival has grown into North America's largest dedicated power metal gathering, uniquely combining heavy metal with arcade games and mead. The event consistently showcases rising and mid-tier power metal acts alongside international headliners in a setting that embraces the genre's inherent sense of fun.

Metal Church emerged from the Pacific Northwest in the early 1980s as one of thrash and power metal's most distinctive voices, with David Wayne's piercing vocals on their self-titled debut and 'The Dark' establishing them as peers of Metallica and Megadeth. The band's revolving lineup over the decades — including stints with Mike Howe, whose return on 'XI' was celebrated before his tragic passing — has never diminished their commitment to riff-driven, uncompromising heavy metal.

Los Angeles-based Nekrogoblikon have carved out a gleefully absurd niche as metal's premier goblin-themed band, delivering surprisingly technical melodic death metal wrapped in darkly comedic theatrics featuring their mascot, John Goblikon. Albums like 'Heavy Meta' and 'Welcome to Bonkers' pair genuine musical chops with tongue-in-cheek humor, blending death metal growls with synth-driven melodies and power metal hooks. Their viral music videos and outlandish live shows have built a devoted cult following that proves metal and comedy can coexist without sacrificing heaviness.

Atlanta's Paladin bring European-flavored power-thrash metal to the American South, with frontman Taylor Washington's soaring vocals, harsh rasps, and blazing guitar work recalling the melodic intensity of 1980s Iron Maiden and Helloween. Signed to Prosthetic Records, the band's debut album 'Ascension' showcased fiery dual-guitar harmonies and catchy melodies wrapped in thrash metal aggression. Washington also serves as a touring guitarist for Arsis, further demonstrating the technical prowess that fuels Paladin's ambitious compositions.

DeLand, Florida's Seven Kingdoms take their name from George R.R. Martin's fantasy saga and channel that epic storytelling ambition into anthemic power metal driven by blazing guitar work and soaring vocal melodies. The band has shared stages with Blind Guardian and Holy Grail, natural companions for their European-influenced sound rooted in the tradition of classic Helloween and Gamma Ray. Their signing to Reigning Phoenix Music and ongoing releases demonstrate a band committed to keeping American power metal alive and thriving.

Boston's Seven Spires, founded at Berklee College of Music by guitarist Jack Kosto and vocalist Adrienne Cowan, forge a distinctive brand of symphonic metal that incorporates melodic death metal, black metal, and power metal into elaborate, lore-driven concept albums. Cowan's versatile vocal approach favors harder registers and black metal growls over the operatic style typical of female-fronted symphonic metal, setting the band apart from genre conventions. Their 2024 album 'A Fortress Called Home' represents the pinnacle of their ambitious blend of extremity and orchestral grandeur.