Battle metal

Epic Metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music.

Closely related to (or synonymous with) Battle metal, and lying between power metal, speed metal and classical heavy metal with a balance between slow and solemn hymns and the occasional outburst into powerful mid-tempos, epic metal includes some themes found in epic poetry and fantasy themes; they're not the only themes, however, and lighter elements like bikes, women, and a healthy amount of self-apology are just as frequent. A typical property of epic metal is a certain grandiose element and a penchant for trumpets, violinss or even a full orchestra accompaniment.

Epic metal bands include Manowar, (early) Virgin Steele, Cirith Ungol, Omen and Medieval Steel from the US, Bathory (band) (the Viking themed albums) from Sweden and more recently DoomSword from Italy. Recently, the Tolkien/Power Metal band Blind Guardian has been going in a more Epic direction than their earlier Power Metal albums. Most notable bands would probably include Dragonforce, Rhapsody and Nighthawk. A newer band called Viperine seems to have brought the second coming of Manowar