The difference, by ear
The scale vocabulary and the keyboard duels come from here, put to use inside songs rather than as the subject.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 140 to 200 bpm. To hear the difference, play Symphony X next to Yngwie Malmsteen. They share a root in heavy metal, and neoclassical metal came first, by ten years. United States appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Progressive power metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Power metal › Progressive power metal
In short
Power metal choruses laid over prog structures and meters.
How it sounds
- Long structures and odd meters, with the memorable chorus left intact.
- Keyboards in a lead role, on equal footing with the guitar.
- Technical vocals with wide range and complex phrasing.
Key acts
- Symphony X
- Kamelot
- Angra
Start here
The pickSymphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy. The title track runs twenty minutes.
Full page →Neoclassical metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Neoclassical metal
In short
Bach and Paganini transposed onto a distorted guitar: harmonic minor scales, sweep arpeggios and three-minute solos.
How it sounds
- Harmonic minor and Phrygian dominant scales with diminished arpeggios.
- Sweep picking and legato technique at extreme speed.
- Structures borrowed from the baroque concerto: theme, variation, cadenza.
Key acts
- Yngwie Malmsteen
- Racer X
- Cacophony
Start here
The pickYngwie Malmsteen - Far Beyond the Sun. Instrumental, six minutes, unplayable.
Full page →